ã€ŠHis Peasant Wife : Yao Lingã€‹


 Chapter 1 Will you marry me? Part 1

    "Will you marry me?"

    Yao Ling never thought there would be a day when she would be the one who proposed a marriage to a man. But, she had no other choice. She needed his protection, and in a way, she was his savior.

    Yao Ling¡¯s mind flickered back to the first time she met him. She was walking in the forest near her vige, trying to gather some herbs for her mother. When she found the herbs, she heard a groaning voice. It was low and subtle, but still, the sound was caught by her sensitive ears.

    She froze, a bit scared. Yao Ling tried to listen again, thinking she was mistaken. It was a man¡¯s voice and looked like he was in pain. ¡¯Look for the voice¡¯s source or not?¡¯ she thought. After a few seconds, she decided to look for it.

    Yao Ling had to break through a dense bush before she found him. She gasped in surprise, looking at his condition. She could only see blood and even his face couldn¡¯t be seen. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t afraid of blood, otherwise, she would faint. He was unconscious and she didn¡¯t know what to do.

    She was only fourteen and petite in size. That man was tall and muscr. She had no idea how to bring him back home. Yao Ling decided to find a few big trunks and bind them with the rope that she brought. With all of her energy, she tried to put him on the bound trunks. She was sweating hard and almost lost all of her energy, but she couldn¡¯t give up or this man would die. It was against her conscience.

    She didn¡¯t forget to collect her mother¡¯s herbs before she dragged the man all the way to her vige. She had no idea how could she do it or where all of her energy came from. Fortunately, both Yao Ling and her mother lived in the outskirt of the vige. There would be no gossip about this stranger, but she didn¡¯t know for how long. At least for now, in her mind, she could nurse him, Whether he was alive or not, it depended on his own luck.

    After she arrived at her house, Yao Ling called her mother. "Mother, please help me!"

    Jiu Lan, Yao Ling¡¯s mother went out quickly and saw her daughter standing beside a bonded trunks. She couldn¡¯t see clearly what¡¯s on it, so when she saw it was a bloody man, she gasped in surprise. "What happened to him?" she asked.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I have no idea. When I found him, he was already like this. Can you save him, Mother?"

    "I need to look at his condition first. Let¡¯s bring him inside first!" Then Jiu Lan helped Yao Ling, both took the unconscious man inside their house and put him on their bed. "Go fetch clean water!" Yao Ling nodded and did what her mother told her to do.

    Actually, she already knew what to do without instruction. Her mother was the vige¡¯s doctor and she learned a thing or two from her. Hopefully, her mother could save this man. When she came back with clean water, her mother was thoroughly checking the man¡¯s condition. Yao Ling quickly cleaned his blood and she was surprised.

    He... was handsome. His long ck hair was in contrast with his now-pale face. His prominent cheek was reddening, due to the high fever. His long nose and thin lipsplimented his face perfectly. His sick face didn¡¯t even make him less handsome. And his body... it molded perfectly. He might be practicing martial arts.

    Yao Ling quickly removed her indecent thought, slightly blushing. Luckily, her mother didn¡¯t pay her any attention. "How is he, Mother?"

    Jiu Lan sighed in relief, "I can save him, but it will take a long time. His head isn¡¯t in good condition. I think it hit a rock pretty hard, so he might lose his memory or be an idiot. We can only know when he wakes up."

    Yao Ling could only hope for the best. They nursed him until he regained consciousness. Just like what Jiu Lan had predicted, he lost his memories. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t be an idiot. They knew that man had nowhere to go, but for a strange man from unknown origin to live with two women, it was inappropriate. They supposed they could make up a story for the viger that this man was a distant cousin.

    "Pst..." Yao Ling called the man. He looked at her nkly. Everything seemed surreal for him. He didn¡¯t know who he was, didn¡¯t remember his family. It seemed meaningless.

    Yao Ling knew that he felt hopeless, so she tried to take his mind away. "What should I call you?" Yao Ling grinned at him, cheering him up.

    The man only stared at the girl in front of him. She was beautiful. Her big eyes made her look cute. She hadn¡¯t lost her chubbiness andbining with her pointed nose and plump lips, he knew she would be a beauty in a few years. She was the first thing he saw when he woke up. It made him feel like she was his sunshine.

    "I don¡¯t know," he answered carelessly. He wanted to know his real name, but it was impossible. Before he could get back to his depression, he heard a melodious voice.

    "How about I give you a name?" She asked softly. "For a new life. Just think of yourself is being reborn. Stay with us. How is that sound?"

    She gave him a new hope. He nodded and asked her, "What¡¯s your name?"

    "I¡¯m Yao Ling." After answering him, she thought for a moment. Then she said two words, "Yao Ying."

    Yao Ying. He thought to himself and chant the name. He liked it. "Yao Ying, it is."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling.

 Chapter 2 Will You Marry Me? Part 2

    A few months had passed...

    Yao Ying had been fully recovered, except his memories. He started to ept his new life, but he rarely smiled,ughed, or talked. Because it was inappropriate for them to live together, they built a small room beside their house ¨C enough for one person. Jiu Lan and Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a rich viger nor poor. Jiu Lan¡¯s medical knowledge helped their financial a lot.

    A doctor was deeply respected, that¡¯s why no vigers dare to offend them. Jiu Lan and Yao Ling also rarely blended themselves to the vigers. They only appeared when someone needed medical help. When Yao Ying appeared, it created a lot of gossips in the vige, but no one dared to say anything in front of them. Although they didn¡¯t believe the cousin story, they said nothing. But, the bad rumor was spreading behind them. Only the three of them oblivious about it even if they knew, they wouldn¡¯t care.

    "Mother, how can I make Yao Ying happy?" Yao Ling asked her mother, sighing in sadness. Yao Ying rarely showed any emotions and it pained her.

    "He only shows emotions in front of you. I think you are the only one who can make him open up. How? I¡¯m not sure. It depends on Yao Ying himself. Anyway, having him here isn¡¯t a bad thing. He can help us doing man¡¯s job, and make you less tired."

    "What are you talking about, Mother? I never feel tired of helping you. But yes... he helps a lot!" Yao Lingughed softly. They never took advantage of Yao Ying, but he insisted to repay their kindness. When he made his mind, he was stubborn.

    "Mother, let me find Yao Ying. It¡¯s time for dinner," without waiting for Jiu Lan¡¯s answer, she hopped and ran away. She found him and asked him back to eat dinner together.

    After finished eating and washed the dishes, Yao Ling pulled Yao Ying out of the house. They sat together, watching stars.

    "How are you feeling these days?" Yao Ling asked him bluntly.

    "Fine."

    Yao Ling used to the way he answered in a few words, so she didn¡¯t pay him any mind. She just looked up and talked softly, "I will tell you a story. One day, ady was walking down the river. She nned to wash her clothes, suddenly..."

    Before she finished her story, she saw Yao Ying¡¯s bewildered expression. She was sure that Yao Ying thought she was making up some crazy story. Sheughed at him, "Just listen to me first." Then, she continued her story, "Suddenly, that woman heard a loud crying sound. There she found a baby. The baby was almost beyond rescue, but she saved her and took her as her own daughter. At that time, she was unmarried 18 years old woman and yet she raised the baby against all odd. She never gets married."

    Yao Ying looked at her in surprise, "Do you mean that baby is..."

    "Yes, it¡¯s me. You see... I know nothing about myself too, in a way, we are the same." She gave him a beautiful gold hairpin with bird shape. Yao Ying received the hairpin, and with one look, one would know that it wasn¡¯t just an ordinary hairpin.

    "Have you ever tried to find your family?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "No. I love my mother. I would never leave her all alone. Maybe one day, I can go and find who I am. However now, I have another responsibility. My mother is my life. She sacrifices her life for me, for her I will do the same. Besides, I¡¯m only a girl. How can I go traveling alone? Just think positively. If one day you regain your memories, you can do what you want. You can leave us if you want, but for now, just stay here and try to live your life. Depressing won¡¯t help you at all."

    After saying that, both of them lost in their own thought. Yao Ling hoped he would understand what she meant. Yao Ying was smart and he understood her perfectly. Since then, Yao Ying shifted his depression mind and decided to protect both mother-daughter pairs.

    However, a few monthster, their happiness was shattered. Jiu Lan was sick, very sick. She admitted herself that there was no cure. She could only live until Yao Ling was 15 years old ¨C right the day her hairpin ceremony.

    Jiu Lan admitted that she was actually sick for a long time. "Yao Ling, Mother is very weak. That day when I found you, I wasn¡¯t going to wash my clothes. I tried to kill myself by jumping to the river. If I didn¡¯t hear your crying voice and found you, I probably wouldn¡¯t find this happiness. I love you, my beautiful daughter."

    Yao Ling cried softly and shook her head, "No, Mother. I¡¯m the lucky one. Without you, there will be no me. Don¡¯t leave all alone, please. Without you, what can I do?"

    Jiu Lan smiled softly. "You will be okay. You are a strong girl. Mother isn¡¯t going to die now. I have to put your hairpin on in a few days. Your hairpin ceremony is important for me. My little daughter has grown up."

    After their talk, Yao Ling went out and ran out of her house. She hid behind a tree and cried. That¡¯s where Yao Ying found her. He hugged her and let her cry until she was asleep. He couldn¡¯t bear to see their pain, without knowing a few drops of tears flew down from his eyes. An emotion that he never knew - Pain.

    A few days passed in a blink of time, it was her hairpin ceremony day. For amoner, people rarely did it. However, Jiu Lan knew her daughter wasn¡¯t from a simple background, Her hairpin was enough evidence and it would be her job as a mother to put it on her.

    There was no grand ceremony, only the three of them. Slowly... slowly... Jiu Lanbed Yao Ling¡¯s hair. She looked at the silky ck hair and smiled softly. "Look how beautiful your hair! Your future husband would certainly happy touching it," she teased.

    There was no mirror in their house, so Yao Ling couldn¡¯t see her mother¡¯s expression. Jiu Lan was crying without a sound. She felt sad... she couldn¡¯t watch her daughter grow anymore. She tried all her might for this day ¨C she had no energy left.

    "Ling-er, Mother hasst wishes. Without mother, you are all alone. I can only leave in peace if you get married to Yao Ying. He can protect you and you can find your own real family with him." Jiu Lan¡¯s tears were flowing down like a river, she couldn¡¯t even contain her sob anymore.

    Yao Ling wanted to turn around and hugged her mother, but she was held by Jiu Lan ¨C preventing her from looking at her. "Don¡¯t... let me finish what I want to say first."

    Yao Ling could only nod. "After Mother dies, just burn my body and throw my ashes to the ocean. I know you are filial, but I don¡¯t want you to hold yourself back and stay near my grave. Wherever both of you go, I can watch you and Yao Ying from the ocean. After that, please get married. No need to mourn for me."

    "But Mother..."

    "No, but! If you don¡¯t fulfill myst wishes, that¡¯s called unfilial. Do you promise me?"

    Slightly choked with her tears, Yao Ling stuttered, "I... I ... promise."

    "After the ceremony, Mother will also talk to Yao Ying." Yao Ying was kicked out because they wanted to share mother-daughter time. Besides, most hairpin ceremony participators were women.

    Afterbing, Jiu Lan gathered Yao Ling¡¯s hair and tied them into a knot. Jiu Lan gasped in pain, her body was trembling. She tried to bear the pain, sweating a lot because of it. ¡¯Please... please... my body... please bear with me. I only have to do one thing for he daughter, just one thing...¡¯ Jiu Lan chanted to herself.

    Just let me put on the hairpin. Please...

 Chapter 3 Will you marry me? Part 3

    Maybe her prayers were answered by God, she regained her strength and slowly tried to move up her hands. Trembling softly, but she gripped the hairpin tightly. When she put on the hairpin, she smiled happily.

    Her job is done...

    "Be happy, Ling-er..." After saying that, she lost all of her energy. She let go in content and her smile was growing bigger.

    Yao Ling heard a loud bang sound and she turned around in a hurry. There... she saw her mother falling down. "Mother... mother..." She shouted in panic. "Yao Ying... Yao Ying... please help me!"

    Yao Ling heard the door was being opened from outside, she found his presence. "Help me put my mother on the bed! She fainted!"

    After touching Jiu Lan, Yao Ying understood one thing. He couldn¡¯t find her breath. She was gone. He helplessly looked at Yao Ling. She didn¡¯t realize that her mother was gone. Yao Ying still helped her put Jiu Lan¡¯s on her bed.

    Yao Ling touched her mother and she felt no pulse from her wrist. Her whole body was shaking. Her heart is broken. "Yao Ying... why can¡¯t I feel her pulse? I... I... I can¡¯t feel it. She¡¯s not dead, isn¡¯t she? She won¡¯t leave me alone, right?"

    Yao Ying looked at her sadly. ¡¯What should he do?¡¯ He thought to himself. She was in pain and yet he was lost. He hugged the girl in front of him. "Yao Ling... listen to me... She¡¯s gone.... Mother is gone!" He couldn¡¯t bear to hear her heartbreaking cries, but he had to be cruel. Jiu Lan was gone. He always thought of her as his mother too, but his sadness couldn¡¯tpare to the girl in front of him.

    Suddenly, it hit him. She has no one, but him. He wouldn¡¯t go back on his own promise to himself. He will protect her! This life, he belongs to her and her only.

    "Should we... bury her?" Yao Ying asked softly, trying to wake Yao Ling out of her reverie. For a few days, she just hugged Jiu Lan¡¯s body ¨C not moving at all. She still wore her hairpin ceremony outfits ¨C once a simple and clean red dress, but now messy. Her hairpin was still there, thest memory of her mother put it on her keep reying in her mind.

    Yao Ying sighed when he didn¡¯t hear any answer. He already tried a lot of soft ways coaxing her, but she didn¡¯t budge. It might be the days when he spoke the most. He finally decided to try the hard way.

    He yelled loudly, "Yao Ling! Wake up! Do you want your mother¡¯s body to rot? You should send her away when she¡¯s beautiful! Do you think Mother would want to see you like this?"

    Yao Ling jumped at his loud voice, crying loudly. Yao Ying hugged her and started to coax softly again, "Please be strong! Don¡¯t you want your mother to look beautiful when she¡¯s gone? She wants you to be happy, so you should send her away with a smile. Don¡¯t you think she won¡¯t rest in peace if she sees you like this?"

    Yao Ying¡¯s words started to get into her and she nodded softly. After that, both were trying to tidy Jiu Lan up and Yao Ling put light make up on her. Jiu Lan looked beautiful and serene.

    "Mother told me she wanted her body to be burnt and throw her ashes into the ocean," Yao Ling exined sadly.

    Yao Ying just nodded and he prepared everything. After done preparing, they brought Jiu Lan¡¯s body to the beach and put her on a wooden ship which full of branches. Both silently cried and burnt the body. Yao Ying pushed the ship and let Jiu Lan go.

    Yao Ling thought back to her mother¡¯sst wish. She had to get married. She wasing of age already, but how could she get married in mourning time like this? However, she already promised her mother. Mother said she would say something to Yao Ying, but she was gone before that.

    ¡¯How could I bring it up? ¡¯ She thought to herself.

    She decided to rest for the day and she would think about it again tomorrow. She couldn¡¯t sleep and curled herself on her bed. Deep in thought, she didn¡¯t realize Yao Ying¡¯s presence until she felt her nket moving up. Yao Ying tried to put the nket on her after she felt her breath start to get steady. He thought she was already asleep.

    That night... she felt warm.

    Yao Ling woke up with a wonderful smell. She opened her eyes and saw Yao Ying cooking. It was supposed to her job, but thest few days, she didn¡¯t even pay any attention to it. She sat down on her bed and looked at Yao Ying intensely. ¡¯What should she do?¡¯ At this moment, her grief is being reced by her nervousness.

    Felt her intense gaze, Yao Ying looked at the source ¨C Yao Ling. He put on a rare smile and asked her, "Come on! Eat! You didn¡¯t eat anything the past few days. I don¡¯t want you to get sick."

    Yao Ling numbly nod. They sat down and ate. Yao Ying was wondering why she kept peeking at him, but he said nothing. He didn¡¯t want to push her.

    "Ying gege..."

    "En."

    "Mother wants me to go find my real family."

    "En."

    "She was supposed to ask you to apany me."

    "En."

    "Will you marry me?"

    "En."

    ¡¯En? Ying gege only said en? What does he mean? Does he understand or not? Does he hear what I said? Does he mean... he would really marry me? Or...¡¯ Yao Ling just looked at him seriously.

    There was a big question in her mind. ¡¯Will he marry me?¡¯

 Chapter 4 Will You Marry Me? Part 4

    After saying ¡¯En¡¯ for the fourth time, Yao Ying realized thest question. What? Marry her? He quickly raised his head and looked at Yao Ling in amazement. Did she just propose to him? Maybe he heard it wrong.

    "What did you say?"

    Yao Ling blushed at his question. ¡¯Yao Ying gege ~ I don¡¯t think I can repeat it again. It¡¯s too embarrassing!¡¯ However, she remembered thest thing her?"

    Yao Ying gaped at her, with both eyes widening at an rming rate. She¡¯s serious! "Bu... but... this is still mourning period, besides, how can a girl propose a marriage to a man! It¡¯s... unbing!"

    Yao Ling looked down in embarrassment. In her mind, she scolded him. ¡¯Do you think I don¡¯t know that? My face isn¡¯t that thick. Without mother¡¯s wish, I don¡¯t think I will try to marry you.¡¯ They lived in the era which marriage was considered and decided by the parents. Jiu Lan was forever her mother, even when she found her real family, it didn¡¯t matter.

    Finally, Yao Ling decided to tell Yao Ying the whole story. Yao Ying listened to her solemnly. It was a bizarre thing, but it would be the best thing for Yao Ling. She was all alone and too young to embark a journey all alone. With only one hairpin, there wouldn¡¯t be too easy to find her origin. But, what about him? What if he suddenly regained his memories? What if someone already waited for him all this time? Yes, he liked Yao Ling ¨C his sunshine. But does it love? He didn¡¯t know.

    The same thought was fleeting in Yao Ling¡¯s mind. She¡¯s a girl, and in her mind, she wanted love too. She always thought she could slowly cultivate her feelings to Yao Ying, but she couldn¡¯t help but guarding her heart. That handsome man could make her heart beat faster, but she knew it was a gamble. What if he remembered his past? Was he a married man? Did someone wait for him all along?

    However, she could only live for the moment. The truth was she¡¯s the one who needed him the most. He could just leave her and he could survive. He knew martial arts and he could protect himself. But what about her? She could follow him, but without any status, her reputation could be considered in ruin. If she didn¡¯t want to find her family, she could just stay here for the rest of her life.

    But she didn¡¯t want it. She wanted more. She was greedy.

    Was it okay being selfish for once?

    Making her mind, she looked at Yao Ying. "I know there¡¯s no love between us at the moment, but at least, we have some feelings for each other. If... if...," she hesitantly said the next part, but finally managed to make a sound.

    Her voice was getting stronger, "If one day you recover your memory, I won¡¯t hold you back. You can choose your next path ¨C stay or leave. We don¡¯t know anything about your past and everything might not like what it seems to be, but rest assured... I¡¯m a loyal person. If you remember and choose to stay with me, I won¡¯t abandon you ¨C We will be together until death does us part. That¡¯s my vow to you. Just like I said before, if you choose to leave, I won¡¯t me you."

    For a 15-year-old maiden, Yao Ling was indeed a decisive person. She was loyal to the bone. For her, everything was ck and white and she wouldn¡¯t regret everything that she chose. If she got married, she would definitely try to make this marriage work. Actually, she was expecting his husband-to-be to stay loyal and try to love her too.

    But... Yao Ying is a special case. She didn¡¯t want to rob him from his past. From his tattered clothes when he fell down, she knew that from the quality... he was indeed not an ordinary person. Wealth? She didn¡¯t care about that at all. Her wish was just a simple happy marriage.

    Yao Ying looked at her, contemting. Yao Ling kept her gaze at him, trying to hold in her nervousness. ¡¯How will he answer me?¡¯ she thought to herself.

    "Okay." Yao Ying finally answered her. Yao Ling smiled widely, thanking him. "Thank you for fulfilling my mother¡¯sst wish!"

    He was blinded by her smile, somehow it made him happy too.

    "However, I have a simple request. I hope you can abide by it." Yao Ling bit her lower lip nervously.

    "Tell me!"

    "Six months. Give me six months. We... we... can¡¯t do that first..." She trailed off.

    Yao Ying pondered for a while, before realizing what she meant. Heughed inside his mind. He lost his memories, but he wasn¡¯t stupid. He still knows all basic human needs. He wanted tough, but looking at the nervous girl in front of him, he couldn¡¯t. But he still teased her.

    "What do you mean?" He pretended to not understand what she meant, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

    "That... that..." Yao Ling felt at lost. She just couldn¡¯t say the words ¨C it¡¯s embarrassing. Besides, she was a girl. She only heard about. Would Yao Ying misunderstand?

    "That... that... what?" Yao Ying just loved to tease the girl.

    "Um... consummate the marriage." Yao Ling mumbled softly. She decided not to use making love words.

    "What?" Yao Ying pretended he couldn¡¯t hear her.

    Finally, Yao Ling couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. She felt anger surging into her body because she realized Yao Ying teasing her. She shouted loudly, "CONSUMMATE THE MARRIAGE."

    Yao Ying looked at her dumbfounded, then burst intoughter. This was the first time she showed any emotions since her mother¡¯s death. Even he could finallyugh. He hoped he could make her smile again. Step-by-step.

    Yao Ling just red at him in contempt, but then, the embarrassment started to kick in. She covered her face with both hands, groaning loudly.

    Yao Ying decided to stop teasing her, nodding seriously. "Of course, you are still a kid. I¡¯m not in a rush eating you."

    Yao Ling gaped at the shameless man in front of her. ¡¯He didn¡¯t just say that! A kid? Eating me?¡¯ She felt her anger surfacing once more, but she held back. She would note what he just said and paid him backter. She would never forget her grudge.

    Yao Ying saw her grit her teeth and it made him want tough again. She sure had a temper. He decided to ask her clearly, "When do you want to get married?"

    Without another thought, Yao Ling answered, "Tomorrow." The faster the better. She didn¡¯t want to stay in this house with her mother¡¯s memories. It was too painful. After the marriage, she wanted to start the journey.

    "Tomorrow, it is." Yao Ying nodded.

 Chapter 5 The Wedding

    They both wanted a simple wedding. Not only they had to be low-key because of the mourning period, but also they didn¡¯t want to gather too much attention. Yao Ying still gave her betrothal gift, even though it was just a simple gift. He wanted to give her the respect that she deserved. She was his wife, not a concubine. He gave her a jade pendant with the word ¡¯Xiao¡¯ on it. It was the only thing from his past. It was found on his body when Yao Ling saved him.

    She didn¡¯t have many things to offer as a dowry. She gave her golden bird hairpin as an exchange. They decided to trust each other with their past, present, and future. Although this was just a contractual marriage, they did want to take it seriously.

    There was no matchmaker, no family, and no guest. Just the two of them. They held the wedding on the beach where they sent Jiu Lan away. They wanted her to see and bless their marriage. They believed Jiu Lan was able to see them.

    The groom prepared a simple altar there and stood in front of it. He was waiting for Yao Ling toe. Yao Ying wore a simple red robe that he purchased in town the previous day. They didn¡¯t have much money, but they still followed the wedding custom.

    The bride was preparing herself inside their house. Her mother already prepared the wedding qibao for her- including the veil. Jiu Lan sew it by herself and embroidered golden bird pattern on it. It was the same bird with her hairpin. While buying the groom¡¯s outfit, they bought a cheap phoenix cor. They didn¡¯t want to spend all their money because they needed it for their journeyter.

    Cheap didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t important. They didn¡¯t have the luxury to indulge for their wedding, but both of them were positive-thinking persons. Their future was more important. The wedding was the start of their life journey. Without the others, they were just lonely persons. They only had each other.

    Yao Ling did her make up herself. After putting on the wedding dress, she did her hair and wore the phoenix cor. She looked into the mirror - which Yao Ying especially had bought for her the previous day.

    ¡¯Mother, do you see me now? Do I look beautiful? I¡¯m getting married today ¨C just like what you want. I wish... you are here.¡¯

    She almost cried and ruined her make-up. She decided to push the thought away, trying to be brave. This was her decision and she would have to live it. Be happy or not it was depended on herself. She walked to the beach slowly. When she was almost there, she put on her veil before she saw Yao Ying. She already remembered the steps to the altar ¨C just go straight.

    Yao Ying heard footsteps and he raised his head. There she was... his bride. The wedding dress entuated her body perfectly. Even without lifting her veil, she emitted an aura of elegance and beauty. She walked toward him softly.

    Yao Ying walked toward her, guiding her to the red altar. They kowtow once to worship the Heaven. The second kowtow was for the parent. They kowtow to the ocean. And finally, the third kowtow was for husband and wife. They bowed to each other. Their heart skipped a bit and they knew from this moment on they were bound to each other.

    Yao Ying led her to their house, entering the bridal chamber. Yao Ying let her sit on their bed. They already decorated the bed in red color, symbolizing luck and happiness. He slowly lifted up her veil and stunned. She¡¯s so beautiful... His heart skipped a bit, while Yao Ling was looking down shyly.

    Afterposing himself, he led Yao Ling to the small table in front of the bed. A jar of wine and two cups had been prepared beforehand. Both of them sat down. Yao Ling poured the wine to the two cups, then she gave one to Yao Ying. It was time to drink the nuptial cup.

    "Ying gege, let¡¯s drink the wine," she toasted him shyly.

    "En.. after drinking this, we are officially husband and wife," Yao Ying said in a soft voice.

    They linked their arms and drank the wine together.

    Now, they are officially married.

 Chapter 6 The Wedding Nigh

    After drinking the wine, they stared at each other, not knowing what to do. It was supposed to be their wedding night. Yao Ying cleared his throat, trying topose his thought. Yao Ling just looked down shyly.

    What should they do? Both lost in their own thought. They didn¡¯t dare to look at the other. The atmosphere became really weird.

    Yao Ying remembered his promise not to touch her for six months. He didn¡¯t know what he felt about her at the moment, but still... he¡¯s a man. To say he didn¡¯t have any desire then that would be a lie. Truthfully, today has been really tiring. They did all their preparations on their own. After finishing the whole ceremony, the tiredness started to get to him.

    He wanted to sleep, but he didn¡¯t know how to express his opinion. If he asked her to go to bed with him, would she think he wanted to eat her? She probably would misunderstand him, so he decided against it. He just stayed silent.

    Yao Ling indeed said that she didn¡¯t want to consummate their marriage first, but thest conversation about it indeed made her angry. He said I am just a kid? Hmpf! That sentence gave a blow to her. She made up her mind, teasing him a little would be fine, right? She was busy thinking about her plot, not realizing Yao Ying sat like a block of wood and ncing at her once in a while.

    He wondered what¡¯s inside her head at the moment. Her expressions kept changing, First, furrowing her eyebrows, then she smiled evilly. After that, she shook her head, then nodded her head. He was helplessly looking at her. He knew when she was like this, it means she was nning something.

    A few minutes felt like a long time because of the dreary silence. Yao Ying couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so he cleared his throat to break the silence. "Ling-er, what are you thinking about?"

    Yao Ling jumped in surprise because of the sudden question, fortunately, her n has been formed in her mind. She smiled shyly and shook her head, "Nothing."

    After a few moments, she talked again. "I want to take off my phoenix cor and tidy up myself for a bit. Do you want me to help you take off your robe?" Wasn¡¯t that what she supposed to do as a wife? Her mother didn¡¯t have the chance to tell her what to do after marriage, so she only knew bits and pieces.

    "No need. Just do what you want to do."

    Yao Ling nodded and stood up. She went to a small table near the bed and sat there. She slowly took off the phoenix cor and opened her hair knot. She let her hair slowly falling down and thenbed it. Yao Ying saw that from behind and somehow it made him gulp. She looked so delicate and womanly. For the first time, he saw her as a real woman. He knew she¡¯s beautiful and all that, but he previously only saw her as a little sister. Now... she¡¯s his wife. It changed his opinion a little bit.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know a simple movement from her could affect him that much. Actually, this wasn¡¯t even a part of her n. She truly felt tired and the cor made her neck feel like it was going to break. She took a long timebing her hair, feeling indecisive. Should she really do her n? After thinking what she would do next, she blushed in embarrassment.

    Yao Ying looked at her in puzzlement. Was a woman always needs a lot of time tob hair? He felt so tired and wanted to go to bed, but he didn¡¯t have the heart to sleep first on their wedding night. They... should sleep together, right? He decided to call Yao Ling, "Ling-er, are you... finished?"

    "En... I¡¯m finished."

    Yao Ling turned around and let her back facing Yao Ying. She stood up and slowly opened her outer robe, letting it slide down to the ground. Then she bravely opened her wedding dress. She tried to hide her embarrassment, but under the soft candlelight, her blushing face looked endearing.

    Yao Ying... could only gulp. He couldn¡¯t move his gave from his wife. His untouchable wife. It was going to be a very long night for him.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t stop there. She only left her soft pink inner garment. It was thin, but not see-through. However, the material clinging on her body and entuating Yao Ling¡¯s body. You could say that it was seductive, but still appropriate. For Yao Ying... it was frustrating.

    When Yao Ling turned her body around ¨C facing him, he could feel his blood boiling. For the first time, he felt a desire to Yao Ling. How could he not? She looked absolutely beautiful and ravishing.

    Her body was quite mature for 15-year-old. He admitted he wanted her, but he was also a man of his words. Six months... he would bear for six months. He made a promise and he would never break it. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down.

    Yao Ling was pleased with his reaction. He dared say that she was only a kid. Ha! She proved him wrong, right? However, she saw Yao Ying closed his eyes. After opening them, his emotion started to calm down and he became tranquil.

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ Yao Ling cursed inside her mind. She thought what she had just done wasn¡¯t enough, in reality, Yao Ying was barely holding onto his sanity.

    She leveled up her charm by slowly walking seductively. She cleverly looked innocent and yet at the same time alluring. If she didn¡¯t watch a vige girl doing this before, she didn¡¯t think she would have the knowledge. At least, she did this to her husband while that vige girl wasn¡¯t.

    Yao Ying started gulping again. ¡¯Did she did this on purpose?¡¯ That thought fleeted in his mind, but he pushed it away. He knew the girl and she was innocent. There was no way she knew about this kind of thing.

    Oh only if he knew... She indeed tried to seduce him for taunting her before, maybe he would throw up blood.

    "Ying-gege..."

    "Just call me... husband. We¡¯re married, naturally, we should change the way we address each other."

    "Husband..." Yao Ling hesitantly called him. The word husband was so unfamiliar for her, but she liked how it sounded. It felt intimate. Then she continued talking, "Should we sleep now?"

    Yao Ying nodded, but he looked at the bed awkwardly. Should he choose the inner side or the outer side? Maybe asking would be better since he was too nervous to make up her mind. "Ling-er, which side do you want?"

    Yao Ling stood in front of him, making him blush. His blushing face made Yao Ling stun, he¡¯s so cute! Usually, Yao Ying was aloof and this was the first time he blushed! Somehow, it even made Yao Ling nervous. Yao Ling decided to sit beside Yao Ying.

    She nced at him and said, "Husband... I choose the inner side." Without a second thought, she quickly went to the inner side and buried herself inside the red quilt. Although only stripping her clothes, it was pretty embarrassing for her. Her braveness at the previous moment suddenly vanished.

    Yao Ying slipped into the quilt and slept beside her. Both of them pretended to be asleep, but their nervous breathing practically betrayed them. How could they sleep if both of their heart were beating faster? It was simply an impossible task.

    Finally, Yao Ying couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. "Ling-er, just rx! I won¡¯t touch you."

    Yao Ling could only answer him with ¡¯En¡¯. She turned around, facing Yao Ying and said, "Thank you for marrying me. If not, I don¡¯t think I have the courage to face my life." She decided to open her heart. Indeed, without him, what awaited her was loneliness.

    Yao Ying smiled softly, "You silly girl! You know my temper very well. If I don¡¯t want to do something, no one can force me. If you say thank you, then I will also say thank you. Thank you for trusting me and marry me."

    Yao Ying pulled her to his embrace, feeling her softness. He made a mistake! Embracing her made him feel aroused, but still, he held back. He actually just wanted tofort her, but he had to endure the night! He wished he could have a cold shower at the moment!

    At first, Yao Ling was a bit surprised and her body stiffened. After a few moments, she began to rx and embrace him back. Unknown to her, she made Yao Ying have to endure harder. If she knew this, maybe she would be roaring inughter.

    However, that night... they were basking in each other¡¯s warm. For the first time since Jiu Lan¡¯s death, they slept in peace.

 Chapter 7 The Journey â€“ An Yang City 1

    After spending the night together, the awkwardness started to lessen a bit. Their rtionship started to change for the better. They decided to prepare for their journey and left in a few days. They went together to the nearest town, buying necessities.

    They lived in the Shu Kingdom. The continent was divided into three kingdoms, Shu, Qin, and Han. Currently, they lived in a peaceful era. They signed a peace treaty. Yao Ying and Yao Ling justmoners that didn¡¯t engage in any politics, but they knew their kingdom was the strongest. The other two kingdoms didn¡¯t dare to dere war blindly, hence the peacefulness.

    There were several statuses for the people in their kingdom. Peasant was one of them. Though Yao Ling¡¯s mother practiced medicine, she still had to rely on farming for their daily necessities. Jiu Lan was kindhearted, sometimes she cured people without being paid. Informally, peasant meant a person of low social status. It can be said both Yao Ling and Yao Ying were at the bottom of society.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling decided to head to the capital. That¡¯s the only ce to get many pieces of information easily. They knew the chance for Yao Ying to find his past was bigger because of his jade. They could reduce the possibilities by looking for Xiao families. Their vige quite far from the capital and it would take a few months to get there.

    Yao Ying teased Yao Ling, "Just take this as our honeymoon." He smiled mischievously, making Yao Ling blush. There was no one they left behind, so they didn¡¯t need to say farewell to anyone. They just left the vige behind.

    "We are not really in a hurry. We can just enjoy each city and stay for a little while. Maybe if I were alone without memories, I¡¯d try to find my past like a lunatic. My mind is like a nk canvas and it¡¯s scary. Now... I have you. I¡¯m quite content with our marriage. Why don¡¯t we also enjoy ourselves?" Yao Ying proposed a n.

    Yao Ying actually did it for her. He knew Yao Ling was still sad, but this stubborn girl concealed it. If he didn¡¯t know her previously, he wouldn¡¯t have known it. Yes, she still smiled, but it wasn¡¯t genuinely cheery like before. He didn¡¯t know why but it didn¡¯t sit nicely for him.

    Yao Ling was quite surprised with his idea; she thought he would go straight to the capital to find information. She was happy with the idea though, maybe it would distract her from missing her mother.

    They went to the nearest city, An Yang. It only took a few days. When they arrived it was already at night, the city was bustling with a merry atmosphere. It seemed like there was a celebration. Their vige was quite remote and rarely had any celebration. Yao Ying asked one of the pedestrians, asking about the event.

    "Ah... are you guys new here? Enjoy the festival then! This is the Sevens Festival. This is the day to worship the stars and for the young girl to pray for a good husband." The pedestrian was a young man. After looking at Yao Ling, he was stunned. The girl beside the man was a beauty!

    "Young miss... it will be the perfect time for you to pray too!" The young man tried to flirt with Yao Ling.

    Yao Ying¡¯s face slightly darkened. Was that man flirting with his wife? He felt a sudden possessiveness. He grabbed Yao Ling¡¯s waist and pulled her to him, "I¡¯m sorry! She already has a husband." The young man looked disappointed, but he respected them. He still smiled and bid the couple farewell.

    Yao Ling looked at Yao Ling in surprise. Did he feel jealous? After realizing Yao Ling¡¯s look, Yao Ying awkwardly released her and blushed. Yao Lingughed and felt her husband really cute. Between husband and wife, there would be a feeling of possessiveness and she understood that. She felt so happy!

    They walked around and heard this festival also held an importance for a newlywed couple. Yao Ling asked Yao Ying, "Husband, should we go pray to the temple? After that, we can find an inn to stay." Yao Ying agreed to her request. They headed to a temple and decided to worship the celestials.

    Both of them were in sync and prayed for a happy marriage, hoping they could fall in love with each other. They felt quite lucky. They weren¡¯t deeply in love, but at least they trusted each other. Their interaction previously made then know each other¡¯s character well. Other people usually got married even without knowing each other¡¯s face and character.

    After praying, they passed by a crowded main street. There were a lot of people, looking at a beautifully decorated stage.

    "Come...e... join ourpetition. Ladies only! Show us your embroidery skill under low-light conditions! The winner wins 20 silver taels!" A middle-aged man shouted loudly, promoting thepetition.

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes lit up after hearing the man. She looked at Yao Ying expectantly, "Can I join thepetition?"

    "Sure, just enjoy yourself." It meant she didn¡¯t have to force herself to win, so no pressure. Yao Ying didn¡¯t realize that he started to dote on his wife.

    Yao Ling just grinned at him and nodded excitedly. She quickly went up to the stage along with five youngdies. They were given red handkerchiefs and they had to make a couple of mandarin ducks under the glow of an ember. They were only given roughly half an hour time. It was quite hard!

    Yao Ling started to embroider at a fast speed, making the audience gaped at her ¨C even the host too! "Youngdies, don¡¯t forget about the quality of the mandarin ducks shape. Even you finish fast, but the mandarin ducks look ugly, then you won¡¯t win!" Of course, this sentence was directed to Yao Ling. The other participants were two times slower than her.

    What the host said made the audienceughed ¨C except for Yao Ying. He gritted his teeth trying to hold back his anger! The host didn¡¯t have to humiliate his wife like that! However, he looked at Yao Ling¡¯s serene expressions. Theughter didn¡¯t bother her, so he didn¡¯t make a scene.

    After thepetition time ended, the participants had to show their embroidery to the audience. Before they did it, the host was curious about Yao Ling¡¯s embroidery. When he peeked at it, he gasped loudly. The audience thought the result must be really bad due to the host¡¯s reaction. Theyughed at Yao Ling and some of them even mocked her.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t stand his wife being bullied!

 Chapter 8 An Yang City 2

    Yao Ying was going to beat the one who mocked his wife. But before he did anything, he heard what the host said. "It seems like I misjudged you, youngdy." The middle-aged man slightly bowed to Yao Ling. Although he was a hot-headed person, the host was quite honest in his conduct.

    He took Yao Ling¡¯s embroidery and showed it to the crowd. The mandarin ducks were beautifully embroidered and they looked like they were alive! The crowd murmured to themselves; they couldn¡¯t believe it! How could a young girl make such a beautiful embroidery an in just half an hour time? When they saw the other youngdies¡¯ work, the difference was very big. They couldn¡¯t even finish one of the ducks.

    Even Yao Ying never knew Yao Ling was talented in embroidery. He didn¡¯t think he had ever seen her doing embroidery during the time the lived together in the vige. He looked at Yao Ling in disbelief. It seemed he didn¡¯t know anything about his wife at all.

    The host changed in attitude. He looked at Yao Ling in respect. He announced Yao Ling as the winner and gave her the prize. Before Yao Ling going down from the stage, he asked Yao Ling, "Young miss, may I ask your name?"

    "Is there a need for me to give you your name?" Yao Ling asked back politely.

    The host grinned at her, "My name is Wang Luo Huai. I own several embroidery shops, I¡¯d like you to join our shop. I can give you a job and you will be paid ording to your embroidery. I will also prepare the material for you. I won¡¯t swindle you and will honestly pay you ording to your talent."

    Wang Luo Hai was a businessman. He knew she was a gold mine for his shops, so he wouldn¡¯t let the opportunity slip by.

    Yao Ling answered him, "I need to discuss it with my husband first. Can we talk again tomorrow? We have to find an inn first. We just arrived in this city."

    Wang Luo Hai looked at her in amazement. This youngdy just had a long journey, but she could embroider beautiful piece like that under such circumstances. He knew he had to make her work for him before hispetitor found her. He understood the news about this girl would certainly spread tomorrow.

    Without ashamed, Wang Luo Hai followed Yao Ling to meet with her husband. Yao Ling was speechless but didn¡¯t stop him. The audiences gave her way and looked at her in a different light. In An Yang City, embroidery talent was valued very high. Their main source of ie was from embroidery. It seemed Yao Ling and Yao Ying hit the jackpot.

    Yao Ling smiled and gave Yao Ying her embroidery, "I will finish this embroidery and make a pouch for you." Yao Ying nodded, feeling happy.

    Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t want to lose his chance, trying to persuade this amazing talent. "Young man, my name is Wang Luo Hai. I¡¯d like to talk to you about a business deal regarding your wife. Do you have time?" He didn¡¯t dare to be impolite. He knew judging from their clothes, they were only peasants. He didn¡¯t care; he only judged a person based on talent alone.

    "Husband, I need your permission. I already told him we need to find a lodge first and talk tomorrow," Yao Ling exined.

    "How about you live in my house for the night?" Wang Luo Hai offered. "It¡¯ste and because of the festival the inns are already fully booked." What he said was the truth.

    Both husband and wife looked at each other helplessly but nheless agreed. Wang Luo Hai was so happy that his smile was so wide and his face was beet red. He quickly ordered his servants to bring them home and prepared a room. Everything was done efficiently.

    They found themselves in arge house with beautiful decoration. This Wang Luo Hai was certainly rich. They had no time to pay attention to each detail and quickly brought to a guest room. The room was simple but still emitting a rich aura. It had all the basic necessities and furniture. The bed was bigger than they own back at the vige. After settling down, even food was prepared.

    "I don¡¯t know this Wang Luo Hai. Whether he has a good or bad character, we have to be careful." Yao Ying reminded Yao Ling. He was a cautious person and Yao Ling understood that perfectly. It was a good thing, especially when they knew nothing about this business.

    "Let¡¯s think about tomorrow! We will know when Wang Luo Hai tells us the details. At least, we get a free lodging tonight," Yao Ling joked.

    When it was time to sleep, the both of them started to get nervous again. When they were on the way here, they slept in the forest and there was no time to think about their closeness. But on the bed, it was a different matter.

    Inside the quilt, they felt their heart start to beat louder and faster. The bed was morefortable and it felt weird for them. They weren¡¯t used to it, so they couldn¡¯t sleep at first. Yao Ling couldn¡¯t stand the silence. She turned around and asked Yao Ying, "Husband... have you fallen asleep?"

    "Not yet."

    "If we can start a business here, should we stay?" Yao Ling was referring to the business deal.

    "If you want to stay for a while, then so be it. I can find a job for myself too. Maybe we can build a foundation here." Yao Ying wasn¡¯t sure why, but in his mind, he seemed to be could easily calcte how to do business. A sudden n to open a business in each city was drawn in his mind, after realizing his wife¡¯s talent. Was this a part of his past?

    "That¡¯s not a bad idea." Yao Ling seemed to agree. She was also a smart girl and she knew they really needed money. "If we build a foundation here, then it will be easier to obtain information, right?"

    "Yes. But before we n ahead, we should see the proposal tomorrow. We don¡¯t know Wang Luo Hai will give us a good deal or not, but at least your name will be spread tomorrow. I heard the pedestrians murmured how this city main source of ie is from the embroidery shops. It means they need us more," Yao Ying exined.

    Yao Ling raised her eyebrows, amazed with her husband¡¯s thought. "How can you be so clever in analyzing business thing? I never see this side of you before."

    Yao Ying sighed. "I¡¯m not sure either. It just pops up inside my mind."

    "Maybe we can search Xiao family that do business?" Yao Ling guessed.

    "Probably... we can think about thatter. Leaving the vige seems like a great choice."

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. She saw and enjoyed a lot of things in this one day. The journey from the vige to here was a bit hard, but it was fun. She couldn¡¯t imagine finding her real family all alone. Without Yao Ying¡¯s martial arts, she didn¡¯t think she could survive from the wild beasts. Thinking back made her shudder.

    "Can you embrace me?" Yao Ling asked shyly. She didn¡¯t know why but she loved his warmth. Hmph! He¡¯s her husband, so she doesn¡¯t have to be shy. She decided to be shameless. The truth was she was afraid of losing his warmth...

    Yao Ying gulped, but nheless, he obeyed her. Damn! He loved her soft body and warmth, but the thing under his pants was also loving it. Her smell was intoxicating him. She didn¡¯t wear any perfume, but her soft natural fragrance was so sweet.

    Yao Ying realized every night until the designated times, he would suffer all alone. He couldn¡¯t even tell his wife about it.

    Six months..... Come quickly, please! He screamed inside his mind.

 Chapter 9 An Yang City 3

    The next day, Wang Luo Hai invited them for breakfast. He wanted to know the couple background and characters. He wanted to know whether they were worth it. Such a talent was important to him, but also other traits - for example hardworking. The business deal would be judged based on that.

    "Please enjoy the breakfast. We can talk and get to know each other, before talking about the business deal," he weed them. "After breakfast, we can discuss it further in our study room."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling both nodded in agreement. When Wang Luo Hai asked about their background, they told the truth. Their honesty made Wang Luo Hai happy. He also showed his sincerity by telling them about his business.

    Wang Luo Hai was born in a merchant family. In his hands, their business grew stronger and bigger. Just like the pedestrians said, embroidery business was indeed the most prospering in this city. Wang Luo Hai was popr because he had discerning eyes in finding talents and his honesty in conducting business. He never tried to swindle money from his needleworker; he always gave them a suitable price.

    He also cleverly found customers. He could match what they preference of embroidery with the suitable embroiderer. Yao Ying could understand this much from what Wang Luo Hai told him. What he liked from Wang Luo Hai was the fact that he told his background story matter-factly and humbly. He didn¡¯t try to boast.

    After breakfast, they quickly went to the study room. Wang Luo Hai said merrily, "I like both of you. Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t propose a business deal that makes you eat a loss. I can give you at least one embroidery work per day and if you want there will be more. Judging onst night embroidery speed, you can do more. But I don¡¯t want to give you a pressure. After you know your limit, you can just tell me whether you want me to increase your work or not."

    "I don¡¯t want my wife to be overly tired." Then he turned to Yao Ling and asked her, "What do you think?"

    Yao Ling was touched by his thoughtfulness. "I¡¯m fine with it. One embroidery per day at the moment. However, regardless of how fast my speed is, I also need to look at the pattern difficulties and how big the embroidery is. Sometimes, it can take a few days."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded, "Of course. Generally speaking, what I mean for the one embroidery each day is only for small things like a handkerchief. I don¡¯t want to make too many things at once. I want your work to be rare, so the demand will increase. The small things are just for promotion and the real profit will be from the rich and officials.Don¡¯t worry I will be the one who manages the promotion."

    Yao Ying discussed the fee with Wang Luo Hai, while Yao Ling was listening on the side. She had no interest in this kind of thing. She could manage the money, but she somehow knew this bargaining thing should be handled by Yao Ying. When handling business, Yao Ying seemed like a different person.

    Yao Ling paid attention to his serious expression. He was very assertive and blunt. Even Wang Luo Hai was surprised by the young man¡¯s skill. He seemed adept in the business world. What kind of background this young man has? Yao Ying already told him about losing his memories and it made him feel intrigued.

    Heughed joyfully, "Young man, why don¡¯t you work for me too? I can use your skill too." Wang Luo Hai felt happy, meeting this couple. What a stroke of luck!

    They agreed to work together. Even Wang Luo Hai prepared a little house for them. Actually, he even asked them to live with him. But they declined. They didn¡¯t want to impose and exploit his kindness. The couple wanted to pay rent but was declined.

    "No need! No need! We are working together. I¡¯m not a stingy person nor stupid. Just live there." Wang Luo Hai said earnestly.

    The house made of good-quality wood and it¡¯s sturdy. Inside there¡¯s a dining room, small kitchen, and bedroom. It¡¯s enough for both of them. They smiled happily at each other.

    "This is a good start for us, Husband."

    "Indeed. We are lucky to meet Wang Luo Hai. We have to work hard," Yao Ying said. He offered her hand to her, "Come. Let¡¯s go inside the house."

    Yao Ling epted his hands and both went into the house. They started to realize that theyplement each other in many aspects, including making money.

    They were feeling content with this marriage. They hoped the future would as blissful as the start like this.

 Chapter 10 An Yang City 4

    The past two months, Wang Luo Hai couldn¡¯t believe in what he saw. He never thought that having this couple was the best decision in his life. Yao Ying¡¯s knack for business was a lot better than him. He knew Yao Ying never had any basis in embroidery business, but only in one week he already got the hang of everything.

    Regarding the production, he could find the best material at a lower price than before. That material quality was far better than the previous one. He also cleverly managed the customers. He didn¡¯t personallye to meet them.He trained the servants to pay attention to each customer¡¯s like and dislike. With only small changes like that, their selling profits were doubling.

    When he asked how he did it, Yao Ying merely smiled at him. Wang Luo Hai Just shrugged it off. He just needed the result. Deep inside his mind, he knew that when the time came for Yao Ying to surpass him, he had to let him go. A young man usually had more ambition and he didn¡¯t find any fault in that.

    After the materials were bought, then they would be processed by Yao Ling. It was embroidery time.

    Wang Luo Hai asked the embroiderer leader to teach Yao Ling about the materials and what they were the best use for. She understood it perfectly and she also had a lot of ideas regarding the product and embroidery pattern. These two talents are beyond amazing.

    One thing that caught his interest was Yao Ling¡¯s stitching and embroidery technique. She produced a rare andplicated technique. It was a rare subset double-sided embroidery - which required ultimate skills and artistry. The front and back of the piece might have different designs, but the ends weren¡¯t knotted but woven in so the back couldn¡¯t be distinguished.

    When Wang Luo Hai saw it, he decided to ask Yao Ling, "Girl, where do you learn embroidery? I can see that this embroidery technique is very special and your master mustn¡¯t be an ordinary person."

    Yao Ling looked at him, contemting. "The one who taught me this was my deceased mother. Indeed, she was very talented. But, she was only a peasant with a bit of medical knowledge."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded his head, "I understand. But this technique is very hard to master. I¡¯ve only seen royal pce embroiderers are the only one could do this."

    "Are you sure, Sir?" Yao Ling asked politely. She remembered that she once asked her mother. If she could make this beautiful embroidery, why didn¡¯t they just selling these instead of farming? Jiu Lan just smiled and told her it was only a hobby. She didn¡¯t allow Yao Ling to ponder about it too much, so it slipped Yao Ling¡¯s mind.

    "I¡¯ve been in this business for a long time. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯m not mistaken. Generally, this technique is only passed down there. There¡¯s now or ban to learn this technique and spread it to the world, so when we produce them there will be no problem. But it will certainly rouse attention." Wang Luo Hai exined.

    Yao Ling realized that even her deceased mother wasn¡¯t from a simple background. It seemed like her life in the vige was only a dream. Then she heard Wang Luo Hai asked again, "Are you sure you want to sell this?"

    Yao Ling was touched by Wang Luo Hai¡¯s kindness and concern. As a merchant, it would be best to sell it and gain profit, but he still worried about her. "Maybe not now." Wang Luo Hai agreed readily and sighed in relief. He didn¡¯t want the couple to be in trouble.

    Yao Ling told the conversation to Yao Ying at the very same night. They discussed it further. "It seems mother-inw used to have a connection with the royal pce. It¡¯s not going to be easy to find information. You are correct; we shouldn¡¯t sell it for now. We haven¡¯t started building our foundation yet and the attention will bring us more trouble."

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. "That¡¯s what I thought too. I¡¯m actually quite confused why mother didn¡¯t let me ponder over the embroidery matter. It seems like she didn¡¯t tell me her whole life story. Not only that... a woman with a medical skill is rare. That¡¯s why we never mingled with the vigers."

    A sudden realization popped up in her mind. Her mother wasn¡¯t an ordinary person ¨C what Wang Luo Hai guessed was correct. She continued talking, "It¡¯s lucky for us Wang Luo Hai told me about it. Otherwise, the trouble would catch us unprepared."

    "Wang Luo Hai is a nice man, Wife. He can choose to say nothing and gain profit from it, and yet... he decided to warn us. He really is our benefactor. Usually, people will get wary with people from an unclear background like us. But he¡¯s not only trusting us but in a way, he¡¯s nurturing us in business."

    "Yes, that¡¯s true."

    "It seems like the three of us was brought together by fate. We are actually from unknown past and then be a family. It seems farfetched, but look at us! If not for mother-inw¡¯s kindness and medical background, we would never live until this day." Yao Ying concluded.

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. It was certainly true. Their lives were given back by her mother from the brink of death. It seemed they had another work to do. They wanted to find out about Jiu Lan¡¯s past and her connection with the royal family.

    That night, they both were deep in thought and had a sleepless night.

 Chapter 11 An Yang City 5

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were in relief. Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t bber about her unique embroidery and it made them trust him more. They knew he¡¯s a good man, however, they just knew each other for a few months. Knowing a person¡¯s full characters in a few months was impossible.

    They worked more diligent for him. And the result? Wang Luo Hai¡¯s embroidery store profits were tripled, even Wang Luo Hai was in awe. He took his whole life to achieve the profit and fame before Yao Ying came, but that youngster only took three months to achieve triple level.

    Wang Luo Hai decided to give them an offer. "Yao Ying, Yao Ling... I want to talk to you both about something. Come with me!" The couple looked at each other in confusion but nheless followed him to the study room.

    "I¡¯d like to offer something to both of you. But before that, I will tell you something first. You¡¯ve been in my house and you certainly know I have a wife and three concubines."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling nodded. They knew, but what it had to do with them?

    "Have you ever seen kids there?"

    They tried to remember, but indeed they never saw any kids running around.

    Wang Luo Hai sighed, then exin further to them, "I have no kids. This is a big headache for me. I¡¯m the only one left from Wang Family and it seems .... the problemys on me. I¡¯d never guessed that if one of my ex-concubine didn¡¯t cheat and easily get pregnant."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were surprised Wang Luo Hai tell them this. Infertility was quite an embarrassment for a man and usually, people wouldn¡¯t admit it. The fault usually was thrown to the women instead. But why? It wasn¡¯t something easy to admit.

    "I know you are confused why I tell you this embarrassing thing. I¡¯d like to take you both as my children and be my sessors. This is not a muddle-headed decision. I thought about it a lot for the past few weeks." He finally told them the reason.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling gaped at him in confusion. "But why?" Yao Ying asked.

    "I¡¯m not stupid. I know both of your talents, but it¡¯s not the main thing. I have a lot of talented underlings, though they weren¡¯t as outstanding as you. But, I admire both of your personalities. I can see both of you are dedicated and hardworking. The most important thing is honesty.

    You might not realize it. Although I give you the right to maintain the whole things, I still have my people here and there reported to me about both of your conduct. I like you both and I hope you agree." Wang Luo Hai exined.

    "But... won¡¯t your family make it difficult?"

    Wang Luo Hai brushed it off. "Don¡¯t worry! They won¡¯t. I have my ways." In Wang Luo Hai¡¯s mind, what use of his wealth and legacy if he didn¡¯t have any descendant? If he gave it to his wife and concubines, certainly fight would break out and also... they didn¡¯t have any business skill. They would only destroy his hard work.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling exchanged meaningful gaze. Both of them liked and respected this old man and this was a great chance for them to build their foundation. Both of them agreed.

    After he received their agreement, Wang Luo Haiughed merrily. "Yao Ying, you can call me Father and Yao Ling can call me Father-inw. From this moment on, Yao Ying can take my surname, Wang. Wang Yao Ying."

    The couple smiled happily and thanking him. "Thank you, Father."

    "Thank you, Father-inw."

    "From this moment on, don¡¯t stay outside anymore. Stay with me in my house." Wang Luo Hai wasn¡¯t going to take no for an answer and they could only agree. They moved on the same day.

    Just like what the couple predicted, the main wife and the concubines didn¡¯t like how they became Wang Luo Hai¡¯s stepchildren. They looked at the couple in contempt.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling had great mental strength, so they paid them no mind. As long as they didn¡¯t bother them, they would do nothing. The couple respected Wang Luo Hai and they weren¡¯t going to mess with his family. They didn¡¯t even want to monopolize his wealth, because of his blind trust to them.

    They already told Wang Luo Hai about this. They would still work like how they used to ¨C under him. They knew their own ce.

    When the night came, they came back to their previous room they¡¯d upied in this household ¨C the simple guestroom. They didn¡¯t want to unt their luck and make enemies with the women in the house.

    "Do you think this is the right choice? I don¡¯t feelfortable receiving this much kindness." Yao Ling asked.

    "Me too. Father is a good man and a clever one. I think he also has his own calction. We should just do our job like before."

    Yao Ling nodded. "I notice Madam Wang and the three concubines¡¯ look to us. It won¡¯t be peaceful in this household. I¡¯m afraid we already make enemies."

    "As long as they don¡¯t bother us, we should do nothing. But if they do something, then don¡¯t me us for being ruthless."

    "I agree. I¡¯m not a nice person. If they do something to us or Father, I don¡¯t mind giving them a lesson," Yao Lingughed.

    They had been very busy for thest three months, so at night, they didn¡¯t have the time to think about their rtionship. They just went to bed and directly sleep together in each other¡¯s embrace. It became a habit and the shyness had been gone.

    "Husband... I¡¯m tired. Hug me please...." Yao Ling asked for a nice warm hug from Yao Ying without shame anymore. She opened her arms and looked at him with big cute eyes.

    Yao Ying could only shake his head at his spoiled wife. Lately, she showed him her childish side more and more; she¡¯s cute. Without hesitating, he quickly pulled her up and embraced her, then he took her to bed.

    He looked down at her red lips and gulped. He wanted to kiss her for a long time but didn¡¯t dare to do so. However, under the soft candlelight, she looked so alluring.

    ¡¯Just a kiss is okay, right? It¡¯s not like he consummates the marriage?¡¯ Yao Ling thought to himself.

    Without another thought, he captured her lips with a kiss. When she gasped in surprise, he quickly entered her mouth with his tongue. Yao Ling eyes widened in surprise when she felt his tongue entered her mouth, but she didn¡¯t resist. She closed her eyes and kissed him back sloppily. It seemed like both of them didn¡¯t have any practice in this field.

    Sometimes their teeth would collide, but they didn¡¯t stop. They finally stopped when they ran out of breath, panting.

    "Did you enjoy it, Wife?" Yao Ying teased his wife.

    Yao Ling blushed slightly and quickly hid under the quilt. Yao Ying couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. His fiery little wife really aroused her. After tucked her in bed and kissed her forehead, he left.

    Before he left, Yao Ling asked him, "Where are you going thiste at night?"

    He grinned at her, "Cold shower."

    Yao Ling hid in embarrassment again because she knew what he meant. "Go quickly!"

    Without a second thought, Yao Ying did just that. Ah.... Three months left! He was pretty sure when the time came, he would be a beast and eat his little wife!

 Chapter 12 Meeting the â€˜Wangâ€ 1

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling woke up early the next morning. For the formality, they had to pay respect for the family first. Wang Luo Hai wanted to introduce them to his family. Wang Luo Hai gave them servants, but they only chose two. Yao Ying chose a servant boy named Xiu and Yao Ling chose a maid called Xiao Yu.

    When they woke up, both of them tried to serve them and help them change clothes. Both were rejected.

    "No need to serve us like that. Just help us with daily life or when we need to ask for help. We¡¯re not used to being served anyway," Yao Ling exined.

    Xiu and Xiao Yu both looked at each other, feeling lost. They kneeled down and said in unison, "We, servants, are here to serve masters. Please let us serve you, otherwise, we will be punished." The doctrine of serving masters was already drilled in their mind, besides as ves they wouldn¡¯t feel good beingzy.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other helplessly. They really didn¡¯t like being served. They didn¡¯t think Xiu and Xiao Yu were lower than them; they used to be peasants too! But they also knew how important it was to maintain status in society. They decided to be more lenient.

    "Stand up, please. Okay then. Just help us after we prepare ourselves. I¡¯m used to serving husband in the morning and prepare myself. Later just let me know the things that I need to know inside this household," Yao Ying gave order while exining the reason they refused their help just now.

    Xiu and Xiao Yu nodded and left both of them alone. Yao Ying and Yao Ling sighed in relief. They looked at each other andughed. "This feels so weird, right?" Yao Ying smiled. They didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at the change in their life.

    After they finished preparing themselves, they called Xiu and Xiao Yu in.

    "How long have you been working here?" Yao Ying asked.

    Xiu answered, "I¡¯ve been here since birth. My father is the main butler and we have been working for generations." Xiu was around 16-17 years old. His face was quite handsome, but there was a distinguished scar on his left cheek. Though it didn¡¯t lessen his handsomeness, it would certainly scare people because it was quite deep. He looked healthy and full-spirited.

    Xiao Yu answered, "I was bought by the master when I was five." Xiao Yu was petite, but she was quite pretty. Her character seemed like cheerful and bubbly, but it seemed like because she just met a new master, she tried to hold herself back.

    Both seemed like good kids. Yao Ying and Yao Ling were quite satisfied with them. Yao Ling softly asked them, "Can you tell us the situation in this family?"

    They only knew the superficial things in this family, for example, how many women Wang Luo Hai had. They understood there must be some conflicts. Yao Ying and Yao Ling truly thought of Wang Luo Hai as their boss, so they didn¡¯t really care about his affairs. However, everything is different now.

    From Xiu and Xiao Yu¡¯s answer, they started to grasp the family situation. Wang Luo Hai was an only child and the matriarch still alive. She generally only showed up in the morning and the women in the family needed to pay respect for her in the morning. After that, she would retreat and let the other women did their own affairs. She was quite heartbroken with the fact that there was no kid in the household to continue the bloodline.

    Wang Luo Hai actually fell in love with his main wife, Madam Wang. However because he needed to continue the bloodline, he took three concubines. Actually four, but the one that cheated on him was already beaten to death.

    Xiao Yu told them, Madam Wang was beautiful and had a good temperament. She and Wang Luo Hai were childhood sweethearts, so when he took concubines she was heartbroken. As a woman, she could do nothing.

    The first Concubine was Concubine Wan. She was the most beautiful of the four women, thus conceited. She loved to find trouble with the other women and it was quite a headache to deal with her.

    The second Concubine was Concubine Xi. She was the same age as Concubine Wan. She was a quiet person and didn¡¯t like to mingle with people.

    The third one was Concubine Lan. She wasn¡¯t pretty, but clever at sucking up to people. She appeared good in front of other women, but she actually two-faced.

    "How do you know so much about them?" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    "I used to clean here and there, so it was easier to get information inside the household," Xiao Yu grinned sheepishly. She found that Yao Ling nice and started to rx in front of her.

    "She¡¯s like a chirping bird, which gossips in this household that she doesn¡¯t know," Xiu looked at her and smiled.

    "You..." Xiao Yu red angrily and she kicked his shin.

    "Ow! Look how you behave! Are you a woman?" Xiu red at her angrily.

    Their banter made Yao Ying and Yao Lingugh. Xiu and Xiao Yu looked quite fun and their rtionship was quite good. After hearing their masters¡¯ugh, both of them looked down in embarrassment. This was usually how they behave with each other and they forgot they were in front of their new masters.

    Though Yao Ying and Yao Ling heard Xiu and Xiao Yu¡¯s exnation, they needed to look at the people in the family themselves to understand them better. They asked Xiu and Xiao Yu to take them to where Wang Luo Hai was. They needed to pay respect and Wang Luo Hai would introduce them to the family.

    It was going to be fun!

 Chapter 13 Meeting the â€˜Wangâ€™ 2

    Xiu and Xiao Yu led them to the main hall. When they got there, Wang Luo Hai had just arrived along with his women. Yao Ying and Yao Ling greeted them politely just like how they used to be.

    Wang Luo Haiughed merrily and patted Yao Ying¡¯s shoulder, "You don¡¯t need to bow that low. We are a father and son now." Then he turned to Yao Ling, "And you are my daughter-inw." Yao Ying and Yao Ling both smiled at him and nodded in agreement.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Father-inw. It¡¯s a habit," Yao Ling exined, feeling a bit embarrassed.

    "No worry... no worry... you can change it slowly," Wang Luo Hai smiled.

    "Come on! Let¡¯s go inside the main hall." Wang Luo Hai led them to the main hall and everyone followed him.

    They waited for the matriarch for a little while, before she finally appeared. Yao Ying, as a man, didn¡¯t really pay attention to the Matriarch. For him, she¡¯s just an olddy. However, Yao Ling paid attention to every detail.

    The matriarch¡¯s ck hair had a hint of white hair here and there, but her face! She looked younger from her real age and not to mention... beautiful. She¡¯s supposed to be fifty-eight years old. Yao Ling finally knew from where Wang Luo Hai got his handsome look. If you didn¡¯t look at a slight wrinkle on the corner of her eyes and smiling line around her mouth, she could pass as young as thirty years old woman.

    When she walked, her face was slightly raised. She was looking a bit proud, but not annoyingly arrogant. Her walk posture was the epitome of elegance. Yao Ling was in a trance. In her vige, the old women there looked wrinkly and usually, their backs were slightly bent, maybe because they had to work hard on the field every day.

    She forgot where she was and praised the Matriarch, "How beautiful!" She said that from the bottom of her heart without trying to curry favor. Yao Ling was usually very blunt, so it was no surprise to Yao Ying. He nudged her to remind her to behave.

    It seemed like her voice wasn¡¯t low enough, because the matriarchughed after she turned around and sat down on the head table. When Yao Ling realized that the matriarch wasughing at her, she lowered her head in embarrassment.

    The matriarch had been living long enough to understand people¡¯s character. She could hear a hint of sincerity in Yao Ling¡¯s voice; she genuinely praised her. Which woman didn¡¯t like to be called beautiful, especially when she already felt she was getting older?

    The matriarch wasn¡¯t stupid. If she heard a trace of currying favor, she wouldn¡¯t like her. But this Yao Ling proved her otherwise. She also already heard how her talent in embroidery was really good and she also started to teach a few embroiderers under her to lessen her burden on massive orders.

    Wang Luo Hai led everyone in the room to pay morning respect to the matriarch. Then he introduced his new son and daughter-inw, "Mother, this is Yao Ying and Yao Ling. I¡¯m asking your permission to let them be a part of this family as my son and daughter-inw."

    Even though he was the one in charge of the family, Wang Luo Hai always put filial piety first. His mother was in charge of inner yard family matters, so this matter had to get pass through her first.

    "Grandson meets Grandmother."

    "Granddaughter-inw meets Grandmother."

    The matriarch nodded and received their respect. Although Yao Ling¡¯s posture was a bit wrong, she didn¡¯t pick on her. She noted it and knew she had to send someone to teach her etiquette. When both of them became a part of this family, they had to know the certain etiquette as not to let them embarrass the Wang family name.

    As a merchant family, their standing wasn¡¯t as high as noble families, but they dealt a lot with the person from upper ss. The Matriarch was actually thete Empress¡¯ younger sister, but she fell in love with Wang Luo Hai¡¯s father ¨C a mere merchant. She didn¡¯t mind even she had a lower standing, but for her, etiquette was still important.

    "Let me take a look at both of your face clearly." The matriarch gestured them toe closer. Both dutifully came closer to her, but still didn¡¯t dare to raise their head.

    "Raise your head!"

    Both of them raised their head. Both of them actually felt quite nervous, because the higher ss families had more rules and regtions. They weren¡¯t used to it.

    The matriarch looked at the girl in front of her and admired her beauty. In two or three more years, she was sure Yao Ling would be more and more beautiful. Her eyes were pure and crystal clear, without any hints of viciousness. She liked this girl.

    When her gazended on Yao Ying, she scrutinized him. A healthy handsome young man with a beautiful wife and had great business talents. Everything about him was likable too, but the matriarch felt not sure with his past. He lost his memory so she couldn¡¯t do a background check and it made her anxious, but their story was all true.

    Yao Ling and her deceased mother helped him, then all the events that led to their marriage. After she listened to Wang Luo Hai¡¯s wish to make them his heir, she dispatched people to check on them. She had to make sure they didn¡¯t bring in wolves under sheepskin. She knew Wang Luo Hai must have done it too, but she needed to double check in case they missed something.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling felt nervous under the matriarch¡¯s sharp gaze. They sighed in relief when they saw herugh.

    "Good! I like you both. My son has a good judgment," she praised his son sincerely. She could see both of them were good kids, only Yao Ying¡¯s unclear past that kept weighing at the back of her mind. She couldn¡¯t me Yao Ying about this, so she could only wish his past wasn¡¯t bad.

    "Thank you, Grandmother," both said at the same time.

    Yao Ling understood the position inside the household. Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t have much chance to get in touch with the inner yard; he would be busy dealing their business with Wang Luo Hai. She was the one who had to deal with the women every day and got a foothold for themselves in this household. She had to hold tightly onto this golden thigh in front of her ¨C her new grandmother.

    That¡¯s the only way they would be at peace in this family. If the head of the family didn¡¯t like her, it would be a disaster. It would also affect Yao Ying.

 Chapter 14 Meeting the â€˜Wangâ€ 3

    "Prepare the tea," A soft but firm voice belonged to Madam Wang was heard. After giving the order to the servants, then she turned to look at Yao Ling. "I already prepare the tea for you. When youe into this family, you have to serve tea for the elders."

    Yao Ling looked at Madam Wang gratefully. "Thank you, Mother."

    Madam Wang didn¡¯t have the stunningly beautiful face, but she had a soft likable face. She seemed to be a thoughtful person and just as Xiao Yu said... good temperament. For Yao Ling, it was actually a bit ufortable to call another person mother. It hadn¡¯t been long since her mother was gone and it felt a bit unfilial.

    Sheforted herself. She got married to Yao Ying and the one who became their child was actually Yao Ying. Thus, Madam Wang was her mother-inw.

    She felt a bit baffled though. When Yao Ying and Yao Ling first came to this house, they could feel the main wife didn¡¯t like them. Was that only their imagination? Or there was something that changed her mind? Or this woman was too good at covering her real feeling? Yao Ling felt a bit uncertain.

    From the matriarch¡¯s expression, she could feel the old woman quite like her. Although at some degree, she could also feel her wariness. She could understand that. Even now, Yao Ying and Yao Ling also felt a bit wary in this household. After all, before this they were practically strangers to each other.

    "No need to thank me. We are a family now. From now on, I will treat you both just like my own children." Madam Wang smiled softly. When she noticed the servant already brought the tea over, she gave a pointer to them both, "Pay respect to your grandmother first."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling obeyed her and each took a cup of tea, then they presented them to the matriarch. The matriarch received it one-by-one and drank them gracefully. She was satisfied with Madam Wang¡¯s arrangement. This daughter-inw always made her feel satisfied.

    Then, both of them also served Wang Luo Hai and Madam Wang tea. There was no need to serve the concubines. Though they were Wang Luo Hai¡¯s women, in the household, they didn¡¯t really have a high standing in the household. Since Wang Luo Hai and Madam Wang took them in as their children, naturally son and daughter-inw of the main wife had higher standing than them.

    Wang Luo Hai introduced the three concubines. But before Yao Ling could pay attention to each of their expressions, the matriarch dismissed them. It seemed she didn¡¯t like the concubines that much. It left only five of them.

    "Let¡¯s eat breakfast first before you and Yao Ying went to work. Yao Ling... today you can apany this old woman and your mother, so I can get to know you more." The matriarch told them.

    No one dared to dispute the matriarch¡¯s decision. Yao Ling told Yao Ying what needed to be done on her part for the day and let him help her do it. The matriarch quite liked the efficiency of this couple and nodded in appreciation.

    After eating breakfast, Wang Luo Hai and Yao Ying went to work. Yao Ling stayed behind and apanied the matriarch and Madam Wang. The matriarch had a habit. After eating, she loved to walk around the garden to digest the food. They did just that.

    They walked in silence until the matriarch broke it. "I¡¯m going to be honest with you." She turned to Yao Ling and her expression was strict, but Yao Ling could feel a hint of softness.

    "Actually... at first, I don¡¯t really like the idea of having step-grandchildren. I honestly prefer our own bloodline. I really thought what possessed my son¡¯s mind, when he proposed the idea," The matriarch told her bluntly.

    "I¡¯m not one with honeyed words. If I hate you, then I will tell you directly I hate you. It¡¯s also the other way around. If I like you, then I like you."

    Listening to the blunt words made Yao Ling sweat, but she honestly appreciated this bluntness better. She hated the idea of being stabbed from the back.

    "I sent people to check your background." The matriarch admitted it but didn¡¯t sugarcoat any of it. Yao Ling felt like the matriarch was a scary tiger and nothing could get passed through her eyes. Even for her who did nothing wrong, she could instill a bit of fear to her.

    She knew the next part of what she said would decide her standing in this household. Heaven or hell. Hated by the matriarch would be an agonizing path. She tried to find something from her expression ¨C whether she liked them or hated them, but she couldn¡¯t find anything at all.

    Her eyes flickered to Madam Wang, but she also couldn¡¯t get anything from her calm face. It felt like this was just a casual talk where they were talking about the weather.

    ¡¯This is too scary ah~¡¯ Yao Ling screamed inside her mind.

 Chapter 15 Meeting the â€˜Wangâ€ 4

    The Matriarch continued her speech, "I found out that you told us the truth. That¡¯s good to know. I want to warn both of you beforehand, in this household, I don¡¯t want both of you to cause havoc. We can receive you as a part of this family, but we can also chase you away."

    Yao Ling scowled inside her mind. We also knew that was the privilege of the matriarch, but being talked like she and Yao Ying were some kinds of bad and helpless human beings make her feel a bit angry and ufortable. She tried to control her face, but as young as fifteen years old and usually in a carefree household, she couldn¡¯t exactly maintain her calm demeanor.

    If this ce were her previous vige, she would blurt everything inside her mind. They were ¡¯invited¡¯ by Wang Luo Hai into this family. It wasn¡¯t like they threatened Wang Luo Hai with a dagger when he made the decision. This was simply annoying.

    Yes, she liked bluntness. No, she didn¡¯t like to be threatened. Was this actually a bad decision from their part? Became Wang Luo Hai¡¯s family was also because they considered the plus and minus side. It would certainly get faster to find out about their past if they could use the embroidery business connection. Although this Wang family was quite prosperous, they didn¡¯t have any branch in other cities.

    With Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s abilities andbined with Wang Luo Hai¡¯s resources, they believed they could expand their business. They weren¡¯t hypocrites. Who didn¡¯t like bing a part of a wealthy family whom will make them livefortable? Yes, they liked it.

    But if it were the only reason, they would refuse. It was a pain in the arse dealing with the messiness of inner yard like this. But... they did have a purpose and she could only bear with it.

    The matriarch could see the fluctuation in the girl¡¯s eyes. She was just trying to test the water. Was this girl really that obedient and patient to the bone, then pretending to be a ¡¯white lotus¡¯? Or she had a fiery side that more honest? It was scarier if the acting skill was running deep; it meant they had a deeper hidden n.

    However, she could see Yao Ling felt a bit ufortable, slightly angry, and being wronged. But there was no trace of panic or feeling scared. The matriarch nodded in satisfaction with Yao Ling¡¯s reaction.

    The matriarch didn¡¯t borate her thought. She turned to her daughter-inw who kept silent beside her. The matriarch knew Ji An, this kid, also felt worried about this. She didn¡¯t dare to disagree openly with Wang Luo Hai, so she came to her. When Yao Ying and Yao Ling first came, Ji An still couldn¡¯t hide her disdain. She thought the out-of-nowhere couple would definitely n something.

    How could a couple with peasant background have these amazing abilities? More than that, they could gain Wang Luo Hai¡¯s trust in a short time ¨C only three months!

    When Madam Wang saw the matriarch looking at her and nodded, she sighed in relief. She believed in her mother-inw¡¯s judgment. It seemed like the girl passed the test. This morning, she pretended to be magnanimous by preparing the tea beforehand. She actually disagreed inside her heart with his decision. But she couldn¡¯t embarrass her husband by showing her disagreement openly.

    Judging from her mother-inw¡¯s expression, she could really wee this young couple to the family and really took them as her children genuinely. Ah~ children. In this life, her most regret was couldn¡¯t have children on her own. In her eyes shed a little bit sadness, but she knew nothing could be done about it.

    Both the matriarch and Madam Wang saw Yao Ling nodded her head, then she answered, "I understand grandmother¡¯s concern. Thank you for the reminder." Her face was back to her calm self, but a trace of being wronged was still there. After all, Yao Ling was still young.

    The matriarch finallyughed, "Don¡¯t get me wrong. When your father-inw got married, I also gave the same speech to your mother-inw. I¡¯m not trying to attack you and Yao Ying. Furthermore, I like you." The matriarch finally admitted her real feelings. She indeed liked Yao Ling.

    Yao ling only mouthed, "O..." No wonder Madam Wang seemed calm and saw nothing wrong. That warning was kind of a mandatory for them? She felt funny, but secretly in relief.

    The matriarch liked her. At least... this was a good step.

 Chapter 16 Finallyâ€¦ The Tension is Gone!

    Yao Ling never felt this dumbfounded before. Was the matriarch just put on a performance or was she the real deal? She decided to throw it to the back on her mind for now. At least she liked her... she liked her... If she didn¡¯t like the performance might be real. Yao Ling shuddered at the thought.

    The matriarch held Yao Ling¡¯s right hand with hers and slowly pat the back of Yao Ling¡¯s hand softly, trying tofort her. "You are still young and yet already lost your mother. It¡¯s not an easy life." Then the matriarch also took Madam Wang¡¯s hand and held both of their hands together.

    "From now on, both of you will be a real family. A real mother-daughter. Yao Ling a~ I¡¯m not going to let you forget your real mother. If you want to pray for her, you can do it. In this household, no need to feel like an outsider anymore. I hope you can receive Ji An as your mother too. Receiving Ji An as your mother, it doesn¡¯t mean you forget about your deceased mother. Yourte mother will always stay in your heart." The matriarch kindly talked to them.

    "Ji An, I know your grief. You always want children. Now, Yao Ying and Yao Ling have be yours. I also hope both of you can ept each other. Yao Ying will be busy with Luo Hai and Yao Ling will be filial to you. Aren¡¯t you, Yao Ling?"

    It was like a simple question from kindhearted grandmother, but the meaning was clear. They are soon going to be mother and daughter. As a daughter-inw, Yao Ling should be the one who took care of Madam Wang. She has to be filial! The warning was loud and clear.

    In Yao Ling¡¯s mind, the life of upper-ss persons was really tiring. If they wanted to warn someone, they had to pay attention to their elegance bearing and the warning was hidden deep in between words. Why couldn¡¯t just they talk openly? Peasant¡¯s behavior was pretty much simple. I liked you then I would say openly without trying to warn you. The matriarch said she liked Yao Ling in words, but there was still hidden distrust. It started to make Yao Ying get a headache, but what else could she do?

    "Of course, Grandmother." Yao Ling answered the matriarch with a smile. Then she turned to Madam Wang, "Mother, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disappoint you. If Ick something, please teach me, Mother. Yao Ling was a peasant and had no impressive bearing or etiquette, hope Mother wouldn¡¯t me Yao Ling for this."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel embarrassed with her background. She was a peasant and she couldn¡¯t erase that background. If she were ashamed of it, wouldn¡¯t it mean she was also ashamed of Jiu Lan? In Yao Ling¡¯s perception, they already knew it before she was a peasant, so they should also ept herck of bearing. Take it or leave it!

    But she also had to state this part first, soter they wouldn¡¯t put it on her if she made a mistake regarding this. Ugh! Restrain....restrain... she had to restrain herself. Smile...smile... don¡¯t forget to smile! Yao Ling reminded herself.

    The matriarch and Madam Wang looked at each other. They knew this little girl was trying to smile. But, her smile was actually very stiff and scary. They knew they might be pushing the limit button of the girl and couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. Yes, their gentle bearing was gone and it was a full-blownughter.

    Yao Ling stopped smiling and looked at them in confusion. She asked, "Why are both of youughing?"

    The matriarch and Madam Wang even had to wipe their tears. Just like this and finally... the tension was gone. Madam Wang finally answered, "Not to hide the truth. At first, I don¡¯t really like you and Yao Ying. It doesn¡¯t have to do with your peasant identity. Both of you just appeared out-of-nowhere and gained Luo Hai¡¯s favor in just three months. I was pretty sure both of you have a bad intention and sent by someone that has be our enemy. But... it seems like I¡¯m wrong."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know her funny expressions just now really put their mind at ease. If Yao Ling were someone that person sent, then she wouldn¡¯t have been making a loophole like this. Yao Ling didn¡¯t act at all...

    "Enemy? Father has an enemy?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Madam Wang brushed her question off, "Don¡¯t worry about that for now. Sooner orter you will know about it. Do you know why weughed just now?"

    Yao Ling shook her head.

    "Your smile just now was too scary! Don¡¯t you ever smile that way again!" The matriarch exined to her whileughing.

    Yao Ling¡¯s mouth slightly twitched. Scary? She tried to smile elegantly, but it turned out be scary? She felt like crying without tears.

    Madam Wang patted her head,forting her, "It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t care about your background. Peasant or not, you are now my child. Don¡¯t think too much and just behave like usual. Really... It was weird!"

    Evil! Really evil! She thought that the magnanimous Madam Wang was so kind that sheforted her, but she still teased her. But truly... for Yao Ling, this was much morefortable ah~

    The matriarch also added, "Yes! This is the first time Iugh so long! I have never seen that kind of expression before."

    Grandmother ahhh~ You also tease me. Yao ling could only blush in embarrassment.

    "Don¡¯t worry about etiquette. It can be learned. I will give you Zhang Mo Mo. She¡¯s my trusted maidservant and she will teach you step-by-step." The matriarch said in between tears.

    What else could Yao Ling do? She could only nod.

    At least, after that, they talked to each other in a nice atmosphere and became closer.

 Chapter 17 The Childish Yao Ling

    That night, when Yao Ying back from work, she found Yao Ling pouting inside their bedroom. He double looked at her, because she rarely saw his wife pouting. He was entranced by what he saw. His little wife looked... so cute.

    He didn¡¯t find anything different with her when they ate dinner with the big family, besides nothing really happened back then. Was there something happening when Yao Ling stayed at home instead of working like usual?

    Yao Ying cleared his throat, trying to gain his wife¡¯s attention. Nothing. No reaction. She was still sitting on the bed and pouting. He felt at lost. What should he do? Coax his wife? But how? He had never done that before.

    He sighed and went to sit beside Yao Ling. He poked her once... twice... but still no reaction. "Are you okay?"

    When he was going to ask again, Yao Ling suddenly turned around. He was surprised with the sudden turn, but when he looked at her face... he could only gape at her. What was she doing? Why did she look so scary? Yao Ying was bewildered.

    Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying¡¯s bewildered face and she felt insulted. Yes, insulted. This was the way the matriarch and Madam Wang¡¯s reaction at noon. "Why are you looking at me like that? Am I that scary?" She asked angrily.

    Ugh... Yao Ying didn¡¯t know how to answer her. Was she trying to smile? But really... it looked so stiff and scary. She never smiled like that before. He knew whatever his answer was, it wouldn¡¯t make her happy at all.

    He decided to be honest. "Erm... a little bit?" He answered meekly.

    "What do you think I¡¯m trying to do?"

    "Er... smiling?"

    "Yes! That was me... trying to smile! What kind of smile do you think that I¡¯m trying to portray?"

    Yao Ying felt like crying. Why did she bombard him with such a weird question? How was he supposed to know what kind of smile was that? If he answered that it was scary... would she kick him out of this bedroom and let him sleep outside? He started to sweat, not knowing how to answer her.

    Then he chose ttery, "Pretty smile?"

    "What are you talking about?" Yao Ling squinted her eyes, looking at him with murderous eyes. ¡¯There you go...¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. ¡¯Herees the nagging.¡¯

    "I was trying to be magnanimous! The sweet kind like a white lotus!" She tried to describe her smile but failing miserably.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help but think. ¡¯Which part of it a white lotus? Or magnanimous?¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t dare to say that out loud. But really... usually, she had an unrestrained cuteughter, but howe suddenly she wanted to go with the white lotus smile? He was speechless.

    After failing to describe her magnanimous self, Yao Ling went ranting the whole story that happened at noon. Yao Ying figured out why she wanted to appear like a white lotus. He didn¡¯t realize that with the sudden change of environment, his little wife was feeling the pressure. She felt she had to change in order to fit in.

    Yao Ling might say that she was proud of her peasant background, but as a young girl, she wanted to be received in the new family. But well... this might be a good experience for her. The funny thing was... with this... he could finally see her childish side.

    Yao Ling usually handled everything perfectly. When her mother died, she indeed cried a lot, but only for one day. After that, she looked fine, but he knew she held the sadness inside. She was great at embroidery, and without thinking, she jumped into the business world. Sometimes, it made him forget that she was only fifteen.

    She had a childish side where she threw a tantrum like this. However, he liked this side of her. This side only him could see it. She could act spoiled, and he would also love to appease her and spoil her.

    He patted Yao Ling¡¯s head and then poked her forehead. "Stupid girl! Why are you trying so hard to change? What white lotus? I love it better when you smile freely just like usual. Of course, you look so scary. Do you know how stiff your smile was? No wonder theyughed at you!"

    When he felt Yao Ling was going to explode again, he took her and put her on hisp. He could feel the way Yao Ling tensed up; he bet she was feeling shocked. The only way to distract a woman from her anger and stubbornness was to make her feeling shocked or embarrassed.

    Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling¡¯s face and yes... she was blushing. He touched her chin and lifted her face up. "Just be yourself. I know they will like you just like me. If you don¡¯t like something, just say it. Don¡¯t hold back! But you also have to understand the perfect way to say it and also when to say it."

    Yao Ying gave her a few pointers and taught her a bit. Yao Ling looked at him in awe, "How do you know so much?"

    "Wife... I live longer than you. Besides, when doing business, you have to be clever at understanding people. I need to be urate in seeing what they like and dislike. That¡¯s why it¡¯s easy for me to read people." He exined.

    Yao Ling squinted her eyes at him again, "Do you also look at other females like that?"

    Yao Ying was dumbfounded. Where was the jealousying from? Howe it changed from customers to females? He wanted to cry again. Woman... They could be a bit unreasonable.

    "Of course not, Wife. I¡¯m only looking at you."

    "Really?"

    "Really." Yao Ying answered firmly.

    Before he dug himself another grave, Yao Ying decided to distract his little wife again. He used his final move. When a woman was being unreasonable, just shut her up and kissed her.

    He hugged Yao Ling closer and kissed her until she forgot everything. That was how he saved himself that night.

 Chapter 18 Giving Out Presents

    When Yao Ling woke up the next day, she blushed. She rememberedst night¡¯s event. She knew she was being reasonable, but she just wanted to vent her embarrassment to Yao Ying. He was very patient and even gave her some pointers, but... but... he kissed her again. Last night kiss was undeniable very hot and unforgettable.

    "Mistress... Mistress...." Xiao Yu called Yao Ling a few times, but she could only helplessly see her mistress daydreaming and blushing. She decided to poke her mistress softly.

    Yao Ling woke up from her daydreaming, because of Xiao Yu¡¯s poke. She jumped up and sat down on the bed, "Where is Master?"

    "Master has been working out and doing martial arts for two hours in the courtyard," Xiao Yu exined.

    Yao Ying prepared herself and quickly called Yao Ying to take a bath and help him wearing clothes. They had to eat breakfast together with the family.

    "Husband, I¡¯m supposed to give presents for everyone. After breakfast, you can go to the shop with father first. After I finish giving out the presents, I will go to the shop and check out the production," Yao Ling talked briefly while walking to the dining room.

    Yao Ying nodded. "Be careful on your way to the shop. Take Xiao Yu with you."

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. If Yao Ying didn¡¯t remind her, she might go alone like usual. She wasn¡¯t ustomed to having maid serving beside her all the time. With her identity now, it wasn¡¯t appropriate for her to wander outside her home all alone.

    After they enjoyed breakfast together, Yao Ling went back to her room and prepared her gifts. She went to the matriarch first. She gave a handkerchief which was personally embroidered by Yao Ling. She embroidered a crane and a pine tree ¨C both representing longevity. A peaceful and long life.

    When the matriarch received the gift, she was happy. Yao Ling exined the meaning behind the embroidery and sweetly wishing the matriarch with a blissful long life. She said joyfully, "What a sweet mouth!" Then she gave her beautifully carved jade bangle.

    After that, she went to visit Madam Wang and also gave her mother handkerchief, but with different embroidery. She embroidered orchid - which often symbolized female beauty. It also stood for modesty and refinement. She praised her for her beauty and sweet temperament. In turn, she was given a pair of beautiful lotus earrings.

    She visited the concubines, fortunately, they were all coincidentally taking a stroll together. If she had to visit them one by one, she didn¡¯t think she would have the time to go to the shop again. She couldn¡¯t just give the gift and leave. She had to exchange pleasantries.

    They were all sitting under a gazebo at the garden. Before they arrived, Xiao Yu told her the name of each concubine. She nodded after memorizing each of their names and remembering their personalities.

    She politely greeted them, and true enough, they were behaving just like what Xiao Yu told her. Concubine Wan ¨C the most beautiful one ¨C looked at her with mocking eyes. No one exaggerated her beauty. She had a stunning beauty - pretty eyes, small pointed nose, red voluptuous lips, and skin as translucent as jade. Her beauty was different from Madam Wang. One was alluring beauty; the other one was a tranquil beauty.

    "Aiyo~ if it isn¡¯t the new heir... with a lousy background yet have the guts to walk and sway confidently in this household," Concubine Wan sneered at her.

    Poisonous! Really poisonous tongue! Too bad that judgment didn¡¯t make Yao Ling feel angry at all. A vain judgment from a stupid person. Why should she care? She couldn¡¯t even pretend to exchange pleasantries and she wanted to climb higher? If she could see through her stupidity, she didn¡¯t think Wang Luo Hai couldn¡¯t. This Concubine Wan was simply na?ve.

    Generally, peasants were a higher ss than merchants ¨C which considered quite the lowest. It was because they didn¡¯t produce anything. However, Wang family was a special case. Their privilege was lifted up, because of the matriarch¡¯s noble background.

    Although she was deemed for lowering her standard, she had a powerful background. They were granted nobility, and at the same time, they could continue their merchant business. That was no wonder for the Wang family to consider themselves higher than merchants or peasants.

    "Aiyo~ If it isn¡¯t the most beautiful woman, Concubine Wan." Yao Ling paused what she wanted to say, just to make Concubine Wan overconfident, before crushing her with her next word. "Too bad. With a lousier background than me... er... what it was that I¡¯d heard? Ah yes... a mere lowly ex-brothel girl dared to unt her stupidity in this household. What a shame!"

    Concubine Wan could only gape at her and her face was pale. She couldn¡¯t hide her past, but this girl had juste into this household and she already knew her background? This girl wasn¡¯t a simple peasant at all. She couldn¡¯t even mutter another word.

    Hmph! Yao Ling remembered how Yao Ying taught her not to hold back and she did just that. Her position was slightly higher than them, so she could actually suppress them. Unless a concubine could give birth to a son, their position was only slightly higher than servants.

    Seeing Concubine Wan speechless, the other two concubinesughed inwardly. They always hated this poisonous mouth troublemaker. She looked as sweet as honey to Wang Luo Hai. But to the others? She was a headache. The two also realized this Yao Ling wasn¡¯t easy to deal with.

    Concubine Xi was basically a quiet person, so she only smiled slightly at Yao Ling and said, "Wee to the family." Yao Ling was thinking about this concubine. She was so quiet, making you didn¡¯t realize her presence. She didn¡¯t like to mingle with other people, so no one knew anything about her. No one could read her at all. However, Wang Luo Hai was quite favoring her, so she must have been smart all along.

    Concubine Xi¡¯s face was average; there was no outstanding feature. Yao Ling wasn¡¯t sure how she could gain Wang Luo Hai¡¯s favor. That¡¯s why she noted this concubine insider her mind. If she didn¡¯t bother her, then Yao Ling also wouldn¡¯t bother her.

    Replying to Concubine Xi¡¯s weing speech, she politely nodded. "Thank you, Concubine Xi."

    Concubine Lan had a different reaction. She actually praised her, "Ling-er, don¡¯t worry about your peasant background. We are a family now." Then she looked at Yao Ling¡¯s face, "And you are this beautiful. No wonder master likes you and takes you in as his child."

    Yao Ling snickered inwardly. Concubine Lan seemed like praising her, but thest part showed her real meaning. Her meaning was if she didn¡¯t have a beautiful face, then Wang Luo Hai wouldn¡¯t take her in and she would stay as a peasant forever.

    Yao Ling felt this Concubine Lan was also stupid. What had it got to do with her beauty? The one who was being taken in was actually her husband. She was just a plus one because she married to Yao Ying first.

    White lotus! Really a white lotus! Smiling sweetly like an angel, but actually a two-faced woman.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but apud Wang Luo Hai. How could a man collect various women with different personalities like this? Not one had same personalities.

    Yao Ling replied to Concubine Lan, "Concubine Lan doesn¡¯t need to care about my peasant background. I¡¯m here now, so naturally, my father has been acknowledging my peasant background. But Concubine Lan... you have to think about how to gain father¡¯s favor. A little birdie told me before that father hasn¡¯te to for a long time already. I don¡¯t want you to be forgotten."

    It was lucky for her. Yesterday, Yao Ling told Xiao Yu to find everything about the concubine¡¯s situationtely. Without this knowledge, she definitely couldn¡¯t find any words to refute their sarcasm.

    If Concubine Lan were a white lotus, then Yao Ling would be a ck lotus. Ha! She would with kind face say poisonous words. No need to disguise herself with double meaning words.

    Yao Ling gave a signal to Xiao Yu. Xiao Yu understood and quickly gave out their presents one-by-one. She gave the three of them the same gifts with the matriarch and Madam Wang. Handkerchief. She didn¡¯t have much money on her, so she used her creativity for the gifts.

    For the three concubines, she gave them basically the same embroidery ¨C oriole. The bird symbolized friendship. She exined that she wanted to nurture a good rtionship with them. That was the sweet part. She didn¡¯t exin that oriole had an association with young female beauty made it also crop up in descriptions of prostitutes and brothels. Well... that was for her to know.

    A bit evil and mischievous on her part, but at least, they didn¡¯t know the negative meaning, right? This was just to make her happy inside. Yao Ling snickered inwardly. Who told those concubines to give her and Yao Ying the evil eyes before?

    After exining the meaning, she said goodbye and didn¡¯t stay for long. It was better for her to go working rather than apanied them putting on a y. Ugh! She shuddered at the thought.

    She quickly took Xiao Yu and went out to their shop. Yao Ling already asked permission from the matriarch and the matriarch understood that she needed to go to the shop every day. After today, she didn¡¯t need to ask permission to the matriarch anymore. She was free to go to the shop any time she wanted.

 Chapter 19 Lin Zheng 1

    The shop located not far from her house, around ten minutes walk. It stood proudly on a busy main street which bustling with activities. A lot of popr shops were located there and there were also a lot of little stalls in front of their shop. The shop structure was well nned, so the street was very neat.

    The small stalls didn¡¯t disturb the big shop¡¯s business, so there was noint. They did business peacefully.

    When she arrived at their shop ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯- it meant rich and prosper, the shopkeeper quickly greeted her. He used to call her Ling-jie, but now he called her young mistress.

    "Young mistress," the shopkeeper ¨C Li Huan greeted her politely.

    "Just call me Ling-jie like usual." Yao Ling felt ufortable with the sudden change.

    Li Huan knew that Ling-jie was humble, but still, he had to know his ce. "I can¡¯t do that, Young Mistress. Did young mistress want to check the production?"

    Yao Ling could only sigh, but she was helpless. In Shu kingdom, the difference between ranks existed with reasons. "At least loosen up a little, Xiao Huan. I¡¯m still the same as before."

    Li Huan smiled widely and nodded.

    "Go do your work. I¡¯ll go to check it by myself. I know where it is." Yao Ling smiled back, letting Li Huan go back to his duties.

    ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ was one of the biggest shops on the street. The shop was divided into three parts. The front part was the disy- where people could see their design and their ready stocks. If there was no ready stock that they liked, they could ask for a custom order. The design and the material would be discussed and handled by Yao Ling. She already made a name for herself on thepetition that she won, so the customers wanted their orders to be personally handled by Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling¡¯s presence was also one of the reasons for helping ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ more prosperous. Her aptitude in embroidery and handling the production made it easier for Yao Ying and Wang Luo Hai to handle the selling part. Thepetition that was held by Wang Luo Hai was actually for this too. Finding young talent in embroidery.

    The back part of ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ was used for the production. When she went there, she found several women ¨Cold and young- were working on embroidery. When she came in, everyone greeted her. Yao Ling didn¡¯t let them get up and just let them continue working.

    She checked their work one by one. Whether they were following the pattern on not, whether they did something wrong or not, whether they had any question or not, and whether they needed a pointer from her or not. She spent the next three hours there, guiding the embroiderers that she chose herself.

    After she felt satisfied and found there was no problem anymore, she went to the second floor. The second floor was where Wang Luo Hai, Yao Ying, and Yao Ling stayed. It could be said it was their office. Yao Ling¡¯ personal workspace was there. She needed peace when she did her embroidery and designed the pattern.

    Yao Ying and Wang Luo Hai rarely stayed in ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, because they also needed to handle the purchase and selling outside. That¡¯s why she felt surprised when she found Yao Ying and Wang Luo Hai were there.

    "Father, husband," she greeted them. "It¡¯s rare to see you both stay inside. Is there something going on?"

    Yao Ying smiled warmly at him, "Nothing is going on. We¡¯ve just arrived from receiving new orders. Later, I will discuss it with you. It¡¯s lunchtime. Why don¡¯t we go outside and eat? You¡¯ve worked hard."

    Yao Lingughed, feeling happy at his thoughtfulness. She felt a warmth spreading inside her heart. Yao Ying always paid attention to her in every little detail. "Husband... you embarrass me. I should be the one who pays attention to you and father." Then she looked at Wang Luo Hai and apologized, "I¡¯m sorry, Father. I should pay more attention in the future."

    Wang Luo Haiughed. "No need to worry about us. We usually don¡¯t stay much in the office. There¡¯s no way you will know when we stay in the office like this. Let¡¯s go eat together. I¡¯m meeting my friend for lunch and I also want to introduce both of you to him."

    They walked to a nearby famous restaurant, Thousand Delicacies. When the servants greeted them, Wang Luo Hai let out a name ¨C Lin Zheng and the servant bow was deepened. Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other perplexed. Was this Lin Zheng an important person?

    Yes, they had contact with higher status persons before. But Wang Luo Hai said this man was his friend? This certainly made the couple curious.

    The servants escorted them to the second floor. When they saw the decoration, they knew the second floor was for the important or wealthy person. They were brought into the room at the end of the floor and it was the biggest of them.

    Wang Luo Hai smiled widely and greeted Lin Zheng, "General Lin, it has been a long time."

    Yao Ling and Yao Ying quickly greeted Lin Zheng too. Lin Zheng was the same age as Wang Luo Hai, around forty. However, Lin Zheng was more manly and muscr. His skin was tanned, maybe because he usually trained under the sun ¨C or even went to war. He was handsome and had an undeniable charisma that could only be possessed by a general.

    However, there was a confusion in their heart. General? Merchant and military were two different worlds and rarely in contact. So, they were interested in knowing how Wang Lou Hai and Lin Zheng knew each other.

 Chapter 20 Lin Zheng 2

    Lin Zheng smiled back at Wang Luo Hai and epted their greeting. He let them sit and looked at both Yao Ying and Yao Ling.

    "Is this your new son and daughter-inw?" Lin Zheng asked bluntly.

    Wang Luo Haiughed, "Yes, they are. Yao Ying and Yao Ling."

    "Hmph! Howe old fox like you have the luck to meet such a talented couple?" Lin Zheng said in a serious voice.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling stiffened. This man¡¯s voice held a certain dangerous feeling and it made them secretly sweating. What would happen if someone offended this man? Yao Ying and Yao Ling couldn¡¯t read his emotions at all ¨C whether he approved them or disliked them.

    Wang Luo Hai justughed at Lin Zheng, "Stop it! Don¡¯t joke with such a serious face! You will scare the children!"

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other. Was General Lin joking? How could someone joke with such a serious voice and tone? The general¡¯s face looked so solemn andposed. Since when people joking with a straight face like that?

    Yao Ying whispered to her, "Do you remember? Why Iughed when you smile like a white lotus? You look like him."

    Yao Ling pinched Yao Ying¡¯s hand and red. He really had the gut to tease and annoy her. Hmph! Yao Ying knew he already annoyed Yao Ling enough, so he justughed inwardly. To the two old men though, their whispering looked like a sweet couple.

    "Don¡¯t mind him! He usually has facial paralysis. He always makes a joke with his boring face." Wang Luo Hai joked around.

    Yao Ling scolded Yao Ying inside her mind. Did he think I also had facial paralysis? Hmph! She red at Yao Ying. Yao Ying seemed to understand what¡¯s inside her mind and his mouth slightly curled up. His wife was fun to tease.

    "Er... may I ask a question?" Yao Ling asked carefully.

    "Sure." Lin Zheng answered.

    "Where do you know each other? Usually, military and merchant are rarely in contact, right?"

    Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t mind exining to them. "Ah... that¡¯s true. We met way back then and we grew up together. We identally met..."

    Lin Zheng put in his thought, "The worst day of my life."

    "We both followed a beautiful little girl in a trance..."

    "Stupid! She¡¯s my childhood friend. You¡¯re the one who followed her." Lin Zheng scolded Wang Luo Hai.

    But, Wang Luo Hai kept talking, "I bumped into him and this big burly guy..."

    "Tsk ¨C better than you. Skinny like a girl."

    "Ha! But you got jealous of me, right? When the little girl looked at me, you punched me," Wang Luo Hai scowled. He could still remember the pain back then. What Lin Zheng said was true. He was skinny and just because the little girl smiled at him back, the wild boy punched him on the nose.

    "Served you right!" Lin Zheng¡¯s mouth slightly twitched. The end of his lips was slightly curling up, probably remembering the past. Indeed... he could still remember the taste of punching this annoying guy.

    "Can you just shut up? I can¡¯t even finish our fated meeting story!" Wang Luo Haiined.

    "Don¡¯t say it in a disgusting way!" Lin Zheng scowled. "You followed me around, remember? You said you want to learn martial art after that one punch. What a weirdo! A weirdo back then and now still a weirdo."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling felt these two old men so amusing. Both of them had different personalities, but it seemed like their differences couldpliment each other well. Their banter was a bit funny too. Wang Luo Hai was full of emotions and Lin Zheng whom face was as cold as ice with a void of emotions. Somehow they were like the sun and the moon.

    In the end, they didn¡¯t have the full story. The two old men kept fighting with words and it deviated from her question, but they knew for sure that these two old men were childhood friends.

    Yao Ling asked curiously, "So... who got the little girl? Is it Mother? I heard she¡¯s your childhood sweetheart, Father?"

    How funny would that be if that were true? It meant the skinny boy back then was the champion of their love rivalry.

    When both men heard her question, their banter stopped and the room became silent. Yao Ling was bewildered. Did she say something wrong?

    "Neither got her. It¡¯s not your mother," Wang Luo Hai answered her. He still smiled, but his smile was forced ¨C different from before.

    Yao Ling felt that she touched a taboo topic. She still felt curious though. Who was that little girl? Something must have happened because she saw a sh of sadness on both old men¡¯s expressions.

 Chapter 21 Lin Zheng 3

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling wanted to do something to change the heavy atmosphere, but they didn¡¯t know what to do. They didn¡¯t know Lin Zheng good enough to understand what topic that he liked. The man was practically an ice block with unreadable emotions.

    Contrary to the expectations, it was Lin Zheng who broke the silence. He looked at Yao Ying and asked, "Kid, do you know martial arts?"

    Wang Luo Hai was surprised with the question too. He was also in the dark; he didn¡¯t know whether Yao Ying had a martial art background or not. He stared at Yao Ying and asked, "Really? You know martial art?"

    It kept Wang Luo Hai wondering. What was actually this kid¡¯s background? Having a talent in business was already a surprise, but also martial arts? It seemed Yao Ying wasn¡¯t from an ordinary background at all.

    Yao Ying nodded. He asked Lin Zheng, "How does General Lin know?"

    "I can distinguish the difference between an ordinary person ¨C for example like him," he paused and pointed at Wang Luo Hai.

    Wang Luo Hai felt wronged. "What ordinary person? I just don¡¯t practice martial arts. But my brain is perfectly fine for making money, unlike you who can only use your burly body for a fight!"

    Wang Luo Hai always behaved like a teenager again, when he met Lin Zheng. He was the only one who could aggravate him to this level. That old man wasn¡¯t only cold, but also had poisonous tongue ¨C but only to him to be exact. He wasn¡¯t sure how many times he wondered how could he end up being best friend with Lin Zheng.

    Yao Ling tried to hold back herughter, but a giggle managed toe out. Wang Luo Hai looked so childish at this moment and she never saw him this way before. Lin Zheng really enlightened her with this side of her father-inw.

    Wang Luo Hai red at Yao Ling, trying to warn her. If his eyes could talk, the re would probably mean like this: ¡¯You.. youngdy... if you continueughing, I¡¯ll ask your mother-inw to punish you.¡¯ This thought sobered Yao Ling up and she put on a serious face that satisfied Wang Luo Hai.

    What Yao Ling didn¡¯t know was... Wang Luo Hai¡¯s mind was full of despair. His image was shattered in front of the children. Why did he bring them to meet Lin Zheng? He just wanted to boast that he got these two as his children, but this n has backfired. That damn Lin Zheng! How could he? He didn¡¯t even give him face in front of his children.

    Lin Zheng didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to Wang Luo Hai. He continued speaking while scrutinizing Yao Ying¡¯s body, "Your body shape and muscle can make me determine it. I trained a lot of people to know that. And you are also good at it."

    This time Lin Zheng didn¡¯t need to ask. He was confident with his eyes and knowledge. This kid¡¯s martial art was good.

    Yao Ying paid attention to Lin Zheng¡¯s words and nodded. "Yes, I know a bit of martial art. But I lose my memories, so I don¡¯t remember the training or what level I am. So, I really can¡¯t say whether I am good or not." Yao Ying helplessly said. "I only trained myself in the morning based on what my body remembers."

    Lin Zheng seemed interested in this aspect. "Lose memories?" His eyes flickered to Wang Luo Hai. Wang Luo Hai never mentioned this to him, but he knew his best friend wasn¡¯t stupid enough to gamble his own family. A person from an unknown background was usually dangerous, but if he lost his memories, then we couldn¡¯t me him.

    "Spar with me, if you have time. I will let you know your level. Just go to my house, if you ready." Lin Zheng offered his help.

    Yao Ying cupped his hands and bowed. "Thank you, General Lin."

    Wang Luo Hai scowled. "My child is busy with our business. He has no time to visit you."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other helplessly. Wang Luo Hai seemed like trying to aggravate Lin Zheng all the time. Judging from Wang Luo Hai¡¯s tone, he wasn¡¯t serious. But he always lost to Lin Zheng¡¯s short answers all the time. Father ah~ where was your dignity?

    Hearing Wang Luo Hai¡¯s answer, Lin Zheng just calmly drank his tea. His next words were quite lethal, "No worry. Rather than working to death, you both just follow me and be my stepchildren. Wang family has too many women. I bet your little wife will be bullied. In my household, I only have one child and no woman. He always wants a brother. You can be his brother, Yao Ying."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were speechless. "..."

    Wang Luo Hai stood up angrily, "What did you just say? Do you want to snatch my stepchildren? Ha! In your dream!"

    Lin Zheng looked at him and brushed him off. "Then why you don¡¯t let him visit me? I¡¯m just showing you what I¡¯ll do if you don¡¯t let him visit me. If I¡¯m bored, I¡¯ll take him in."

    "You... you..." Wang Luo Hai was speechless. Since when his best friend¡¯s shamelessness beat him to this level? Damn him!

    Then he turned to Yao Ying, "Fine.. you go there tomorrow. Yao Ling, you go with him. Don¡¯t let this old fox deceive Yao Ying. You must bring him back home."

    Yao Ling could only nod. She could see Lin Zheng¡¯s smile. His mouth only curled up a little, but she got the sense that he won big. Father ah~ You were really dancing under his palm. General Lin could really y with you.

 Chapter 22 Teasing Her is a Fun Thing to do

    After Lin Zheng got what he wanted, he felt satisfied. Yao Ying and Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry because after that, Lin Zheng dismissed them. Yes, literally dismissed them.

    After they finished eating, Lin Zheng only said these words to Wang Luo Hai, "Good boy! I know you¡¯re sensible. Now, you can go."

    Just like that!

    Wang Luo Hai¡¯s face was very red and everyone could see his vein was bulging. He could feel his anger already reached its maximum, but he was also helpless. This friend of his... was always like that. He felt himself like a moron for keep hanging around him. He, himself, couldn¡¯t figure out why. Was he enjoyed being bullied that much? He scowled to himself.

    "Yao Ying, Yao Ling,e on! Let¡¯s go home!" Wang Luo Hai called them and flung both of his sleeves in a mock anger. Without saying goodbye to Lin Zheng, he went out. Yao Ying and Yao Ling could only say goodbye hastily and followed Wang Luo Hai out. These two old men were really childish. Both youngsters could only shake their head.

    Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t say much after that. It was probably because of his bad mood. But he reminded them to visit Lin Zheng the next day. "Don¡¯t let me lose face in front of him! If you can, just beat him until no one recognizes him!"

    Back in their room, Yao Ying could onlyugh bitterly and told Yao Ling what Wang Luo Hai had said. Where did he have the gut to do that? He didn¡¯t even know his martial arts level and the other one was a general. Did Wang Luo Hai just give him a suicide mission?

    Yao Ling justughed at Yao Ying¡¯s reaction. She understood what kind of thought inside his mind and said, "Don¡¯t worry about what Father¡¯s said. He was just a bit vexed at the moment. You can see for yourself Father and General Lin have a pretty great bond. I¡¯m pretty sure Father didn¡¯t mean it."

    Yao Ying understood that point, but he still scowled and felt unhappy. He was involved in a childish quarrel between two old men. Yao Lingughed and tried to ease his tension. She slowly massaged the ck lines between his eyebrows tenderly. Somehow, it worked.

    Yao Ying¡¯s tensed face became rx in a few seconds. He looked at his wife in gentleness. Honestly speaking, they didn¡¯t know each other that long and their marriage was still fresh, but somehow they were always in sync.

    Yao Ling was still young, but she knew how to read his mood and understood what¡¯s on his mind. Just like this, her tender gaze while massaging the ck lines between his eyebrows managed to captivate him. In a close distance, he could see her long eyshes fluttering softly. Her eyes were looking at him intensely, while her full lips were smiling warmly.

    He thought to himself, ¡¯Maybe the best decision in his life is getting married to Yao Ling. If she didn¡¯t find me, I¡¯d be dead. If I didn¡¯t get married to her, I¡¯d be all alone. She may think she¡¯s the only one who gets the benefit from the marriage. I give her protection, but she doesn¡¯t realize how she gives me the courage to move on and look up at the future. My missing past always haunts me, but Yao Ling, she bes my light in the darkness. Fate sure has a way to bring people together.¡¯

    Yao Ling saw Yao Ying¡¯s passionate gaze at her and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Why are you looking at me like that? Are you still in a bad mood?"

    Yao Ying only smiled and said, "Nothing. I¡¯m just feeling grateful." He didn¡¯t borate more about his thought; he kept them to himself. He knew that sooner orter, he would fall in love with his wife. As long as he wasn¡¯t sure about his feelings, he wouldn¡¯t tell a soul about it ¨C even to his wife.

    "Grateful?" Yao Ling looked at him in confusion but still teased him nheless. "Do you love my massage that much? How can your feeling change so abruptly like that? From unhappy to grateful just from a simple massage on your face? Oh, husband~ you are so easy to please." She poked his cheek yfully.

    Yao Ying grabbed Yao Ling¡¯s hand that kept poking him and bit it in mock anger. "You dare to poke and tease your husband?"

    Yao Ling giggled and asked him back, "What? You don¡¯t like it?"

    "No. So you have to be punished!"

    Yao Ying released her hand. When she thought Yao Ying would release her, but instead, he swooped her up and turned to walk to their bed. Yao Ling screamed softly in surprise, but it onlysted for a while because he muffled her scream with a kiss. He kept her in his arm until they arrived at the edge of their bed.

    Yao ling felt his soft lips against her. He took the chance to put his tongue inside her mouth when she screamed just now. She couldn¡¯t deny his entrance and choose to return him with the same passions. When she started to feel dizzy and out of breath, Yao Ying finally released her and ced her onto the bed.

    "Is that my punishment?" Yao Ling asked boldly. In her mind, he¡¯s already her husband, so it was justified for her to be a little bit bold.

    "Tsk...Tsk... of course not! How could it be a punishment, when you enjoy it that much?"

    Yao Ling lowered her head and blushed in embarrassment. She wasn¡¯t bold to that level. Saying out loud that she enjoyed it mortified her. "What? Who said that I enjoy it?"

    "Oh... really? You didn¡¯t enjoy it?"

    "No!"

    "Then.. why did I hear you moaning just now?"

    "What? No! It must be your imagination!" Yao Ling insisted.

    "Why don¡¯t we try it again?"

    When Yao Ling tried to dodge him, Yao Ying wickedly held him tightly and kissed her again. She couldn¡¯t deny it; she was indeed moaning.

    "There... you were moaning, right?"

    "..."

    Yao Ling was speechless with her husband¡¯s shamefulness. But she couldn¡¯t lie to him, because she really enjoyed it. She could only meekly answered him, "Just a little bit!"

    Finally giving her mercy, he just roared inughter. Teasing his wife would be a fun thing to do from time to time. Her bashfulness really made him happy.

    When Yao Ling was going to bury herself inside the quilt, he reminded her, "You haven¡¯t got punished yet!"

    Yao Ling protested, "Just now... you already punished me with the kiss, right?"

    "Wife... I already told you... it¡¯s not a punishment if you enjoy it," he said exasperatedly.

    Yao Ling sighed in annoyance and asked him, "What else do you want me to do?"

    "Massage my back, please." Yao Ying asked Yao Ling sweetly.

    Yao Ling just grumbled at him, "Just tell me loud and clear that you like my massage. Why beat around the bush like that?"

    Although she wasining, she still asked him to sleep on his stomach and massaged him. She could feel his tensed body started to rx under her massage.

    "Do you like it?"

    "Hmm..."

    "Can I stop now?"

    "No.."

    "I¡¯m tired! Both of my arms are feeling sore!" Sheined.

    "No... Continue..."

    Yao Ling gritted her teeth. She finally realized that Yao Ling was only teasing her. She got angry and kicked his bottom, then slept on her side with her back facing him. She decided to ignore the bully.

    "Ouch... Why did you kick my bottom?" Yao Ying whined.

    "Serve you right! Who tells you to bully me." Yao Ling answered monotonously.

    Yao Yingughed at her and hugged her from behind. "Aw.. my lovely wife is angry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just kidding with you."

    "Hmph!" Yao ling pretended to be angry. She massaged him, not only because of his so-called punishment. She understood that he was tired from work and also she wanted him to rx because the next day he had to spar with General Lin.

    Yao Ying coaxed her by turning her around and kissing her all around her face. This finally managed to make her let out a giggle. After their sweet banter, they slept blissfully in each other¡¯s arm.

    Sometimes a simple gesture could give warmth to the people around. Yao Ling didn¡¯t realize her simple care and attention to Yao Ling just now could worm herself into Yao Ying¡¯s heart. Slowly but sure.

 Chapter 23 General Linâ€™s Estate 1

    The next day, they were going to General Lin¡¯s house under Wang Luo Hai¡¯s permission. They discussed what needed to be done in ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ and Wang Luo Hai would handle it for them.

    Before going, they ate breakfast with the big family just like usual. Only the main family ate together, while the concubines ate at their own courtyard. Yao Ling¡¯s hands were still sore with all the massage the previous day. When eating, her hand were slightly shaking and making her fail to grab the meat that she wanted to take.

    Yao Ying grinned at her predicament, but still helped her by taking the meat for her. Wang Luo Hai asked in concern, "What happened to your hand? Are you sick?"

    "No, Father. I¡¯m fine." Yao Ling blushed in embarrassment.

    "Her hands are sore because of me," Yao Ying tried to exin in her behalf. What he meant was because of the massage, but his words were slightly ambiguous.

    "Sore because of you?" Wang Luo hai choked in embarrassment, while asking the question. Then he shook his head in disagreement, "Ying-er, did you waste too much energyst night? Don¡¯t forget today¡¯s spar! Save your energy and beat him up for me!"

    "Young people these days," Madam Wang could only shake her head and blushed. Was the youngster these days so open-minded? They could even say this kind of thing without batting eyshes.

    "Good! Continue and give me great-grandchildren." Only the matriarch praised them, full of happiness. She red at Wang Luo Hai, "What wasting energy? It¡¯s what youngsters should do! They are newlyweds, of course, they have to spend a lot of energies every night!"

    Wang Luo Hai could only eat in silence. Since his mother already talked, he didn¡¯t have any reasons to rebuke her. Above of all, the main reason was he didn¡¯t dare to oppose his mother. He knew he was being unreasonable, but he just wanted his son to beat that damn Lin Zheng.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling gaped at them in surprise. At first, they didn¡¯t realize what they meant until the matriarch¡¯sst sentence. Great-grandchildren? They looked at each other in bewilderment. Did they think Yao Ying was talking about their ¡¯night workout¡¯?

    Yao Ling felt like she could die in embarrassment. Her face was flushing red ¨C even redder than tomatoes. At first, Yao Ying was also felt like dying in embarrassment, but looking at his wife¡¯s face, he couldn¡¯t help butugh inwardly. He didn¡¯t dare to show any sign ofughter in front of Yao Ling. He knew sometimes she could be a bit petty and hold a grudge. He didn¡¯t want to be kicked again.

    "What... that¡¯s not the reason why my arms are sore!" Yao Ling cried, denying their thought.

    "Yes, that¡¯s true! It¡¯s because she massaged me." Yao Ying supported his wife and told them the real reason.

    "Ah... massage..." The three of them looked at them, nodding in understanding.

    "No need to tell us the details of your night pleasure. You can just go ahead and do it! Have fun! Don¡¯t forget to make babies." The matriarchughed heartily at the young love.

    "..."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling didn¡¯t know what else could they say. They truly only did a massage, but their exnation led to horrifying misunderstanding. Somehow, it became amorous.

    Yao Ling red at her husband and scolded him in her mind. ¡¯It¡¯s because of you! If you didn¡¯t tell me to massage you for a long time, my hands would be fine! Not sore and shaking!¡¯

    Yao Ying could only gulp, feeling wronged. Indeed he just wanted to joke with her with this simple punishment. However,st night he really enjoyed her massage and felt sleepy. That¡¯s why he forgot to tell her to stop. He could only receive her re bitterly.

    The whole breakfast the couple felt ufortable with the elders¡¯ gaze. One was in annoyance, one was in happiness, and one was in understanding.

    After they finished breakfast, the couple quickly bid their farewell and went to General Lin¡¯s house. They decided to ignore the elders¡¯ inquisitive gaze. They couldn¡¯t exin that they hadn¡¯t consummated their marriage yet, so there was nothing else they could say. Just let them believe whatever they wanted to believe!

    Yao Ying took Xiu and Yao Ling took Xiao Yu with them. They weren¡¯t that familiar with the road to General Lin¡¯s estate, so they let Xiu and Xiao Yu lead the way.

    Yao Ling asked curiously, "Have you ever been there?"

    "Yes. Master often send various things to General Lin¡¯s," Xiu exined.

    "Oh? What kind of things?" Yao ling asked curiously.

    "Too many to count, Young Mistress. They usually love betting on everything. So, the various things usually are sent back and forth. For example, rare wine and tea," Xiu gave an example.

    "What kind of bet?" What Xiu said piqued Yao Ying¡¯s interest. Their rtionship was quite amusing toprehend. He wondered if he could also find a good friend to share such friendship.

    "It¡¯s too embarrassing to say!" Xiao Yu eximed. She knew how childish her master was and that only happened when it involved General Lin.

    Xiu nodded in agreement. "Their bet is certainly very childish. But please don¡¯t tell Master I said that or he will certainly punish me!" He grimaced when he remembered the punishment. Wang Luo Hai wasn¡¯t a heartless master, but his punishment certainly made people suffer mentally.

    For example, Xiu hated the smell of heavy perfume the most. And his punishment? He had to wear heavy perfume for seven days, making him feel nauseous all the time. It wasn¡¯t heavy punishment, but still effective nheless. It was one of the reasons why they felt lucky as Wang manor¡¯s ves. Usually, ves were punished by being beaten heavily in even for small mistakes, but in Wang manor, that punishment would be saved for grave mistakes only.

    "I won¡¯t tell him. Give me one example," Yao Ling asked excitedly.

    "Er..." Xiu hesitantly said, "They bet on every little thing. For example one of the current bets is... how long both of you will give master grandchildren." There were more embarrassing things, such as the concubine¡¯s next period. Lin Zheng had no concubine, so it was always between the three concubines in Wang manor.

    The concubines didn¡¯t know about this and only servants that used to privately served master like him knew all about this. But gossiping between servants was usual, even Xiao Yu knew about this. The servants were clever enough to know their ce and didn¡¯t tell any of the concubines¡¯ private servants or they would be punished by the master.

    Xiu believed that even the matriarch and Madam Wang knew about this. As long as the bet didn¡¯t involve them, they turned a blind eye on it and even joined in amusement. The master was still sensible enough for not involving the matriarch and Madam Wang in their bet.

    Sometimes Xiu even wondered whether the master loved his concubines. He saw him stayed the night with them once in a while, but that was it. Their needs would be fulfilled by the master and he seemed like he pampered them, but with that kind of bet? Wasn¡¯t it kind of humiliating for the concubines, even though the bet was between two people only?

    He didn¡¯t understand the mind of wealthy people. Maybe the concubines were just decorations, but this was just his own perception.

    Xiu was brought back to reality by Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s question. "Even betting on us?" Yao Ying and Yao Ling asked in bewilderment. The two old men were so outrageous. They had a hunch that the bet¡¯s idea must havee from their father. The serious Lin Zheng must be forced by him.

    Why everyone kept talking about grandchildren? They just became a part of the Wang household and they were still trying to adjust themselves with everything. They didn¡¯t think it would be wise to have a baby at the moment.

    Both Xiu and Xiao Yu nodded at the same time and thought to themselves, ¡¯This bet is just one of the better examples. If they only know how outrageous the other bets are, they will certainly faint...¡¯ Even sometimes they felt ashamed with the content of the bets.

    Talking made them lose track of time, and in a sh, they arrived in front of General Lin¡¯s estate.

 Chapter 24 General Linâ€™s Estate 2

    "We¡¯ve arrived, Young Master, Young Mistress," Xiao Yu told them, pointing at an estate which had a golden namete with big ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ words written on it. There were two soldiers with fierce faces stood up and guarded the front door.

    Xiu came to them and told them politely that they were from Wang family. They were invited by the general himself. The soldier seemed to know about it because they let them in. One of the guards led the way for them.

    The general¡¯s house was different from Wang Luo Hai¡¯s. Maybe because Wang Luo Hai was a wealthy merchant, his house was quite luxurious. The design was extravagant, whereas the general¡¯s house was pretty simple. There was no excessive decoration, in one word ¨C nd. It could be seen that there was no woman¡¯s touch at all!

    There was no flower in the garden, as far as they could see there was only greenery view. However, the bare design suited perfectly with the general¡¯s image. They could see soldiers training in the middle of the big front yard. Yao Ling thought to herself, ¡¯It would look funny if the soldiers were training in the middle of a flower garden.¡¯

    They passed through the front yard and went straight to the main hall. After they arrived, the guard said, "Please wait here. I will let the general know about your arrival." Yao Ying and Yao Ling nodded in unison. After receiving their permission, the guard bid his goodbye politely and left them there.

    The guard worked efficiently, the general appeared in less than ten minutes. General Lin still looked as stoic as ever. Yao Ying and Yao Ling greeted him politely and the general nodded in return.

    "Good! You¡¯ve arrived. I will take you to the yard after this. I¡¯ll let my son spar with you. He went out and I already instructed my subordinate to call him back," Lin Zheng said.

    "Okay, General." Yao Ying answered politely in return.

    After hearing Yao Ying¡¯s answer, Lin Zheng looked at Yao Ling. He only nced at her, but Yao Ling could feel that he scanned her stomach in a sh.

    "Are you pregnant?" Lin Zheng asked bluntly.

    "..."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were speechless. Did what Xiu say was true? The bet was real? They only met yesterday and he asked them bluntly just like this. If they didn¡¯t know about it from Xiu, they would be bbergasted when they heard that question.

    Lin Zheng didn¡¯t feel anything wrong with his question. He was rarely in contact with women and socialized with other people. He was cold to another person, so people were afraid of him. He only socialized with his soldiers and they were very blunt with each other. If he wanted to know something, he just needed to ask directly. That¡¯s what happened at the moment.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "Er... not yet?" Her answer sounded like a question.

    Lin Zheng furrowed his eyebrows. "Yes or no?" He wanted to make sure what Yao Ling¡¯s answer meant.

    "No." Yao Ling looked down in embarrassment.

    Lin Zheng only answered them in one word, "Good."

    "..."

    Another speechless moment for the couple. Good? It seemed like their father would lose the bet. Although the general seemed cold and indifferent, it seemed like there was mischievousness behind the fa?ade. Otherwise, there was no reason for him to join in Wang Luo Hai¡¯s bet.

    "How could you ask such shameful question in the middle of the day?" A masculine and warm voice was suddenly heard asking a question from the direction of the front door.

    All of them looked at the source of the voice. They looked at a vigorous and handsome young man. He was tall with a well-built body. His handsome face was fascinating to look at and it was supported by his gracefulness. He had a pair of phoenix eyes and thin lips that quite attractive. His tanned skin was the proof that he spent a lot of time under the sun. Yao Ying and Yao Ling wondered who this young man was.

    "Hmph! What shameful question? It¡¯s just an ordinary question." Lin Zheng scowled in disagreement.

    "Father... they are not your children. It¡¯s impolite to ask bluntly like that. Whether she¡¯s pregnant or not isn¡¯t your business!" The young man exined helplessly, then it seemed like he remembered something. He squinted his eyes and asked in a firmer tone, "Are you betting with Uncle Wang Luo Hai again?"

    "Hmph! That¡¯s none of your business. I¡¯m just trying to show that I care," Lin Zheng tried to find a reason for his behavior.

    The young manughed, "It¡¯s not possible! I¡¯m not born yesterday, Father." He could only shake his head at his father¡¯s behavior. Only Uncle Wang Luo Hai could bring out his father¡¯s pettiness and childishness.

    He turned to Yao Ying and Yao Ling and greeted them with a wide smile, "I¡¯m sorry for my father¡¯s shameful behavior. I¡¯m Lin Jian. Nice to meet you."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling smiled back and introduced themselves back.

    "I¡¯m Yao Ying. Nice to meet you."

    "It¡¯s not a shameful question at all. General Lin just worried about me. I was just a bit surprised just now. My name is Yao Ling. Nice to meet you." Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to cause trouble, so could only answer tactically. However, she still blushed in embarrassment.

    Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling¡¯s reaction. Was she blushing? He squinted his eyes and felt a pang of jealousy. Did she think this Lin Jian handsome and interested in him? Yao Ying didn¡¯t realize that what he felt was jealousy. He just didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to show other men her shy appearance. She looked too charming for her own good. It seemed like they needed a good talk tonight.

    Lin Jian smiled at Yao Ling. Just like what Yao Ying thought, Lin Jian found the girl in front of him charming. She was beautiful and had a pleasing personality. Too bad she was already married. Lin Jian was taught by his father to respect a woman. Lin Zheng gave him an example by loving only one woman in this lifetime ¨C his mother and he would do the same.

    He knew it was aughable thing for others. Men usually had a lot of concubines in Shu Kingdom, so they wouldn¡¯t understand the concept of loving only one woman.

    While he lost in his thinking, Lin Jian heard a loud snort from his father. "Do you hear that? The girl even said it¡¯s okay for me to ask. Why do you care?" Lin Zheng asked disdainfully.

    "Do you know what is called courtesy? I¡¯m pretty sure Yao Ling gu niang just saying that out of courtesy, right?" Lin Jian turned to ask Yao Ling, while at the same time, Lin Zheng also looked at her.

    Yao Ling¡¯s mouth twitched in annoyance. Why did they have to involve her in their argument? How could she answer the question? Whatever answer that she chose, it would certainly offend one of them. She didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry in this situation. She didn¡¯t know them well enough whether they were joking or not.

    She helplessly looked at Yao Ying, asking for help. Yao Yingughed inwardly at her predicament, but still helped her nheless. "We are really happy with General Lin¡¯s concern. Please don¡¯t embarrass my shy wife any further. Look at her red face." He let out a soft chuckle.

    Yao Ying cleverly praised the general and at the same time saved Yao Ling from answering. He pointed out the fact that their bantering made his little wife feel shy. He believed both of them would stop pestering Yao Ling with more questions.

    Lin Zheng and Lin Jian understood her point and let out soft chuckles too. They realized how clever Yao Ying with words was.

 Chapter 25 General Linâ€™s Estate 3

    "This is my son. He will spar with you. Come on!" Lin Zheng pointed at Lin Jian and he stood up. He beckoned them to follow him and all of them followed him without any question.

    They went to the front courtyard that they had passed through before. Lin Zheng shouted at his subordinates to stop training and dispersed. "All of you cease and stop what you are doing. Make way! I need to use the yard now. You can rest or stay here. If you stay here, don¡¯t hinder the spar that¡¯s about to happen."

    The soldiers understood what Lin Zheng meant. They weren¡¯t allowed to interfere or bother both parties in any way. They could only be there as spectators.

    Lin Zheng turned to his son and exined to him the reason for the spar. He told him in a stern voice, "Son, Yao Ying wanted to check his martial arts level, so you have to control your strength. This is just a friendly spar."

    "I understand." Lin Jian turned around and smiled at Yao Ying. "Come on! Do you want to wear armor?" He asked politely.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "No need. This is just a friendly spar. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s necessary." Lin Jian nodded in agreement.

    Both of them went to the middle of the yard and stood still. Yao Ling bit her lower lips, feeling worried for her husband. She didn¡¯t know any martial arts, but she also didn¡¯t know how capable her husband was. She heard the murmured voice behind her and she felt anxious. The soldiers said that Lin Jian was the youngest lieutenant general in his generation. He was pretty aplished at a young age.

    With that capability, an idiot would know that his martial art skills level must be high. She wrung her handkerchief in distress. Lin Zheng seemed to note her anxiety, he cleared his throat and said, "Don¡¯t worry. Lin Jian knows how to hold himself back. He won¡¯t hurt Yao Ying."

    Lin Zheng felt awkward because it had been a long time since thest time he tried to appease a woman. He didn¡¯t know why but he seemed to have a soft spot for Yao Ling. He feltpassion for her; it wasn¡¯t romantic feeling whatsoever. Why? He didn¡¯t even know himself, maybe he was getting old and bing mushy.

    Yao Ling was a bit surprised with the general¡¯s words. It seemed General Lin was trying to calm her anxiety and it worked. She calmed herself down and felt grateful to the general. She knew the general wouldn¡¯t let Yao Ying get hurt.

    Yao Ling continued to watch the two men. She could see how different both men were. Lin Jian looked more masculine with his tanned skin, while Yao Ying looked more schrly with his pale white skin. They both had different kinds of handsomeness and coincidentally they both wore different colors of clothing. Lin Jian wore ck and Yao Ying wore white. One looked like a devil and the other one ¨C an angel.

    They chose not to use any weapons too, just a in fist fight. They were both standing still without moving an inch. However, the next second, they moved in a sh. The first one to attack was Lin Jian. He wanted to see Yao Ying¡¯s defense level. He pounced with his right fist, aiming his chest. Lin Jian didn¡¯t utilize his full power. He was just trying to test the water.

    Yao Ying¡¯s attentiveness and agility were quite good. He could see where Lin Jian¡¯s fist wouldnd and he dodged it perfectly. He threw a punch and managed tond on Lin Jian¡¯s right shoulder. It surprised all the spectators and even both Lin Jian and Yao Ying.

    Lin Jian couldn¡¯t believe that Yao Ying couldnd a blow on him. It meant Yao Ying could move faster than him and no one... no one in their generation could beat him. Maybe it was a fluke.

    This time the one who attacked was Yao Ying. Yao Ying felt his body move on his own and he just went with the flow. He went all out because he really wanted to understand how he knew martial arts. Just like Lin Jian, he aimed at Lin Jian¡¯s chest.

    Yao Ying could feel a sudden burst of power on his hand that he used to attack Lin Jian. He could feel something warm slowly filling up his fist and it confused him, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. Lin Jian could feel Yao Ying¡¯s sudden burst of power, he thought to himself, ¡¯This is bad. I need to dodge.¡¯

    Thinking that way, he quickly dodged. He was certain this Yao Ying was very powerful. If he didn¡¯t know better, he would feel Yao Ying was trying to kill him. With those amounts of power, Yao Ying certainly could hurt him. However, he could see the confusion in Yao Ying¡¯s eyes when he looked at his own fist. It made him sure that Yao Ying didn¡¯t even know how powerful he was.

    After carefully dodging Yao Ying, Lin Jian stopped. "We stop here for a bit. I need to ask you some questions. Do you feel something different inside you?"

    Yao Ying nodded, even though he felt unsure. "I felt something warming from inside my body and it suddenly filled up my fist."

    Lin Zheng stopped their talk, "Come with me. We can talk about this inside my study.

    Yao Ling could feel her husband¡¯s confusion and she agreed with Lin Zheng. This yard wasn¡¯t the best ce to talk about his husband¡¯s condition.

 Chapter 26 New Friendship 1

    They went to Lin Zheng¡¯s study despite the spectators¡¯ confusion. Was the spar end just like that? It was onlysted less than five minutes. They didn¡¯t understand the problem was, but they realized there must be something wrong. The soldiers knew the general¡¯s rules; they weren¡¯t allowed to ask questions that they weren¡¯t supposed to ask. Curiosity killed the cat. That¡¯s why they dispersed themselves and didn¡¯t raise any questions.

    Only the four of them went inside Lin Zheng¡¯s study room. Xiu and Xiao Yu stayed outside. They understood that their masters needed to talk something serious. They just recently became their servants, so the trust bond wasn¡¯t there yet. They totally understood about this.

    In the study room, the four of them looked at each other in silence. Lin Jian decided to break the silence and talked first, "After you lose your memories, have you ever used your inner strength?"

    Yao Ying answered in confusion, "Inner strength?" After thinking for a while, he realized what Lin Jian meant, "Do you mean the warmth that I felt?"

    Lin Jian nodded and said again, "If I¡¯m not mistaken, your martial arts level isn¡¯t any lower than mine."

    Lin Zheng supported what Lin Jian said, "You are not mistaken. I¡¯m certain. I could feel his inner strength power emanated pretty strong before." It was only emanated in a sh, but Lin Zheng¡¯s sense was sensitive so he could feel the subtle inner strength power.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other in surprise. Truthfully, they never expected this result. They thought his martial arts were so-so. If he were as strong as a lieutenant general, then what would that make him? Who was he actually? High martial arts meant that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary person.

    Just like what they had just thought, Lin Zheng confirmed it. "I think whoever you are before, you are not just an ordinary person. You might hold a certain level of military ranks if you were in an army. One thing for sure, you weren¡¯t in my army. I always remember my subordinates¡¯ face, especially the higher rank ones. I will try to make an inquiry to the other generals but don¡¯t get yourself too much hope. This is just a possibility."

    At first, Yao Ying and Yao Ling were excited with what Lin Zheng said. But thest sentence dampened their spirit for a bit and also gave them a realization. They really couldn¡¯t really hold it on him, because what he said was true. There were a lot of possibilities and the military was only one of them. Hopefully, they could find out about Yao Ying¡¯s identity soon.

    Yao Ying answered Lin Zheng with a short sentence, "I understand."

    "Do you know why I let you spar with my son?"

    "No. I assumed I was going to spar with you," Yao Ying answered truthfully.

    "Ouch!" Lin Jian pretended to be hurt by Yao Ying¡¯s words. "Are you disappointed in me?"

    Yao Yingughed guiltily, "No. I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s not what I mean."

    Lin Zheng gave a tiny little bit smile and said, "Ignore him! I hope you two can be friends. You need to loosen up a little. You are too serious for your own good, Yao Ying."

    The three youngsters looked at Lin Zheng in disbelief. Their mouth slightly twitched. Did he just critique Yao Ying for being too serious? Had he seen himself in the mirror? General Lin was practically the symbol of seriousness. He rarely smiled and it made him look like he had facial paralysis.

    "Er... okay?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t know how to answer him.

    Lin Jian was the only one who bold enough to say, "What did you say, Father? I think you are the one who is the embodiment of the serious word! At least, Yao Yingughs freely, unlike you. I never once see youugh!"

    Lin Zheng just look at him in disdain, "Why should Iugh to an annoying boy like you? Myugh is reserved only for your mother!"

    Lin Jian felt guilty for saying that. He actually just wanted to joke with his father. He knew his father just answered him with the truth, but he could feel a pang of sadness inside him. His father had neverughed since his mother was gone. As long as he could remember, he only saw his father curl up his lips a little ¨C just a tiny smile for a few times.

    Lin Jian tried to erase his sadness, so it was gone in a sh. He tried to change the subject, "Fine!" He turned to Yao Ying and grinned, "Let¡¯s be friends!"

    Yao Ying let out a soft chuckle. "It would be my pleasure. I hope we can get along well."

    Lin Zheng nodded in satisfaction. "Good! Maybe you will be the next me and that stupid Wang Luo Hai."

    "..."

    The three of them was speechless. They truly didn¡¯t want their friendship became as crazy as the old men! They shuddered thinking about their childish behavior and the bet! Don¡¯t forget about their shameless bet! Yao Ling truly didn¡¯t hope she would be a target of their bet. If she found any bet including her, she would literally kill Yao Ying!

    Yao Ling was pretty happy with the way it went. Yao Ying had no friend. After meeting her, he only stuck with her back in the vige. After they arrived in An Yang City, they were busy trying to earn money and all they did was working. His life was only revolved around her and work. Besides, she could see his mind kept wandering around from time to time. She was pretty sure it was all about his forgotten past.

    Maybe gaining a new family and friend would have a good effect for Yao Ying. She simply wanted him to be happier. She didn¡¯t want him to be held back and bounded by his past. There was no guarantee he could ever remember it again. There was a possibility they could fail to find out about his past. What then? He would be disappointed.

    She just didn¡¯t want his past to hinder him and miss the present happiness. For this, she felt thankful to General Lin¡¯s kindness. Behind his cold fa?ade, he was actually perspective and a nice man.

 Chapter 27 New Friendship 2

    Lin Zheng squinted his eyes at the three youngsters and asked, "Why does no one say anything? You don¡¯t like to have a friendship like mine?"

    "..."

    The three of them felt the sweat on their back. How could they say no? They could feel the chilling aura from the general. Did he... feel offended? But truly... he was really a bit too proud of his weird friendship.

    Lin Jian could only shake his head in defeat. He knew how unreasonable his father was sometimes. Just let the old man happy then! He ttered him, "Of course, we love how your friendship blossoms. Who doesn¡¯t know about both of you in An Yang City? Both of you are so famous!"

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling stared in Lin Jian in disbelief. Did they really that popr? They became curious about the reason. Please... please... please... don¡¯t say about the bet! Wasn¡¯t it too embarrassing for the Wang household? They really needed to inquire this matter by asking Xiu and Xiao Yu. Also... they were very curious about the nature of their overall bets. They wanted to know what other creative bets those old men had thought about.

    Interesting! These two old men were really amusing!

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to offend General Lin and became the target of his pettiness, "I also admire your friendship. I¡¯m pretty sure we would follow your footsteps." Yao Ying didn¡¯t even know he could tter anyone by lying through his teeth.

    Lin Jian and Yao Ling looked at him in amusement. Lin Jian thought that this Yao Ying was also smart and it looked fun to be friend with. On the other hand, Yao Lingughed inwardly. She never thought there would be a day she would see Yao Ying groveling to people in such manner. She knew how much Yao Ying hated fake ttery, but just now... he had to do it himself.

    Yao Ling smiled softly at General Lin and said, "I also enjoy the banter between the two of you. Why doesn¡¯t General tell us more stories about your friendship?" She was really curious. She didn¡¯t mean to curry any favor. She just wanted to know what was the inside story of their funny friendship.

    Lin Jian said, "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible. My father wasn¡¯t the talk..." Before Lin Jian finished his sentence, Lin Zheng cut him off with only one shocking word, "Sure."

    Lin Jian looked at his own father with aplex expression. Was this really his father? Just now, he was going to say his father wasn¡¯t a talkative person. That was the truth! He only talked a lot when discussing military matters. His father was never talkative about his own personal matter.

    Was the man in front of him really his father? He wanted to pinch his father¡¯s cheek to convince himself, but he didn¡¯t really have the gut to do that. Maybe the sun would set from the east today? He couldn¡¯t imagine how the conversation would go.

    Yao Ling beamed at Lin Zheng. "Great!"

    "Next time, I will invite you and Yao Ying again. I need to attend another matter, so you young people should enjoy yourself and go." Without waiting for their answer, he just dismissed them. The youngsters had no choice but left the study room. Of course, they politely bid their goodbye.

    Lin Jian led them out. "How about we find a good ce and drink tea? I think we need to discuss further your performance just now."

    Yao Ying nodded excitedly. He didn¡¯t feel satisfied with their conversation just now. Lin Zheng didn¡¯t exin too much, but judging from his personality, Yao Ying naturally understood. He could only find more information from Lin Jian.

    Yao Ling understood this was probably inappropriate if she went with them. It was better if they talked by themselves. Anyway, she didn¡¯t understand much about martial arts. Yao Ying could tell her the summaryter. She felt she needed to give him some space.

    "Both of you can go. I need to deal with some matters at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯."

    Yao Ying nodded at Yao Ling gratefully. He knew why she didn¡¯t want to go with them and he appreciated her understanding. "Be careful on your way back," Yao Ying said softly to his wife.

    "I¡¯ll take Xiao Yu back with me. You also need to be careful too." After saying that, Yao Ling turned to Xiu who stood behind Yao Ying, "Take care of your master."

    Xiu smiled and responded politely, "I will, Young Mistress."

    Yao Ling nodded in satisfaction with Xiu¡¯s reply. Then she heard Lin Jian cleared his throat and said in a mock anger, "Please don¡¯t be so intimate in front of a single man like me. This young master will feel envious and heartbroken."

    Yao Ling blushed in embarrassment at what Lin Jian said. She didn¡¯t mean to act too intimate. She was just worried about her husband. "That¡¯s not what I mean," Yao Ling said weakly.

    Yao Yingughed. "Please don¡¯t tease my wife! Maybe you need to find a woman for yourself, so you won¡¯t feel envious with our intimacy."

    Lin Jian could only raise both of his hands in defeat. "Fine... fine..." He grinned, showing that it was just a joke. "If I tease any further, Yao Ling gu niang¡¯s face will get redder than a tomato."

    Yao Ling smiled helplessly at Lin Jian. "I better leave now. Nice to meet you, Lin Jian gong zhi." Then she turned to Yao Ying, "I will go first, Husband. I will see you at home."

    After bid her goodbye, she quickly went back to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ with Xiao Yu. Yao Ying loved to see her cute embarrassed face, but he still didn¡¯t forget about her jealousy. Hmm... She couldn¡¯t run from him tonight. He smiled to himself, imagining what would he do to herter that night.

 Chapter 28 Jealousy

    "You are so lucky. You have a really cute wife," Lin Jianughed, remembering Yao Ling¡¯s blushing expression.

    Yao Ying squinted his eyes at Lin Jian. He didn¡¯t know why but he felt ufortable. He felt... weird to hear other man said that his wife was cute. Somehow, he didn¡¯t like it. He became a bit sullen and his eyes were slightly darkened.

    Lin Jian seemed to pick up his mood andughed, "Why are you looking like that? I¡¯m just stating the truth. No need to get jealous over it."

    "Jealous?" Yao Ying thought to himself. Were these ufortable feelings called jealousy? He pondered over his feelings, since when he could feel these various emotions? At first, it was just a convenience marriage. He felt responsible for her because she was his savior.

    During the time they started to work at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, they couldn¡¯t really cultivate their feelings. They tried to earn themselves money and gain a foothold at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. Whenever they arrived at their home, they already felt tired. After they took a bath, they directly went to bed and slept like a log. The only difference they felt was they had to sleep together. Only that.

    After they became Wang Luo Hai¡¯s stepchildren, they could feel themselves slightly loosen up. They could start enjoying the benefits of bing a part of a wealthy family. They didn¡¯t need to care about money that much. They had time to rx at night. They had time to talk about their days and even joked around.

    They became more intimate, even though they only kissed. For him, it was good enough. A few days in Wang household made them much closer than the three months they spent before.

    He felt something gradually changed inside him. Before he could contemte more about it, Lin Jian talked to him again.

    "Yes. Jealous. Why do you look bewildered?" Lin Jian asked curiously.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "Nothing." Then he asked Lin Jian out of curiosity, "Why do you think I¡¯m jealous?"

    Lin Jian looked at his new friend in disbelief. Did he really that gullible? Or was he pretending to be stupid? Lin Jian decided to ask, "What? Of course from your behavior!"

    "My behavior?" Yao Ying asked in confusion.

    Lin Jian looked perplexed at Yao Ying. Howe he was able to get married with his naivety? He was even able to get himself such a cute and understanding wife despite her young age. He mourned for himself. He lost to such an innocent guy.

    "You really don¡¯t understand, do you?"

    Yao Ying looked at Lin Jian in annoyance. "Don¡¯t bother to answer! You are so annoying." He felt embarrassed because of Lin Jian¡¯s question.

    "No..no..no... I have to answer you! I never think that losing memories can also make people gullible like you."

    "..." Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether tough and cry. Either Lin Jian was too honest or he was mocking him with his annoying words.

    "Just now... You feel an ufortable feeling when I praised your wife, right? You didn¡¯t like it, right? You want to punch me, right? Right? Right?"

    Lin Jian truly described what Yao Ying felt, so he honestly nodded.

    "That¡¯s jealousy, my friend!"

    ¡¯Oh... so that¡¯s what I feel.¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. "How do you know that it¡¯s jealousy? You don¡¯t even have a wife." Yao Ying still stubbornly didn¡¯t admit that he already understood that he was jealous. He didn¡¯t like the way Lin Jian felt that he was more superior than him in this area.

    "Tsk..tsk..tsk... My friend, you have to go out more with me. You can find a lot of experiences that way and be less gullible. You don¡¯t have to have a wife to understand this simple logic!"

    "..."

    Why did he feel the sudden need to punch Lin Jian? In this sense, Yao Ying thought Lin Jian was more suitable to be Wang Luo Hai¡¯s son. Yao Ying was speechless.

    "I will pass." Yao Ying answered seriously. He didn¡¯t think it would do any good for him to go out more and find silly experiences with Lin Jian.

    "Why?"

    "I think you are a bad influence." Yao Ying answered truthfully.

    "..."

    This time the one who speechless was Lin Jian. Did he seriously say he was a bad influence? Why Yao Ying was as serious as his father? Maybe they should exchange father? He was just joking, alright?

    "Hey! You wounded me! I¡¯m just joking!" Lin Jian pretended to be hurt and scowled.

    Yao Ying shrugged and turned around, indicating that he didn¡¯t care. However, his mouth was slightly curling up. He was also joking, but Lin Jian didn¡¯t need to know that. After he turned around, Lin Jian kept following him and talking nonsense about jealousy all the way to their destination.

    Yao Ying felt like he became friends with a parrot.

 Chapter 29 Iâ€™m Going to Kill You!

    They decided to forget the idea of going out, instead, they stayed at ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ to talk. Lin Jian brought Yao Ying to a gazebo at their back garden. Just like the front yard, everything was green. They gave out a peaceful vibe.

    Lin Jian asked the servant to serve hot tea and osmanthus cake. Yao Ying nced at Lin Jian and said, "Stop talking about jealousy. I want to talk about our spar." He didn¡¯t beat around the bush and went straight to the point. Somehow, he already feltfortable talking with Lin Jian. He had personalities that could easily make people like him.

    "What do you want to know?"

    "How can you know my level just based on that fast spar? I reckon we only fought less than five minutes?" Yao Ying felt quite irritated with his ownck of knowledge, but he didn¡¯t let Lin Jian know about his real feelings. He only looked calm on the surface.

    Lin Jian was thinking of the best way to exin it to him. It was mainly based on his instinct, so it was kind of hard to say. "Hmm... to put it bluntly, my father and I have a really sensitive intuition regarding inner strength. It runs in the family. When your inner strength came out, I could feel the strength. However, it seems unpolished. To have that strong inner strength, it needs to be cultivated for a long time ¨C unless you are a genius."

    Yao Ying asked, "Do you think it¡¯s unpolished because of my memory loss?"

    Lin Jian nodded. "In my opinion, yes. After your memory loss, have you ever felt the warm sensation when you were practicing?"

    "I don¡¯t think so. Just now was the first time. That¡¯s why it¡¯s surprised me when I felt the sensation."

    "I think it¡¯s because of your basic instinct. It appeared because you were in a fight, so your body did it on a reflex. It seems you practiced and fought diligently before, otherwise there¡¯s no way your body would memorize how to attack and fight in a whim like that."

    "Why do you need to stop the fight?" Yao Ying asked curiously. "You didn¡¯t use any inner strength before, right?"

    "Yes, I didn¡¯t. I thought you didn¡¯t know about inner strength, so I just wanted to gauge your ordinary martial arts skills. I stopped the fight because I could feel your inner strength was unstable. It¡¯s dangerous to use it blindly in a fight."

    Yao Ying nodded in understanding. Where the sudden inner strength came from? The more he found something new about himself, the more confused he was. The weirdest thing was his newfound talents didn¡¯t jog his lost memories at all!

    "Can you teach me how to manage my inner strength?" Yao Ying asked for Lin Jian¡¯s help.

    "I can teach you the basic, but for further learning, you have to find yourself a master." Then Lin Jian thought of an idea. "How about I introduce you to my master?"

    "You¡¯d do that?" Yao Ying was surprised by Lin Jian¡¯s generosity.

    "I would. He¡¯s a bit entric, so I don¡¯t know whether he will receive you as disciple or not. It depends on yourself and your luck."

    "Er... what kind of entric?" Yao Ying thought about how he always met weird peopletely. And now... an entric master? He felt his life bing more and more interesting.

    Lin Jian grinned at Yao Ying¡¯s expression. He seemed a bit disturbed because of the entric word. "You¡¯ll find out when you meet him. I¡¯ll find himter and ask him to meet you first. Why so scared? Look at me! I¡¯m his disciple. How weird could be?"

    Yao Ying¡¯s mouth slightly twitched. My new friend ah~ That¡¯s why it became scarier because he chose you as a disciple. However, he didn¡¯t say it out loud. He could only gulp and nodded. With a lieutenant general as a disciple, he must be very powerful. So, what else could go wrong?

    "I¡¯ll thank you before."

    "No need to thank me. Just introducing you to my master isn¡¯t a big deal."

    Yao Ying smiled gratefully at him. But the smile turned into a frown, after listening to Lin Jian¡¯s next words. "So... how did you meet your little cute wife?" Yao Ying looked at how excited Lin Jian was. His gratefulness vanished in a heartbeat.

    Was he deliberately angering him? He dared to say his wife cute again?! Yao Ying answered with a scowl, "What it has got to do with you?"

    Lin Jian blinked innocently at Yao Ying. "Why can¡¯t I ask about it? Of course, because I¡¯m curious."

    "I won¡¯t tell you."

    "What? Why? You are so stingy! I want to know what does she sees in you."

    Yao Ying red at him. If his eyes could kill, Lin Jian would probably die a thousand times painful death. "What¡¯s wrong with me?"

    Lin Jian looked at him up and down in scrutinizing way. "Hmm... you face is pretty handsome, although in a bit girly way." Lin Jian poked his arms and continued, "Your muscle is pretty good. Not as good as mine but doable."

    Lin Jian looked down, paying close attention to where ¡¯little Yao Ying¡¯ was. Yao Ying looked down and saw where his gazended at... He was furious!When Yao Ying saw Lin Jian open his mouth, he roared at him. "Don¡¯t even think about it!"

    Lin Jian closed his mouth and gulped down what he¡¯d wanted to say. He widened his eyes innocently. "What? I¡¯m just going to ask if you..."

    "Stop it!"

    "Well-endowed.."

    "Don¡¯t say it!"

    "..down.."

    "Shut up!"

    "there."

    "Oh, you started it! I¡¯m going to kill you!" Yao Ying stood up and tried to catch him.

    Lin Jian ran andughed, "Is it not well-endowed? Is it small? That¡¯s why you get angry?"

    "Lin Jian!!"

    Yao Ying continued chasing him, but the bastard was fast an as slick as a snake. Yao Ying gritted his teeth and thought to himself, ¡¯That damn Lin Jian! I was so... going to kill him!¡¯

 Chapter 30 A Childish and Jealous Husband 1

    That night, Yao Ying scowled in annoyance. He still remembered how Lin Jian molested him with his eyes. He chased him, but the damned guy was using his qing gong to run away! He found out that he could use it too, however, his inner strength was unstable and he couldn¡¯t hold out for long.

    He had no choice but to let Lin Jian go. He couldn¡¯t chase him with his current level. There was no point for humiliating himself in General Lin¡¯s house. Yao Ying remembered the way the soldiers looked at him in amusement. It was downright embarrassing.

    Yao Ling seemed to pick up his bad mood. She asked in concern, "What happened? You are supposed to have a good time with Lin Jian." That was she hoped for him but it seemed something had gone awry.

    Yao Ying snorted. "What a good time of my life? He is the most annoying person I¡¯ve ever known."

    Yao Lingughed at her childish husband. The way his mouth pouted was so silly. She thought that maybe a person¡¯s hidden trait could be brought out when he or she met the right person. Just like Yao Ying! She didn¡¯t think she could make him behave childishly like this.

    "Won¡¯t you tell me what happened?" Yao Ling asked curiously. What could make Yao Ling so angry like this?

    Yao Ying opened his mouth but then closed it again. He changed his mind. He wasn¡¯t going to tell his own wife that he had been molested with Lin Jian¡¯s eyes. That would hit his ego as a man. Instead, he answered, "Nothing."

    Yao Ling nced at him, feeling a bit hurt. Usually, they talked about their day to each other. It seemed like it wasn¡¯t going to happen today, so she mped her mouth and didn¡¯t try to push him any further. She thought positively, ¡¯Probably it was a man¡¯s stuff.¡¯

    Yao Ying felt guilty, knowing that he hurt Yao Ling¡¯s feeling. If he told her, how could he prove it otherwise? It wasn¡¯t like he could jump on her and then made love to her. He decided to change the subject, "I¡¯ll go to ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ again tomorrow."

    Yao Ling looked at him in a baffle. She was surprised by the sudden change of conversation and what he¡¯d just dered. "What for? Didn¡¯t you get angry because of Lin Jian just now?"

    "Hmph! I¡¯m angry with him, but ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ still belongs to General Lin. My purpose tomorrow isn¡¯t for Lin Jian, but General Lin."

    Yao Ling wanted tough again. Her disappointment just now was forgotten because of his irritated face. His expression was quite animated today. It kept changing until she couldn¡¯t keep track of it. She cleared her thought and asked him seriously, "Why? Do you want to talk about your martial arts again?"

    Yao Ying nodded and told her about his conversation with Lin Jian ¨C of course, she excluded the molested part. He wanted his dignity to stay intact. "In short, I need to cultivate my skill and also I want to polish my qing gong. That¡¯s why I need some guidance from an expert like General Lin."

    "Qing gong?" Yao Ling looked at her husband in awe. "You can do that too?"

    Yao Ying saw the starry look on his wife¡¯s eyes and felt proud of himself. He replied to her honestly, "I can but I¡¯m not good at it. I need a lot of practice to master it."

    "I believe in you." Just those four words and Yao Ying felt happiness burst inside his heart. What man wouldn¡¯t feel happy when his wife has fully trusted him like that? He could see Yao Ling¡¯s sincerity from her pure eyes.

    Without another word, he kissed her ¨C hard. Yao Ying loved her soft, luscious lips. The sweet taste of her wife always threw his mind into disorder and he couldn¡¯t get enough of her. Yao Ling was surprised with his sudden kiss until she finally sumbed to it. She could feel his rough thin lips but it ignited something inside her.

    However, before Yao Ying could deepen their kiss, Yao Ling removed her lips hastily. She didn¡¯t understand what was ignited inside her and it terrified her. Yao Ling wanted something more and didn¡¯t understand what.

    Yao Ying felt confused with her sudden retreat, but he was happy at what he saw. His little wife was blushing profusely. The red tint on both of her cheeks increased her seductiveness. Her lips were slightly swollen because of his harsh kiss and it added to her charm. He started to count in his mind and he still needed to hold himself up for 85 days. This was a pure torture.

    He was vaguely backing off, trying to calm the fire inside him. Yao Ying looked at him with her hazy eyes. Judging from Yao Ying¡¯s reaction, she knew that he felt the same way as her. She pitied themselves. Why did she have to make such a promise? At that time, she didn¡¯t feel certain about this marriage. But now? She changed her mind.

    However, a promise was still a promise.

    She cleared her throat and tried to distract both of them from the recent intimacy. "Why do you want to learn qing gong that badly?"

    "I want to catch someone." Yao Ying was going to polish his qing gong and then caught that damn Lin Jian. He wouldn¡¯t let him go again!

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t borate more about what he¡¯d just said. He knew his wife was trying to distract him, but it wasn¡¯t going to work this time. Yao Ying grinned wolfishly at his wife and it made Yao Ying get a sudden bad feeling.

    What was he going to do?

 Chapter 31 A Childish and Jealous Husband 2

    Yao Ling felt nervous because of the way Yao Ying looking at her. He couldn¡¯t conceal the predatory look in his eyes, to be exact, he didn¡¯t deliberately conceal his hunger at all.

    "Husband..." Yao Ling called him weakly. She didn¡¯t know what to do. His piercing eyes made her whole body shiver, although the temperature inside the room was warm. Yao Ling felt at loss. She never saw that kind of look from her husband. She didn¡¯t feel scared but the intensity made her knee feel weak.

    Although she already had her hairpin ceremony, truth to be told, she was only fifteen. There was not much that she understood about husband and wife rtionship. She became anxious with his husband¡¯s sudden change was a normal thing. However, her heartbeat didn¡¯t seem able to slow down.

    When Yao Ying took a step to her, Yao Ling stepped back a little. They did it a few times until Yao Ling¡¯s feet touched the edge of their bed. Her heartbeat was getting faster, making her afraid it was going to burst. Seeing his prey didn¡¯t have anywhere to run, Yao Ying¡¯s lips were slightly curling up. He didn¡¯t know where the sudden arousal from ¨C perhaps what Lin Jian said was true? His jealousy brought out his primal instinct.

    "What... what... do you want to do?" Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but stuttering.

    "What? I just want to go near my wife. Why do you look so afraid?" Yao Ying taunted his wife, wanting to spark her fiery temper.

    Indeed, it was sparked. Yao Ling looked at him in defiance. "I¡¯m not afraid! Why should I feel afraid of you?" Yao Ling raised her head but the red tints on her both cheeks were apparent. It added to her lovely charm, making Yao Ying want her more. The na?ve girl didn¡¯t realize what was on her husband¡¯s mind.

    "Then, why are you keep backing off?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t n to release her until he was satisfied.

    "No... nothing..." Yao Ling wanted to yell because of your predatory look, but she didn¡¯t have the gut too. It wasn¡¯t good to provoke him.

    "Hmmm... Really?" He was getting closer to her until there was no space left between them.

    "Mmmm..." Yao Ling could only mumble softly. Her mind was in disarray because she could clearly felt Yao Ying¡¯s hot breath on her ears. It made her blush furiously in embarrassment. It tickled...

    Yao Ying could smell her soft fragrance and it made his heart beat faster. She smelt nice... He tried to clear his mind up by asking what he wanted to know the whole day, "What do you think of Lin Jian?"

    Yao Ling¡¯s mind was incoherent, but she could still hear the question. She was a bit surprised at first. Why the sudden question? What was the connection with Lin Jian gong zhi? She answered him truthfully, "He is handsome and he seems like a kind person." She said the first thing that came up inside her mind and she thought nothing wrong about it.

    Yao Ying¡¯s body stiffened. Handsome? Did she think Lin Jian was more attractive than him? His male ego was a bit wounded. He nibbled at her ears, trying to distract her mind from Lin Jian. However, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, "More handsome than me?"

    Yao Ling could feel her ears being nibbled and her breath was slightly hitched. What did he do to her? How could it affect her so much? She could feel her knee weaken more and more. If Yao Ying didn¡¯t hold onto her waist, she would have fallen down. His question made her confused. Why did he ask such a question?

    If she could think clearly, she would probably understand that her husband was jealous. But because of thebination of his hot breath and nibble, she lost all train of thought. She couldn¡¯t hold back her moan. "Mmmm..."

    "Answer me!" Yao Ying demanded. He wanted to know her real thought. He didn¡¯t want any other male to fill her thought. She could only think about him! He didn¡¯t understand why he felt possessive of her. It must be because she¡¯s his wife.

    In her foggy mind, Yao Ling answered him truthfully, "Of course not! No one can defeat my husband¡¯s handsomeness." She indeed thought like that. For her, he was far more handsome than Lin Jian. Although his handsome was more delicate than Lin Jian, this kind of handsomeness was more attractive to her eyes.

    Yao Ying was satisfied with her answer and smiled triumphantly. ¡¯Hmph! Lin Jian... My cute wife is only for myself. You won¡¯t get a chance.¡¯ If Lin Jian knew what¡¯s on his mind, he would probably snicker andugh out loud. He probably didn¡¯t really think that his joking words would affect Yao Ying this much.

    If Yao Ling knew, she probably wouldn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. This man was so unreasonable. He asked what she thought about Lin Jian and she just answered honestly without thinking of other things. The man was handsome, so she couldn¡¯t lie and say he was ugly. That would be ridiculous.

    After felt satisfied with her answer, Yao Ying wanted to release her. However, at that time Yao Ling once again release an inviting moan, "Mmmm..." It made him lose all train of thought. Her voice felt like an aphrodisiac to him. It was alluring and increasing his arousal. Yes, at this point, he felt aroused. He could feel his member started to get harder. Damn!

    He knew he was ying a dangerous game. If he lost control, Yao Ling would probably hate him for breaking his promise. But, he just couldn¡¯t stop. He kissed her cheek, and then, itnded on her soft and juicy lips. He couldn¡¯t hold back anymore.

    He kissed her without any restraint. He entangled his hand in her silky hair to support her head and then he deepened the wild kiss. Yao Ying always thought that he was a man with great self-restraint, but this wild kiss proved him otherwise. He couldn¡¯t get enough of his intoxicating wife. Her innocence made him want her more. This night, he had to satisfy his desire.

 Chapter 32 A Childish and Jealous Husband 3

    What Yao Ying did threw Yao Ling¡¯s mind into chaos. She couldn¡¯t think at all! She could only enjoy the feeling that Yao Ying brought her. She could feel his desire. She wondered to herself if she could stop itter, but his kisses made her mind once again go wild. She didn¡¯t even know she could let out such an embarrassing moan.

    His tongue was prying open her mouth easily. He teased her tongue with his and she finally returned it without restraint. Her shyness was gone, because of the amorous atmosphere. However, both of them had no experience, so their teeth collided with each other a few time. It didn¡¯t make a difference to them and they continued until Yao Ying¡¯s mouth left hers.

    Yao Ling was going to protest until she felt his lipsnded on her neck. She put her arms around his neck, trying to prevent herself from falling. Was her husband really inexperienced? If she didn¡¯t feel the pain from their colliding teeth, she certainly wouldn¡¯t believe his innocence.

    Yao Ying pushed his wife softly to the bed and shended on her back. He looked at Yao Ling with eyes full of desires. He could also see the desire on her eyes. He waited for her reaction. Would she stop him?

    "Husband... our promise..." There you go. She really stopped him. Yao Ying was a little disappointed, but there was nothing else he could do. He groaned in pain. If he could turn back times, he wouldn¡¯t agree with her request. Maybe they should change the phrase. They could consummate the marriage when they were both ready. He really regretted it!

    Yao Ying rolled over andnded beside Yao Ling. He sighed in disappointment. "Eighty-five days to go..." He mumbled to himself.

    "What?" Yao Ling couldn¡¯t hear what he was mumbling about.

    He said louder, "Eighty-five days to go..."

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

    Yao Ying scowled at his gullible wife. "We need to wait eighty-five more days to do this."

    Yao Ling blushed in embarrassment, knowing what he meant. "En... Are you okay?" She asked hesitantly. She felt a bit guilty for dampening the atmosphere. Would he feel that she was a stuck up for insisting the six-month celibate period?

    Yao Ying saw the guilty look on her eyes and he didn¡¯t have the heart to hurt her. This was just a painful hard-on, so he could live with it. "I¡¯m okay." He looked down and pointed at his member down there. "Just a little bit hard on. I¡¯ll be fine." He felt like punishing her for a bit, so he wanted to make her feel embarrassed for a bit. It was a bit petty on him, but he didn¡¯t care. He enjoyed teasing her.

    Just like what he predicted, when she saw his bulging down there, she blushed furiously. She hid in his embrace, trying to ignore his obvious hard-on. Yao Yingughed at her cute expression and patted her back softly. "I¡¯m just kidding. Don¡¯t put it inside your heart. I can handle this."

    After saying that, he heard a rumbling sound from his wife¡¯s mouth. He didn¡¯t hear it clearly, so he asked her, "What did you say?"

    "Er... what can I do... to help you?" She asked softly once again, but more clearly and more confident than before.

    "Wh... what?" Yao Ying asked in surprise. He was only teasing her and he certainly didn¡¯t expect this reaction from her. She looked at him with clear eyes, showing her sincerity. And... he lost. His member was getting harder than before. He never realized the powerful effect that Yao Ling had on him. Only a simple question and a look from her and he went mushy.

    Looking at her husband, she really pitied him. Was it really that torturing for him? She saw his face lit up when she offered her help. She felt she had made the right choice. Therefore, she asked him more confidently, "What can I do to help you?"

    Yao Ying smiled widely at her. His breath was slightly hitched, but he couldn¡¯t stop his excitement. "There¡¯s a way."

    "Ho... how?"

    "I¡¯ll show you how," Yao Ying¡¯s voice became slightly hoarse. He gripped Yao Ling¡¯s right hand softly, guiding it to his prominent bulge. "Touch it." Hemanded her.

    Yao Ling shyly touched it and she could feel the hotness. Yao Ying could feel her hesitancy and her slightly shaking hand. "It¡¯s okay if you can¡¯t do it." Yao Ying tried to be a gentleman and gave her a way out. However, it gave the opposite effect. It made her more certain with her choice. Yao Ying was her husband, so this was what wife supposed to do. There was nothing taboo or embarrassing about it.

    She gripped it tighter. Yao Ying gritted his teeth in pain. "Softer... softer... not that tight! It hurts me." She was too excited and didn¡¯t hold back her strength.

    Yao Ling quickly released it, blushing. "I¡¯m so sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to."

    Yao Ying smiled at her. "It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s better if I guide you with my hand." Yao Ling nodded and agreed with him. That night, for the first time, Yao Ling satisfied her husband with her hands. She finally understood why when she said her hands were sore; she got that kind of reactions from the elder. She blushed when she remembered it. She kept in mind not to mention about sore hand anymore in front of them!

    The funny thing was while she got sore hands, Yao Ying grinned widely in satisfaction. ¡¯As long as her husband happy...¡¯ That was the only thing she thought about before she fell into a deep sleep.

 Chapter 33 Next timeâ€¦ Itâ€™s Your Turn!

    The next morning, Yao Ying still smiled happily. Yao lingughed at his happy face while massaging her hands. She didn¡¯t know that her husband was very vigorous. She didn¡¯t only help him once! Truth to be told, it was a few times in a row. Because of that, she felt that her hands were going to break. She shook her head at his behavior. Was it really that satisfying?

    If Yao Ying knew what she thought, he would tell her that he was a hundred percent satisfied! How could he not? She was kind enough to help him find a release.

    Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling¡¯s hands in concern. "Are you okay? Did I go overboardst night?" He felt guilty, looking at how she kept massaging her hands.

    Yao Ling smiled softly. "I¡¯m fine. You weren¡¯t overboard. I¡¯m d I can help you." Rememberingst night, she looked down in embarrassment. She felt shy with the way she behavedst night. She knew that Yao Ying didn¡¯t mind, well... obviously, he was happy. However, it was her first time doing an intimate thing with the opposite sex. How could she not feel shy?

    Yao Ying pinched her blushing cheek. "Thank you, Wife." Yao Ling nodded, but Yao Ying¡¯s next words made her want to find a hole to hide! "Next time, it will be your turn."

    "Wha... what?" Yao Ling looked at him in shock. He.... Her turn? What will he do to her?

    "Wife had made this husband satisfied. Naturally, I have to return the favor. How about tonight?" Yao Ying grinned wolfishly at his wife. He felt that they were getting closer due tost night intimacy, so he didn¡¯t feel anything wrong with what he said.

    However, for Yao Ling, that wasn¡¯t the case. What he just said made her almost get a heart attack! Didst night make her husband turn into a pervert? How could he say that words shamelessly like that?

    Yao Ling nced at the doorway, looking at Xiu and Xiao Yu. She knew they always stayed there in the morning, just in case they needed help. True enough! Both of them were blushing furiously, listening to their master morning banter. Yao Ling red at Yao Ying, ming him for being so shameless. She was pretty sure Xiu and Xiao Yu understood what had happened the night before.

    Yao Ying understood the meaning of her gaze, but he pretended to be innocent and harmless. He only mouthed, "What?"

    Yao Ling pouted in annoyance. She quickly stood up. She wanted to run away from her shameless husband. "Let¡¯s go quickly! It¡¯s time for us to eat breakfast." Without another word, she went out and brought Xiao Yu with her. She didn¡¯t wait for Yao Ying.

    Yao Ying naturally knew why his wife was behaving like that, so he didn¡¯t me her. Instead, he was enjoying every moment of her shyness. After that, he followed herzily. Looking at her fast footsteps, he knew she didn¡¯t want to stay with him because of his teasing. He let her go because he knew she couldn¡¯t run awayter.

    They ate breakfast peacefully. The matriarch looked at the bashful Yao Ling and she smiled contently. It seemed like her grandchildren¡¯s rtionship was pretty good. She could also see how Yao Ying kept ncing at his wife while eating. It seemed like there would be a good story to tell.

    "Yao Ling, can you stay behind and apany me?" The matriarch wanted to squeeze a juicy story from Yao Ling. She was old and her life was pretty boring, so she was trying to find an excitement. Then, she nced at Madam Wang, "Ji An, do you want to join us too?"

    "Of course, Mother." Madam Wang smiled at her mother-inw. Truth to be told, she was thankful for having a nice mother-inw like the matriarch. This kind gesture, of course, she didn¡¯t mind. She knew she had to get closer to Yao Ling. If she had the backing power of her new children, her foothold in this household would get stronger. The concubines wouldn¡¯t have the gut to quip at her.

    The matriarch suddenly remembered that she needed to find a time for Zhang Mo Mo to teach Yao Ling etiquette. "Hai-er, I think Yao Ling need to lessen the time at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. I want her to learn etiquette. Maybe let her stay at home at least two hours a day in the morning?"

    Wang Luo Hai knew that it was important. His mother had a noble background and it was a great importance for her to have a proper etiquette. He nodded in agreement, "Of course. She can learn until she¡¯s good. I don¡¯t have any objection."

    Yao Ling sighed inside her mind. She didn¡¯t really like learning etiquette, but she knew she didn¡¯t have the power to refuse. She also didn¡¯t want to embarrass Yao Ying. She wanted to be a wife that could make him proud. She couldn¡¯t help but agree. "Thank you for Grandmother¡¯s concern. Ling-er will certainly learn diligently."

    "Good. I know that Ling-er is sensible." The matriarch praised her.

    "Father, can I go to ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ again today?" Yao Ying asked for Wang Luo Hai¡¯s permission. "I will go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ after that."

    "Why?" Wang Luo Hai was curious. Yesterday, he already went there and he also knew about his spar with Lin Jian.

    Yao Ying answered him truthfully about yesterday matter. He only told him about the sparring part and their talk in General Lin¡¯s study room. Yao Ying didn¡¯t think it was wise for him to tell them all about the probability of his high status. It was just a guess, so he didn¡¯t think it was worthy of mentioning.

    Wang Luo Hai nodded in understanding. "Learning martial arts is also a good thing. Just go! I can handle ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. You can take your time." Wang Luo Hai thought that it would be good for Yao Ying if he could protect himself. Although he didn¡¯t mention anything about the possibility of his high status, yesterday Lin Zheng had already told him. This matter was better to be kept a secret.

    It would be fine for him to handle ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ all alone. Their new selling system had been established pretty well by Yao Ying. They only needed to check the whole process carefully and maintained a good rtionship with the customers.

    Wang Luo Hai usually only kept an eye on the purchasing material process. He always went to the supplier along with his subordinates. This was a more important matter because Yao Ying had found out about suspicious activities in the buying process. The servant that they trusted was actually ying with the price. He marked up the price of every material and gained profit for his own benefit. That was why Wang Luo Hai and Yao Ying had to do it themselves until they could find a trustworthy and reliable person for the job.

    After breakfast, they went to separate ways. Yao Ling went to the matriarch¡¯s room along with Madam Wang. Yao Ying went to ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ and Wang Luo Hai went to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯.

 Chapter 34 The Matriarchâ€™s Love Story

    Yao Ling walked along the matriarch and Madam Wang, following the path to the matriarch¡¯s room. She could see the affection between the matriarch and Madam Wang. They seemed to get along in harmony. The other proof also could be seen by the way the matriarch treat the concubines. She treated them coldly. Maybe she would ask them about it if she had the chance.

    When they arrived at the matriarch¡¯s room, they sat on the small table near the matriarch¡¯s bed. The decoration inside the matriarch¡¯s room was in contrast with the mansion design. It was pretty simple without excessive and expensive things to disy. It seemed like the matriarch didn¡¯t really like extravagant things. Yao Ling was wondering why but didn¡¯t ask about it. It was a personal choice, but it certainly made her admire the matriarch.

    The matriarch noted Yao Ling¡¯s reaction. She knew that Yao Ling was confused with the in decoration inside her room. "Are you thinking why the decoration inside my room is so in and simple?"

    Yao Ling never guessed that the matriarch would understand her though and brought the subject herself. Naturally, she would ask to satisfy her curiosity. "En~"

    The matriarchughed softly at her honest response. Usually, people would feel bad and lie through their teeth that they didn¡¯t think that way. "I used to live an extravagant lifestyle. However, when I fell in love with your grandfather, we started from the bottom. Your grandfather was only a poor merchant. After getting married to him, of course, I¡¯d have to follow his humble lifestyle."

    The matriarch¡¯s eyes were staring at a nk space. It seemed like she was reminiscing the past. "We started from the bottom, so I lost my pampered lifestyle. I didn¡¯t mind, but I could see how it broke your grandfather¡¯s hard. He kept feeling sorry for me. However, those times were the times I was really happy about being in love and being loved in return. We didn¡¯t have much but we lived in harmony."

    "Grandmother, I¡¯ve heard that you are from a noble background. Howe Grandfather didn¡¯t get married into your family? Or maybe asked for their help?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    The matriarchughed at her silly question. "You are really na?ve. Of course, I couldn¡¯t ask for their help. They didn¡¯t give us a blessing so we ran away together. Only the Empress, my sister, gave us her blessing. But that was way before she became an Empress. So... she also had no power to help me at that time. Besides, your grandfather was a proud person. He wanted to prove that he could be sessful without help." The matriarch turned to Yao Ling andughed, "You know... men..."

    Yao Ling giggled at the way the matriarch said it. Yes, we did know that men are always prideful. The matriarch looked around her room, slightly smiling. "This is how our room looked like at that time. It feels like he was here with me, so I won¡¯t feel lonely. I can always imagine what happened back then and how our love blossomed inside that room."

    Yao Ling could see the sadness behind her smiling face. She never thought that the matriarch was a romantic person. She wanted to be basked with her lover¡¯s love forever and chose to decorate the room this way. She could feel their love and somehow it made her feel in awe.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t miss Madam Wang¡¯s admiring look towards the matriarch. She could also see a slight envious feeling. What woman wouldn¡¯t feel touched with such a sweet love story? The matriarch even bravely abandoned everything for the so-called love.

    "Is it worth it?" Madam Wang asked softly. Then, she gasped in surprise. She probably didn¡¯t think she identally blurted out the question. Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but felt sorry for Madam Wang. She probably had a bitter feeling with the concubines¡¯ presence.

    The matriarch sighed at the question. How could she not understand Ji An¡¯s feeling? Would a woman want to share her own husband with other women? No. Therefore, she could also see the pain in Ji An¡¯s eyes.

    "Hmm... there was always a positive and negative oue in our choice. The positive thing from my story is the fact that we were in love with each other for better or worse. The negative things are a lot in order to achieve that love. I had gone through the hardship of being poor and losing dignity in front of my family. The same things happened to your grandfather. It wasn¡¯t so easy back then."

    The matriarch looked at Ji An kindly. "You don¡¯t need topare your life to mine. Not everything is as good as it sounds. You should cherish your rtionship with Luo Hai. Your circumstances and mine back then are far too different. Your father-inw died at a young age. Though we loved each other, I could only live in memories now. It¡¯s more painful. Not being able to touch or see him smile anymore for a long time is pure torture. If it weren¡¯t for Luo Hai, I probably wouldn¡¯t live until today. Instead, I would choose to follow your father-inw."

    The matriarch¡¯s words stroke a core to both of the younger women. Yao Ling put what she said inside her heart and it would be her strength and guidance to pass her uing troubles. ¡¯There¡¯s no need to envy others. It will only lead a bitter life. Grandmother is correct. She should cherish every moment with Yao Ying.¡¯

    Madam Wang felt ashamed with her shorings. She used to freely love Wang Luo Hai, buttely, her heart was full of bitterness. Not being able to give an heir with the pressure of concubines¡¯ presence, she felt lost. Maybe she should put her mind at ease. She looked at Yao Ling. Maybe she should pour her heart in loving her new daughter, instead of feeling bitter all the time.

    Madam Wang understood that she had to keep certain boundaries with Yao Ying because he wasn¡¯t her real son. It was inappropriate for her to be close to him. They didn¡¯t have a blood rtion and she didn¡¯t raise him from small, so the connection wasn¡¯t going to be there. Luckily, Yao Ying got himself a wife. Yes, that was a good idea.

    The matriarch seemed to notice the subtle change in Ji An from the way she looked at Yao Ling. This was what she nned to do from the start. When she was gone, Ji An would get a backing from Yao Ying and Yao Ling and she would feel at ease. She was old but she wasn¡¯t blind. The matriarch could see the greediness of the concubines. If it weren¡¯t because of the need of an heir, then there would be no concubines in this household. Who knew that it was actually Wang Luo Hai¡¯s fault in the first ce? The matriarch didn¡¯t approve the act of favoring concubines instead of the main wife. Luckily, her son wasn¡¯t that muddleheaded.

    The matriarch smiled to herself because her mission waspleted. "Your lesson with Zhang Mo Mo will start tomorrow. You can spend more time with your mother today. Being close to each other isn¡¯t so bad. Go now! I feel tired."

    Madam Wang and Yao Ling nodded in understanding and bid goodbye to the matriarch. They left the matriarch¡¯s room. Madam Wang felt she should be the one who broke the ice. When the three of them were together, usually, the one who talked was the matriarch and Yao Ling. Maybe she should be the one who took the first step forward.

    "Why don¡¯t we enjoy the scenery in the garden? It seems that there¡¯s a lot of things we need to talk to each other." Madam Wang invited Yao Ling for a walk.

    Yao Ling dly epted. "Okay, Mother."

 Chapter 35 Madam Wangâ€™s Story

    They walked slowly. Madam Wang decided to talk first, "I¡¯m sure you are feeling confused at the moment. You can ask me any question about this family and I will answer you." Madam Wang turned around and talked to Xiao Liu ¨C her trusted maid, "Stay a bit far from us! I need to talk alone with my daughter."

    "Yes, Mistress." Without a second thought, she followed Madam Wang¡¯s order. She stood a bit far from Madam Wang and Yao Ling, but close enough to hear just in case the mistress would call herter.

    Yao Ling followed Madam Wang¡¯s example. She only gave a signal to Xiao Yu and Xiao Yu already knew what she had to do. She went to stand beside Xiao Liu. When Madam Wang and Yao Ling walked again, they kept the same distance all the time.

    After feeling satisfied, Madam Wang smiled softly at Yao Ling. "You can start asking now."

    Yao Ling knew she had a lot to ask, but when the times came like this, she didn¡¯t know where to start. She heard here and there through the gossip from Xiao Yu, but she knew perfectly clear how some words could be exaggerated. It made the real truth be distorted. Madam Wang gave her the chance to know firsthand about the situation inside this household. In a way, this was an eptance from Madam Wang. Having this good chance, she wouldn¡¯t refuse it.

    She asked hesitantly, "I... I heard that Father and Mother is childhood sweetheart. But why..." She trailed off, didn¡¯t know how to continue asking.

    "Do you want to know why there are a lot of concubines?" Madam Wang continued her question. She knew that after listening to the matriarch¡¯s stories, this question must have been in Yao Ling¡¯s mind all the time.

    Yao Ling nodded, feeling ufortable. She knew that she hit Madam Wang¡¯s sore spot. But if she wanted to build a great rtionship, they had to be open their heart to each other. They needed to trust each other. She had been skeptical with Madam Wang¡¯s real intention because she had seen her scathing gaze when they first met. That¡¯s why she couldn¡¯t fully trust her yet.

    "You are indeed right. We were childhood sweetheart." After saying that, she looked away from Yao Ling and her gaze wandered over the flower garden in front of them. Her eyes zed over, thinking back to her past. She didn¡¯t look at the blooming flowers in the garden, the movement of the small trees, or the flying butterfly. All she saw was her younger self who was being hugged by Wang Luo Hai in the middle of the same garden.

    She told Yao Ling her story while walking slowly along the garden path. She remembered the first time she looked at Wang Luo Hai. For her, it was love at first sight. As long as she could remember, Wang Luo Hai always had two people beside him, Lin Zheng and that beautiful girl. It was always a taboo to say her name, so she didn¡¯t tell Yao Ling about that girl. She just skimmed through that part. She also didn¡¯t mention the fact that Wang Luo Hai loved that girl ¨C it was her sore spot.

    "Both of our families are in a good rtionship, so as long as I can remember, we already have a betrothal agreement."

    Yao Ling watched Madam Wang¡¯s face carefully. She saw a sh of sadness in her eyes. Although it was gone in a second, it was enough time for her to see. Childhood sweetheart? Betrothal agreement? She started to realize something. Was it childhood sweetheart because of betrothal agreement? Did it mean there was actually no love between them?

    Yao Ling saw the way Madam Wang looked at Wang Luo Hai. She was one hundred percent sure that she loves him. Yao Ling never paid close attention to Wang Luo Hai¡¯s behavior around Madam Wang, so she couldn¡¯t say much about it. She sighed inwardly. She would probably step into the muddy water after listening to the whole story. Yes, she was young. However, she wasn¡¯t stupid. The higher you were, there were bounded to be moreplicated things to handle. This made her miss her simple life with her deceased mother.

    Madam Wang was a bit conflicted. Should she tell the whole truth? She was born as a noble xiao jie. For her, pride is everything. If she admitted that Wang Luo Hai might not really love her, would it smear her own face? Truth to be told, she didn¡¯t even know how Wang Luo Hai felt about her. She didn¡¯t dare to ask. What if he still loved that beautiful girl? It would break her heart.

    Yao Ling gripped Madam Wang¡¯s hand softly. "Mother, if you are not willing to tell or not ready, then you don¡¯t need to tell me. We still have a lot of times ahead." Yao Ling could feel the battle inside Madam Wang¡¯s mind and she felt sympathetic to her. Besides, she already understood about it more or less. There was no need to push Madam Wang to tell the truth herself.

    Madam Wang realized that Yao Ling knew her turmoil. She was grateful that she didn¡¯t push her. Instead, Yao Ling was consoling her. Was this the benefit of having a daughter? She looked at Yao Ling¡¯s face and let out a soft chuckle.

    Yao Ling looked back in surprise. She wondered why Madam Wang¡¯s mood suddenly changed. "Why are you chuckling, Mother?" She felt curious, so she couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "I suddenly feel that having a daughter isn¡¯t a bad thing." She patted Yao Ling¡¯s hand and slightly smiled.

    Yao Ling blushed. "Daughter still has a lot of things to learn." Then, she hesitantly added, "Mother... I know that we are both still new at this. I hope we can get along well. I used to live in a simple household. There was only my deceased mother and I. To live in peace, I will need Mother¡¯s guidance."

    Madam Wang let out another chuckle. "Of course. As a mother, naturally I will help you."

    With a simple heart-to-heart talk, both of them naturally became closer. Yao Ling felt this was all because of the matriarch. She secretly praised her for her wisdom.

    They walked until they arrived at the gazebo in the middle of the garden. It was built near a small pond, therefore, they could sit and enjoy the view. When they thought they could talk intimately, they saw an annoying persone toward them. Yao Ling could she Madam Wang started to frown, after realizing that their peacefulness would be gone.

 Chapter 36 Annoying Flies

    Concubine Wan identally passed the garden where the two people chatted in a harmonious atmosphere. She scowled to herself and furrowed her eyebrows, making her beautiful face slightly wrinkled. What was with the sudden closeness? Concubine Wan felt endangered. She passed her day just fine, after all, no one had any children. There waspetition here and there but not that much.

    With a dark look, she despised the closeness between Madam Wang and that Yao Ling girl. Their closeness would threaten her ce as a concubine. Without a child to bargain with then what other things that she had to gain favor from her husband? And now, Madam Wang got herself an ally. She wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to understand how much Wang Luo Hai valued Yao Ying and Yao Ling.

    She must find a way to break their trust to each other. She felt regret because she didn¡¯t snatch the chance to leave a good impression to Yao Ling. She thought they were not going to be here for long. The first time they met, she criticized her. She also felt her hatred toward Yao Ling increasing, because Yao Ling reminded her of her background. That kid was really good at finding information. It seemed like she couldn¡¯t let down her guard around her. Besides, she needed to think of a good countermeasure.

    The two harmonious mother-daughter couple hadn¡¯t realized that she was there. She contemted whether she should go there or went back to think. Theirughter increased her jealousy and she thought of how Wang Luo Hai was a disappointment. She knew the problem of not having childreny on her husband, but she didn¡¯t dare to say a word about it. Maybe she should go there and sow a discord?

    She looked at the maid beside her, Liu Li. She was brought along with her into this family from the brothel. "Should I go there?" The girl had a clever mind and generally, a lot of ideas came from her. Concubine Wan had a bad temper, however, Liu Li was the one who gave her a lot of pointers. She survived in this household thanks to her. It was no wonder she would seek her advice before doing something.

    Liu Li whispered a few things to her and Concubine Wan was smiling because of it. The more she heard the suggestion the more she liked the idea more. This Liu Li was truly smart. It was not in vain for her to bring her along. In a big household, she was in need of confidante and that was Liu Li¡¯s role.

    "Let¡¯s do it then." Concubine Wan decided to follow Liu Li¡¯s suggestion. She sauntered over the mother-daughter pair. She changed her expression into a pleasant smile. She could see how the smile on Madam Wang¡¯s face was slightly gone and it pleased her so much. She just loved taunting Madam Wang.

    Yao Ling could also see the mood change and sighed inwardly. In this household, there wouldn¡¯t be a day when she could have any peace. If there were no concubines, this household would be a peaceful one. She was a bit sorry about it but she couldn¡¯t choose being adopted by whom. They also couldn¡¯t possibly ask Wang Luo Hai to kick out his concubines. She could only do her best to make her stay herefortable.

    Looking at Concubine Wan, Yao Ling could only think to herself, ¡¯One of the annoying flies ising...¡¯

    "Aiyo~ Mistress, Young Mistress, this concubine greets you," Concubine Wan said sweetly. In her heart, she counted the day she could be the main wife and the ¡¯Mistress¡¯ title would belong to her.

    Madam Wang stiffened but still trying to smile graciously. She received the greetings politely. "Mei mei, no need to be so polite." Yao Ling knew her ce, so she also received the greetings politely. "Concubine Wan."

    "This concubine saw the happy atmosphere and would like to join jie jie and Ling-er. Is that okay?" Concubine Wan asked politely.

    Yao Ling felt the sudden change of this beautiful concubine, feeling a bit confused. The first time she saw her, she remembered how she behaved arrogantly around her. She even thought that she¡¯s a bit na?ve, but howe her temperament suddenly changed like this?

    She cleverly called her ¡¯Ling-er¡¯, trying to get closer and more intimate to her. If she didn¡¯t know better, she would think that this Concubine Wan was sincere.

    Madam Wang also noticed the way she called Yao Ling intimately. She frowned, thinking whether they really close to each other. Madam Wang was also smart. She didn¡¯t let the others notice her slight change of expression. She quickly changed her frown into a tranquil expression.

    "Of course, Mei mei. The more the merrier," Madam Wang answered courteously.

    Concubine Wan sat down without hesitation. "This beautiful day... we should enjoy the scenery. Why don¡¯t we also drink tea and eat some snacks? I can ask my maid to prepare it. I just received a rare tea from Husband. We should drink and enjoy it together."

    Concubine Wan was still smiling. She was emphasizing the part where he got a rare tea from Wang Luo Hai. She wanted to show Madam Wang the level of Wang Luo Hai¡¯s care toward her. If Husband didn¡¯t care about her, he wouldn¡¯t give him the rare tea, right?

    "Thank you for Mei mei¡¯s generosity. Mei mei¡¯s offer, of course, we can¡¯t refuse," Madam Wang replied. She understood Concubine Wan¡¯s point. She smiled bitterly to herself. Madam Wang knew how generous her husband was. But rare tea? It was Wang Luo Hai¡¯s favorite and he was a bit petty with his tea collection. She didn¡¯t think he would be able to part with his collection, and yet, he gave one of them to Concubine Wan. How could she not feel pain in her heart?

    Concubine Wan smiled to herself. She knew what effect her words would be to Madam Wang. Madam Wang didn¡¯t need to know that she bought the rare tea herself. The point was she wanted to make Madam Wang feel miserable. She personally hoped she would blow up because of jealousy and there would be a great show.

    "Liu Li, quick... take the tea from my room and I¡¯ll personally brew it," she ordered Liu Li. Brewing tea was her most precious skill. Without it, howe Wang Luo Hai interested in her? Her brewing tea was famous and it was the reason Wang Luo Hai redeemed her from the brothel.

    Madam Wang actually didn¡¯t want to drink any tea from Concubine Wan, but she had to maintain her gracious image. Her temper used to be very bad and it made her lose Wang Luo Hai¡¯s favor for quite some time. She didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake, so she could only endure.

    Yao Ling could see the smug look from Concubine Wan. However, she couldn¡¯t see anything from Madam Wang¡¯s face. She wondered why she looked so smug. Was rare tea that important? She realized that she didn¡¯t really know Wang Luo Hai that much. Maybe she should inquire more about him. Then, she should be able to help Madam Wang.

    Knowing the power of the main wife, it would be stupid of her if she chose to help a concubine. She also understood where the matriarch stood. Judging from her love story, she also didn¡¯t have a good view of concubines.

    She couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡¯What does Concubine Wan want to do?¡¯

 Chapter 37 Battle of Words 1

    "Jie jie, Ling-er, please be patient. Liu Li is an efficient maid. She will be back in no time."

    "It¡¯s okay, Concubine Wan. Ling-er doesn¡¯t have to go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ today, so I have a lot of time. That¡¯s why I¡¯m apanying Mother." While saying that, Yao Ling grabbed Madam Wang¡¯s arm lovingly. She wanted to show and let Madam Wang know that she chose to stand by her side. Yao Ling was more intimate to her than the other concubines. She didn¡¯t want to give Concubine Wan any chance to sow a discord between them.

    They just started to get along well and someone was already this anxious. Everyone always needed time to build a trust and sowing a discord on the early stage was a good n. She had to apuse the mastermind behind Concubine Wan¡¯s n.

    "Ah... how sweet! You just arrived in ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ for a few days and you already managed to get Jie jie¡¯s heart. This concubine is so jealous with both of your affection. I wish to have a daughter too. Ling-er, don¡¯t forget to be good to this concubine too, okay?"

    Concubine Wan wanted to show Madam Wang that this Yao Ling wasn¡¯t as easy and simple as she looked. In a few days, she already sessfully gained a favor in this household. She wanted to emphasize that Yao Ling was a cunning girl. At the same time, she also wanted to get more intimate with Yao Ling. If this adopted girl became closer to her, her future days would be better.

    "Mei mei, Yao Ling is a good and honest girl. Of course, I am fond of her." Madam Wang looked at Yao Ling lovingly. "If she¡¯s a poisonous flower, don¡¯t you think I will be able to differentiate it? Jie jie is always clear-headed as not to easy to be deceived by insignificant people."

    ¡¯Hmph! Do you think I am that stupid? Your sweet tongue really disgusts me, Wan Lu Xi.¡¯ Although Madam Wang still maintained her virtuous expression, her mind thought otherwise. Just a little plot like this was nothing that she couldn¡¯t handle.

    "Mother praised this daughter too much. It¡¯s because of mother¡¯s generosity, otherwise, how could someone ept my humble background? Isn¡¯t it right, Concubine Wan?" Yao Ling wanted to emphasize the humble background part. If Madam Wang wasn¡¯t generous, how could she ept a brothel girl as her husband¡¯s concubine?

    Then Yao Ling added, "We both are from a humble background. Concubine Wan must have known the hard life of a low background person. We both, of course, have to support each other."

    Yao Ling looked at Concubine Wan in triumph. In the battle of words, she found that she was not too bad. This household would certainly train her mouth to be smarter.

    Concubine Wan wasn¡¯t stupid. She understood what Yao Ling¡¯s mean. If Yao Ling didn¡¯t ask her the question from thest bit of her sentences, she wouldn¡¯t mind it at all. Concubine Wan didn¡¯t think Yao Ling would be that courageous and arrogant, after all, she was only an adopted daughter. She didn¡¯t decline her offer and say that they were supposed to be close to each other. But... her reason? She was quipping her background again! She felt her anger started to surge up. Luckily, Liu Li was back at that time.

    Liu Li could see her mistress¡¯s fluctuating emotions. She sighed to herself. A few years had passed and she still couldn¡¯t contain her temper. If she didn¡¯t want a good life for herself, she wouldn¡¯t bother with this stupid mistress. "Madam, Mistress, Young Mistress, I¡¯m sorry for the long wait. Here is the tea. Mistress, I already prepared everything. Would you like to brew the tea now?" Liu Li politely asked. She also gave a little signal from her eyes to Concubine Wan.

    Concubine Wan seemed to understand what she meant. She calmed herself down and smiled once again. "Of course, I want jie jie and Ling-er to taste my precious rare tea."

    She got up slowly and then started to brew the tea skillfully. "Jie jie, this is Huangshan Maofeng. Legend said a young girl was working in a ntation. She was inconsble after the loss of her beloved lover and shed enough tears to cover the entire region. Bathed in the perpetual mists of her grief and the body of her lover that ripped from her by fate, the pain transformed her into a tree. Ah... what a wonderful heartbreaking love story. Does it mean husband acknowledging that my love for him is as evesting as that girl? That¡¯s why he gave me this tea?"

    Madam Wang looked at her forlornly. Really? Was that Wang Luo Hai really means? If she didn¡¯t know Wang Luo Hai¡¯s feeling to his first love, then she might be confident enough with her own position in his heart. However, she did know about it, so she was easily heartbroken with slight provocation.

    Concubine Wan didn¡¯t know about Wang Luo Hai¡¯s first love, so her provocation actually didn¡¯t have anything to do with it. However, the timing of this attack was perfect. Madam Wang just thought about her past and this provocation added insult to her injury.

    Yao Ling saw Concubine Wan unting her so-called and felt this woman was very annoying. She added a few words of her own, "Aiyo~ it will be a touching evesting story for you too, Concubine Wan. But hopefully, you will not be bathed in grief, ripped away from Father¡¯s side, and be a tree. That will be a very sad ending."

    Yao Ling stared at Concubine Wan with a sincere expression. She looked as if she didn¡¯t just curse Concubine Wan by throwing back the legend into her face. Her gaze was so innocent and Concubine Wan couldn¡¯t even find fault in her. Concubine Wan found this girl more annoying and the hatred inside her heart was increasing. "You..."

    Yao Ling snickered. How stupid was this Concubine Wan? Comparing her own love story to such a sad-ending love story. Yes, it represented true love. But in the end, they were separated. She didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry at her stupidity.

    Listening to what Yao Ling said, Madam Wang¡¯s mouth curled up for a bit before vanishing in a sh. Itforted her that someone was protecting her. Before Concubine Wan exploded with anger, she decided to change the topic. "Mei mei, Yao Ling is still a little girl and she wascking in etiquette. However, she just thinks the best for you. She¡¯s worried that you will end up lonely, but I know that isn¡¯t the case. Of course, you will have an evesting love, right?"

    Madam Wang cleverly said that Yao Ling was still a little girl so Concubine Wan shouldn¡¯t me her for what she said. She highlighted the fact that it was just the little girl feeling worried for Concubine Wan. Instead of cursing, it became Yao Ling care about her.

    "..."

    This made Concubine Wan speechless. Madam Wang and Yao Ling were shameless!

 Chapter 38 Battle of Words 2

    Liu Li slightly nudged Concubine Wan. She didn¡¯t want Concubine Wan to lose her temper and fail to sow a discord between Madam Wang and Yao Ling. If it were her, she wouldn¡¯t be easily affected like this. The more she thought about it, the more she felt Concubine Wan wasn¡¯t going to sess earning the ¡¯Madam¡¯ title. Besides, there were still two other concubines who were eyeing the same position. They were more clever and had better temperament, maybe she should find herself a way out. This kind of Mistress wouldn¡¯t go far.

    Girls from the brothel were always a bit selfish and greedy. Liu Li was thankful Concubine Wan brought her out from that ce, but she still needed to think about her future. She needed to have a n of her own.

    Yao Ling saw the way Liu Li nudged Concubine Wan discreetly. If she didn¡¯t pay close attention, she might have missed this movement. After being nudged, Concubine Wan once again changed her expression into a tranquil one. Yao Ling smiled to herself, ¡¯So, it¡¯s you...¡¯

    She noted this gesture and reminded herself to pay attention to this little maid.

    Yao Ling paid close attention to the maid. She wasn¡¯t beautiful. She looked somehow delicate but still attractive. If you looked at her big eyes, you would see her cleverness. The way she behaved made her look innocent and pleasing to the eyes. If she didn¡¯t see the way she nudged Concubine Wan just now, she certainly wouldn¡¯t believe a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl like her would be the brain behind Concubine Wan.

    "Concubine Wan, your maid is very delicate and beautiful." Yao Ling praised Liu Li while looking at Concubine Wan¡¯s reaction. She heard this maid was personally brought back from the brothel. Other than ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ people, no one knew that both of the women were from a brothel, otherwise, it would ruin the ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ reputation.

    Concubine Wan and Liu Li stunned. What was with the sudden question? Did Yao Ling suspect something? They quickly arranged their expressions, afraid to let out a loophole. "Thank you for Young Mistress¡¯ praise." Liu Li appeared to be shy. Yao Ling just nodded and let this matter go. She just wanted to gauge their reaction. Nothing more.

    After Yao Ling letting the matter go, Concubine Wan and Liu Li sighed in relief. They didn¡¯t want to open up their cards this early. Liu Li started to think, provoking them today was a mistake. She didn¡¯t think Yao Ling was this perceptive. The first time sheid eyes on this young mistress, she simply thought she was only a simple and na?ve peasant girl. She miscalcted but it was toote to retreat. Concubine Wan still brewed the tea, so there was nothing else she could do ¨C except help Concubine Wan out.

    After she finished brewing, Concubine Wan presented the tea for Madam Wang and Yao Ling. Madam Wang¡¯s mood was better, so she was able to enjoy the tea. Yao Ling was more easygoing ans paid no mind to Concubine Wan¡¯s taunting. A tasty good tea... she should just drink and enjoy it.

    "How does it taste?" Concubine Wan asked politely.

    "Mei mei personally brewed this tea, naturally the taste is exquisite. This tea is really nice to drink with a lingering charming taste and orchid-like aroma. Husband really loves you a lot. Otherwise, I don¡¯t think he would be able to part with this lovely tea." Madam Wang truly praised Concubine Wan¡¯s skill.

    "This daughter agrees with Mother. Concubine Wan isn¡¯t only beautiful, but also talented. No wonder Father appreciates your talent." Yao Ling also praised Concubine Wan. The taste of the tea was really good. She wasn¡¯t exagerrating.

    "Thank you for jie jie and Ling-er¡¯s praise. If you like it, I will certainly brew tea more often for you."

    "We naturally don¡¯t want to trouble mei mei." Although Madam Wang said she didn¡¯t want to bother Concubine Wan, the real meaning was clear. She didn¡¯t want her to keep brewing tea for her. They weren¡¯t in a good term and knew it wasn¡¯t good to give her the chance put something in the tea.

    Concubine Wan understood the subtle hints but she didn¡¯t give up. "No trouble. No trouble. Serving jie jie is what this concubine must do." If they didn¡¯t know better, it was like Madam Wang bullying Concubine Wan to serve her all the time.

    "Concubine Wan, don¡¯t worry about us. How about Concubine Wan brewing tea for Father more often? We don¡¯t really understand good tea, so it will be a waste to brew it for us. Father will certainly appreciate it more!" Yao Ling decided to throw the trouble toward Wang Luo Hai. She more or less understood that Wang Luo Hai loved tea, otherwise, this Concubine Wan wouldn¡¯t be so proud of her skill.

    Concubine Wan gritted her teeth in annoyance. She knew Madam Wang would be forced to receive her tea if she kept insisting. Otherwise, she would be branded as an arrogant person and didn¡¯t appreciate Concubine Wan¡¯s effort. But this girl had to keep interfering with her idea.

    If it were easy to capture Wang Luo Hai¡¯s attention with her skill every day, she wouldn¡¯t need to curry favor to the both of them. She realized she shouldn¡¯t attack them when they were together. It was her loss today.

    She decided to leave with her dignity intact. "Then, Mei mei takes a leave first."

    Without a second thought, Madam Wang and Yao Ying nodded in unison.

    "Mei mei, be careful."

    "Concubine Wan, take care."

    Concubine Wan left in a huff. She snarled at Liu Li, "You¡¯re usually very smart. This time you make me lose face!" With her personality, Concubine Wan would certainly me another person for her inability. Liu Li knew she miscalcted so she willingly took the me.

    "This ve knows this ve¡¯s mistake."

    However, Liu Li also felt slightly wrong. Concubine Wan also didn¡¯t have the ability to prosecute the n perfectly. How could she tell them such a sad story andpare it to her own? The other party must have beenughing because of it. However, she was just a ve. She could only close her mouth and receive the me. This thought made Liu Li dissatisfied and she certainly would stir a trouble in the near future.

 Chapter 39 Hidden Danger

    After Concubine Wan left, Madam Wang and Yao Ling looked at each other thenughed heartily. They really felt this Concubine Wan was really brainless, but yet, she thought of herself too highly. In the end, she only embarrassed herself.

    "I wonder what does Father see in her." Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Madam Wang shook her head. "I don¡¯t understand too. Back then, he insisted to take her home and fought with Mother-inw. A brothel girl... If outsiders found out, it would smear Wang Fu¡¯s good image. In the end, Mother-inw gave up and amodated what he wanted. Maybe Mother-inw had been tired of their fight. But your father really likes tea. Probably... that¡¯s the main reason."

    Yao Ling nodded her head but said nothing more. Battle of words really made her feel tired. Too much work for her brain. They decided to rest in their own room and parted way.

    What they didn¡¯t realize was their interaction before was witnessed by a servant girl. She hid herself really well and heard the whole conversation. After Madam Wang and Yao Ling separated, she went back to her master and told the whole story.

    "Huh... Concubine Wan... Concubine Wan... you work really well as a bait. If you weren¡¯t this stupid, I wouldn¡¯t keep you in this ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯." The woman looked at her most loyal servant, "Say.. what do you think about that Yao Ling?"

    "She¡¯s too clever and smart. Keeping her will hinder our n." The servant answered honestly.

    "You can go back first. I¡¯ll think about how to handle her. For now, let her be."

    "Yes, Master." After saying that, the servant was gone in a sh.

    The woman just sat there for a long time, thinking of her next step.

    ***

    While Yao Ling was dealing with Concubine Wan, Yao Ying went to ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯. He was determined to learn from General Lin. The ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ guard already knew him, so he just let him in without any difficulty. General Lin had told them they could let Yao Ying in whenever he came. It made it easier for Yao Ying toe and go whenever he wanted. He didn¡¯t think General Lin would be so weing toward him.

    He stopped one of the guards, "Where can I find General Lin?"

    "He¡¯s in the study. You can go there straight away." The guards answered him politely. The guard was a bit confused though. General Lin was hard to be close with and he wondered how this young man managed to get his favor. Although he was questioning it, the guard didn¡¯t dare to ask a question and just followed General Lin¡¯s order.

    Yao Ying thanked the soldiers and walked away. But before he went far, he walked in a rush to the guards and asked in a low voice, "Is Lin Jian here too?"

    The guard was bewildered with his sudden movement and question, but answered him politely, "No, Lieutenant General went out this morning."

    Yao Ying smiled smugly and once again thanking the guard. Hmph! That Lin Jian wasn¡¯t here and it made his mood better. No one will make him feel annoyed today. Although he knew he needed Lin Jian¡¯s help to find a master, he didn¡¯t care. Yesterday¡¯s anger was still fresh on his mind. Why bother with Lin Jian today? The one he needed to meet today was General Lin.

    Due to his privilege, no one stopped him. In a few minutes, he arrived in front of General Lin¡¯s study. There were two guards guarding in front of the door. ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ security measure was amazing. The way he looked at it, even a fly wouldn¡¯t be able to break through it. He could see guards patrolling everywhere. Yao Ying understood the difference between a military household with a noble merchant household.

    It would be amazing he could build his own power. He shook his head to clear his mind. It wasn¡¯t good for being too ambitious. He couldn¡¯t even control and cultivate his own power, so there was no way he could think about other matters. He wanted to be stronger first because he wanted to protect his little wife.

    Yao Ying could also see the inner yard battle. If he wasn¡¯t strong enough, then wouldn¡¯t the one who was bullied was his little wife? He didn¡¯t want it to happen. Maybe he could choose another path after bing a merchant and strengthening his position? While his mind was wandering away, one of the two guards asked him, "Are young master here for General Lin?"

    Yao Ying quickly answered, "Yes. Can I meet him?"

    "Can you wait for a little while? The General is in a meeting. I will take Young Master to the main hall first. After the meeting is finished, this guard will call you again," The guards exined.

    Yao Ying nodded in agreement. It was his fault for not notifying his visit in advance. He could only wait in the main hall while drinking tea. He looked around at the bare hall, wondering why General Lin chose to not having maids. He didn¡¯t even see any main wife or concubines¡¯ shadow. Was General Lin celibate? Or perhaps there was something he didn¡¯t aware of? He felt curious but he knew he wasn¡¯t close enough to ask ¨C yet.

    He felt bored waiting. He was going to yawn for the hundredth time when a servant walked wobblingly. He brought a lot of scrolls that hindered his sight. ¡¯No wonder he walks like that.¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself.

    Yao Ying got up and offered, "Do you need my help?"

    The young servant looked at Yao Ying in surprise. He didn¡¯t realize there was another person in the hall. "I¡¯m sorry, Young Master. This servant didn¡¯t greet you just now."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it. I know you couldn¡¯t see me with that mountain of scrolls." Yao Ying smiled at the young servant. He once again repeated his question, "Do you need my help?"

    The young servant was surprised by this humble young master¡¯s kindness. He knew his ce and couldn¡¯t let the other party help him. "No, no, no. Thank you for Young Master¡¯s kindness! This servant can handle this."

    Yao Ying nodded although he was unconvinced, then he gave way to the servant. However, after the young servant walked two steps, he identally stumbled. All of the scrolls flew up and fell down all over the ce. A few scrolls even hit Yao Ying¡¯s head!

 Chapter 40 Whoâ€™s The Woman in The Painting?

    "Ouch!" Yao Ying groaned.

    The young servant¡¯s eyes widened and quickly got up. "I.... I¡¯m sorry, Young Master. Are you okay?" He apologized profusely and stuttered, feeling guilty. This was his master¡¯s guest! How could he make such a big mistake? This would be a disgrace for ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ if other people heard. He sweated while imagining his awaiting punishment.

    "What¡¯s your name?" Yao Ying asked monotonously.

    The young servant felt more scared. His doom day wasing! The guest asked for his name. Would he ask General Lin to punish him? In this household, even a servant would receive a military punishment. He was basically a weak person, thinking about running and following the soldiers¡¯ workout made him tremble in fear. However, he could only answer the question. "This servant name is Xia.... Xiao Yang," he once again stuttered.

    Yao Ying frowned. He looked at Xiao Yang in wonderment. Was he that scary or this servant was basically a scaredy-cat? He decided to ease Xiao Yang¡¯s tension, "Listen! I¡¯m okay. You don¡¯t need to be that afraid. Why are you so scared?"

    Xiao Yang stared at Yao Ying in relief. "Aren¡¯t you going to punish me? Or tell General Lin?"

    "No. Just like I said, I¡¯m fine."

    Yao Ying looked at the messy scrolls in front of him and pointed at them. "Aren¡¯t you going to clean it up?"

    Xiao Yang was startled and remembered what he was supposed to do. He looked down in embarrassment, but quickly picked them up one by one. "Thank you for Young Master¡¯s reminder."

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t say anything and squatted down. He decided to help the nervous servant, besides, he had nothing to do anyway. Why not pass the time by helping Xiao Yang?

    "Young Master... you don¡¯t need to help me!" Xiao Yang didn¡¯t want to inconvenience the young master.

    Yao Ying helplessly appeased Xiao Yang. "It¡¯s fine. Just clean up! I¡¯m helping you so you can finish your work faster."

    Xiao Yang didn¡¯t continue refusing. What the young master said made sense. The sooner he finished here, the better.

    Yao Ying saw a scroll that slightly opened. It was the painting of a woman. He could only see the beautiful white robes of the woman and it made him curious. He took it, wanting to open and see the whole painting.

    Xiao Yang saw what he did curiously. However, when he saw the painting that Yao Ying hold, he was so scared that he wanted to faint. Without realizing how rude he was, Xiao Yang yelled, "Young Master! Don¡¯t open it!"

    Yao Ying was startled by Xiao Yang¡¯s loud voice. The painting was dropped by him and rolled over. It almost opened all the way and showed thedy¡¯s face, but Xiao Yang quickly stopped it and rolled it back up again.

    "Who is that?" Yao Ying asked curiously. Xiao Yang¡¯s reaction was over the top. It would be weird if he didn¡¯t feel curious at all. Who was the woman in the painting? It seemed like an important person.

    "No.. no one." Xiao Yang didn¡¯t have the gut to look at Yao Ying. "I... I¡¯m sorry for yelling at Young Master. Please punish this servant, Young Master!" He kowtowed, asking for forgiveness.

    Yao Ying started to get a headache. This servant was really a scaredy cat! "Get up! I¡¯m not going to punish you."

    "Why are you so afraid? Is it a taboo to look at that painting?"

    Xiao Yang gulped. He didn¡¯t know what to do. It seemed like this young master would keep pestering him and wouldn¡¯t let this matter go, if he didn¡¯t say something. "Yes. This is by General Lin¡¯s strict order. I¡¯m sorry, Young Master."

    Yao Ying had a gut feeling. That was probably the painting of the woman who was loved by General Lin. Maybe Madam Lin? He didn¡¯t continue to pester Xiao Yang for the answer. He didn¡¯t want to make it difficult for him.

    Yao Ying nodded and said nothing anymore. He continued to help Xiao Yang and then let him go. Xiao Yang quickly scurried away. Luckily, the young master didn¡¯t see the painting. Otherwise, General Lin would certainly get angry. He almost cried in relief.

    Watching Xiao Yang moved so fast like he was going to chase him, Yao Ying felt this servant was really funny. Although he was curious, he didn¡¯t put it in his mind. He wasn¡¯t noisy and just let it go. Before he could ponder more about the painting, he heard someone say, "Have you been waiting long?"

    Yao Ying knew from the voice that it was General Lin. He quickly looked up and got up from his seat to pay respect. He cupped both of his hands and bowed. "General Lin."

    "No need to be so formal. Why do youe here?" Lin Zheng looked at the youngsters in front of him full of interest. They just met yesterday. There must be something important or he wouldn¡¯t be here. He didn¡¯t think Yao Ying would visit him just to talk about the weather.

    "Sit down." Lin Zheng pointed at the chair that had been upied by Yao Ying, after that, he walked to the front and sat down on the main seat.

    Yao Ying had felt confident before, but looking at the aloof general, he became a bit dispirited. He started to think that he pushed her luck too muchtely. He hastily came here without inquiring whether it was possible for the general to help him. Maybe his shamelessness would bear a fruit?

    "Er..." Yao Ying hesitantly said.

    "Just tell me. No need to feel bad." Lin Zheng felt the hesitation. He didn¡¯t like dilly-dallying people, so he just wanted Yao Ying to get to the point.

    "Can General teach me martial arts and qing gong?"

    Lin Zheng furrowed his eyebrows. He only trained soldiers and never personally received a disciple, even Lin Jian was trained by a respectable master. "Why me?" Lin Zheng rarely talk much, so Yao Ying more or less understood his short reply.

    "I find General Lin as an amazing person ¨C both in martial arts and military skill. I¡¯d like to learn from the best." Yao Ying didn¡¯t sugarcoat anything. He just spoke the truth. In An Yang City, everyone knew General Lin¡¯s great reputation and achievement.

    Lin Zheng stared at Yao Ying in amusement. ¡¯The best, huh?¡¯ General Lin thought to himself. He didn¡¯t like ttery, but the way Yao Ying answering him was quite sincere. Therefore, he liked it.

    "If I ept you as my disciple, you have to learn everything I throw at you. You have to be hardworking. Once I find you cking, I¡¯ll kick you out. How does that sound?"

    Yao Ying smiled widely. Did it mean he was epted? Without a second thought, Yao Ying answered, "Of course! I will do my best! Thank you for receiving me as a disciple!"

    "Hold on!"

    Before Yao Ying was able to pay respect and kowtow to his new master, Lin Zheng stopped him.

    "Yes, Master?" Yao Ying was confused. Why did General Lin stop him? Did he get the wrong message?

    "What¡¯s the benefit for me?" He asked with his mouth slightly curled up.

 Chapter 41 Help Me Win

    Yao Ying was in a daze. "Benefit?" He echoed what Lin Zheng said. This... He was speechless. Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be the part where General Lin became a wise and magnanimous master? What kind of benefits that he could offer?

    "What benefit?" Yao Ying asked him once again.

    "You don¡¯t think I¡¯ll easily be your master without benefit, right?" Lin Zheng looked at Yao Ying forlornly. He wasn¡¯t that cheap.

    "..."

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t even know what he could say at that precise moment. No wonder he could be best friend with Wang Luo Hai. They were both as sneaky and cunning as a fox! Military and merchant never mixed, huh? What a funny joke! Lin Zheng could also seek profit without selling something. Should heugh or cry because of this?

    He asked bitterly. "I have nothing to offer. As for money, I don¡¯t have much because I just recently be a part of Wang family. Can General Lin give me a pointer of what you want?"

    Lin Zheng suddenlyughed. "Don¡¯t worry! I don¡¯t need your money. I¡¯m notcking money. I just need you to do something."

    Knowing it wasn¡¯t about money, Yao Ying sighed in relief. He really didn¡¯t have much money on him. Before they became Wang Luo Hai¡¯s stepchildren, they could only save a bit from their sry. After all, they were only peasants.

    Yao Ying also felt stupid. He knew the general didn¡¯tck money. By asking that, wouldn¡¯t he emphasize that General Lin was greedy? Luckily, the other person didn¡¯t seem to put it in mind.

    "Please tell me! I¡¯ll do it as long as it¡¯s within my capabilities."

    "Of course! I won¡¯t give you a hard task."

    "Thank you, General." Yao Ying was thanking him in relief. So... it was only a task. "Can you specify what task it is?"

    "Have you heard that Wang Luo Hai and I love betting on everything?"

    Yao Ying nodded hesitantly. "I heard about it. It¡¯s quite famous in An Yang, although not many people know what the bet is about."

    "Good! Then it will make it easier for me to exin." Lin Zheng slightly smiled triumphantly.

    Yao Ying started to feel that he dug himself a hole and there was no way out. He didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. "Okay, General." He could only agree to his term whatever it was.

    "I know you are a healthy and hot-blooded young man. This will be a bit difficult for you, but I know you can hold yourself back." Lin Zheng said his statement confidently.

    "So... what should I do?" Yao Ying gulped in fear. He started to dread what General Lin was going to say next.

    "Calm yourself down!" Lin Zheng started to get irritated. "I won¡¯t make it hard for you. As a man, you have to be brave. I haven¡¯t even said anything yet."

    ¡¯General Lin ah~ Your attitude was the thing that made me scared.¡¯ Yao Ying wanted to scream what¡¯s inside his mind but didn¡¯t dare. Yao Ying straightened his back and masked his fear. "Yes, Sir! I will certainly not fail you!"

    Lin Zheng smiled at that. "Good! That¡¯s what I want to hear. Mytest bet with Luo Hai is about you and Yao Ling."

    Yao Ying¡¯s back was full of sweat, but he still tried to appear unflustered. He thought to himself, ¡¯I know their bet wouldn¡¯t be anything good.¡¯

    "I want you to help me win this bet."

    "Yes, Sir." Yao Ying saluted the general, but continue asking, "So... what¡¯s the bet is about?"

    "Pregnancy." Lin Zheng simply threw the word out there.

    "Wha... what?" How could Yao Ying stayposed after hearing that? He started to grasp the idea of what he supposed to do.

    "In short, we bet on how long Yao Ling will get pregnant. As a newlywed, Wang Luo Hai proudly said that Yao Ling would get pregnant soon. I just hate his boasting, so I was the one who proposed the bet."

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ Yao Ying cursed inside his mind. These two old men really had nothing to do but seeking trouble.

    "We reached a consensus on the time frame. Your task is to hold yourself back on that time frame and help me win the bet. Don¡¯t impregnate your wife!"

    ¡¯General ah~ Your request really put me on the spot. I¡¯ve been cockblocked for so long and I have to endure it again??¡¯ Yao Ying started to feel frustrated. He had to ask the time frame though, "For how long?"

    "Not too long. Just three months!"

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. The time frame was the same as their own promise. It wouldn¡¯t affect him in any way and he knew Wang Luo Hai was bounded to lose. He felt regret though. He just tasted forbidden fruitst night and he had counted the time frame down to 84 days. The general certainly ruined his n!

    He had nned to seduce his wife until she revoked the promise herself! But, now? He had no chance to do that. He could only tease himself and his little wife just likest night. Sweet memory, but if he kept doing that, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold himself back. He wanted to cry to God and asked loudly, ¡¯Why...? Why me?¡¯

    3 months equal to 90 days. 90 days minus 84 days equal to 6 days. We were back to square one. Yao Ying felt like pulling out his hair in frustration!

    He had nned to seduce his wife until she revoked the promise herself! But, now? He had no chance to do that. He could only tease himself and his little wife just likest night. Sweet memory, but if he kept doing that, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to hold himself back. He wanted to cry to God and asked loudly, ¡¯Why...? Why me?¡¯

    Yao Ying knew he couldn¡¯t escape this. ¡¯Wife... this is for our future!¡¯ Yao Ying could only answer, "Okay! I will hold myself back for three months!"

 Chapter 42 Shameless Lin Zheng

    Lin Zheng was satisfied with his answer. "Good! You can start tomorrow. I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up. It¡¯s nice to have a deal with you."

    Yao Ying sneered to himself. What kind of deal? He was being deceived by this aloof general. He had to agree with him! He had no other choice, to begin with. If he didn¡¯t n to seduce Yao Ling, then he wouldn¡¯t think bitterly like this. Anyway, it was perfectly aligned with their own promise.

    "Thank you, General. This disciple greets Master." Yao Ying kneeled down and gave his respect to General Lin.

    "Get up." Lin Zheng finally epted him as a disciple for real. "I heard Lin Jian also want you to be his master¡¯s disciple?"

    Yao Ying was surprised. He didn¡¯t think Lin Jian was really serious about that. To think he even told General Lin was a bit unbelievable. "Yes, Master." Then, he truthfully added, "I thought he was only joking yesterday."

    Lin Zheng smiled at that. "He loves to joke around but he always keeps his promise. Don¡¯t worry! If you are able to convince his master, it¡¯s a good thing. You can be his disciple too. I don¡¯t mind."

    "Is that really okay?" Yao Ying was hesitant because he felt it wasn¡¯t polite to take two new masters at once.

    "It¡¯s okay. Our style of teaching is different. I¡¯m a more military guy and he¡¯s focused more on the martial arts skill. Combining our teaching, it will give you more benefit in the future." Lin Zheng exined briefly.

    Lin Zheng was thinking about the big picture. He was certain the young man in front of him wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. But, who? He couldn¡¯t find information about Yao Ying, so he had to broaden his search. Until now, there was no reliable news about a missing person all around the military division.

    Lin Zheng felt confused about himself too. The bet didn¡¯t really affect him in any way, so he shouldn¡¯t bother making a deal with Yao Ying. If he lost, he could just pay the price. He could easily reject his wish to be his disciple, and yet, he received him. Maybe he was getting old and sentimental. He couldn¡¯t find his missing wife, so other than nurturing the youngsters that he liked, what else could he do? Other women didn¡¯t even tempt him at all. Lin Jian was also old enough to tend for himself - even his skill was already good enough, so he didn¡¯t have to teach him any more things. That was probably the reason why.

    Yao Ying felt happy with General Lin¡¯s kindness and he grinned widely. "Thank you, Master."

    "Just call me, General. Master sounds weird to me." Lin Zheng rejected the way Yao Ying called him.

    "General."

    "Good! Don¡¯t forget about our deal. You can do a lot of things with your wife, but don¡¯t release it inside. You know... just as prevention." Lin Zheng spoke with his aloof face, without a hint of embarrassment at all!

    Yao Ying wanted to bury himself inside the ground. What kind of talk was this? It was so humiliating! He could feel his burning cheek. He was a shameless person, but the man in front of him was even more shameless than him!

    This kind of talk wasmon in the army. They got used to going on a long journey for war and the soldiers didn¡¯t have any women around them. Talking dirty was basically normal, so General Lin didn¡¯t feel that he said something wrong. When he saw Yao Ying¡¯s reddening cheek, Lin Zheng guffawed heartily. How could he forget that this kid wasn¡¯t from his army?

    He went to Yao Ying and pped his shoulder hard. "Kid, you have to brace yourself! When you be my disciple, you will spend a lot of time with my army. A talk just like before... Ha! It¡¯s just a tip of the iceberg. You will learn a lot of thingster! Don¡¯t say this general didn¡¯t warn you before!"

    Yao Ying gaped at General Lin¡¯s brazen talk. What did he get himself into when he signed himself as his disciple? Would his mind be tainted after this? Yao Ying shuddered at the thought, but he could only nod his head. He had already resigned to his fate.

    "By the way, if you want to learn more, just tell me! This general will teach you everything he knows. I told you not to release it inside, but I won¡¯t hold you back with the other ways. You know, right? There are a lot of ways to enjoy intimacy." He looked at Yao Ying suggestively. Even though there were not many expressions in General Lin¡¯s face in the first ce, but somehow, Yao Ying could pick up his suggestive intention.

    This general wasn¡¯t as simple as he looked! Yao Ying didn¡¯t know how to answer that question. He didn¡¯t expect he had to tell another person about his sex life! It wasn¡¯t like he had one at the moment, but still... this matter regarding his manliness ah~

    Lin Zheng wanted tough, looking at Yao Ying¡¯s expression. This youngster was really fun to tease. Another Wang Luo Hai huh... This general¡¯s life wouldn¡¯t be so boring after this. He nodded at Yao Ying, still in his aloof and cold expression. "Today, you go home first. Learn about other ways to enjoy your intimacy life with your wife! Remember, don¡¯te inside or our deal will be invalid! Report to me, tomorrow."

    ¡¯Re... report?¡¯ Yao Ying felt like fainted. What kind of report that General Lin expected from him? He wasn¡¯t going to tell anyone the details of his intimacy!

    Lin Zheng didn¡¯t give Yao Ying the chance to answer. He just turned around and left. Yao Ying pulled out his right hand and grasped on empty air, wanting to stop the general. But he was left speechless! He had nothing to say. He could only slump his shoulders in despair and went home.

    He somehow got what he wanted, but he lost his face in front of General Lin. Did he really make the right choice? It was toote to regret though. He was entangled too deeply with General Lin and his father¡¯s bet.

    ¡¯Why... oh... why?¡¯

 Chapter 43 Xiuâ€™s Predicament 1

    When he arrived home, Yao Ying¡¯s mood was a bit better. After thinking on the way home, he felt lucky that the bet was aligned with their promise. He should think in a positive way rather than feeling depressed. He started to see the truth in General Lin¡¯s words. As long as he didn¡¯t release it inside...

    Yao Ying shook his head. No... no... no... General Lin had contaminated his mind with dirty thought. He couldn¡¯t afford to take advantage of his innocent little wife. He thought back at the time frame in which 84 days became 90 days again. He felt depressed once again.

    He turned to Xiu and asked hesitantly, "Say... Xiu..."

    "Yes, Young Master," Xiu answered politely. He wondered why the young master was a bit hesitant in asking a question. He didn¡¯t realize that his young master would ask a difficult question for him.

    "Have you ever known or seen any pregnant woman?" Yao Ying asked cautiously.

    Xiu looked at Yao Ying in wonderment. Why the young master suddenly interested in a pregnant woman? But, he still answered the question, "In this household? No. There¡¯s no woman had been pregnant here. Knowing one... never. Seeing pregnant woman? A lot! When we went out just now, I saw a few of them."

    Xiu¡¯s answer rendered as useless by Yao Ying. He felt stupid for asking this type of question to Xiu ¨C a single young man. Maybe he should ask Xiao Yu? But asking Xiao Yu would let Yao Ling knew about it. He didn¡¯t think he did anything wrong, but he didn¡¯t want his wife to think of him as a pervert. Still three months, and yet, he already thought about pregnancy.

    This shouldn¡¯t be his concern. This was because of that annoying bet! Suddenly, he had an idea. "Xiu, I need you to do something for me."

    He called Xiu over to get closer to him and Yao Ying whispered something to him. Xiu¡¯s face held no expression, but both of his cheeks were slightly tinged red. Although his cheek had a scar, Yao Ying still could see his embarrassment from his reddening cheek. He felt lucky inside that He had a servant to do the embarrassing task. If it was before, he had to do all things by himself.

    Xiu got a headache, after listening to Yao Ying¡¯smand. "This... do I really have to do this?" Xiu asked hesitantly. His job as a servant was to obey all of his master¡¯s requests. Embarrassing as it was, he had to do it. But, his dignity... was on the line!

    Yao Ying nodded in a righteous way. Xiu could only sigh and answered, "Okay, Young Master."

    "Good, I¡¯m going to go back to my room and you can just do your task," Yao Ying looked at Xiu meaningfully, turned around and left Xiu behind.

    Xiu sighed in annoyance, but he still had to do the task. He went around the mansion, trying to find Xiao Yu. He didn¡¯t interact much with other maids, only Xiao Yu. The thing that young master told him to do could only be solved by women. Then, the best candidate was Xiao Yu.

    When he found Xiao Yu, she was in a hurry doing something. He didn¡¯t pay much attention and stopped her by getting in her way. Xiao Yu was surprised by the sudden move and red at Xiu, "What are you doing? Why are you stopping me?"

    "Why are you in a hurry?" Xiu asked while raising one of his eyebrows.

    "That¡¯s none of your business." She snarled at him. Xiao Yu wasn¡¯t going to tell him that it was that time of the month for her. Her stomach was really in pain. She was in a hurry to boil warm water. She wanted topress her lower abdomen with warm water to ease the pain. Young Mistress already gave her permission for taking a rest, but this scoundrel dared to get in her way. This time of the month made her mood really bad.

    Xiu was a bit scared with Xiao Yu¡¯s angry expression, although he thought that it made her look cuter. He was wondering why the usually calm Xiao Yu was in such a bad mood. However, he had a mission to finish. "I want to ask a few things."

    "Can¡¯t it wait? I¡¯m really in a hurry!" Xiao Yu could feel the pain was getting stronger.

    Xiu could see something was not right judging from Xiao Yu¡¯s face. "Are you sick? Why are you getting so pale?"

    "No... I¡¯m fine. Just ask the questions so I can go." Xiao Yu didn¡¯t want to let him know the reason why she was getting paler. It was too embarrassing. She chose to answer his questions first, so she could get rid of him faster.

    Xiu didn¡¯t know how to ask the question. He blurted out the first thing in his mind, "Have you ever been pregnant?"

    Xiao Yu was dumbfounded because of the question. Even Xiu felt horrified with his own question! He wanted to ask have you ever see or been helping a pregnant person, but he asked whether an unmarried woman had been pregnant or not. He was so ashamed of himself!

    Before he said sorry and corrected his question, a heavy pnded on his right cheek. "Pa!"

    Xiu looked at Xiao Yu whose face was full of anger in surprise. He knew he deserved the p, but never thought that Xiao Yu was that strong. Xiao Yu yelled at him, "What do you think I am? A dirty girl? An unruly girl? I¡¯m unmarried for God¡¯s sake! And you want to smear my name like this! You... you... bastard! I¡¯m a virgin and you have the gut to ask me whether I¡¯ve been pregnant or not! Don¡¯t you ever go near me again!"

    Xiao Yu red at Xiu. She regretted letting him ask the stupid questions. She felt insulted and she was happy when the pnded on Xiu¡¯s cheek. Ha! He deserved it! Without saying another word, she turned around and left Xiu behind without a backward nce.

    Xiu chased after her, trying to exin himself. "I¡¯m sorry... that¡¯s not what I meant! The question came out wrong. Please, hear me out!" He grabbed Xiao Yu¡¯s right wrist, trying to stop her from running.

    "Release me or I¡¯ll bite you!" Xiao Yu yelled at him once again.

 Chapter 44 Xiuâ€™s Predicament 2

    "No, you have to hear me out!" Xiu didn¡¯t want Xiao Yu to misunderstand him and he knew he needed to exin it right away or else... there would be a lot of troubles in the future. They were both serving the same couple, so they were bound to meet together all the time. He didn¡¯t want this to affect their previously good rtionship.

    He wanted to scold his young master. If it weren¡¯t for his stupid task, there would be no way he was in this predicament.

    Xiao Yu felt her lower stomach was getting more painful, but she wasn¡¯t finished dealing with Xiu. She didn¡¯t think much and said, "Fine... Fine... I¡¯ll hear you out, but not today!"

    "I don¡¯t want to fight with you! We have to settle this now!" Xiu stubbornly said.

    Xiao Yu wanted to pull her hair in frustration. Couldn¡¯t Xiu get her hint? She was in a hurry and she didn¡¯t want to talk to him at all! She just wanted to have a good rest and sleep soundly. Xiu¡¯s strength was no joke. She couldn¡¯t even pull her hand away from his grasp.

    Xiao Yu rolled her eyes at Xiu. "Fine!" She just looked at him intensely without moving an inch.

    After getting her attention, Xiu felt relieved. "Have you ever seen any pregnant woman?"

    "Of course! Although no one in this household got pregnant , my mother was pregnant a few times. That¡¯s why she had to sell me," Xiao Yu talked in a detached manner. It seemed like the one who was being sold wasn¡¯t her.

    However, Xiu could sense a little bit of her sadness. He sighed inwardly. He couldn¡¯t me her, because he was also sold to a ve market by his parents. It was by luck he ended up with such a kind master. He could fathom her pain.

    "When does a pregnant woman realize that she is pregnant?" Xiu asked cautiously.

    "What? Have you impregnated someone?" Xiao Yu asked with a mixed feeling between curiosity and bewildered. She looked at the stiff man in front of him. Was he able too? She knew he could talk quite freely with her, but she saw how he behaved around other women. He doesn¡¯t talk much and exuded an aloof feeling. His scar also scared a lot of women.

    Xiu¡¯s eyes widened like saucers. Did she think he was an irresponsible person? "What? No? Of course not!" He answered in a loud voice.

    "Then, why are you suddenly asking about pregnancy out of the blue?" Xiao Yu demanded an answer from him. The excitement of having a juicy gossip made her forget about her pain for a while.

    Xiu felt like crying. He didn¡¯t know how to exin himself, because Young Master already said that he wasn¡¯t allowed to let people know that it was Young Master who told him to ask the question.

    "My... my friend was the one who asked! He seemed to be concerned with this stuff, but he won¡¯t tell me why," Xiu blurted his lie without blinking.

    "Really?" Xiao Yu asked in disbelief. She sighed inwardly and thought to herself, ¡¯I can¡¯t believe it! Xiu is actually this kind of person. Maybe he¡¯s too shy to admit that he impregnated someone.¡¯

    If Xiu knew what was inside Xiao Yu¡¯s mind, he would cry in regret for asking this question. He probably should have just asked some random pregnant woman on the street. It would be safer for his own image, but it was already toote.

    Xiao Yu decided to be merciful and asked, "What kind of question your friend wants to ask about pregnancy?" Xiao Yu emphasized the ¡¯your friend¡¯ part.

    "How long do people usually know when someone is pregnant?" Xiu asked meekly.

    ¡¯Yep... he impregnated someone.¡¯ Xiao Yu was further convinced with her deduction after hearing the question. Xiao Yu answered him, "That depends on each person. Usually when a woman¡¯s time of the month iste, then it means she¡¯s pregnant. It can be found earlier if the woman has morning sickness. Maybe the earliest is two weeks?"

    Xiu furrowed his eyebrows. "Why does it look like you¡¯re not too sure with the time frame? Is what you say urate?"

    Xiao Yu rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I¡¯ve never been pregnant, so I don¡¯t know for sure. However, that¡¯s how I heard. Whether you believe or not... it¡¯s up to you. Can you let me go now? I¡¯m really in a hurry."

    "Oh... yes. Go! Thank you for answering!" Xiu was happy because he finally got the answer he needed. He chose to trust Xiao Yu. It was better than looking for another woman to ask the same question and be humiliated once again! Once is enough.

    Xiao Yu felt happy and quickly went doing her business. At the same time, Xiu went back and told the answer to Yao Ying.

    "Really? Two weeks?" Yao Ying smiled to himself. ¡¯Ny days minus fourteen days. It means seventy-six days. Great! I can start seducing Yao Ling seventy-six days from now.¡¯

    Xiu nodded in assurance. "Yes, Young Master."

    Yao Ying asked curiously, "How do you find out about it?"

    Xiu blushed. "I asked from an expert." It was better if he answered this way. There was no way he could tell Young Master that he¡¯d asked Xiao Yu.

    "Good! You are doing a great job this time. It¡¯s already night time. I want to spend some alone time with my wife. You go rest." Yao Ying chased away Xiu indirectly. It made Xiu happy because he could rest earlier. Young Master and Young Mistress were really easy to serve and lenient, maybe because they were born without a silver spoon on their mouth.

    After leaving the master¡¯s quarter, Xiu felt the gaze from other servants on him. However, whenever he looked back, everyone diverted his or her eyes. He didn¡¯t know that someone identally heard the conversation between him and Xiao Yu. The gossip was spread to the whole household: Xiu had impregnated someone.

    If he knew about this, he would certainly faint in anger!

 Chapter 45 She Is Way Cuter This Way

    That night, Yao Ying and Yao Ling talked about their days. Yao Yingughed at Yao Ling¡¯s way of dealing with Concubine Wan.

    "I never know that woman can be that dangerous. Jealousy is a scary thing." Yao Ying pondered. After listening to her story, he indeed made the right choice by strengthening himself. He wanted to grow stronger in order to protect her. His thought came back to the part where he wanted to recruit people and make them loyal subordinates. Although in this household, they held certain power in ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ but it wasn¡¯t enough to protect them. He had to think of a way for doing this slowly.

    Yao Ling wanted to say something but decided against it. She wanted him not to take in concubines, but she didn¡¯t know how to say it. She hadn¡¯t done her job as a proper wife by serving him at night and she felt like she didn¡¯t have the right to say it loudly. She remembered that she had said she would let him go if his memories came back and he had another woman. She regretted her stupidity back then, but this was actually a contractual marriage.

    This marriage was based on mutual benefits and she couldn¡¯t selfishly make a demand like that. She had made that decision herself, so she couldn¡¯t me Yao Ying. She became afraid that he would leave her one day. She started to realize that her feelings for Yao Ying had grown at an rming rate.

    Yao Ling removed those heavy thoughts and smiled at Yao Ying, "Hey! I¡¯m not like them!"

    Yao Ying smiled dotingly at her, "Of course! You are my wife. I¡¯m a good judging of character." Indeed, he was. If he didn¡¯t like her for a little bit, there would be no way he approved her marriage offer. He could take her with him and protect her all right. He could probably say she was his servant, but he didn¡¯t want to downgrade her like that. He wanted her to stand by his side as his equal.

    Yao Ying was in a dilemma whether he should tell Yao Ling about the bet. If he wanted her to stay by his side, maybe he shouldn¡¯t keep the truth to himself. "I need to tell you something."

    Yao Ling paid attention to what Yao Ling said. Despite Yao Ying¡¯s fear, Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel offended. Sheughed out loud. "I had an idea about the bet. Thest time we had lunch together, do remember how General Lin behaved?"

    Yao Ying tried to remember, but he didn¡¯t really pay attention to that kind of detail. He shook his head and said that he didn¡¯t remember anything. Yao Ling exined to him the way General Lin looked at her stomach and said that it was good she wasn¡¯t pregnant. Her gut feeling told her that they made a bet regarding her pregnancy. Her guess was correct.

    "Yes. If I agree to his term, then he would be my master. It¡¯s a win-win situation since I also have to honor my promise to you. I agreed," Yao Ying exined.

    Hearing the ¡¯honor his promise¡¯ part made Yao Ling slightly blush. She knew she was weak to his temptation, otherwise,st night wouldn¡¯t have happened at all!

    Yao Ying went closer to Yao Ling and blew her ears with his hot breath. He could see Yao Ling¡¯s body stiffened, making him want tough. He whispered softly, "You also need to honor your promise. Don¡¯t tempt me!" Yao Ling felt the hotness on both of her cheeks. This... This man... was he trying to seduce her? Right after he said he would honor his promise?

    "I... I... When did I tempt you?" Yao Ling stuttered.

    Yao Ying just chuckled softly in a low and hoarse voice. He remembered to hold himself back and tease her bit by bit. He trailed his right to her back and it made her feel the tingling on her back. She shivered at his touch and Yao Ying could also feel the way he affected her. So... she also liked it.

    He stopped right there and walked past her. Yao Yingid on their bed and yawned. "I¡¯m tired. I¡¯ll go to sleep." He just left her there hot and cold, making her scowl. Yao Ling didn¡¯t understand her own reaction, so she just med it on Yao Ying.

    She stomped her way to their bed. When she wanted to get to her side, she had to go past the sleepy Yao Ying. She ¡¯identally¡¯ stepped on him, making him yelp in pain.

    "Oops... sorry!" She pretended to be sorry and slept right away.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t get angry, but instead, he was enjoying his little wife¡¯s temper. In his eyes, she was way cuter this way.

    The next day, Yao Ling had to follow the matriarch¡¯s arrangement. She had to learn etiquette from Zhang Mo Mo on her courtyard. When Zhang Mo Mo looked at the way she walked, she could see that Yao Ling had a great potential. Her walk had a certain gracefulness and this was a good basis for learning how to walk like a nobledy. She only needed to teach her a little bit and Yao Ling could walk elegantly in a short time.

    She was satisfied with Yao Ling¡¯s cleverness and this would certainly make the matriarch happy with the fast progress. Although Zhang Mo Mo was satisfied, she didn¡¯t show it on her face. She was a strict teacher. When Yao Ling didn¡¯t meet her standard, she would ask Yao Ling to start over and she didn¡¯t hesitate to hit her with a stick.

    Yao Ling felt tired, but she didn¡¯t dare to ck off. She knew she needed this lesson, but Zhang Mo Mo was quite scary. It didn¡¯t make her enjoy the learning process even for a bit. She hated being hit with a stick. Despite her unwillingness, she still needed to obey Zhang Mo Mo and could do nothing at all. She bitterly kept her thought to herself ¨C even when she was cursing. If Zhang Mo Mo knew her thought, she would certainly vomit blood because of her udylike behavior.

    When two hours had passed, Yao Ling felt her freedom back. She pulled Xiao Yu¡¯s right hands and quickly ran away. She could hear Zhang Mo Mo yelled at her, "Young Mistress, please mind your behavior! Don¡¯t run!"

    Yao Ling yelled back at her whileughing merrily. "Two hours is up! Tomorrow, I will behave!"

    Zhang Mo Mo was speechless, but she was already old and couldn¡¯t chase the young mistress. She could only shake his head and report it to the matriarch. She thought the matriarch would get angry, but contrary to the expectation, she justughed and said, "She¡¯s still young. It¡¯s fine to have this kind of lively attitude. This ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ needs a little bit of heartyughter."

 Chapter 46 Being Followed

    "Young Mistress, is it okay to run away like this?" Xiao Yu asked meekly. She was afraid of the stern Zhang Mo Mo. Udylike behavior like this would certainly make the old woman frowned, even worse scold them.

    "She might tell the matriarch, but she could do nothing to me. I ran away after the lesson had finished, right?" Yao Ling brushed Xiao Yu¡¯s concern off like it was nothing. It was the truth though! As long as the matriarch was favoring her, a simple thing like this wouldn¡¯t be a significant matter at all.

    Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t find fault on her logic. She was afraid of Zhang Mo Mo because her rank was higher than her, however, Yao Ling was currently their young mistress. Yao Ling was more powerful because of it. Xiao Yu felt relieved and calmed herself down. "Young Mistress is correct."

    Yao Lingughed at that and said, "Of course! As long as you loyally follow me, I won¡¯t make you regret it. I would never mistreat you."

    "Since I¡¯d been given to Young Mistress, my loyalty would be given only to Young Mistress. I promise that I will serve you wholeheartedly," Xiao Yu made a promise and she intended to honor it. She felt lucky because she had a nice mistress.

    "Good!" Yao Ling felt satisfied with Xiao Yu¡¯s answer. "Let¡¯s go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯! I need to check a lot of things there."

    "Yes, Young Mistress," Xiao Yu quickly followed her young mistress. As a servant or maid, usually, they had to follow their master from behind. However, Yao Ling was an exception. She wanted Xiao Yu to walk beside her and talked to her like an equal. It made Xiao Yu feel that she was being valued by her young mistress. This was one of the reasons why her loyalty to Yao Ling was increasing. She treated her kindly.

    "What time did Young Master go out this morning?"

    "Er... just before the sunrise. One of General Lin¡¯s soldier picked Young Master up and it was by the general¡¯s order. Young Master told me not to wake Young Mistress up," Xiao Yu exined.

    Yao Ling sighed. She was ustomed to waking up beside him. When she felt the cold bed where he was supposed to sleep in, it made her feeling disappointed. "I guess I will miss him each morning," Yao Ling mumbled to herself.

    "What did you say, Young Mistress?" Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t hear clearly what Yao Ling said.

    "Nothing. I¡¯m talking to myself," Yao Ling smiled at her.

    Suddenly, Yao Ling¡¯s smile was gone. Xiao Yu was surprised by the sudden change of expression. Before Xiao Yu could say anything, Yao Ling stopped her by shaking her head softly. Xiao Yu gulped down her words, obeying her young mistress.

    Yao Ling felt someone was following her. At first, she thought it was just a coincidence. She couldn¡¯t see where her follower was, but she could feel their eyes on her. Yao Ling used to go to the mountain alone to collect herbs. It trained her sensed to be more keen and sensitive to predatory behavior. There were a lot of beasts in the mountain. Without a good sense, she would be an easy target and probably had been killed a thousand times.

    When she was less than ten years old, her mother always apanied her to the mountain. Both didn¡¯t have a keen sense, but they met a kind hunter from her vige who taught them how to survive in the wild environment for a few months. He identally saved them from a big bear and took pity on them. The kind man taught them until they could survive by themselves. After she was twelve, her mother finally let her go by herself because she noticed that Yao Ling could sense any danger miles away.

    Yao Ling always trusted her instinct. She could feel someone stopped when she stopped and walked when she walked. She pretended to look around a stall while taking a subtle nce toward her follower, but she couldn¡¯t see anyone. She felt paranoid, however, she was a hundred percent sure that the person was still there.

    ¡¯Who¡¯s following her? For what purpose?¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. Yao Ying and she never offended anyone, unless... it was someone from ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯? If she remembered correctly, Wang Luo Hai also had an enemy. No one bothered to tell her about it and she probably should dig more about it. If the news of Wang Luo Hai taking in stepchildren was heard by the enemy, they would probably curious and try to find out more about them.

    Yao Ling wasn¡¯t really sure which one of them was targeting her, but this was just a guess. She calmed herself down. She was standing a few steps away from ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. That person probably wouldn¡¯t dare to follow her inside.

    She felt there was no use for pretending, so she walked again after buying a hairpin that she didn¡¯t even need.

    "Young Mistress, what¡¯s wrong with you?" Xiao Yu could feel that Yao Ling was agitated. Young Mistress even bought a hairpin without seeing the design. She just took it and paid without a proper nce.

    Xiao Yu broke Yao Ling¡¯s trance with her question Yao Ling didn¡¯t intend to make Xiao Yu worried along with her, so she was only smiling and giving the newly bought hairpin for Xiao Yu. "Nothing. I bought this for you."

    Xiao Yu smiled happily at Yao Ling. Although the hairpin was only randomly chosen, the intricate design was still pretty. It was an ordinary lotus blossom spiral hairpin, but she still liked it nheless. "Thank you, Young Mistress."

    "Do you like the design? If not, we can choose again." Yao Ling felt guilty for randomly choosing without thinking of Xiao Yu¡¯s preferences. She didn¡¯t n to buy in the first ce, so she gave it to Xiao Yu without thinking.

    "No, this is so pretty. I will treasure it!"

    Yao Lingughed at childish behavior, while her eyes still moving around warily. Xiao Yu who was feeling happy didn¡¯t pay any attention to Yao Ling¡¯s anxiety. Feeling uneasy, Yao Ling urged Xiao Yu to walk faster. She wanted to go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ as soon as possible. It was the safest ce for them.

 Chapter 47 Who Exactly Are You?

    When she worked at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ that day, she still couldn¡¯t shake the ufortable feeling. She even made several mistakes that didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the others. The workers never saw the young mistress distracted like this, but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything.

    Xiao Yu asked her several times, but she dismissed Xiao Yu¡¯s concern with augh. She didn¡¯t want to make the others worry because of something that she didn¡¯t know for sure. She had to tell Yao Ying. He was the only one that she trusted.

    ***

    Yao Ying spent the day learning the basic just like other soldiers. He followed their morning routine. While the others were perfectly fine, Yao Ying was panting crazily. Although his foundation was good, the fact that he never trained his body made his current situation understandable. Experienced martial arts masters had to train every day to maintain and improve their skills. Yao Ying lost his memories for three months and he just trained randomly without the right method, this fact made his stamina level decrease.

    General Lin exined this beforehand, so Yao Ying understood the concept perfectly. Although he felt like dying, he didn¡¯tin and did all the challenge that was thrown to him. The other soldiers knew how hard it was at the beginning, but Yao Ying could do it all ¨C albeit slower and far from perfect. Most of the soldiers could only finish halfway at the beginning! This made Yao Ying gain respect from the other soldiers.

    General Lin followed Yao Ying¡¯s movement from the beginning to the end and he felt satisfied. He was indeed talented and his skill had been polished quite nicely. Yao Ying only needed guidance because he lost his memories.

    After finished practicing, Yao Ying was called by General Lin. "I want you to follow the soldiers¡¯ drills until I¡¯m feeling satisfied with your stamina. It means no more panting after you finish all the drills. After that, I will teach you personally. I need to shape up your body first, so it can adjust perfectly with your inner strength. Otherwise, your body will be harmed."

    "I understand."

    "Good. Now, I need to ask you another important question."

    "Yes, General?"

    "How was it?"

    "The drill? I enjoyed doing it, although it was pretty hard." Yao Ying answered honestly.

    "That¡¯s not what I was talking about."

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. That wasn¡¯t what he meant? Then, what was that about? The general didn¡¯t specify anything, so he was feeling a bit confused.

    "Did you enjoy yourselfst night? Did you follow my advice?"

    Yao Ying gaped at this shameless general. He really asked the question without batting eyshes. "General... I have to go home first. I have to work." After he bade goodbye, Yao Ying quickly ran away in embarrassment. He didn¡¯t bother to answer the general¡¯s question.

    Lin Zhengughed out loud, looking at Yao Ying¡¯s expression. In a sh, his expression changed back into his aloof one. "Xiao Qi." In a sh, a young man in his twenty appeared. He had a soft temperament with a quite beautiful face. He wore an all ck clothes with a small ¡¯Lin¡¯ emblem on his right breast. He was General Lin¡¯s hidden guards¡¯ leader.

    "Yes, General."

    "What do you think of him? Did you follow him without being found out?"

    "Yes, General. He didn¡¯t know. He¡¯s quite good. With a little polish, he will have a bright future ahead. Just like General said, he¡¯s not from an ordinary background. His temperament and behavior are different from lower ss people."

    "So, you think he¡¯s a noble?"

    "Yes, General. If he were in the military, we would have found out about it. All of ourworks came with negative answers. He might be an important person."

    "Hmm... Someone powerful probably covered up that he was missing. Isn¡¯t that what you mean?"

    "Yes, General. If not, howe we couldn¡¯t find out anything about him?"

    "Check it out again! I hope you¡¯re right and we investigate it in the right direction."

    "Yes, General. This subordinate will leave now."

    Lin Zheng just waved his right hand, without answering Xiao Qi. Xiao Qi paid no mind and left without a trace. Lin Zheng¡¯s mind was in a jumble. ¡¯Yao Ying, who exactly are you?¡¯ He didn¡¯t harbor any bad intention to Yao Ying. He just wanted to know who he was. Maybe out of curiosity. Maybe he didn¡¯t want a bad person became Wang Luo Hai¡¯ son. Above of all, it was driven by his instinct. He felt that he needed to know who Yao Ying was.

    While General Lin was thinking about Yao Ying¡¯s matter, Yao Ying went to his next stop for the day. Just like he had promised to Wang Luo Hai, after Yao Ying finished practicing, he went to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ and worked like usual. He felt his energy was drained and felt sleepy in a few asions, but he managed to do his job nicely. Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t have anything toin, so he let him be.

    Wang Luo Hai only asked in concern, "What did Lin Zheng do to you?"

    Yao Ying smiled and exined, "Just a drill to improve my skills. Don¡¯t worry, Father. I think in a few days my body will adjust with the routine. Please be lenient to me for a few days."

    Wang Luo Haiughed and waved his hand, "Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t make it difficult for you. You do your job nicely today. Just go home early and rest! Also, take Yao Ling with you. I¡¯m not sure why, but she made a lot of mistakes today. It¡¯s unusual. You should probably ask her about it."

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. He was too tired to pay attention to Yao Ling while working today. Usually, he always followed her movement once in a while. However, he neglected her just now. He felt guilty. He wouldn¡¯t know about it if his father didn¡¯t tell him.

    "Thank you for telling me, Father."

    Wang Luo Hai justughed. "No need to thank me. Just quickly give a grandson and I¡¯ll be happy." He wiggled both of his eyebrows yfully.

    Yao Ying gulped, feeling guilty. Father... there was no way you would win the bet! Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. If Wang Luo Hai knew his deal with General Lin, he probably would vomit blood!

 Chapter 48 Who Are They?

    Yao Ying followed Wang Luo Hai¡¯s suggestion and went home early. He made sure he finished everything and went to the production room to find Yao Ling. When he found her, he smiled and wanted to call her right away. But he could see a slight frown on her beautiful face. What Wang Luo Hai said was true! Yao Ling had something in mind.

    He went behind her and touched her shoulder softly. Yao Ling could smell the usual sweet fragrance of his little wife and it made him feel calm andfortable. "Wife..." He called softly.

    Yao Ling jumped in surprise and turned around in a quick move. "Hus... husband!" She stuttered, still feeling astonished. She could feel her own fast heartbeat started to calm down, after knowing it was only Yao Ying.

    Yao Ying looked at her in concern. He could feel something was amiss and whatever bothered her was pretty serious. "Are you okay?"

    "I... I¡¯m okay." Yao Ling couldn¡¯t possibly say anything in front of a lot of people. Her gaze traced the whole room and she smiled reassuringly to everyone. She took Yao Ying¡¯s right hand and tugged it softly, "Come on. Let¡¯s go home! I just don¡¯t feel good."

    Yao Ying nodded. The couple went out hand in hand, making the embroiderers ¨Cwhich is mostly women- feel envious. They looked at the diminishing silhouette of the couple and they could see how they perfectlyplemented each other. The man had a tall and slightly muscr body, while the woman had a petite and slim body. Their long hair flew with the wind, making them look like a beautiful painting from behind.

    "They look so perfect."

    "Yes. Not only that, look at how close and romantic they are!"

    "They look so sweet!"

    If Yao Ling heard thosements, she would probably blush in embarrassment. She wasn¡¯t one that liked to show off her skinship, but she needed Yao Ying reassurance at the moment. She just wanted to feel his warmth.

    On their way back, Yao Ling could sense they were being followed once again. She naturally made a guess that it was still the same guy. "Husband... do you feel something amiss?" Yao Ling wanted to make sure that she was just paranoid.

    "Is this the thing that makes you worried?"

    Yao Ling looked at him in surprise. "Yes. Do you also know?"

    Yao Ying nodded and whispered to her, "Smile... don¡¯t look so stiff or they will know that we¡¯ve noticed their presence."

    Yao Ling quicklyposed her mood and smiled at Yao Ling. Xiao Yu and Xiu trailed behind them. They didn¡¯t notice anything different, only felt that somehow their masters were quite romantic unlike usual. They couldn¡¯t hear what their masters¡¯ whispering about, so they just enjoyed following their master while looking around.

    "Do you know who they are?" Yao Ling asked.

    "No. I think they are trying to get our routine."

    "How do you know?" Yao Ling looked at him rmed, although she was still smiling,

    "I notice that they¡¯ve been following us for a few days," Yao Ying exined.

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me before?" Yao Ling pouted.

    Yao Ying smiled at her cute face. Oh, how he enjoyed looking at her pouty lips! "I didn¡¯t want to make you feel worried. This is also one of the reasons why I want to be stronger. However, judging from this, I think I need to speed up my n."

    "What kind of n?"

    Yao Ying looked around, then he stopped his gaze at his wife¡¯s face once again. "Sssh... not now. Not here. There are too many ears. We can talk about thister."

    Yao Ling understood his uneasiness. They were walking on a public street and it wasn¡¯t a good ce to have an important conversation. After they arrived at their own courtyard, they quickly took a bath and ate dinner. They didn¡¯t join the family dinner, but instead, they ate dinner at their own courtyard. Xiu already went and told Wang Luo Hai the reason. Xiu said that Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel well, so Wang Luo Hai just let them be.

    After they dismissed Xiu and Xiao Yu, theyid back on their bed. Yao Ling turned her body to the left, so she could see Yao Ying¡¯s face clearly. She could see his fatigue, so she asked in concern, "Are you okay? You seem tired." She softly brushed the hair from his forehead and massaged his temple.

    Yao Ying moaned, feeling good. He could feel the tension on his head was slightly decreasing. "Thank you," he murmured softly while closing his eyes and enjoying the simple massage.

    Yao Ling tapped his forehead softly and smiled. "There¡¯s no need to thank me. We are husband and wife. Of course, we should share our burden. Besides, I enjoy serving you." She whispered thest part while blushing.

    Yao Ying smiled and grabbed the hand that had just tapped his forehead. He turned to Yao Ling and softly kissed her palm, making her feel his soft and wet lips. She blushed at the intimate gesture and felt her heart beating faster. How could he affect her so much like this?

    "Indeed. We should share our burden." Yao Ying pulled her hand with a bit of his power. Yao ling¡¯s body was pulled and she fell on top of him in a soft thud. Yao Ying hugged her waist and sniffed his favorite smell emitting from her body. A sweet jasmine fragrance. "You smell so good."

    Yao Ling knew if they continued like this, they would end up not talking about their n. However, she felt weak because of his movement. Yao Ying kissed the nape of her neck and the soft spot behind her ear. She could feel herself start to moan, but she tried to maintain her calmness. "Hus... husband... we should talk about..."

    Before she finished talking, Yao Ying gripped her soft jet-ck hair and tugged it back softly. Without answering her, he kissed her soft lips and lost in their kiss. Whatever things that Yao Ling wanted to say was also lost in their hot breath. They kissed without restraint and only the sound of their battling mouth was heard in the room.

    After feeling satisfied with their kiss, Yao Ying released her mouth and once again attacked her neck. He sucked and nipped on it, making Yao Ling shudder passionately. "Ying..." Yao Ling couldn¡¯t hold back her soft moan.

    Yao Ying loved the way she called his name breathlessly. It made him grow hard, wanting more. He knew if he continued to do this, he couldn¡¯t hold himself back. He decided to stop because they needed to talk about important things first. Yao Ying released her neck and satisfied with the red mark that he¡¯d just made and left right there.

    ¡¯She¡¯s mine...¡¯

    He smirked, knowing that his innocent little wife wouldn¡¯t know that he left a mark there. A gift for her, then.

    Yao Ling felt Yao Ying finally release her but she was feeling lost. She was too embarrassed to say that she¡¯d enjoyed it too much, not wanting to end it this quickly. However, she bit her own lips to stop her protest. She justid on top of him, still feeling weak.

    She punched his breast softly and pouted. "How could you?" She didn¡¯t know what she was protesting about. Because he teased her? Because he stopped just like that? Or because he made her lost her mind? That was why she could only ask how could you.

    Yao Yingughed and kissed the top of her head. "What? Didn¡¯t you also enjoy it just now? Why are you feeling so embarrassed now? Don¡¯t be shy, Wife." He cooed at her.

    "..."

    Yao Ling was speechless. Since when Yao Ying became this shameless? She could feel herself blushing. She hid in his embrace and that only made Yao Yingugh more.

    "Okay... Okay... We have to talk about our n now." Yao Ling became serious.

 Chapter 49 Do You Think They Can Be Trusted?

    Yao Ling nodded. "I have a bad feeling about all of this. Do we involve ourselves in something dangerous?"

    "I¡¯m not too sure myself. We are in the open and the enemy is in the dark, so we are at a disadvantage position."

    "You are correct. So tell me more about your n."

    "Previously, I have a thought to build my own power. I need people that we can trust. For example, shadow guard to protect us, also servants and maids that had martial art skills. I also want to build informationwork," Yao Ying exined the bigger picture. He knew the n was very grant and it was hard to fulfill in one go. They needed to find the people first and then personally trained them. This couldn¡¯t be done in a short amount of time. They also needed preparation.

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. She also agreed with his n. "That¡¯s a sound n, but to be able to do that... we need a lot of resources. To have our own people to hide in the dark, we can¡¯t rely on ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. We have to do it ourselves. We don¡¯t have much money, to begin with."

    "That¡¯s our main problem. We have to umte enough money and then we can start buying people in the ve market."

    "Husband... do you think Xiu and Xiao Yu can be trusted?" Yao Ling asked the question that kept bugging her mind. Everything could be done a lot easier if they could have all the helpers that avable.

    Yao Ying was surprised with the sudden question, but he also understood Yao Ling¡¯s concern. Everyone that couldn¡¯t be trusted should be removed. If they were really spies, then letting them stay beside them was very dangerous. "They both are kind people. They can be trusted or not, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s a hard question."

    "Both of them were given to us by ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ management. I¡¯m afraid our enemies could be inside this household and they nted spies here. Our courtyard is small and only a few people are here, so the others can also be the spies."

    Indeed. Beside Xiu and Xiao Yu, there were eight more people in their courtyard. Two maids for cleaning their room, four maids for cleaning the garden, and two servants for doing odd jobs. Any of them could be the spies.

    "What should we do?" Yao Ling asked nervously. The feeling of having spies in their courtyard didn¡¯t sit well for her. It made her feel ufortable.

    "We need to let them be for now. We are not powerful enough to remove them. Besides, if we don¡¯t have a strong foothold here, they will send us other spies once we remove their spies. It¡¯s not a good solution."

    "You are right," Yao Ling sighed in disappointment. "Maybe we should test them in order to know which one of them is the spy. How is that sound?"

    Yao Ying smirked. "That¡¯s the same solution that I came up with." Yao Ying described the n to Yao Ling, in which she agreed with.

    "That¡¯s a good n! Should we do it tomorrow?" Yao Ling asked in excitement.

    "The sooner the better." Yao Ying smiled. If they took longer, they couldn¡¯t defend themselves from the spies. "We can think about saving up money and buying more peopleter. Defending ourselves is our first step."

    "That¡¯s true." Yao Ling nodded in agreement. Then, she sighed, "I just hope that we can trust Xiu and Xiao Yu. I like them both."

    "I know." Although they were only together for a few days, they were already quite close. If any of the two of them were a spy, it could hurt them both. "We have to prepare ourselves though. Anything could happen." Yao Ying lifted up Yao Ling¡¯s chin and looked at her deeply, "Prepare your heart."

    "I will."

    Yao Ying could see her dimmed eyes, but they had to face this sooner orter. Xiu and Xiao Yu might not be the spies, however, they needed to make sure first. He just hoped their closest attendants wouldn¡¯t betray them and make his wife feel sad.

    "Now... where were we?" Yao Ying asked mischievously.

    "What do you..." Before Yao Ling could muffle thest word, her lips were sealed by Yao Ying once again. ¡¯Oh... this is what he means,¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. She felt like she became as pervert as Yao Ying. How she enjoyed his kisses and everything that followed after.

    That night they didn¡¯t do much ¨C except kissing. Her husband fell asleep in the middle of their heated kisses. She looked at her sleeping husband in disbelief. How could he fall asleep in such condition? She poked his cheek a few times and there was no movement from him. Yao Ling pouted.

    She turned around andid back beside Yao Ying. She sighed in content. Yao Ling understood that Yao Ying was too tired because of General Lin¡¯s heavy training. Therefore, she couldn¡¯t me him. She took the initiative to hug his husband and fell asleep in a few seconds.

    She felt blissful. This marriage seemed to be more real for her.

    ***

    The next day, Yao Ling woke up earlier. She wanted to send Yao Ying away every morning. While helping him wear his clothes, Yao Ling asked him, "Are we really going to start our n today?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "Yes. Be careful and don¡¯t make a mistake!"

    Yao Ling nodded. "I know. You should be careful too. I¡¯m afraid they will follow you again today."

    Yao Ying smiled. "Don¡¯t worry! They are not going to touch me this soon." After saying that, Yao Ying still could see the worry in her eyes. He tried to appease her, "I promise I will be careful." Hearing his promise, Yao Ling felt slightly better. She didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to underestimate the enemies or it would bring their downfall.

    Before leaving, Yao Ying gave a peck on her lips and it made her slightly blush. Yao Ying enjoyed her bashful expression. He couldn¡¯t believe this woman was the same woman who replied his kiss passionately every night. He loved it though.

    He looked down at her neck and smiled in satisfaction. She didn¡¯t even realize there was a mark there, so she didn¡¯t cover it up. ¡¯Good!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself, while smiling cheekily too himself.

    If Yao Ling heard her husband¡¯s thought, she probably would die in embarrassment.

 Chapter 50 The Beginning of The Plan

    Yao Ling started the day as usual. After visiting the matriarch and Madam Wang for morning greeting, she started her lesson with Zhang Mo Mo. Her assumption was correct, as long as she made the matriarch happy, she would be okay. Zhang Mo Mo didn¡¯t make it difficult for her because of yesterday¡¯s matter. No punishment. She just reminded her to behave more like a nobledy.

    She pursed her lips. ¡¯Well... I am not actually noble. I still love running around andughing merrily. If this kind of things couldn¡¯t be done, then I¡¯d be crazy in no time.¡¯ Luckily, the matriarch was still kind and sensible. She didn¡¯t demand excessive request regarding her behavior. So, this lesson was still bearable to her. She could implement this lesson when she met important people one day.

    That was why she took the lesson seriously. She didn¡¯t know that her willingness to learn diligently would help her a lot in the future. This was the best decision that she¡¯d made.

    She ended the lesson with Zhang Mo Mo¡¯s praise, making Yao Ling sigh in relief. After this lesson was finished, she nned to ask the matriarch to let her learn other things. That could wait, but she needed to start working on their n.

    She found something weird though. Everyone was looking at her differently. They looked at their neck and blushed, but no one said anything.

    "Xiao Yu... is there something wrong with me?"

    Xiao Yu concentrated her gaze on her young mistress neck and blushed at the same time. She didn¡¯t know how to tell her young mistress. It was so embarrassing for her. She closed her eyes and slowly pointed at her neck, "There is something on Young Mistress¡¯ neck."

    Yao Ling was confused, but she went to look for a shiny object to see her reflection. A maid was passing by with a big basin with no water in it. She called the maid, "Let me borrow the basin."

    The maid quickly gave it to her and also blushed looking at Yao Ling¡¯s neck. When Yao Ling saw her reaction, she knew something was wrong. She quickly see her reflection and found a red love mark on her neck. She felt like fainting in embarrassment. Did she show it to public all morning? She felt like strangling Yao Ying for humiliating her like this! He didn¡¯t even tell her!

    She quickly cover it up with her cor. Yao Ling red at Xiao Yu, "Why didn¡¯t you tell me?"

    "Young Mistress.... pardon me, but I was too shy to say it out loud." Xiao Yu looked down guiltily.

    Yao Ling facepalmed herself and promised to punish her husband. "Watch yourself out, Husband!" She mumbled to herself.

    Yao Ling went out to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ just like usual, bringing Xiao Yu along with her. However, instead of going straight to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, she made another trip. Yao Ying convinced them that their follower wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to both of them. One, they had nothing on them. They just became a part of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ for a few days, so other people wouldn¡¯t know whether they were important enough for Wang Luo Hai. Kidnapping them in exchange for money was out of the question because of it.

    Two, they probably wanted to know their daily activities. If they were from ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯, there was a probability they wanted to know whether they did things behind their back. Three, someone wanted to find their weakness, so they could get rid of them from ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. Four, if it was Wang Luo Hai¡¯s enemy, then this was their blind spot. They didn¡¯t know who they were, because no one would tell them. They should just pretend they knew nothing, so they wouldn¡¯t attract their attention. If they were targeted, they were sure Wang Luo Hai would tell them at that time.

    In conclusion, they wouldn¡¯t do anything to them ¨C except observing. This calmed Yao Ling down a lot. She smiled to herself, they wanted to know what she was doing, then she would just let them know. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be interesting.

    Xiao Yu was following obediently when she realized that they didn¡¯t go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. "Young mistress, where are we going?" She asked in confusion.

    "Just walking around. Enjoying the scenery." Yao Lingughed leisurely. She needed to look around, familiarizing herself with this city.

    "Is it okay for beingte?" Xiao Yu didn¡¯t know whether her young mistress already asked permission from Master.

    "Don¡¯t worry! Father won¡¯t mind," Yao Ling answered. She didn¡¯t ask for permission, because as his daughter, only walking around for a bit should be allowed, right? She wasn¡¯t a prisoner. "I just want to stroll around. Nothing will happen." Yao Ling understood Xiao Yu¡¯s concern.

    Hearing Yao Ling¡¯s reassurance, she felt better. She didn¡¯t mean anything with her question. She just wanted to remind Young Mistress that they should seek permission first, otherwise, if something happened to them, no one would know. At least, they weren¡¯t going too far.

    Yao Ling knew to fish out the spies, the only one who could do this was her. Especially, if the spies were from ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. It meant she had to face one of the women.

    "Xiao Yu, do you know everything in this city?"

    "Young Mistress, this servant rarely goes out. This servant¡¯s previous job was only odd jobs here and there. But, famous ces... This servant knows a bit because some other servants sometimes shared their stories." Xiao Yu felt she wasn¡¯t that helpful to her young mistress, but she really had not that much knowledge about it.

    Yao Ling smiled and tapped Xiao Yu¡¯s forehead softly. "You ah~ Why are you so sad? Knowing a little bit is already good enough. When we pass by ces that you¡¯ve heard, you can just let me know."

    Xiao Yu smiled at that, "This servant will do as you wish, Young Mistress."

    "Xiao Yu, you said before following me, you did odd jobs. What kind of jobs?" Yao Ling decided to ask without beating around the bush. If she lied, she could probably detect it.

    "This servant was usually in charge of cleaning the outer yard of the matriarch¡¯s courtyard. Beside that, this servant followed Zhang Mo Mo¡¯s instruction while doing general things. For example, preparing tea for the matriarch, cleaning some other ces that the other maids needed help with." Xiao Yu recounted her jobs one by one. Judging from it, Xiao Yu wasn¡¯t supposed to be in close contact with the concubines.

    Yao Lingughed. "No wonder you were badly sweating when I ran away from Zhang Mo Mo yesterday."

    "Yes! She¡¯s very strict. Her punishment was also tiring. For example, fetching water from the well to fill in a few tubs by myself or cutting woods. Mostly heavybors." Xiao Yu shuddered at her memories. "However, she¡¯s also kind. If we didn¡¯t make mistakes, of course, she wouldn¡¯t deliberately punish us ¨C lower servants."

    "That¡¯s good to know that she¡¯s not abusing her power."

    "Yes. Zhang Mo Mo is indeed strict, but she¡¯s nice as well."

    "Then, howe you were given to me as my personal servant?" Yao Ling asked the final question that she really wanted to know. She deliberately asked a lot of questions in this light atmosphere so Xiao Yu wouldn¡¯t feel suspicious with those series of questions.

    "Hmm... This servant is not too sure myself. The one who told this servant about it was Zhang Mo Mo. So... it was probably by the matriarch¡¯s order." Xiao Yu looked genuinely confused as well. She looked as though she had never thought about this thing before.

    "This servant didn¡¯t think much because actually, this servant was too happy," Xiao Yu shyly confessed her inner thought.

    Yao ling looked at Xiao Yu¡¯s blushing face in amusement. "Happy? Why?"

    "Bing a personal servant actually means that this servant rank moves up. So, this servant was happy when this servant got the news. At that time, this servant¡¯s only hope was to get a nice master," she admitted everything.

    "So... in the end... what do you think of this young mistress?" Yao Ling smirked, teasing Xiao Yu. This maid was really likable. She just hoped that Xiao Yu didn¡¯t deliberately mislead her with her cute and innocent side.

 Chapter 51 Xiao Yuâ€¦ A Spy or Not?

    Xiao Yu grinned widely. "Of course, Young Mistress is the best! Young Mistress never demands too many weird things and never mistreats this servant. However, Young Mistress should let this servant serve you more! If Young Mistress was too independent, then there would be no job left for this servant to do." By the end of her sentences, Xiao Yu was already pouting.

    Yao Ling looked at her helplessly. "It¡¯s hard not to be independent. I used to do everything by myself. Look! Even my hands aren¡¯t as pretty and smooth as otherdies." Yao Ling showed both of her hands to Xiao Yu without a shame. Her hands were a bit rough, but it didn¡¯t mean she should be embarrassed because of it.

    Xiao Yu was admiring her young mistress. Her young mistress had a lot of good traits. One thing for sure, she didn¡¯t feel ashamed with her background at all! If poor persons suddenly became rich, generally they would taunt their new wealth and cover up their past. Their past usually deemed as an embarrassment and a taint to their new status. However, her young mistress was the opposite of that narrow-minded view.

    Her young mistress never covered up her past and she almost proudly told her previous life stories. She didn¡¯t even feel ashamed with her rough hands. In her point of view, her young mistress treated her more like a friend than a subordinate.

    "Young Mistress probably should try soaking your hands in rice water. It¡¯s really beneficial for skin," Xiao Yu gave a suggestion.

    "Then, you can prepare it for meter."

    "This servant will," Xiao Yu answered happily.

    "How about Xiu?" Yao Ling continued her questions.

    "What about him, Young Mistress?"

    "What was his job before serving Young Master?"

    "He served Master. He wasn¡¯t his personal servant, but he was serving in Master¡¯s inner circle. I think Master gave Xiu to Young Master because he¡¯s an honest person and can be trusted. Since Young Master is new in this household, he could give Young Master a few pointers to help Young Master adjusting with the household and environment faster." Xiao Yu exined.

    Yao Ling pondered to herself. ¡¯Does it mean Xiu can be trusted? Unless... he was given by Wang Luo Hai to pay attention to their movement? We won¡¯t do anything harmful to Wang Luo Hai, because we are in debt with his kindness. Then, having Xiu... isn¡¯t really harmful to them.¡¯ She should tell Yao Ying her thoughtter.

    Yao Ling could only sigh inwardly. This distrustfulness really made her head feel an ache. She wasn¡¯t good in this kind of battle, but she had to learn nheless. She had to adapt to her current environment. Well... well... After this, she would deliberately let Xiao Yu know her n. She just hoped Xiao Yu would keep this to herself. For the other servants, she would handle themter.

    "I see. Are you close with Xiu?" Yao Ling asked mischievously. She deliberately teased Xiao Yu.

    "Wha...what? No! How can Young Mistress get that conclusion?" Xiao Yu blushed in embarrassment.

    "You seem to think highly of Xiu."

    "I¡¯m just stating the truth! Beside... he¡¯d impregnated someone already," Xiao Yu mumbled thest part. Her face fell for a little bit, but Yao Ling managed to see it.

    "Impregnated someone?" Yao Ling asked in awe. Inside her mind, Xiu¡¯s face shed. That quiet man? Really? She didn¡¯t believe Xiu was someone like that.

    Xiao Yu gasped and closed her mouth with both of her hands. Did she just identally divulge Xiu¡¯s secret? She felt guilty all of a sudden. "Young... Young Mistress... seems to hear me wrong."

    "Really?" Yao Ling raised one of her eyebrows in disbelief. Her hearing was pretty good, so she didn¡¯t think that she¡¯d misheard herst sentence.

    "Really!" Xiao Yu said with a confident manner, trying to push down her guilty conscience.

    "Then... what did you say just now?" Yao Ling teased her. She knew that Xiao Yu was trying to protect Xiu, so she didn¡¯t mind her little white lie. She just loved seeing Xiao Yu¡¯s panicked expression.

    "I... I forget." That was the only answer that Xiao Yu could muster up. She knew Young Mistress caught onto her lie, but she could only say so. Inside her mind, she begged for Xiu¡¯s forgiveness. ¡¯I¡¯m sorry, Xiu. I didn¡¯t mean to sell you out.¡¯

    Yao Ling just shook her head and let her be. She could just ask Xiu directly or maybe ask Yao Yingter, so she didn¡¯t push Xiao Yu for an answer.

    They walked to the opposite side of ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. From ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯, they had to turn left if they wanted to go to the bustling main street where ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ proudly stood. Instead, Yao Ling chose to turn right. The small house that previously provided by Wang Luo Hai was also on the left side. She already knew what was around that side. It was nothing major. After the bustling main street, there was only a big bamboo garden which the road was splitting into one big path and several small paths.

    The big path led to the house of important nobles while the small path led to small houses ¨C including theirs. Yao Ying and she used to go around that path, so she knew everything there. That was why she preferred to go to the right side. She wanted to explore the unknown part of the city to her.

    "Xiao Yu, do you know what¡¯s on this street?" Yao Ling asked in advance.

    "There are several ces. The auction house, a gambling house, and that... kind of ce," Xiao Yu said thest part in a small voice. "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea if we go that part with just the two of us."

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. "That kind of ce? What kind of ce is that?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    Xiao Yu could feel her face reddening. How could she say out loud the name of the ce? That wasn¡¯t a good ce, especially for women. It¡¯s a Hua Lou [1] for God¡¯s sake!

    Yao Ling looked at Xiao Yu¡¯s blushing face in confusion. What kind of ce was that exactly?

    "If... if we pass by, Young Mistress will know. It¡¯s an inconvenience for this servant to say it out loud," Xiao Yu stuttered. "But... we can¡¯t go in there, okay?"

    Yao Ling nodded. Was that a scary ce? The more she thought about it, the more curious she became! ¡¯It looks like visiting this ceter is a must!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    [1]. Hua Lou is a brothel in ancient time.

 Chapter 52 Xiao Xia

    Yao Ling decided to go, but she agreed to Xiao Yu¡¯s term. The street was also bustling with small stalls ¨C almost the same with the left side street. However, the types of people were pretty different. The street where ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ belonged to was visited by a lot of merchants and nobles. Yes, there were lower ss people, but only a few of them. It was probably because it was a high-end street. While this side of the street was the opposite.

    Various kinds of people could be seen here. Rich, poor, schr, soldiers. When they just turned around, they only saw food and snack stalls ¨C for example, tanghulu and meat bun. It made Yao Ling swallow her saliva. The smell was very inviting and everything looked so delicious.

    "Xiao Yu, let¡¯s find something to eat!" Yao Ling felt like a little kid who was giddy and wanted to eat as many snacks as possible. She went to almost every stall and pointed at almost everything.

    "I want this!"

    "I want that!"

    Xiao Yu gaped at her young mistress. Yao Ling was usually calm and collected, sometimes adorable. However, she never saw her this hyper and greedy. She also ran around like a little child. She wanted everything! Luckily, they brought money with them. Xiao Yu also ran around following Yao Ling, while paying everything that she bought. Xiao Yu almost couldn¡¯t keep up with her young mistress for a few times. She felt out of breath, but she didn¡¯t want to lower her young mistress¡¯ spirit. She could only shake her head and obediently follow hee young mistress.

    When Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t hold more things anymore, she whined, "Young Mistress, please stop buying more foods! Look at both of our hands! This servant had no space left in this servant¡¯s hands to bring more foods!"

    Yao Ling looked at both of their hands and realized that she had really gone overboard. She always loved eating stall foods, but previously she had no money. She could only drool. With ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ allowance, she had more money than ever. Thus, she decided to buy all the things that she couldn¡¯t buy before. But... looked like she really went overboard.

    Sheughed and said, "Opss... Sorry."She didn¡¯t feel guilty at all, but yes, she should stop buying things for now. Yao Ling was going to eat her tanghulu again when she saw a little girl looking at her tanghulu. The little girl was drooling cutely. The little girl¡¯s cloth was tattered in a few ces and it was in a poor condition. Her face was smudged with dirt here and there. In a nce, she knew that this little girl was a beggar.

    Yao Ling felt pity to the little girl and gave her the tanghulu. The little girl reminded her of her past self. When she saw the big smile on the little girl¡¯s face, she felt like crying. She missed her deceased mother. Although they didn¡¯t have that much money, she sometimes bought one for her. The cost? Her mother didn¡¯t eat anything for several days. Only when she was older that she knew about it. Since then, she lied to her mother that she hated tanghulu and never once ate it again. Until now. Her condition at thay time wasn¡¯t as severe as this little girl.

    Yao Ling looked around and found that this little girl seemed to be alone. "Are you alone?"

    The little girl nodded at her. "Yes. I¡¯m an orphan." After saying that, the little girl lowered her head sadly.

    "Where do you live?"

    The little girl hesitantly answered her. "It¡¯s a dirty ce. Prettydy, it¡¯s not a good ce for you to go."

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. Was the ce really that bad? Yao Ling decided to follow her gut and asked, "Why don¡¯t you take me there? Maybe I can help you."

    The little girl¡¯s eyes lit up. "Really? Are prettydy going to help us?"

    Yao Ling smiled, feeling happy that she could wash away the little girl¡¯s sadness ¨C even only for a while. Before she answered, she felt Xiao Yu tug her sleeves, "Young Mistress, I don¡¯t think that this is a good idea."

    "Why?"

    Xiao Yu felt like rolling her eyes but didn¡¯t dare to do so. The little girl already told them it was a dirty ce and it was certainly not a good ce for Young Mistress to go. The little girl could also be a bait of bad people. However, how could she say all this in front of the little girl?

    "It¡¯s an unsuitable ce for a nobledy such as yourself to go." Xiao Yu could only say that much, however, she could see the little girl¡¯s face fell. She felt guilty, but she had to think of her young mistress¡¯ safety.

    Yao Ling knew that what Xiao Yu said was making sense, but she really pitied the little girl. Besides, this was also aligned with her n. Was this a good thing for her to go? Or should she dy it first? She felt slightly hesitant. What choice should she make? However, she couldn¡¯t resist the little girl¡¯s sad expression.

    "It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m just going to take a look for a bit. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s going to be a problemter." She softly gazed at the little girl and said, "Lead the way, please."

    The little girl nodded happily. She knew her ce and didn¡¯t dare to go near the prettydy. She was dirty and she didn¡¯t want to rub her dirtiness to the prettydy.

    "What is your name, little girl?" Yao Ling didn¡¯t know how to call her, so she decided to ask her name.

    "This ve¡¯s name is Xiao Xia," the little girl answered meekly.

    "Xiao Xia... is your ce far?" Yao Ling hesitantly asked. Xiao Xia took them to her home, but the paths that were taken... quiteplicated. They passed through small alleys. The twist and turn made both Xiao Yu and her feel confused. It was hard to remember the way.

    She suddenly became not so sure anymore. Was this actually a trap? She removed her negative thought. There was no way this cute little girl would dare to do that. Therefore, she still followed her nheless.

    "No, Pretty Lady. We will soon arrive there," Xiao Xia turned around and grinned widely.

    "Can you send us backter?"

    Xiao Xia nodded happily. "Of course! The path is confusing, right? We don¡¯t live in a nice ce and we can only live in a secluded ce that was identally found. I have been living here sincest year."

    "Last year?"

    "En~ my parents diedst year and my auntie kicked me out of the house with nothing. I have nothing but myself! Luckily, Ning jie found me, otherwise, I¡¯d have died on the street." Xiao Xia exined.

    Yao Ling and Xiao Yu both pitied her. Their wary gaze softened and continued following Xiao Xia. When they walked along the confusing path, they didn¡¯t find any other person. The ce was deserted.

    "Why is there no one along the way?" Xiao Yu whispered in fear. "Young Mistress, do you think this is the right decision?"

 Chapter 53 Xiao Xiaâ€™s House

    Yao Ling could feel her whole body sweating in fright. Was she making a stupid decision? She prayed that this little girl wouldn¡¯t attempt to do bad things to both of them. Yao Ling tried to reassure Xiao Yu, "Nothing is going to happen."

    They watched Xiao Xia bouncing happily. Before Yao Ling could ask when they would arrive at their destination, they heard Xiao Xia said, "We¡¯ve arrived!" She jumped happily and pointed her house to show it to Yao Ling and Xiao Yu.

    The house was pretty big, but it was quite broke down. Everywhere was dirty and there were holes everywhere, even the roof was in bad condition. When it rained, it would certainly leak into the house. Thewn was unkempt and messy. There were several little children scattered here and there. They wore the same tatteted clothes as Xiao Xia and their faces were also smudged in dirt.

    Yao Ling felt sympathetic with their living condition. "I thought you live alone with your Ning jie." Yao Ling asked Xiao Xia with loving eyes. Somehow, she liked this little girl.

    "No. Ning jie isn¡¯t only saving me, but also my other sisters and brothers."

    "How old are you now?" Yao Ling asked out of curiosity.

    "I¡¯m six years old this year, Pretty Lady." Xiao Xia smiled happily while proudly showing off her age.

    Yao Ling felt lucky that nothing had happened. She should be more careful next time. She berated herself inside her mind, feeling stupid. If this were a trap, she would have been easily killed or kidnapped. Although her instinct was good, luck wouldn¡¯t always happen every time.

    Her gaze softened when looking at the old and broken house. So... Xiao Xia was five years old when she was bullied and kicked out from her house? Luckily, she was still a bright and cheery girl.

    After hearing their talk, several of the kids¡¯ curiosity was piqued and they went closer to the broken gate. At first, they held a certain vignt attitude, but when they saw Xiao Xia chatting happily with the strangers, they started to get rxed. They were in confusion though, why would Xiao Xia bring strangers here? Their minds were distracted when they saw the snacks that were held by both prettydies and Xiao Xia. They could feel their saliva started to drool, wanting to taste those heavenly-looking snacks.

    Yao Ling seemed to understand the meaning of their gaze. She smiled softly and asked, "Do you want these snacks?"

    The several hungry-looking children nodded excitedly. They were hoping that this deity would let them taste a little bit of heaven.

    Yao Ling grinned widely, tilted her head for a little bit and asked, "So... why don¡¯t youe and get it?"

    Hearing her positive answer, the children were swarming to Xiao Yu and her. She was a bit surprised with their aggressiveness, but she somehow understood. If it was the old her, she would do the exact same thing. She gave them one by one. Some got tanghulu and some got meat buns. Fortunately, she bought a lot and they were enough for the kids. She didn¡¯t think buying snacks like a lunatic just now was a blessing in disguise.

    "Can I meet your Ning jie?" Yao Ling asked Xiao Xia, while looking at the kids¡¯ grinning face. They were eating without restraint, making Yao Ling¡¯s heart feel a sudden burst of warmth in her heart. She was happy that she was able to put happiness on their dirty and sad little faces.

    Xiao Xia looked around and finally decided to ask another kid, "Xiao Li, where is Ning jie?" Then, Xiao Xia pointed at Yao Ling, "The prettydy wants to talk to her."

    The little boy called Xiao Li was slightly taller than Xiao Xia, probably two or three years older. His face wasmon and if he was blending with the crowd, probably no one would notice him. It was just an ordinary face in the crowd, and yes, he was that unnoticeable. He seemed to think for a while and answered, "Ning jie was gone since this morning. She is probably trying to get some funds for us. She didn¡¯t say when she would be back. So I don¡¯t know."

    Xiao Xia frowned. "I¡¯m sorry, prettydy. It seems Ning jie isn¡¯t avable." Xiao Xia felt a bit disappointed. She hoped that both of them could meet and this seemingly wealthydy could help Ning jie for a little bit. She felt ufortable because Ning jie had to lower herself to help them all and it wasn¡¯t even her job to start with.

    Yao Ling could see the disappointment in Xia Xia¡¯s eyes. She partly understood the current thought of the little girl. However, she couldn¡¯t stay here any longer. She needed to get back to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ as soon as possible. She knew her every move was being followed, so she would pretend that this ce was of no importance to her.

    Yao Ling patted Xiao Xia¡¯s head. "Don¡¯t worry. This sister will be back again tomorrow. Can you let your Ning jie know that I¡¯ll be back at the same time tomorrow?"

    Xiao Xia seemed happy with her answer. "This ve will tell Ning jie."

    "Can you take me back to the main road?"

    Xiao Xia nodded, but before she went, she talked to Xiao Li again. "Xiao Li, I¡¯ll take these two prettydies back to the main road."

    Xiao Li grunted and nodded in agreement. "I¡¯ll go with you." Xiao Li didn¡¯t talk much and stayed beside Xiao Xia all the time. He kept lingering beside Xiao Xi protectively and his eyes held a certain tenderness for the little girl.

    Yao Ling wanted tough at the cute affection in the little boy¡¯s aloof expression. "Xiao Li, have you been here longer than Xiao Xia?"

    Before Xiao Li could answer, Xiao Xia was the one who answered for him with excitement, "Xiao Li has been with Ning jie for two years ¨C longer than me. Xiao Li is the best ge ge that Xiao Xia¡¯s could ever have!"

    Yao Ling could see the disappointment in Xiao Li¡¯s eyes. She wanted tough at his expression but felt that it was inappropriate. The little guy was being brother-zoned by Xiao Xia. Poor him!

    Watching a lot of people¡¯s interactions for thest few months made her feel that she missed out a lot in her past. Her life was revolving only around her and her mother. Her mother never let her interact with too many people for an unknown reason and she didn¡¯t dare to disobey her. After that, the only one that came into her life was Yao Ying.

    When they left for the journey, she didn¡¯t realize they could build a new life with so many new people involved. Indeed, there were good people and bad people, but the experience that she got was beautiful in its own way. ¡¯Niang, Yao Ling is happy now. Please rest assured, I will cherish this life and live for your part too.¡¯ Although atst, she knew she wasn¡¯t her real birth mother, she still cherished Jiu Lan. After all, they lived as mother and daughter for so long and their feelings to each other were real.

 Chapter 54 Please Donâ€™t Let Me Down

    "Xiao Xia, I still don¡¯t remember how to get here. Do you mind if we meet again tomorrow at the same ce where we first met?" Yao Ling asked Xiao Xia, hoping that she would agree. Yao Ling just realized that she was actually very bad at remembering direction. She decided to ask this question because when she looked at Xiao Yu, she was just as confused as she was!

    Xiao Xia happily nodded. "Of course, I will. I¡¯ll also personally tell Ning jie."

    "Xiao Yu, give me my money pouch," Yao Ling gave an order to Xiao Yu.

    Xiao Yu gave it without another word. She understood what her young mistress was trying to do. Yao Ling gave the money pouch to Xiao Xia without counting how much inside. She knew it wasn¡¯t much, but at least, she could help the little girl and her families for a while.

    Xiao Xia looked at Yao Ling curiously, "Pretty Lady, what is this for?" She opened the pouch and gasped loudly. "This... this is too much!" A few chopper coins were already too much for them, but this prettydy gave them a few silver taels without batting eyshes. They needed the money, but Ning jie taught them not to take advantage of other people just because they were kind. They were orphans, but they weren¡¯t beggars. They had to preserve their heart. That was the thing that Ning jie emphasized every day and all the children didn¡¯t dare to forget about it.

    Xiao Xia tried to give it back to Yao Ling. Xiao Li who was quiet the whole time, snorted, "We aren¡¯t beggars." He disdained this prettydy who took Xiao Xia¡¯s attention and that was the reason of his unkind sentence.

    Xiao Xia red at Xiao Li, "Xiao Li ge ge, don¡¯t talk like that to Pretty Lady. Apologize! Or I will tell Ning jie your rudeness!"

    Xiao Li just turned his face away, but still followed what Xiao Xia said unhappily, "I¡¯m sorry, Pretty Lady." He just didn¡¯t want Xiao Xia to hate him and Ning jie to punish him, so he could only swallow his bitterness.

    Yao Ling felt likeughing. This little boy was really whipped. Instead of being angry by his rudeness, she found this little boy endearing. She waved her hands and grinned, "It¡¯s okay."

    At the same time, she said that she arrived at the main street. "Xiao Xia... keep the money and hid it inside your sleeves. Give it to your Ning jie. Tell her that this is just a token of appreciation for her. Thanking her for bringing up such a cute girl like you." Then she moved her gaze to Xiao Li, "You have to protect Xiao Xia. The way to your house is a bit too quiet. This kind of money could attract bad people if others knew."

    Xiao Li puffed up his breasts arrogantly and said, "Of course! I will keep Xiao Xia safe! Pretty Lady doesn¡¯t need to worry about it." Hmph! No one needed to mention it, protecting Xiao Xia was his duty. Yao Ling tried to hold back herughter, watching this little boy¡¯s cheeky expression.

    Xiao Xia heard the prettydy¡¯s reasons for giving the money to her. It was good enough exnation to give to Ning jie and she felt happy. She didn¡¯t feel that this was a charity. It is because the prettydy likes her! A child¡¯s mind was always simple, and with that, she kept the money. Xiao Li didn¡¯t say anything, because what Xiao Xia did was always right.

    Yao Ling knew that her exnation would have the desired effect. She just wanted to help, but she knew that these children had a proud bearing. This must be what that Ning jie taught them and it made her feel more curious about this mysterious woman. If she could take her under her wings, this would certainly help her a lot in the future.

    "Okay, then. Xiao Xia, you already promised. See you tomorrow." Yao Ling waved her hand and bade goodbye to them.

    "Bye, Pretty Lady. See you tomorrow." Xiao Xia excitedly bade goodbye, while Xiao Li only coolly nodded. After that, they turned around and went back to their house.

    "Young Mistress, why are you giving them so much money?" Xiao Yu asked in confusion. Yes, they needed help. But... they didn¡¯t even know this so-called Ning jie. What if the money was used for another purpose?

    Yao Ling decided to leak a bit of her n. This was actually not the n that Yao Ying had told her the previous night. But this chance meeting made her think of a new n. The other n could be put on hold. This n also could be used to test Xiao Yu.

    "I want to take them under my wings and this is just the first step of my n," Yao Ling said resolutely.

    ¡¯Xiao Yu... this is a test for you. Please don¡¯t let me down.¡¯

    Xiao Yu furrowed her eyebrows. "What n?"

    Yao Ling just smiled at her, "You will knowter." Yao Ling was certain any spy would give this news a thought and wouldn¡¯t dare to belittle it. If Xiao Yu were the spy, she would understand that this was an important piece of information for whoever her master was and would certainly leak this news to them.

    Xiao Yu didn¡¯t push anymore and only nodded her head, although she didn¡¯t understand what kind of n that had been cooked up by her young mistress. Judging from young mistress¡¯ words, she didn¡¯t want to let her know, so Xiao Yu didn¡¯t dare to ask any further.

    "Come on. We have to go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. It¡¯s alreadyte," Yao Ling nudged Xiao Yu, trying to make her go faster.

    Xiao Yuughed and said, "This servant already told Young Mistress that we would bete, if we went to Xiao Xia¡¯s house."

    Yao Ling just chuckled. "My bad..." She didn¡¯t think much about herteness. As long as she did her job well, she was certain that Wang Luo Hai would be fine with a little bit of tardiness. Worst case of scenario, she would only be yelled at.

 Chapter 55 â€˜Fu Rongâ€™ is in Trouble

    When Yao Ling arrived at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, Li Huan greeted her and brought her to the production room. It seemed there was a bit problem there. "What happened?" Yao Ling asked in distress. She just went away for a bit and a problem had urred.

    "Someone gave us the wrong patterns for a batch of orders. The deadline is tomorrow. Just now the customer wanted to take a look first, but she found out that it wasn¡¯t the pattern she had ordered previously. The customer almost fainted in anger, because they need it by tomorrow," Liu Han exined hurriedly. This might be the biggest case that ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ had ever gotten. The orders were quite big, and to solve it in a night span would be practically impossible.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. Wrong patterns? Was someone deliberately changing the patterns? If that was the case, it could be changed when the customer was on the way to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ or an insider changed it.

    "Whose order is this?"

    "This is an order for "Qin Fu¡¯. Tomorrow will be the birthday feast of their matriarch. The orders will be given to the customer as a token of appreciation for attending the party. For such a big event, if we fail to deliver the orders, it will affect our ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ name," Li Huan could feel himself sweating in fear. If this weren¡¯t such a big order, he wouldn¡¯t feel so scared.

    "Where is the customer?" Yao Ling asked briefly. She needed to handle the customer first.

    "Young Master is currently appeasing her upstairs," Li Huan answered. Young Master brought them upstairs, so themotion wouldn¡¯t cause havoc for ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ image to the other customers.

    This part... Yao Ling clearly understood. "Where is Father?"

    "Master is away at the moment. This servant also doesn¡¯t know where Master is," Li Huan answered.

    "Have you received the new pattern?"

    "Yes, this servant has already fetched it."

    "Did you get it from the customer directly or from ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯?"

    Li Huan was a bit confused with the young mistress¡¯ question. "From the customer."

    Yao Ling pondered for a while and then gave an order to Li Huan, "Go to ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ and find a confirmation there. I want to know which pattern is actually the real one."

    Li Huan seemed to understand her train of thought. Without asking another question, he quickly picked up both of the patterns and went out. This matter seemed rather fishy and he was relieved that Young Mistress was able to think matter thoroughly.

    Yao Ling felt that this matter wasn¡¯t as simple as it looked. She sighed in exhaustion and then walked up to the second floor. There was no door on the second floor, therefore, she could hear clearly what happened there.

    A woman¡¯s voice was floating to the stair. It was calmed and collected. The voice... was melodious. She could tell that the one who came was a young girl. Along with the soft melodious voice, there was a shrill voice that belonged to an older woman. The voice was annoying and she also threw a bunch of ugly words. ¡¯What a shrew!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    Yao Ling could also hear Yao Ying¡¯s calming voice, but she could also hear the frustration in his low voice. When she almost reached the top, she could hear a loud thump voice and a few shouting voices. She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling something bad had happened. She quickened her pace and surprised what she had seen.

    Yao Ying sprawled down with a young girl¡¯s body on top of him. If there were no Xiu and an olderdy at the side, it would lead to an ambiguous scene. She would have mistaken them for having amorous rendezvous. Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling in surprise. He felt guilty, even though it was only an ident. Yao Ying didn¡¯t want his wife to misunderstand, so he pushed away the young girl on top of him. The young girl fell disgracefully with a loud thud.

    Yao Ling looked at the scene with a raised eyebrow. She hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to punish him for the love bite and this man already needed her scolding once more. She said that she would let him go, IF... there was already a woman in his past. But she wouldn¡¯t let his husband ¨C his man- to find another girl while he was still in a rtionship with her.

    Yao Ying saw the unhappy expression at Yao Ling¡¯s face and could feel the drenching sweat on his back. "Wifey... you are finally here," he beamed at her and quickly came to her side. An ident or not, he knew that what had just happened was ugly to look at. He frowned at the old shrew, if it wasn¡¯t for her, the girl wouldn¡¯t fall on top of his body.

    "What happened?" Yao Ling asked calmly. She had already felt something fishy and this scene... whether it was deliberately or not, she would assume that it was a deliberate attempt that targeting them.

    "That girl was pushed by the old woman and she also pushed the young master down along with her. It was an ident, Young Mistress." Xiu quickly exined. He knew if the one who mentioned this was his young master, the young mistress might have not believed in him. The previous scene even made his young virgin mind embarrassed.

    Yao Ling looked unperturbed, although she wanted to tear that young girl apart. She didn¡¯t realize that she was such a possessive person and she could feel her jealousy swallow her, but she knew this wasn¡¯t the right time to throw a tantrum. She decided to scrutinize the young girl.

    The young girl was slightly older than her, probably only one year older. She was also slightly taller than her. This girl had a small face with two big does eyes. Her nose wasn¡¯t perfect ¨C a bit crooked to the right, but didn¡¯t look too awkward on hee face. She had small red lips. It could be said that she was quite a beauty.

    She paid no mind to the old woman behind the young girl. She looked like a personal maid, but her face looked like an old witch. No wonder that old wrinkly woman could behave like a shrew without a bit of politeness.

    "And who is this youngdy?" Yao Ling asked the youngdy¡¯s identity. She watched how the old woman helped the youngdy up. Her face was slightly pale and she had an expression of being wronged. Yao Lingughed coldly in her mind. She was the one who pushed down my husband and still had the decency to feel wronged. It was like they were all deliberately making things difficult for her. She felt this scene was a bit funny.

 Chapter 56 Bad Intention

    The old woman red at her. "Who are you? My mistress is ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ Young Lady. You should be polite to her!" She didn¡¯t even politely greet Yao Ling, but instead, behaved arrogantly.

    Yao Ling nced at the old woman, squinting her eyes in disdain. What made her so arrogant? She had heard about ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯. It was a second branch from one of the noble ns in the capital. Their main branch was at the same level with ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯, however, this one was only the second branch. She felt lucky she had heard about this from Zhang Mo Mo. She didn¡¯t only tell her etiquette, but also told her about the various noble families in Shu Kingdom ¨C just in case, she met one of them.

    "Ah... ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ Young Lady. How may I help you?" Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to start a fight, after all, they were ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ customers. Even though she was unsatisfied, she had to mask her feeling with a smile.

    The youngdy looked surprised with Yao Ling¡¯s calmness. She just saw the previous scene between her and this youngdy¡¯s husband, but she didn¡¯t even bat eyshes. Were they really a married couple? She answered with the face full of grievance and crocodile tears, "Ie here to check on ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ orders on the behalf of my grandmother. We gave the orders to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ because of your reputation, but howe you make such a big mistake?"

    Yao Ying felt a headache started to brew in his head. He hated this kind of woman the most. Her face was always full of grievance like she was the victim all the time, not to mention the tears that kept dripping on her face. However, a customer is still a customer. Customers are the king. He could do nothing about it. He had been trying to appease her for thest half shichen [1].

    The most annoying part was when she fell on top of him. He saw how the shrew old mo mo was actually pushing the girl on purpose. Did they think all the people in this world were stupid? Such a cheap trick was even used. Yao Ying just didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to have any misunderstanding.

    Yao Ying whispered to Yao Ling, "Please handle this matter for me! They are both very difficult person to deal with, especially the annoying low-quality acting."

    Although she was angry, Yao Ling also understood that it was an inconvenience for Yao Ying to handle this. Both of them seemed to have a bad intention and she didn¡¯t want them to ruin her marriage too. Yao Ling whispered back, "Just wait until tonight!"

    What Yao Ling meant was punishment but in Yao Ying¡¯s mind... it had a different meaning. He beamed at her, "I¡¯ll wait for it!" After saying that, he turned to the customers, "My wife will handle the rest." Without saying another word, he turned around and sat on his personal desk. He didn¡¯t leave, after all, he wanted to have fun and watch how his little wife would handle this case.

    Yao Ling could see hiszy attitude and it made her want to kick his feet. Did he see this trouble as some kind of enjoyment? She decided to pay him no mind and back at handling this matter. Just like what she had said, he should wait for his punishment tonight.

    Before Yao Ling could answer the youngdy¡¯s question, the old woman didn¡¯t seem to want to stop looking for trouble anytime soon. She appeared to hate the way Yao Ying behaved with his indifferent attitude, after his wife came. "You... You... You have to take responsibilities of my young miss!"

    Yao Ying -who was being pointed at- raised one of his eyebrows. "Oh... Why should I?"

    Yao Ling looked at both of the women¡¯s expression. One looked so bashful while gripping and twisting her handkerchief tightly. The other one was trying to have Yao Ying to take responsibilities with a smug expression. She looked at her husband face. His heavenly face looked so handsome with hiszy appearance. Indeed, he¡¯s very attractive. No wonder other women still tried to gain his attention and snatch him away from her.

    She furrowed her eyebrows. When and where did this youngdy see Yao Ying? This kind of admiration and n wouldn¡¯t be done in such a short of time. How annoying!

    The old woman answered Yao Ying with a loud voice, "You just touch my youngdy¡¯s body."

    Yao Ling understood that with her loud voice, this old woman wanted to find as many spectacles as possible to gain sympathy. She turned to Xiao Yu and whispered, "Go downstairs and prevent anyone to go upstairs. If the woman¡¯s voice is too loud and gains some attention, you should go and distract them!"

    Xiao Yu nodded in understanding and quickly went downstairs. Fortunately, the previous talking wasn¡¯t done in a loud voice. At downstairs, Xiao Yu could see some people seemed to hear thest part and it piqued their curiosity. She cleverly gave a signal to other shopkeepers. They quickly served each one of the curious customers and led them away from the stairs, then Xiao Yu decided to guard the stairs.

    Back to Yao Ying¡¯s office, the old woman still waited for Yao Ying¡¯s reply. However, the only expression she got from the young man was only indifference. She felt panicked. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen! Her youngdy was known to be quite a beauty and this young man was supposed to be entranced by her!

    She actually didn¡¯t like the idea of throwing her young miss to a man¡¯s arm. However, her young miss said that she had already set her heart to this young man. It was love at first sight and it became the wishful dream of her young miss¡¯ heart. If her young miss didn¡¯t beg and cry to her all the time, she wouldn¡¯t think of this n! She felt a headache because of it. This young man used to be only a peasant, why did her young miss regard him that highly?

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling could see the conflicted expression on the old woman¡¯s face. Yao Ying snickered and said, "How can you say that your youngdy was touched by me? She was the one who threw herself at me just now." Yao Ying knew that Xiao Yu already guarded the stairs, so he didn¡¯t want to give them any face. He just wanted to put them on their ce.

    The young girl¡¯s face paled. She didn¡¯t think that this beautiful man -who kept haunting her dream- wasn¡¯t charmed by her. She always proud of her look, but this time, she felt humiliated. She bit her lower lips in distress, "How can you say that, Yao Ying gong zi?" Then she turned to Yao Ling, "Mei mei, just now... didn¡¯t you also see how I was on top of him?"

    "Mei mei? Young Lady, I don¡¯t even know your name. We are not that familiar. How could you call me mei mei?" Yao Ling put a boundary between them. They weren¡¯t close to each other and yet... she tried to gain her pity. Was she crazy? Who would want to get closer with a fox who wanted to take her husband away? Tsk! She wasn¡¯t that nice.

    ***

    [1]. Half shichen is approximately one hour in modern time.

 Chapter 57 Want to Take Her Husband? Itâ€™s Not That Easy! 1

    The young girl looked at Yao Ling in hatred. However she also knew, if she wanted to be with Yao Ying gong zi, she would need Yao Ling¡¯s permission.She retracted her hateful gaze and changed it into a pitiful one in a heart beat . "How can you say that, Mei mei? Everyone in this room clearly saw it! Yao Ying gong zi has to receive me as one of his women, otherwise, it will affect Yao Ying gong zi¡¯s integrity. Of course, I¡¯d call you Mei mei."

    Yao Ling looked at the girl in front of her in a mixture between awe and disbelief. Was her brain made of fart? Her imagination ran too far away, making Yao Ling speechless. She turned her gaze to Yao Ling as if wanting to ask, ¡¯Where did you find this woman?¡¯

    Yao Ying felt wronged with her gaze. He didn¡¯t even know when he attracted this woman attention. He could only shake his head in despair. This woman really could bring trouble to his peaceful marriage. Besides, he already felt tired with his morning practice. This morning he didn¡¯t meet General Lin and Lin Jian, so he was practicing peacefully. However, after he arrived at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, he was weed with these troublemaker duos. It was so irritating!

    Yao Ling sternly said, "Just now... even my husband¡¯s personal servant said that your old mo mo pushed you. If you want to ask for responsibilities, then you can handle your old servant with punishment since she made you lose your face. Isn¡¯t that the correct action?"

    The old maid quickly said, "When did I push my youngdy? You all speak nonsense! I will blow this matter up!" The old maid said righteously like she didn¡¯t do something wrong. Then, she tried to run and go downstairs.

    Yao Ling gave Xiu a signal and Xiu nodded. He pulled back the old maid and held her tightly. The old maid was trying to break loose to no avail.

    "What.. what do you want to do?" The young girl asked, starting to realize the gravity of their situation.

    Yao Ling smiledzily at her, "Nothing much. I just want to know what both of you want to achieve. Trying to damage ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ image or my husband?" She went to Yao Ying and decided to fan the me a little bit. She sat down on Yao Ying¡¯sp without restraint. Besides, she already tired with the long walk to Xiao Xia¡¯s house. She put both of her arms on Yao Ying¡¯s neck, making theter feel baffled with the sudden public disy affection. However, he just sat without moving and enjoyed his little wife¡¯s movement.

    The young girl stuttered, "We... we didn¡¯t n on anything! We just want to check on my grandmother¡¯s orders. How can I know it will turn into this mess?"

    Yao Ling looked at the girl in contempt. "Okay then. I will finish the trouble one by one."

    The young girl started to smile bashfully again, thinking that she got the upper hand. She even started to talk in an arrogant way, "Told your lowly servant to release my maid!"

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s face were contorted in anger. They treated Xiu like he was their own and this arrogant girl was calling him lowly? Yao Ying finally talked in a disdain, "Who are you calling lowly?"

    Seeing the anger in Yao Ying¡¯s face, the young girl quickly lower her head and didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She didn¡¯t want her prince to hate her.

    Yao Ling saw her dejected look and felt likeughing. "Ying... do you want to take her as Concubine?" Yao Ling asked sweetly, but one of her hands pinched his back in rage.

    Yao Ying was jolting in pain, but he was good at masking his expression. He hugged his wife¡¯s waist and pinched theter for a payback. Yao Ling yelped and buried her head on the nape of his neck. In a fit of anger, she bit his neck, leaving a mark. She smiled triumphantly to herself. She repaid him and gave him a mark. Hmph!

    Yao Ying gritted his teeth, but still asked a question, "What¡¯s your name, Miss...?"

    The young girl happily answered, "This one calls Qin Xiu Ai."

    "Okay, Miss. My answer is no!" He brutally rejected the girl.

    The young girl¡¯s face that was full of hope previously became pale. Before she heard his answer, she saw how they were flirting with each other. And thest punch came when he said no.

    "Why? The young girl asked pitifully.

    "You are not good enough. I only need my wife," Yao Ying answered without care. Yao Ling smiled at his answer. ¡¯Now... that is my husband!¡¯

    Looking at the dejected face of her young miss, the old maid yelled in anger, "Who are you to reject my young miss? You are just a bastard that has a bit of good luck and bes a part of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯!" The old maid spat it out without realizing that she dug her own grave.

    Yao Ling was beyond angry! She didn¡¯t just jeer at her husband and she even dared to say those degrading things to him.

    "Fine! Then we will settle this here. In this room, only us know about this matter. What will happen if we say that your youngdy threw herself at my husband? I can go out now... then wailing loudly on the street, saying that ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ unmarrieddy was behaving like a fox and seducing my husband." Then, she added salt to the wound, "Say... who will want to propose to such ady?"

    Qin Xiu Ai and her servant maid paled. If the young miss¡¯s reputation was destroyed, the master would certainly beat her to death. Although her young miss was a concubine-born, she carried the weight of ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ name. Besides, they were currently in ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. She knew that other people would incline to believe in Yao Ling. After all, they were the one that hade here willingly.

    Qin Xiu Ai was enamored by Yao Ying¡¯s handsomeness but she wasn¡¯t stupid. Her father always put his face above of all. If she ruined their family reputation, she believed that he would even cut their father-daughter rtionship. His father already did it once and she knew he could do it again. She thought that obtaining Yao Ying would be easy. He was once a peasant so she thought he would be muddle-headed and stupid. She didn¡¯t know that the husband-wife pair was so smart.

 Chapter 58 Want to Take Her Husband? Itâ€™s Not That Easy! 2

    Qin Xiu Ai gritted her teeth in annoyance. "What do you want?"

    "Now... do you still want to covet my husband?" Yao Ling asked smugly.

    Qin Xiu Ai could only answer full of unwillingness, "This one doesn¡¯t dare."

    Yao Ling was satisfied with her answer. "Now... the second question, do you want to damage ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ image?"

    Qin Xiu Ai was slightly paler than before. It was like there was no blood running through her veins. Was her scheme so easy to be seen through like this? She just needed reasons to meet with Yao Ying and this order was a perfect reason.

    "No... No... We are not trying to damage ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯," she denied.

    The old shrew was long afraid and didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. Everything was in ruin. She thought a vige girl would be easy to be deceived. She had the same thought with her young miss. ¡¯This Yao Ling girl is very smart and they had lost to her.¡¯

    Actually, it wasn¡¯t that Yao Ling was that smart. She just arrived at "Fu Rong¡¯ at the right time. If she were a tad bitte, this matter would have already been blown up by these two clowns. Yao Ling also felt this matter was a bit fishy because she had been on guardtely. It seemed... it was due to her luck that she was able to prevent these two people¡¯s charade.

    "Wait here," Yao ling told them to stay there.

    She slowly went down and asked Xiao Yu, "Does Li Huan alreadye back?"

    Xiao Yu opened her mouth and she was going to answer her question. But before any words coulde out, they heard Li Huan¡¯s voice from behind them. Both of them turned to the source of the voice.

    Li Huan looked at her excitedly and said, "Young Mistress, you are so clever!"

    "How is the result?" Yao Ling slightly smiled at his enthusiasm.

    "The correct design is actually the previous one. That customer is only looking for trouble," Li Huan exined.

    "Did you say anything to them?"

    "No. This servant didn¡¯t tell them about someone bringing us a new design. I forgot because I was too excited." Li Huan looked down in embarrassment.

    "Good!"

    Li Huan looked at Yao Ling in confusion. "Good? Howe it is good?"

    Yao Ling justughed and answered him, "Ask Xiao Yu! She will exin it to you." Then, she turned to Xiao Yu, "Guard the stairs just like before!"

    "Yes, Young Mistress."

    Yao Ling left them downstairs and went up to the second level by herself. All of them were still in the same exact position as previously. Yao Ying leisurely sat on his seat, Xiu was holding the old maid tightly, and Qin Xiu Ai was standing while wriggling her handkerchief in distress.

    Yao Ying beamed at her. "Dear... you are back."

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes. She had just gone for a while and this man weed her like she had been gone for a long time. She could only answer, "En."

    Yao Ling turned to the young girl and asked, "I already ordered my subordinate to go to your household. Guess what I¡¯ve found out?"

    Qin Xiu Ai felt like fainting in fear. It was over. Everything was over. Their n was just using the wrong pattern as bait. Later, if she could gain Yao Ying¡¯s affection, then they were sure the matter would be dropped. It seemed like she thought too highly of herself. The current Yao Ying didn¡¯t even spare a nce at her.

    However, she had to deny until the end, "What... what did you find?"

    Yao Ling looked at her with an eerie smile, making Qin Xiu Ai shudder in fear. This Yao Ling wasn¡¯t easy to bully ah~. Having her as the main wife would probably be a bad idea. It was better if she removed the thought to enter their household.

    "Do you want me to go to your house and tell your grandmother about it?" Yao Ling asked smugly. "Or we end it up here and you end up your infatuation to my husband. No more tricks or I will go to your household and wreak havoc!"

    Yao Ling looked so domineering and it made Yao Ying look at her in a different light. Was his little wife jealous? His eyes were twinkling with happiness and his tiredness was gone in a second. He couldn¡¯t wait for her surprise tonight. His domineering wife looked so sexy in his eyes.

    Yao Ling saw that Qin Xiu Ai was scared shitless, but she still didn¡¯t answer her. Yao Ling became more and more impatient. "I will count to three. If you still don¡¯t give me an answer, I will send the evidence to ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯. Not only that... I will also run and cry on the street and let all people know how you tried to seduce my beloved husband." Yao Ling threatened her with a glint in her eyes.

    "One..."

    "Two..."

    Qin Xiu Ai knew it was time to let go, otherwise, even her future would be ruined. She looked at her nanny and she could also see the pleading eyes. Although she knew her nanny had a rough bearing, she was the one who loved her the most. She couldn¡¯t bear to sacrifice her. Qin Xiu Ai closed her eyes for a little while, and after opening them once more, her demeanor changed. Her face became calmer and her eyes became sharper.

    "I will end it here. I promise I won¡¯t covet your husband ever again," Qin Xiu Ai finally gave her promise.

    "How about ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯?" Yao Ling asked again.

    "I didn¡¯t mean to tarnish the image. I thought I could let the matter rest after..." She trailed off, feeling too embarrassed to say her previous thought. She knew that the couple would understand what she meant and she didn¡¯t need to say it out loud.

    "Then... we are good. ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ will send the real orders tomorrow and we will never mention this matter ever again." Yao Ling promised them, however, she added, "Unless... you break the agreement."

    Qin Xiu Ai could only nod. What else could she say? She was totally lost to the younger woman in front of her. She could only ept her defeat, and judging from her nanny¡¯s signal, she ordered her to stop digging her own grave. Otherwise, she would lose everything.

 Chapter 59 Want to Take Her Husband? Itâ€™s Not That Easy! 3

    "Xiu, release the old servant," Yao Ling gave an order to Xiu. Xiu quickly released the old servant without any dy. His face showed the disgust that he felt when he held that old servant.

    Qin Xiu Ai quickly went to her nanny and hugged her. Without another word, she helped the nanny up and went out. She didn¡¯t want to stay any longer and just gave a curt nod to Yao Ying and Yao Ling. Her pride didn¡¯t let her bend down to another, even though she was currently suffering a defeat.

    Yao Ling never cared about those fake etiquettes; it was better if she was quickly gone. After watching those annoying master and servant pair¡¯s performance, she released a heavy sigh - feeling tired all of a sudden. The event just now really drained her mind.

    Yao Ling pouted to herself. She didn¡¯t even have the chance to enjoy the forbidden ce that Xiao Yu had mentioned before and entertain herself there.

    Yao Ling saw Yao Ying was still leisurely sitting down without a care. A silly smile was decorating his face, making her feel more and more annoyed. "What?" Yao Ling snarled at Yao Ying. She hadn¡¯t gotten her revenge for the event just now, and yet, he still dared tough?!

    Yao Ying finally decided to move by standing up. He went to Yao Ling ¨C still with his wolfish smile ¨C and hugged her waist intimately.

    Xiu could feel his cheek starting to be hotter. Without another word, he went out without making any sound. ¡¯Master ah~ This servant is still a virgin ah~ If you behave intimately like that, this servant¡¯s nose will bleed!¡¯ With that thought in mind, he moved as fast as he could until he reached the first floor.

    Xiao Yu was still guarding the stairs. She looked at Xiu¡¯s reddening cheeks and asked in confusion, "Why are you in such a hurry? And blushing too?"

    Xiu cleared his throat in embarrassment. "No... nothing."

    Xiao Yu felt that her job for guarding the stairs had finished and she needed to go back to her young mistress. She turned around, but before she could ce one of her feet to the stairs, she was being held back by Xiu¡¯s words.

    "What are you doing?" Xiao Yu asked in annoyance.

    "Don¡¯t go up there!"

    "Why? I need to go to Young Mistress ¨C just in case she needs my help!"

    "You can¡¯t! I¡¯m pretty sure they will be angry if you bother them now!"

    Xiao Yu furrowed her eyebrows. "What are they doing exactly?"

    "You know... that..." Xiu stuttered.

    "That... what?" Xiao Yu looked at him in confusion. Why did Xiu look so agitated? What kind of things both of their masters did that could make such a reaction from Xiu?

    "That... that..." Xiu didn¡¯t know how to exin. He sighed and finally decided to whisper it to Xiao Yu, "Intimate thing!"

    Xiao Yu could feel her own jaw dropped. Wha ---- what?! "Are you serious? In the middle of the day?" Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t help but blush. Her gossipy nature wanted toe out, but she reminded herself... the ones that did it was her masters ah~ She wasn¡¯t bold enough to gossip about them. She still needed to hold onto their golden thighs! [1] But... but... this was a juicy gossip ah~.

    Xiu still remembered their amorous position and nodded. He couldn¡¯t help but blush, even the tip of his ears was reddening as well. Xiao Yu looked at him scrutinizingly and asked, "You already impregnated a woman. Why are you blushing like a maiden?"

    Xiu looked at Xiao Yu in bewilderment. "What? What are you talking about? I never impregnated a woman!" Xiu almost shouted thest part. This kind of unbelievable gossip would cost him his name and honor! He felt like throwing up blood after hearing how she had ndered his name.

    "Are you sure?" Xiao Yu squinted her eyes in disbelief. If that wasn¡¯t true, then why did he ask such questions?

    "Of course I¡¯m sure. I¡¯ve never kissed a girl before and now... you expect me to impregnate someone? Are you crazy?!" Xiu felt like he wanted to knock some sense into this woman. Which part of him that made him look like a pervert?

    Xiao Yu mumbled guiltily. "Who told you to ask about pregnancy?"

    "I already told you! It was M-Y F-R-I-E-N-D!" Xiu even emphasized thest part in anger. "Not me!" He waved both of his hands in frustration. He couldn¡¯t believe how dense this woman was.

    Xiao Yu smiled guiltily at him. "I¡¯m sorry, then..." She pondered for a while, before attacking him with the next question, "Are you a virgin then?"

    "..."

    Xiu could feel her jaw dropped. He was speechless. How could this woman easily talk about his virginity? He looked at her full of resentment.

    Xiao Yu cracked up, looking at Xiu¡¯s expression. She usually wasn¡¯t a brazen girl, but she somehow just loved to tease Xiu. Even though there was a pretty big scar on his face, his shy face looked so cute in her eyes. She started to believe in his innocence after looking at his angry face. His change of expressions was quite fun to look at.

    Xiu finally realized that Xiao Yu was only teasing him. He shut his mouth and didn¡¯t feel like talking anymore. He wasn¡¯t a man of many words, but this Xiao Yu always made him talk too much. Maybe he should distance himself from her. After a second thought, that was impossible. They served the same couple and they bound to meet every day. Tsk! What a tough luck!

    Xiao Yu noted his childishness and it made her want tough more, however, she held herself back. Otherwise, Xiu would probably kill herter. She wasn¡¯t sure though whether Xiu knew about all the gossip behind him. She didn¡¯t know how he would act if he found out. Maybe there would be a good showter. She was going to wait for the day Xiu threw a tantrum came.

    The scene was pretty funny to look at though. Xiu was pouting like a little kid. He turned his face away from Xiao Yu while crossing both of his arms. On the other hand, Xiao Yu kept peeking at Xiu. She had already tried her hardest to hold back her amusement, but a trace ofughter still could be seen in her eyes. She didn¡¯t realize that the way she kept peeking at Xiu was too obvious and Xiu had noticed it. It made him feel more embarrassed and blushed.

    Xiu couldn¡¯t help but think. He was a man, and yet, he was reduced as an amusement for this annoying girl. He med all of this to his young master. If there was no ridiculous order from him, he didn¡¯t have to ask around. If he didn¡¯t ask around, there would be no misunderstanding. If there was no misunderstanding, Xiao Yu wouldn¡¯t have the gut to mock him. It was all because of him!!!

    However... he didn¡¯t dare toin. He was only a pitiful servant ah~

    ***

    [1]. Hold onto their golden thighs means to cling onto a rich or powerful person for support, usually used in a joking manner.

 Chapter 60 Want to Take Her Husband? Itâ€™s Not That Easy! 4

    While Xiu and Xiao Yu were on the silly cold war, back at the second floor, the two amorous couple was still in apromising position. Yao Ying looked down at his wife, while he was still hugging her slim waist. It felt so right andfortable for him -- she fitted perfectly to him. The silly smile was still pasted on his handsome face.

    He talked in a low hoarse voice, "I never know that my wife is this valiant!"

    Yao Ling raised one of her eyebrows, "Valiant? What do you mean?"

    "Don¡¯t you know? You appeared really domineering just now. Your jealousy makes me really happy," Yao Ying smirked. Indeed.. it meant that she cared about him.

    Yao Ling pursed her lips in annoyance. "You are my husband! Another girl was coveting you and do you think I should only look dumbly at her? Without doing anything? Hah! That¡¯s crazy! Want to take my husband? It¡¯s not that easy!" Her promise was to let him go IF he had someone before her. But, after their marriage? There was no way she would let him take in new concubines.

    After thinking about it more, Yao Ling decided to warn him in advance, "Don¡¯t you dare take in a new concubine! Or else... I will castrate you, do you hear me?" She threatened him.

    Yao Ying was in between dumbfounded and startled. Did she just threaten to cut his manhood? If it were a normal man, he would be angered to the point of bursting. However, he was Yao Ying. He knew that he didn¡¯t really need any other girls. Ever since he got married, he realized that he had never taken a look at another girl. He wasn¡¯t sure why -- probably because he found another girl annoying.

    "Really? Are you that heartless? If my manhood was gone, how could we make babies then?" He asked jokingly.

    Yao Ling felt irritated with his joke. Why didn¡¯t he answer her directly? Would he really have the gut to receive another concubine? If yes, she should probably leave him first before she gave herself all to him.

    Before the leaving n was formed in her mind, Yao Ying halted her decision with his soft words, "Don¡¯t worry! I don¡¯t n to add more women to my household. Only you are already enough for me."

    Yao Ling smiled bashfully at his sweet words. She never thought that Yao Ying was such a romantic person. She was going to kiss him in happiness, however... before she sessfully nted a kiss on his cheek, she was doused with cold water by Yao Ying¡¯s next words.

    What he said could be counted as romantic at first if he didn¡¯t add the next part. "One woman is a headache for me already. If I add more, I will have to make them happy and feed them. That will add another burden for me." Then, he righteously added, "Yep. Only you is enough for me"

    "..."

    Yao Ling could only gape at his shamelessness. Did he think of her as a pet? Make her happy and feed her only? Yao Ling decided to bit his shoulder in anger, making him yelp in pain.

    "Ouch!"

    Although he felt the pain, he stillughed. "My darling wife is wilder than before. You know what? I love it though." He hugged her tighter and kissed her mouth wildly.

    Yao Ling wasn¡¯t ready and she could only sumb to his desire to kiss. Oh well... She was enjoying his hungry kiss. He licked her lips and bit her lips softly, trying to gain entrance for his roaming tongue. She was still a bit angry, so she yed around with him by evading his tongue. She tried to deny his entrance, but the hungry dog didn¡¯t let her get away with it.

    He bit her lips harder, making her open her mouth because of the slight pain. "Omph!" That was the only thing that she could mutter before her mouth was once again devoured by her ¡¯suddenly domineering¡¯ husband.

    Yao Ling felt the euphoria of the kiss and didn¡¯t want to lose to Yao Ying. She gave it all and managed to confront his lips with the same aggressiveness. With the rate of their kissing, Yao Ling knew she probably already mastered the art of kissing deliciously. Their intimacy was as far as kissing. Oh... and when she gave him satisfaction with her hand. On the other hand, he never went further than touching her back that made her whole body tingling.

    She started to feel dissatisfied with the one-way favoritism. When would he give her the same satisfaction? Oh my God! Since when did she be this muddle-headed? Every time he kissed her any reasonable thought flew out of her mind, making her feel like she was a damn pervert!

    In her jumble mumble state of mind, she bit Yao Ying¡¯s lips with a bit too much power. It earned a hiss from Yao Ying and she had a taste of his blood. Yao Ling released his mouth, feeling slightly guilty.

    "Does it hurt?"

    "Why did you bite me?" Yao Ying asked in slightly wronged tone.

    Yao Ling lowered her head in embarrassment. "An ident."

    "Are you sure that you aren¡¯t taking revenge?" Yao Ying squinted his eyes.

    "No... I already did that by marking your neck. I haven¡¯t counted how you left a mark on my neck, and yet... you dare to have a woman roaming around near you," Yao Ling whined.

    Yao Ying remembered how she had bitten his neck out of anger. Oh... she left a mark on him. His little wife could be this cute and possessive. His eyes were slightly darkened. He hadn¡¯t released his hold on his wife yet, but instead, he hugged her tighter. He lowered his head, wanting to taste her once again.

    However, his movement was stopped by the sudden voice of clearing throat. Yao Ying was surprised and released Yao Ling in a sh. The couple looked up and saw Wang Luo Hai stood beside the stairs with a silly grin on his face.

    "My children... I know I want a grandchild, however... this is still in a broad daylight. Please refrain from doing amorous activity in the office. I also work here. I don¡¯t want both of you doing it on my table," Wang Luo Hai said cheerfully. He didn¡¯t forget to wiggle his eyebrows yfully.

    The couple looked down in embarrassment. They forgot that they were still in ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. Both answered at the same time, "Yes, Father."

    Yao Ling scurried away in embarrassment while Yao Ying stayed and exined the whole fiasco just now. Wang Luo Hai nodded in understanding, "No wonder my office felt really hot just now. Something like that happened." Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help but blush. He could act domineering in private, but in the public, he still needed to maintain his face.

    Yao Ying red at Xiu who came upstairs along with Wang Luo Hai. Her burning gaze made Xiu shiver. It was like he was asking why he didn¡¯t tell him ahead of time that Wang Luo Hai came. Xiu felt really wronged.

    "Young Master ah~ He was the big master. Howe I stop him as a mere servant." Xiu felt like crying. Today is a really bad day for him.

 Chapter 61 His Punishmen

    That night, Yao Ling spoke about her day. She told him all of the ns regarding the orphans and how she nned to leak it to Xiao Yu. If nothing happened, then they could trust Xiao Yu. Yao Ying listened to her n carefully and finally agreed. He thought that it was a good n and felt satisfied.

    After done talking and nning, Yao Ying led Yao Ling to their bed with twinkling eyes. He wanted to sleep together with her with a little bit of heated amorous session. Yao Ling saw through his intention and squinted her eyes. ¡¯This pervert!¡¯ She thought to herself.

    She smiled bashfully and fluttered her eyshes, "Wait for me here. I¡¯ll prepare myself first." Yao Ying understood that he had already got the OK from Yao Ling, so he nodded eagerly.

    "Just go and quicklye back," he told her to hurry.

    Yao Ling turned around and smiled mischievously. ¡¯Just you wait and see, my beloved husband.¡¯

    "Xiao Yu...e in. Help me prepare myself!" Yao Ling called Xiao Yu.

    "Yes, Young Mistress." Xiao Yu, who waited in front of the room, quickly went in and helped her young mistress.

    Yao Ling tossed something to Xiao Yu and ordered her in a mischievous manner, "Help me put this on!"

    Xiao Yu looked at the thing on her hand, feeling bewildered. "What is this for, Young Mistress?"

    Yao Ling sneakily told her what it was for. After listening to her exnation, Xiao Yu felt more bewildered. "Young Mistress, are you sure you want to do this? Won¡¯t it feel... ufortable?"

    Yao Ling only answered with augh, "Hmmm... Let¡¯s see who is more ufortable! Me or him?" She felt likeughing while trying to guess what kind of face Yao Ying would see after he looked at her with this thing over her.

    Xiao Yu looked at her young mistress helplessly. Was this really necessary? They are a married couple for God¡¯s sake! Yao Ling stared at her perplexed maid and urged her, "Come on! Do it quickly! It¡¯s alreadyte. Don¡¯t you want to rest earlier?"

    "Yes, Young Mistress." Xiao Yu forgot her hesitancy and quickly did her job. Yao Ling taught her along the way... put it here... put it there... and Xiao Yu followed her guide perfectly.

    "It¡¯s done, Young Mistress. Do you want to see yourself in the mirror?" Xiao Yu offered.

    Yao Ling nodded and watched herself in the mirror. She nodded once again in satisfaction. "You did a good job. Go! You can leave us alone. I want to spend some alone time with my husband."

    Xiao Yu stared at her young mistress with twitched lips, but she still managed to say, "This servant will do as you wish, Young Mistress. This servant will leave you alone then." After that Xiao Yu left with an exasperated thought, ¡¯Young Mistress, what kind of alone time that you expect to happen with those things all over you?¡¯

    Xiao Yu just shook her head and let her be. That was her young mistress¡¯ business and she was in no position to stop her. What she wanted to see was the young master¡¯s expression when he saw her young mistress. Too bad... she couldn¡¯t see it. It was regretful, but just in case if something bad happened - for example, it made the young master angry... it was better that she didn¡¯t witness any of it.

    After Xiao Yu left, Yao Ling went back to where Yao Ying was - their bed. Yao Ling walked elegantly toward him. Yao Ying who heard the rustle of her movement looked up happily. However... he didn¡¯t expect that he would see such a ridiculous spectacle.

    "Wha... what are you wearing?" Yao Ying asked in disbelief.

    Yao Ying could only see Yao Ling¡¯s beautiful deep-ck eyes and her cute red lips... That was it. Other than that... her whole body was wrapped in bandages; it was made from linen fabric. She chose a white color and if he didn¡¯t know better, he would think that she was actually a ghost!

    Yao Ling looked at him smugly. ¡¯Let¡¯s see if you can leave any marks on my body again today.¡¯

    Yao Ying shook his head, feeling baffled. His wife¡¯s idea... was a bit strange. "Won¡¯t you feel hot in that garment?"

    Yao Ling just answered randomly, "Hot ah~ But it¡¯s better this way... You can¡¯t leave any marks on my body. This is your punishment for tonight. If you want to kiss me..." Yao Ling puckered up her soft lips and thenughed, "You can kiss me. I let my lips free, so you can go ahead and enjoy it."

    "..."

    Yao Ying was speechless. This punishment was rather... unique. Didn¡¯t she also feel stifled with those fabrics all over her? Was it really just because she didn¡¯t want him to leave obvious love bites? Yao Ying looked at her in defeat. With that kind of get up, how could he have the heart to kiss her?

    She looked so... unappetizing.

    Yao Ying could only sigh in a grievance. "Fine... I won¡¯t do anything to you. I promise! Are you still going to sleep like that?"

    Yao Ling looked at him suspiciously and she didn¡¯t really believe in his words, so she persisted in wearing the bandage. "I¡¯ll sleep like this tonight." Besides... it¡¯s hard to get out of this bandage without other people¡¯s help. She wasn¡¯t going to ask for Yao Ying¡¯s help, because if the bandages were opened, he could see her whole naked body. She was certain it would lead him to eat her! Her wolfish husband!

    Yao Ying just stared at her pitifully, but he also knew she had a stubborn streak in her. He decided to let her be. If it was getting really hot, he believed she would get out of it on her own ord. Where did she get this kind of stupid idea?

    His bewilderment soon changed into an amusement. He would like to see how long she could persist with this charade? Yao Ying went to sleep on his side andughed inwardly. The unappetizing wife suddenly became adorable in his eyes. With her being fun like this, it seemed that spending the rest of his life with her wouldn¡¯t be a boring feat.

    Yao Ling slowlyid down beside him cheerfully. She will get a good night sleep tonight.

    Yao Ying supported his head with one of his hands and looked at Yao Ling whileughing. "Are you sure you want to sleep like this? I can help you out and I promise I won¡¯t touch you tonight." Yao Ying offered his service genuinely. All sexy thought that he had previously was being wiped out by her horrendous appearance. After tonight, it will be seventy-five days left. One night without doing anything was fine for him, hence the offer.

    Too bad Yao Ling didn¡¯t believe in her husband¡¯s gentleman offer. "No. I will stay like this for tonight."

    Yao Ying justughed and then slept peacefully. If she wanted to sleep like that, then he would let her enjoy it. He wondered though... It was his punishment.... Or her own punishment? Her bandage looked really ufortable in his eyes, but well... he wasn¡¯t the one who would feel ufortable for the whole night.

    Indeed... it was ufortable. Yao Ling regretted her stupid n. However, what had been done couldn¡¯t be retracted. She could only grit her teeth and bear with it until the next day.

    While Yao Ying slept peacefully... she had to deal with the scorching night. Well... This was a great experience for her. No more bandaging her whole body ever again!

 Chapter 62 The Quicker You Go, The Faster You Come Back

    The next day, Yao Ling felt like dying from the heat. When she woke up, Yao Ying was long gone for his morning practice. On her left arm, Yao Ying wrote some words on her bandage, ¡¯Serve you right! Who told you to choose this stupid punishment and refuse to enjoy our night.¡¯ At the end of those sentences, he drew a sillyughing man. Yao Ling could only grit her teeth in annoyance. Hmpf! He still had the heart to tease her!

    "Xiao Yu..." She called Xiao Yu over with slightly hoarse voice due to her dry throat.

    Xiao Yu went in and gave a cup of water for her young mistress to drink. She watched her disheveled young mistress andughed inwardly. Herugh turned into a burst of full-blownughter after she saw what the young master had written on the bandage. She didn¡¯t dare to say out loud, but she indeed had the same thought. ¡¯Serve you right, Young Mistress!¡¯

    Yao Ling felt disgruntled with the way Xiao Yu behaved, but she knew this time... it was because of her own stupid idea. She let Xiao Yu serve her because she was actually too tired because of theck of sleep. She didn¡¯t have it easyst night. She could only toss and turn around ufortably for the whole night.

    She got this stupid idea because she remembered how she had helped her deceased mother taking care of some of her patients. She bandaged their wounds and she just changed the concept for a little bit. Okay... not a little bit. She went for the extreme way and she regretted it. Damn! She would never do that again.

    "Xiao Yu,ter... I will pretend that I am sick, that¡¯s why I need you to be my distraction here. Don¡¯t let anyonee inside my room, including all of the maids in the household. Can you do that?" She asked for Xiao Yu¡¯s help.

    Yao Ling cleverly leaked only a bit of her n yesterday and she didn¡¯t tell Xiao Yu what she would doter. It was better that way, besides she needed Xiao Yu¡¯s help to handle this side and also deflect others¡¯ attention from her. No one would pay attention if she were sick. She would be able to do everything more carefree this way.

    Xiao Yu furrowed her eyebrows. "Where are you going, Young Mistress?"

    "Just going to meet Xiao Xia. Yesterday, I already made a promise, right?"

    "Are you going out alone, Young Mistress?" Xiao Yu asked in distress.

    "Yes. I¡¯m going out alone."

    "No! Young Mistress, it¡¯s very dangerous! This servant can¡¯t let you go. If Master knows and something bad happens to you, this servant doesn¡¯t dare to think of the consequences. Please don¡¯t make it hard for this servant!" Xiao Yu begged Yao Ling to think twice before making such a crazy decision. Xiao Yu wasn¡¯t thinking about herself only, but also considering about her young mistress¡¯ safety. For a girl... going out alone... it wasn¡¯t only dangerous, but it could also ruin her reputation.

    Yao Ling could see that Xiao Yu was really worried about her safety. She tried to calm Xiao Yu, because it was really important for her to meet Xiao Xia¡¯s Ning jie. "Nothing will happen to me. Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll disguise myself in man¡¯s clothing. You just need to help me out by preventing someone from finding out the missing me."

    "But..."

    Before Xiao Yu could say anything else, Yao Ling cut her off, "There¡¯s no but! Listen to me, okay? I believe that you can do it."

    Xiao Yu could only bite her lower lips in distress. She knew that her young mistress wouldn¡¯t change her mind. She could only go along with her n, although she wasn¡¯t willing to. The fate of a servant ah~

    Yao Ling asked Xiao Yu to do her make up. She wanted to look paler than usual, so she would look like a sick person. Xiao Yu was quite good at doing it and it made Yao Ling satisfied with her make-up skill. She needed to make an appearance at breakfast, so she could ask permission for resting, dismiss her lesson with Zhang mo mo, and ask for a leave sick to Wang Luo Hai. She told the matriarch that she needed rest and the matriarch gave her permission easily. The matriarch also asked everyone to not bothering her and it worked for her convenience too.

    Xiao Yu felt better after hearing the matriarch¡¯s order. It would be easier for her if no one dared toe.

    When they went back to Yao Ling¡¯s courtyard, they tried to avoid the concubines. Whenever they saw one, they just went the other way. As to not arouse anyone¡¯s suspicion, Yao Ling pretended to be sick and weak along the way.

    After they arrived at her courtyard, Yao Ling weakly gave an order to the other maids, "No one is allowed to bother my rest. Let Xiao Yu clean my room. I only need her assistance." The other maids murmured their agreement. They saw Yao Ling¡¯s weak appearance and they were convinced that she was really sick.

    After rying her orders, Yao Ling and Xiao Yu went inside her room. Yao Ling quickly changed her clothes into Yao Ying¡¯s old clothes. It was a little too big for her and she had to tie it with a belt. Well... she had to make do with it, although she noted that she needed to make a few man clothing for herself - just in case next time she went out for an important mission like this.

    She chose the inest clothing back when Yao Ying lived in her house. The grey color was already dull. Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to stand out while going out alone. Attracting attention to herself was thest thing she had in mind.

    "Young Mistress, how long will you go?" Xiao Yu wanted to make sure how long she should hold on.

    "A few shichen only. Probably around four shichen [1]?" Yao Ling asked Xiao Yu because she didn¡¯t want Xiao Yu to be punished if others found out. She needed to know whether Xiao Yu could manage this side at those time frame.

    "Okay. Maximum eight shichen, right? Don¡¯t bete, please... Young Mistress! This servant will try to hold out as long as possible. However, if Master, Madam Wang, or the matriarch can¡¯t be stopped, I have no other way but to let them in," Xiao Yu tried to exin through her point of view. As a servant, she couldn¡¯t resist her masters¡¯ orders.

    Yao Ling understood perfectly about it. "Okay. I will not make it difficult for you. Don¡¯t worry. Act just like how you used to act as to not rousing any suspicion!"

    "This servant will behave like usual. Just go, Young Mistress. The quicker you go, the faster you wille home." Xiao Yu hurriedly told her. She just wanted it to be done quickly, so her heart would stop palpitating.

    Yao Lingughed and did as she was told. She went out by pretending to be a servant. Yao Ling walked while looking down. Her eyes kept darting around, trying to avoid other servants or maids. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t many people walking around, so it was quite easy for her to sneak out.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Yao Ling to arrive at the designated ce. She saw Xiao Xia waiting for her excitedly. The little girl kept looking left and right, trying to find the prettydy from the previous day. Xiao Li apanied her this time. However, he just coolly stood up there with bored expression written all over his face.

    ***

    [1]. Four shichen: approximately eight hours in modern time.

 Chapter 63 Ning Jie 1

    Both Xiao Xiao and Xiao Li didn¡¯t recognize her at all. They looked around and their gaze was passing through her. They never nced at her. Not once. Yao Ling grinned to herself, it meant her disguise was pretty good, to begin with.

    "Xiao Xia... Xiao Li..." Yao Ling called them and smiled widely.

    Xiao Xia looked at her in confusion, "Do I know you?"

    Xiao Li scrutinized her. After that, he nudged Xiao Xia and asked, "Isn¡¯t she your favorite prettydy?"

    "What?" Xiao Xia was surprised. She stared at Yao Ling until she finally recognized her. The prettydy wore old grey robe which slightly bigger than her actual size. She looked like a pretty boy with her feminine traits. "Pretty Lady... why are you disguising yourself as a man?" Xiao Xia asked hesitantly.

    Yao Lingughed at the child¡¯s innocence. "You finally recognize me. It¡¯s more convenience this way. When I am in disguise, just call me Ge ge. You see... I¡¯m a man now."

    Xiao Xia nodded in agreement. "It will be weird if I call you jie jie. Okay then... From now on, I will call you Ge ge." She cutely behaved like an adult and it made her look more adorable. Xiao Xia elbowed Xiao Li¡¯s arm softly and whispered, "You have to greet Ge ge too. Be polite, please!"

    Xiao Li was annoyed, but still did what she told him to do. "Ge ge!"

    Yao Ling could see the indignant expression on Xiao Li¡¯s face. She teased him by patting his head which earned her a re from Xiao Li. However, it didn¡¯t deter and Yao Ling instead said, "Good boy!" Xiao Li once again red at her in annoyance. She was only bigger than him for a few years, but she treated him like a little kid.

    "Come on. Ning jie has been waiting for you, Ge ge." Xiao Xia reminded her about their appointment.

    Yao Ling nodded. "Take me there, please. I will try to remember the way this time."

    "Okay. Follow me, Ge ge." Xiao Xia and Xiao Li led the way. Yao Ling tried to remember step by step and she had a slightly better understanding about the road than before.

    "Is Ning jie waiting for me in your house?"Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Yes. Xiao Yang is sick, so Ning jie has to take care of him. Fortunately, Ge ge gave us money yesterday. We were able to call a doctor to check him up. You are our savior, Ge ge." Xiao Xia told her the story excitedly. The little girl was really admiring the prettydy and she always looks at Yao Ling with starry eyes.

    Yao Ling felt embarrassed with Xiao Xia¡¯s praise. She didn¡¯t really deserve it because she also had ulterior motives. "Your praise is too much. I just want to help a little bit. No need to mention it." Yao Ling could only say that much.

    "Pretty Lady is very kind, generous, and humble." Xiao Xia once again looked at her with eyes full of worship.

    "..."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know what else to say, so she just smiled. Xiao Li snorted at the side, feeling annoyed with Xiao Xia¡¯s blind worship. Xiao Xia never looked at him that way and it made him feel quite jealous.

    "Who is Xiao Yang?" Yao Ling decided to ask.

    "He¡¯s one of my brothers. You will meet himter. I believe Ning jie stays and takes care of him at the moment," Xiao Xia exined. Yao Ling nodded at her exnation.

    When they arrived at the children¡¯s house, they were weed by the same scene as yesterday. The kids were loitering around on the yard, but this time... their faces were etched with worry.

    "Are they worried about Xiao Yang?" Yao Ling asked in concern. It seemed that Xiao Yang¡¯s condition was quite serious.

    Without another thought, Yao Ling pulled up her sleeves and asked, "Can I see Xiao Yang? I used to help my mother treating patients, maybe I can help."

    Xiao Xia¡¯s eyes lit up after hearing what the prettydy said. In her opinion, Pretty jie jie was perfect! She even understood about medicine. "Come with me, Ge ge!" Xiao Xia didn¡¯t forget to call her ge ge.

    Xiao Xia led her in inside their run-down humble house. They had to walk carefully due to the broken tiles. The door was wide open because it was actually broken beyond repair. She wondered how they passed through winter season with this hopeless state. It was a miracle they could survive under the harsh weather.

    The house wasn¡¯t too big. It consisted of one small main hall, two small bedrooms, and a small kitchen. In the big main hall, there were several cemats -- probably those were where the children slept. One bedroom was filled with the cries of infants and Yao Ling noticed that it was a special room for babies. Xiao Xia led her to the other bedroom. It was the opposite of the baby room.

    Inside the bedroom, there was a shabby bed where a sick child slept in. His face looked pale with slightly flushing cheeks. His face was crumpled with a hint of pain and he kept mumbling incoherent words. A young woman¡¯s back was facing Yao Ling and she couldn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face. Before she could scrutinize the woman¡¯s appearance any further, Xiao Xia called the woman, "Ning jie, the prettydy is here. It seems like she knows a little bit of medical knowledge."

    The woman turned around and Yao Ling was in awe. This woman was a beauty, even though she only wore a worn-out pink ruqun [1]. Her silky white skin was in contrast with her long ck hair that fell beautifully on her back. Her phoenix eyes were deep and sharp. Her nose was high and it waspleted with voluptuous pink lips. All in all - she was perfectly beautiful. Even the smudge of dirt on her face didn¡¯t diminish her beauty.

    "Are you thedy that gave us some pocket money yesterday?" Ning jie asked in a pleasant voice. Ning jie looked the same age as Yao Ying, so Yao Ling should probably call her jie jie too.

    Yao Ling shyly nodded. "Yes, I am."

    "What is benefactor¡¯s name?" Ning jie asked Yao Ling politely. She didn¡¯t know how to address their savior.

    "Just call me Yao Ling."

    "This ve doesn¡¯t dare. Can I just call you Young Mistress?" Ning jie asked.

    "No... no... just call me Yao Ling and I will call you Ning jie."

    "But..."

    "There¡¯s no but!" Yao Ling was adamant.

    Ning Qing Xue could only nod in agreement helplessly. "Then... I will call you Ling mei. How is that sound?"

    "That¡¯s fine," Yao Ling agreed.

    "It¡¯s good that you are wearing men¡¯s clothing becauseing here as ady will ruin your reputation," Ning jie said with a smile. Although the youngdy was wearing men¡¯s clothing, Ning Qing Xue could see that she was a great beauty. "Do you really have medical knowledge?"

    Yao Ling nodded. "Yes, I used to help my mother when she was treating patients. She taught me a bit," Yao Ling exined.

    "It¡¯s good then. Can you check Xiao Yang? He has been sick for a few days, but he didn¡¯t tell me." Ning Qing Xue looked down, feeling sad. "He said that he didn¡¯t want to add my burden. What a silly child!"

    "I can try." Yao Ling could see that Ning jie really cared about the boy. She quickly went closer and touched the boy¡¯s forehead. It was burning hot. She turned to Ning jie and asked, "May I?"

    Ning Qing Xue nodded and stepped back, giving way for Yao Ling. It would make it easier for Yao Ling to check up on Xiao Yang if she gave her a little space. She knew that a doctor had already checked on him, but she just wanted to make sure that what the doctor said was true. Because after one night she didn¡¯t see any improvement in Xiao Yang¡¯s condition.

    ***

    [1]. Ruqun is an item of traditional Chinese attire (hanfu). It consists of a blouse and a wrap-around skirt.

 Chapter 64 Ning Jie 2

    Yao Ling sat beside the boy and felt his pulse. She checked his face and particrly his tongue. She listened to the sound of his breathing and then asked Ning Jie, "Did the doctor mention about heat?"

    Ning Qing Xue was surprised with her diagnosis. It was pretty much the same as what the doctor said. "Yes," Ning Qing Xue truthfully answered her.

    "It¡¯s characterized by the absence of aversion to cold. He must suffer from a red and painful throat. I felt that he had a rapid and floating pulse. He should drink cool and cold herbs. Did the doctor give you a prescription?" Yao Ling asked, wanting to check the prescription.

    Ning Qing Xue quickly gave her the written prescription. Yao Ling checked them briefly and it was the correct one. "This one is correct. You should probably buy them."

    "But why is there no improvement?"

    "Don¡¯t worry! It takes time. With the help of the medicine, he¡¯ll be fine. Have you bought the medicine?"

    Ning Qing Xue looked down in embarrassment. "We don¡¯t have the money to buy the medicine ingredients." She had to raise a few kids and if she bought the medicine, then her whole money would be used. How about the other kids? She was helpless. She felt that she wasn¡¯t good enough in raising them.

    Yao Ling could see from Ning jie¡¯s dimmed eyes that she was actually feeling helpless. Ning jie wanted to buy the medicine, but she was pretty sure... after that, Ning jie wouldn¡¯t have the money to purchase foods for the other kids. She really wanted to know the background story of this ce. However, she needed to help this little boy.

    "Don¡¯t worry. I will help you out with the medicine cost. I¡¯m pretty sure that the money that I gave you yesterday is only enough for the doctor cost, right?"

    Ning Qing Xue nodded, feeling ashamed. She taught the kids not to advantage of other people¡¯s kindness, but it seemed like she was the one who did it. However... she really didn¡¯t have another choice. She only received low sry and it was barely enough to feed all the kids.

    "Xiao Jie..." After calling Yao Ling, she kneeled down and bowed, "Please help me saving Xiao Yang. This ve is ashamed, but we really have no money to buy the medicine." Xiao Xia and Xiao Li who saw Ning jie bowed down to the prettydy, followed her example and bowed down along with her.

    Yao Ling was surprised that a seemingly proud girl such as Ning jie was begging her like this. She indeed really cared about the children and it touched her heart. She helped Ning jie up and smiled, "Why are you bowing down like that? I already told you that I would help."

    Yao Ling pulled out her money pouch and once again gave it to Ning jie. "Use this to buy the medicine first." Ning jie received the money gratefully and asked Xiao Li to help her buy it. She needed to talk to her benefactor.

    "This ve will pay you backter. Don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t run away from my responsibility," Ning Qing Xue said seriously.

    "Ning jie... I¡¯m giving it to you because of the kids. You don¡¯t need to pressure yourself!"

    "Ning jie... How can Xiao Jie call this ve as jie? Just call this ve Qing Xue," Ning Qing Xue felt embarrassed with the way Yao Ling addressed her. She was just a lowly ve and this Xiao Jie was noble. How could she casually call her as jie jie? It was just the way the orphans called her because they were all younger than her.

    "I was also a peasant, so I don¡¯t see what¡¯s wrong by calling you jie. Besides, I¡¯m in disguise, so no one will know, right?" Yao Ling winked at Ning jie, making theter blush in embarrassment. Yao Ling realized though that Ning jie would never call her Ling Mei.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Ning jie! It¡¯s only a light disease. After recuperating and drinking medicine, Xiao Yang will get better in no time," Yao Ling tried tofort Ning jie.

    "Xiao Xia, can you stay here and take care of Xiao Yang for a while? I need to talk with our benefactor," Ning jie asked for Xiao Xia¡¯s help.

    Xiao Xia nodded happily. "Of course. You can take your time!" After that, she sat beside Xiao Yang. Yao Ling didn¡¯t have to worry about Xiao Xia taking care of Xiao Yang, it wasn¡¯t an infectious disease, so she would be okay.

    "Come on, let¡¯s talk outside!" Ning jie asked Yao Ling to follow her and Yao Ling did as she was told to do obediently.

    They went to the room where the infants were ced. Before they went in, they washed their hands with clean water which was already prepared in the kitchen. ¡¯I think the water is the only clean thing in this household. At least, Ning jie pays attention to the kitchen hygienic, otherwise the kids would be more prone to sickness,¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    Inside the room, there were also several cemats for the babies to sleep. There were two babies, probably there were only a few months apart between the two of them. A girl no older than ten was taking care of both of them. The girl skillfully handled their cries and Yao Ling could only apud at that.

    The room was cleaner than the hall. It could be seen that they put a lot of efforts in this room. Once again, Yao Ling was admiring the way Ning jie handling this household. She put a lot of efforts despite the shabby living condition.

    "Xiao Er... take a rest. I will take care of them," Ning jie talked to the girl in a soft voice.

    Xiao Er nodded, smiling happily. She was pretty tired for taking care of the babies all day, but she knew Ning jie was also busy taking care of Xiao Yang. She was supposed to take care of the babies along with Xiao Yang, so there was no one that could cover for her these past few days ¨C except for Ning jie.

    The babies were already back to sleep, so they could have a talk. Ning jie turned to Yao Ling and smiled apologetically, "I¡¯m sorry. This is the only ce that we can talk. There are too many kids out there."

    Yao Ling only waved her hand andughed. "It¡¯s okay!"

    After hearing Yao Ling¡¯s answer, Ning Qing Xue sighed in relief. "Once again... thank you for your help. I was in a difficult spot. If I bought the medicine, then this month... the other kids would have nothing to eat! You are really our benefactor!" Ning Qing Xue couldn¡¯t help but praise Yao Ling for her kindness.

 Chapter 65 Ning Jie 3

    Yao Ling smiled. "Thanking me once is enough! By the way, I¡¯m impressed with how you establishing this ce."

    Ning Qing Xue slightly blushed. It was true that she did it out of her own free will, however... hearing someone praise her, she would still feel happy nheless. "Thank you."

    "Can you tell me the whole story behind this ce?" Yao Ling was interested in knowing the details. Such a beautiful woman, if she didn¡¯t spend her time and dedicate her life for these kids, she would probably have led a good life.

    "Before that, I want to ask you Yao Ling Xiao Jie..." Before she finished talking, Yao Ling interrupted her. "I already told you that you should call me Yao Ling. Well... it¡¯s up to you then. Call me with what you arefortable with. But when I meet you, I think I will stick with this disguise. You can just call me Yao gong zi."

    Ning QIng Xue nodded because she preferred calling her Xiao Jie. "So you are the stepchildren of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯," Ning jie said confidently.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. "How do you know about it?"

    "Who doesn¡¯t know about it in An Yang city? The people know how ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ has no descendants and suddenly Master Wang just took you two in. It made quite amotion at that time," Ning jie exined.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t realize that the matter was a popr topic for the people. "It seems like ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ is quite powerful in this city."

    Ning jie¡¯s eyes widened. "You don¡¯t know how powerful ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ is?"

    Yao Ling felt embarrassed by her own ignorance. "I only know that ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ has a noble background. Other than that, I think it¡¯s just a usual wealthy family."

    Ning jie couldn¡¯t believe at the girl¡¯s ignorance. She didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. It seemed like they really had no ulterior motive by agreeing to be part of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. She didn¡¯t even know the value of that household.

    "Although it seems like ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ is a wealthy merchant, their connection is very vast. Their connection with the royals makes no one dares to touch this family. I¡¯m not really sure how vast, but from what I¡¯ve heard, even the royals don¡¯t dare to touch them. However, if you don¡¯t know about it... is it only a baseless rumor?" Ning jie started to doubt the floating rumors.

    Yao Ling started to ponder about this matter. What the rumor said was quite make sense. It was rare for a merchant to have the benefit of bing a noble. A merchant was perceived as even lower than a peasant because they didn¡¯t produce something ¨C only selling something that had been produced by others. If one didn¡¯t have great backing, she didn¡¯t think one could have this kind of advantage. It seemed like ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ was deeper than both she and Yao Ying had ever thought.

    The more she thought about it, the more things that she needed to unravel the secret of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. Yao Ling just smiled at Ning jie and only said one word, "Probably."

    Ning jie knew that Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to talk about it, so she didn¡¯t dwell anymore on the matter. Besides, it wasn¡¯t her ce to gossip about the situation inside ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯.

    They maintained their small voice while talking because of the babies beside them. If the babies cried, it would ruin their chance to talk because Ning jie would practically busy once again.

    "For some reasons, I was disowned by my own family." Ning jie began her exnation.

    "May I ask who is your real family?" Yao Ling felt curious.

    "It¡¯s okay. This isn¡¯t really a secret because it created a ruckus back then. I used to be a part of ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯." Ning jie answered honestly.

    ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯? Isn¡¯t that the homewrecker¡¯s household? Who was it again? Qin Xiu Ai? She decided to ask Ning jie, "Do you know Qin Xiu Ai?"

    Ning jie furrowed her eyebrows. Qin Xiu Ai? What was her connection with Yao Ling Xiao Jie? "How do you know her?" Ning jie asked Yao Ling curiously.

    "I will tell you after knowing whether you have a good or bad rtionship with her," Yao Ling smiled mischievously.

    "Naturally... we are not in a good rtionship. What did she do to you? Did she make another stupid mistake?"

    Yao Ling could see the disdain from Ning jie¡¯s words. "Ah... then we are on the same boat. I don¡¯t like that girl. She tried to trap my husband and be his concubine." Yao Ling didn¡¯t sugarcoat anything at all.

    Ning jie chuckled after listening to what Yao Ling had said. "Does she now? She always makes trouble everywhere. She¡¯s my stepsister. I was the Di daughter[1] of Qin Fu, while she¡¯s only the daughter of a concubine.

    Yao Ling frowned at what Ning jie said. "You are the Di daughter. Howe they throw you out? Even though you are from the second branch, but Di daughter position usually pretty solid." Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "I probably wasn¡¯t as good as you in handling her. If you don¡¯t like her, maybe you did see her acting skill, right?"

    Yao Ling nodded. "The all-time-popr white lotus act, right?" Yao Ling asked in disdain while scrunching her face in annoyance.

    Ning jieughed at Yao Ling¡¯s expression. "Yes." She also hated that hideous act which trying to trap people into making a mistake and being disdained by other people, while the white lotus appeared to be weak, teary, and became the victim. When in fact, the victim was the target of that annoying with lotus.

    "Did you lose because of her act?"

    "I couldn¡¯t control my emotions and it was my mistake." Ning jie admitted it regretfully.

    "You have me now. I can teach you how to be a ck lotus." Yao Ling knew as long as someone was impulsive or couldn¡¯t control his or her own emotions, losing to a white lotus act was not a weird thing.

    "ck Lotus? What is that?" Ning Jie asked in confusion.

    "What¡¯s the opposite of white?"

    "Er... ck?" Ning jie still didn¡¯t understand what Yao Ling meant.

    "ck Lotus is the term that I created. If you want to handle her, just be a ck lotus. I can teach you how." Yao Ling proudly introduced her self-learning technique for handling crazy white lotus.

    "It seems like ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ isn¡¯t as peaceful as it looks like." Ning jie felt like every person that was born in the noble household didn¡¯t have it easy at all. Thepetition and the backstabbing weremon urrences. It was a pretty tiring way to live.

    "Every household has its own problem. I¡¯m a newbie in thispetitive world, but I need to learn quickly before I¡¯m being devoured by the power struggle." Yao Ling exined.

    "Indeed." Ning jie felt that she was too naive before and Yao Ling, who was even younger than her, had been forced to grow up early. She admired how Yao Ling even had a broader view than her about this matter. If she hadn¡¯t been so stupid, she probably wouldn¡¯t end up in this pathetic condition.

    "Was that the only reason for you to be kicked out?"

    Ning jie wanted to answer but she was still hesitant. It had been a long time since she had someone that she could talk to. Even though she had a lot of kids with her, but she couldn¡¯t let the children know about her trouble and difficulty. The children always looked up to her and they were too young to share her burden. However, if there were no those children, she probably would have given up living. How could she not? She had no one after she left ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ two years ago.

    Finally, she decided to go with the flow ande clean with the person in front of her. "Qin Xiu Ai gave my secret away and that secret was bad enough to make my father hated me. I already knew that once my father heard about this secret, he would abandon me without a second thought."

    Ning Qing Xue exined to Yao Ling in a disheartened voice.

    ***

    [1]. Di daughter: The daughter of the main wife.

 Chapter 66 Ning Jie 4

    Ning Qing Xue continued pouring her heart to Yao Ling, "Although... I actually have a tiny hope for my father to love me enough and receive me as who I am. However, it was only wishful thinking on my part. An egoistic person like him will always think about himself first!" Ning jie didn¡¯t trust Yao Ling enough to divulge all of her secrets, but she still gave Yao Ling a basic exnation of her condition back then.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t push for more answers. Judging from Ning jie¡¯s expression, it was a painful experience and she was a nobody to Ning jie - only a random benefactor that appeared out of nowhere. Yao Ling understood that point, so she also realized that she didn¡¯t have the right to know all about it.

    Yao Ling patted her shoulder softly, trying tofort her. "If a family couldn¡¯t even ept you as who you are, then they didn¡¯t deserve you."

    Ning jie smiled sarcastically to herself. She always had a bitter thought about what had happened in Qin Fu. "If you know my secret, you probably won¡¯t be able to ept me too." This was what she had believed in for a long time. She didn¡¯t deserve people¡¯s love because of her secret.

    Yao Ling looked sympathetically at the young woman in front of her. "You know... I never have any sister. I don¡¯t know what secret that you have or what kind of past that you had been through, but I¡¯m willing to be your sister from now on. How is that sound?"

    Yao Ling believed that a selfless person like Ning jie was a good woman. She didn¡¯t have the persistence or strength to survive in a big household, but she had her strength in the different area. By looking at the living condition in this shabby house, Yao Ling knew that Ning jie barely survived as it was, but she persisted to help the children. This kindness was also her strength.

    She didn¡¯t mind herck of abilities; what she needed was her characters. She needed a trusted confidante that could stay by her side during her up and down moments. Yao Ling could also see Ning jie¡¯s tenderness toward the children. If she didn¡¯t treat them kindly, she would certainly make the children afraid and wary of her. In this case, she didn¡¯t see any fears in the children¡¯s eyes and behavior.

    Ning Qing Xue was quite surprised with Yao Ling¡¯s offer. She knew that the disbelief that she felt was etched on her face. Why? Why did she give her such an unbelievable offer? She decided to voice her question, "Why? Why are you treating me... us... this kindly? We have nothing!" What Ning Qing Xue meant was why Yao Ling treated her and the children kindly.

    To Yao Ling, they were nobodies. They also didn¡¯t have anything that they could offer back as a way to properly repay Yao Ling¡¯s kindness. She needed to know the exact reasons. She believed there was nobody that could give something voluntarily without expecting something back.

    Ning Qing Xue knew that her perspective of the world had been distorted because of her painful memories, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel skeptical. This was all too good to be true. Was this some kind of trick? A joke? She didn¡¯t want to stake the life and happiness of the children to an unknown person.

    Yao Ling understood why Ning jie asked such questions to her. Back then, if she got this kind of offer when she was still living with her mother, she would be as skeptical as Ning jie was at the moment. Yao Ling knew if she wanted to gain loyal friends, she needed to be truthful andy all of her cards on the table. Otherwise, all of her efforts would be nothing.

    Yao Ling smiled reassuringly at Ning jie. "I admire your characters. Since yesterday, I really wanted to meet you and see what kind of person could be this selfless. Taking care for ourselves is already hard enough, but you dare to take care of a lot of children as your responsibilities."

    "I think that¡¯s what people should at least do to those poor children."

    Yao Ling looked at Ning jie like she was an idiot. "Not all people have the heart to do that. For example... me. I can help you here and there, but I don¡¯t think I am able to take care of them all the time like you. It requires dedication in which I am actuallyck of." Yao Ling was as blunt as usual. She wasn¡¯t going to pretend that she was a saint ¨C that was what a white lotus would do and she wasn¡¯t one.

    Ning Qing Xue scrunched up her face but stillughing. "This is the first time I find someone as straightforward as you."

    Yao Ling waved her right hand andughed. "That¡¯s what I am," she cheekily said. "Anyway... if I have a sister that I can trust ¨C just like you, it can also help me in a lot of ways."

    Ning Qing Xue looked at Yao Ling suspiciously. "What kind of help?"

    Yao Ling grinned widely, making her cute dimples on both cheeks show up. "I¡¯m going to be blunt then, but I hope what I¡¯m going to say will not leave this room. It¡¯s only between the two of us. I¡¯m also not going to force you to say yes with my terms, but I think it will also give you benefits. At least, you should hear me out first. If you agree, then it¡¯s good. We can be good sisters for life."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to make any empty promises, so she decided to tell the whole things to Ning jie. Even if the agreement failed, she had nothing to lose. She went out in male disguise and people only knew that a man went here. No one would believe Ning jie if she decided to reject the agreement and tell other people.

    Yao Ling sighed inwardly. Yao Ying¡¯s idea was always brilliant. Without his guidance, she probably would make stupid mistakes. For example, by going out with her own identity. She wondered how smart her husband was. It seemed like the more she unraveled something new about him, the more she found him more intriguing.

    Ning Qing Xue was tempted with Yao Ling¡¯s offer. Personally, it was because she liked her honesty. She wanted to know what kind of interesting offers that she proposed to her.

    "I need my own people that only loyal and belong to me and my husband. Truthfully, we are a newbie in the noble household and the conflicts inside. I believe you already know the circumstances because you used to be a part of that fight. Am I correct?"

    Ning Qing Xue nodded, knowing where this conversation was going. "But I won¡¯t put my children in danger. I understand it all too well and I don¡¯t want to involve us in your power struggle."

    "I know, but I really need your help. Currently, I have no power and I want to build my own power. I can find ways to help you with your daily necessities and expenses. I will try not to put any of you in danger." Yao Ling exined her thought patiently.

    Atst, she hesitantly added, "You don¡¯t need to feel pressured by me. Actually, even if you don¡¯t agree with me, I will still help you in maintaining this house and the kids. Finding money isn¡¯t really a problem for me."

    Ning Qing Xue was afraid. She always felt that she was useless because her confidence was already ruined beyond repair. If she were her previous Di daughter-self, she would certainly receive the offer arrogantly. However, with herck of confidence and thinking about the children¡¯s future, she felt pressured. Yao Ling indeed gave her a tempting offer regarding the children¡¯s upbringing. With enough money, she could also send them to school and improve their chance for a better life.

    "If you need something to do, I can help you. But the kids... I don¡¯t want them to be included in the power struggle." Ning Qing Xue decided to speak up her mind. "What is your n for the children?" Ning Qing Xue asked warily.

 Chapter 67 Are You Going On Board or Not? 1

    "How many children do you have here?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Currently, besides these two babies, I have twelve children live with me. Seven girls and five boys," Ning Qing Xue answered her truthfully. "Why?"

    Yao Ling beamed at her. "I need several shadow guards, personal maids, and people to nt outside of my household. Spies to be precisely and do odd jobs here and there."

    Ning Qing Xue looked at her in disbelief. "What? You basically need everything! Don¡¯t you even have your own people now?"

    "No. I have personal maid and servant, but both were given to us by ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. I¡¯m currently testing them whether they could be trusted or not. However, to implement our own people in my household, I still need time to prepare by getting rid some of the spies." Yao Lingid all her cards on the table. She truly had nothing to lose, because she didn¡¯t even have anyone on her side ¨C except her husband, of course.

    "The ones who were given must be given for some reasons. If you test them and you don¡¯t have their loyalty, then you should do whatever you can to make their loyalty yours. They can also be your double agents," Ning Qing Xue suggested. "This what I should do back then. I was too arrogant and my personal servants betrayed me too in the end."

    Yao Ling listened to what Ning jie said and contemted over that matter. Ning jie indeed gave her a great idea and she was grateful for the pointer. ¡¯I don¡¯t need to remove all the spies. The one that can be brought over might be able to be used, while those who can¡¯t... I can remove them.¡¯ Indeed, it was a good idea.

    "Buying their loyalty is probably easier than maintaining their loyalty. Once someone betrays their masters, they can do it againter," Yao Ling said.

    Ning Qing Xue looked at Yao Ling andughed, "I¡¯m just giving you an idea. Whether you do it or not, it¡¯s up to you. How you implementing it... it¡¯s also for you to think about. Whether you are seeded or not, it¡¯s also your own responsibilities."

    ¡¯Well... that makes sense.¡¯ Yao Ling helplessly thought. Ning jie still hadn¡¯t given Yao Ling her agreement.

    "So... are you going on board or not?" Yao Ling decided to ask once again. Thinking too much about this matter really gave her a headache. There were too many possibilities that she had to contemte and count, well... she probably should think about thister.

    The most important thing at the moment was gaining Ning jie¡¯s approval. She had to get one! Although she didn¡¯t manage to survive in the household, she could help her by giving a pointer. Who knew that maybe her mistakes would save her in the end? If Ning jie agreed, she would probably agree even if Ning jie had another condition. Heck! Even if she wanted to make aeback at ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯, she would probably agree to her demand and help her with everything she could.

    Ning Qing Xue didn¡¯t know how to answer the question. Her brain was overloaded with the information that Yao Ling gave her. She knew that there was no free meal in this world and she also knew that Yao Ling had an ulterior motive for helping, but the name Qin Xiu Ai invoked something within her.

    She already severed her rtionship with ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ and Qing Xue had already decided to use her mother¡¯s surname, ¡¯Ning¡¯. However, the hatred was still there and she didn¡¯t know that when someone mentioned of those surname Qin, it would affect her this much.

    But still... she remained undecided. Her hatred wasn¡¯t enough for her to sacrifice the children¡¯s life and happiness. The power struggle inside noble household wasn¡¯t a joking matter. It could lead someone to lose his or her life and even make him or her sumb to greed. Once you got in there, there would be no way out.

    If someone followed the right master, it would lead them to have a good life ¨C as long as the master held the power. But once the said master lost to the power struggle, their destiny was to follow the said master down to the grave.

    "Can you give me some time to think about it?" Ning Qing Xue hesitantly asked. She needed to think things through and find out more about ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. She didn¡¯t want to blindly say yes and then chose the wrong master.

    Yes, she likes Yao Ling. She had the determination and great aspiration, but she had no power on her hands and Yao Ling also already admitted to it.

    Before Yao Ling could answer, both Yao Ling and Ning Qing Xue heard the creaking sound from the door. Someone opened it and when they looked up, they saw Xiao Xia. They didn¡¯t know whether the little girl heard their conversation or not, but they also knew it wasn¡¯t suitable for a kid to listen to the rest of their conversation, so they stopped talking.

    Yao Ling and Ning Qing Xue knew that Xiao Xia might not understand the meaning of their conversation, but such a pure child, she might identally blurt out and tell others about their conversation. Then, that would be bad. After all, the conversation needed to be kept as a secret and they couldn¡¯t risk it.

    "What¡¯s the matter Xiao Xia?"

    "Ning jie, Xiao Li is back. All of the ingredients have been bought. Should we prepare it now?" Xiao Xia lowered her voice, afraid to wake the babies up. Xiao Xia knew how hard it was to make the two rascals slept peacefully. Xiao Er Jie Jie must have been trying all sorts of tricks just to make them sleep peacefully. Yes, it was that hard!

    Ning Xue Qing looked apologetically to Yao Ling. "I need to prepare foods for the kids and also prepare the medicine."

    "It¡¯s okay. Let me help you with it."

    "No need to trouble yourself. I usually only make simple dishes. Thank you for the offer though." Ning Qing Xue smiled softly.

    "Then I will help you prepare the medicine. I think I¡¯m already here around four shichen. I still have time to spend here. After helping you, I will go home."

    "Thank you." Ning Qing Xue was really grateful for the help. Preparing medicine required times and she couldn¡¯t let the kids do it -- just in case they made a mistake while preparing it. She usually handled it all by herself. With Yao Ling¡¯s help, it would save a bit of her time.

    They both headed to the broken-down but clean kitchen. There was barely anything there. It had a small wood stove which in dire need of repair, but it was still usable. Beside the stove, there were piled-up wood ¨C only a little, but enough for cooking three more times. Yao Ling sighed in pity, at least they could provide themselves with foods. Yao Ling took a mental note, thinking of what could be done to help them get a better environment to live.

    "You have twelve children here, but why most of them are only loitering around in the courtyard instead of helping you?" Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but ask. If all the kids were assigned to work and doing their jobs properly, it would certainly lessen Ning jie¡¯s burden.

    "Well... I¡¯m not good at management. I just let them do what they want," Ning Qing Xue grimaced after listening to her own words. She felt like beyond stupid. As a Di daughter, she was always served by her loyal servants. Yes, she was too pampered. Where did she get the time to manage people? Back then, she just enjoyed herself all day.

    "Didn¡¯t ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ teach you how to manage the household? Manage a household is supposed to be an important lesson for Di daughters because they are expected to be the main wife of their husband¡¯s family." Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "I never received one." Ning Qing Xue admitted.

    "What? Never received a lesson?" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    "Yes," Ning Qing Xue looked down in embarrassment.

    "It seems like someone wanted you to be an oblivious person with no skill whatsoever," Yao Ling used her analytical skill and said what she thought bluntly.

 Chapter 68 Are You Going On Board or Not? 2

    "After I was being kicked out, I thought about it a lot. Ever since my mother¡¯s died, Qin Xiu Ai¡¯s mother was promoted as the main wife. She pampered me a lot, but she didn¡¯t let me learn anything. I stupidly believed that she loved me and didn¡¯t want to give me a difficult life. However... what about now? I don¡¯t even have any talent to survive."

    Ning Qing Xue thought... if she could turn back times, she wouldn¡¯t want to fall into the trap all over again. But what had been done couldn¡¯t be undone... she could only ept her fate.

    Yao Ling was speechless at the current Madam Qin¡¯s cruelness. "How about your father?"

    Ning Qing Xueughed bitterly. "Hah... I won¡¯t rely on him! He¡¯s just a selfish person. If not for him, my mother won¡¯t be dead and I won¡¯t be in this predicament either."

    Yao Ling suddenly realized that ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ condition was still far better than ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯. She was lucky that there were no children from the concubines, otherwise, there would be a tightpetition. If they had children of their own, they would probably try to remove both of Yao Ling and her ¨C just to secure their own children¡¯s position. Ning jie was the living example.

    "Why don¡¯t I help you manage the children¡¯s job? But you are the one who has to oversee them. I can¡¯t always be here." Yao Ling offered voluntarily. "But first... tell me how you maintain them so far."

    When Yao Ling heard Ning jie¡¯s exnation, her face darkened. She was rendered speechless. Ning jie really had the heart to help, but she didn¡¯t have the mean. She couldn¡¯t believe that she could keep these many children for two years, well... even though she barely survived herself.

    Fortunately, Yao Ling met Xiao Xia at the right time. Otherwise, Ning jie¡¯s kindness would end up in a disaster! They survived because of the money that Ning jie had brought from ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ when she was kicked out. Until recently, her saving was depleted. Ning jie had no talent, so she could only find odd jobs here and there. The sry was barely enough for their foods, but as long as they were frugal, then it was okay.

    However, once someone was sick ¨C just like Xiao Yang, they didn¡¯t have the money to buy the medicine. Yao Ling could only shake her head at the angel before her. She didn¡¯t know whether Ning jie was too kind or too stupid.

    Ning jie couldn¡¯t earn money and manage them, fortunately... Yao Ling could see the children under her wings were pretty happy. At least, she did something right. She wasn¡¯t in the position to judge, because she wouldn¡¯t be able to do what Ning jie did. That was why she didn¡¯t voice her opinion and only nodded.

    "Did you do all the household chores by yourself?"

    "I usually cook for them. I ask for leave permission to prepare foods for lunch and back to work until I need to cook for dinner. Xiao Yang is the oldest, so he usually helps me oversee the kids. Xiao Er is helping me with the kids," Ning jie exined while she started preparing the ingredients.

    At the same time, Yao Ling was preparing the medicine. "You can have the other kids to help you, you know. They also need to grow up and take responsibilities. Doing a little is okay. It¡¯s better than to raise azy bunch of kids."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know what she had said just now was heard by Xiao Xia and Xiao Li. They didn¡¯t get angry, because what she had mentioned was true. They indeed didn¡¯t really chip in any contribution to Ning jie. It made them blush in embarrassment, even though the prettydy didn¡¯t exactly reprimand them.

    Yao Ling turned around and surprised when she saw Xiao Xia and Xiao Li stood behind her. She looked at their expressions and knew that they had heard what she just said. Yao Ling was fanning the fire to brew the medicine. She lookedzily at the kids and smiled, "What do you think of what I¡¯ve just said?"

    Ning Qing Xue turned around and saw how Yao Ling asked the children with a smiling face. "Don¡¯t..." Before Ning Qing Xue could say anything, her words were being cut off by the children.

    "What Ge ge said is true. We don¡¯t really help with anything. What Ge ge said really makes us feel ashamed," Xiao Xia meekly said that, grimacing.

    "Do you want to change for the better?" Yao Ling asked once again.

    Xiao Xia nodded excitedly. Xiao Li ¨C the one who always had indifferent expressions- was also nodding. To Ning jie, they were really indebted. They would do anything to repay her kindness.

    Yao Ling turned to Ning jie andughed. "See? You are spoiling them too much. If... I said if... you were gone and they didn¡¯t have any expertise, then what would happen to them? How will they continue their life? You should consider this too."

    Yao Ling already said what she had to say, after that, she didn¡¯t say anything more. Ning jie needed to think and figure it out by herself. She couldn¡¯t force someone to do something that he or she didn¡¯t want to do. They wouldn¡¯t do it wholeheartedly and also... she wouldn¡¯t gain their loyalty.

    Ning Qing Xue started cooking while thinking about what Yao Ling said. She knew Yao Ling was right. She sighed and knew that she had to discuss this with the children first. She believed that people should choose their own fate. Ning Qing Xue nodded at Yao Ling, "I will talk to the children and I will give you the answer tomorrow."

    "Where do you work?"

    "I work as a servant in a nearby restaurant. The pay isn¡¯t that much, but they kind enough give me spare time to go home at lunch," Ning Qing Xue exined.

    "Do they deduct your pay if you go home?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Yes."

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but shake her head. This girl was really too na?ve. If she were allowed to go home without deducting the sry, it was called kindness. Well... whatever floated her boat [1]. Her naivety was quite cute though.

    "Tomorrow,e to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. I will give you work with better sry but you have to work hard. I won¡¯t go easy on you, even though I¡¯m the one who is rmending you there. How is that sound?"

    Ning Qing Xue¡¯s eyes lit up with happiness. "Really? I can really work there?"

    "Of course." Yao Ling rolled her eyes and answered, "I¡¯m in charge of the production so it¡¯s up to me to hire embroiderers. You can do some embroideries, right?" Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows, thinking that there was no way a Di daughter didn¡¯t get the four arts lesson, right?

    "I can."

    What Ning jie said made Yao Ling sigh in relief. "Good."

    "Although I¡¯m not really that good."

    *Bang*

    Yao Ling could feel her spirit was dampened by what Ning jie had just said. What the heck did she mean by that statement? She was happy when she said that she could do embroidery, but then she lowered her happiness level by saying that she wasn¡¯t that good. Ning jie really made her headache worsened.

    Yao Ling scowled and said, "Well... let¡¯s just see tomorrow. I will test your embroidery level first."

    "Okay," Ning jie answered excitedly. "I will certainly work hard!"

    "You can also tell me your answer tomorrow, okay? I will personally test you at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ and discuss our next step. Of course, if you agree to our sisterhood. If you refuse, you can still work at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. I won¡¯t force you."

    Yao Ling could onlypromise this way. She prayed to Big Buddha that Ning jie would agree to her terms. Perhaps the children could persuade her. After finished brewing the medicine, Yao Ling knew that it was time for her to go. If she was dilly-dallying longer than this, the one who would get in trouble was Xiao Yu and she didn¡¯t want that to happen.

    ***

    [1]. Whatever floated your boat: Do whatever makes you happy or suit yourself.

 Chapter 69 See Something That Shouldnâ€™t Be Seen 1

    "I will go back home first. Don¡¯t forget toe to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ tomorrow, if you want to have a better sry." Yao Ling reminded Ning jie which earned her an excited nod. Yao Ling smiled in return.

    "Xiao Xia, Xiao Li, can you send Yao gong zi back to the main street?" Ning Qing Xue asked for the kids¡¯ help. Even though Yao Ling was in disguise, it didn¡¯t sit well for Ning Qing Xue to let Yao Ling go back alone. After all, Yao Ling is still a woman. At the very least, if something did happen, the kids could help her. They knew the road better than Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling epted their help and she safely arrived at the main street. After saying goodbye to the two children, Yao Ling went back home leisurely. She was disappointed because she didn¡¯t have the chance to y around. She sighed inwardly. If it wasn¡¯t because of the long conversation with Ning jie, she would have the time to look around. Next time then...

    Yao Ling went back to her own room just like how she previously went out. When Xiao Yu saw her young mistress, all of her wariness was gone. "Young Mistress, you¡¯ve finally arrived!"

    "Did someone look for me?"

    "Yes! The three concubines came. They visited young mistress after they heard that young mistress are sick! Maybe trying to curry favor, but this servant managed to drive them away by saying that young mistress was sleeping." Xiao Yu told her.

    "Do you think they feel suspicious?"

    Xiao Yu shook her head. "No, this servant doesn¡¯t think so. They just went back after knowing that young mistress was sleeping."

    "Was there any maids that tried toe inside my room?"

    "Only Qiu Qiu ah~ She said that she wanted to help me clean the room, but this servant tly refused her and stick to the story that young mistress needed rest and slept." Xiao Yu didn¡¯t feel something wrong with it. Qiu Qiu was in charge of cleaning young mistress¡¯ room and she didn¡¯t want to implicate other people ¨C just in case someone found out about young mistress¡¯ disappearance.

    Yao Ling took note about this maid called Qiu Qiu. The other servants were obeying her order and not disturbing her, and yet she was trying to get inside. Was she trying to check out whether she was really inside or not? Or she was just too kind? Yao Ling sneered to herself. She believed that Qiu Qiu was up to no good.

    "Ah~ I see."

    Listening to her young mistress¡¯ reply, Xiao Yu felt that something wasn¡¯t right, but she didn¡¯t know what and she didn¡¯t dwell on that matter. She decided to change the subject and asked her young mistress¡¯ activities when she left ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯.

    "Young Mistress, what did you do just now?" Xiao Yu looked at Yao Ling with a face full of curiosity.

    "Visiting Xiao Xia. One of the children is sick, so I helped them by buying and brewing the medicine. That was why it took me a long time to go back. At least, I came back within the designated time," Yao Ling exined briefly.

    "Young Mistress... did you give them money again?" Xiao Yu asked.

    "Yes. They didn¡¯t have money to buy the medicine and I helped them buy it."

    Xiao Yu felt that young mistress was too kind. "Young Mistress, with the rate of how Young Mistress helps people, I think your money will be depleted in no time ah~"

    Yao Lingughed at what Xiao Yu had said. "Indeed, I used up almost half of my pocket money. At least, I could save people. Fortunately, Father is quite generous when giving us pocket money, otherwise, I could only look at them without any power to help."

    "Young Mistress ah~ you are too kind!" Xiao Yu pouted.

    Yao Ling tapped Xiao Yu¡¯s forehead in amusement. "I¡¯m not that kind, but I actually have a soft spot for little children. I can¡¯t help it," Yao Ling helplessly exined.

    Before they continued talking, they heard the sudden knock on the door. Xiao Yu whisper-yelled at her young mistress, "Young Mistress! Quick changes your cloth!"

    They were too excited talking and forgot that Yao Ling needed to pretend that she was sick. Yao Ling removed her disguise and let her hair down, flowing down to her back. She put the Yao Ying¡¯s clothes under her bed and kicked it until she couldn¡¯t see it anymore. Yao Ling quickly jumped into her bed and dipped herself into her nket.

    Yao Ling gave a signal to Xiao Yu, telling her that she was ready. Xiao Yu nodded and opened the door. At the same time, Yao Ling closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

    Xiao Yu looked at Qiu Qiu who was once againing. "Why are youing here again? Young Mistress already gave an order that no one should bother her." If it was only once then Qiu Qiu¡¯s offer to help her was out of kindness. But twice? Did she try to find out something? Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t hold back her annoyance toward Qiu Qiu.

    Qiu Qiu answered while her eyes kept darting inside the room. Xiao Yu started to feel that this Qiu Qiu wasn¡¯t putting her young mistress in her eyes. Since when did a maid was allowed to behave unruly like this?

    Xiao Yu snapped her fingers in front of Qiu Qiu¡¯s eyes, "Qiu Qiu, why are you here? And why are you keep peeking inside?"

    What Xiao Yu said confirmed Yao Ling¡¯s suspiciousness. Yao Ling cleared her throat and asked in a hoarse voice, "Xiao Yu, who is it?"

    "Young Mistress, it¡¯s only Qiu Qiu."

    "Let here in."

    Xiao Yu beckoned Qiu Qiu to follow her and go inside the room. Qiu Qiu¡¯s eyes flickered to where Yao Lingid.

    "Why are you here?"

    Qiu Qiu quickly found an excuse. "This servant heard Young Mistress is sick. Somehow this servant didn¡¯t see Xiao Yu Jie Jie prepare medicine for you. This servant is concerned about Young Mistress¡¯ condition, that¡¯s why this servant wants to ask Xiao Yu Jie Jie if she needs my help."

    Yao Ling smiled and praised Qiu Qiu, "How kind of you! No need to worry about it. I was asleep, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t drink any medicine. I just need some rest."

    "This servant feels relieved. Then, this servant will leave first. Young Mistress, please take a rest," Qiu Qiu bade farewell.

    After Qiu Qiu left, Yao Ling asked Xiao Yu, "Which courtyard did she work before?"

    Xiao Yu shook her head. "This servant doesn¡¯t know. I think she was newly bought before she serves here."

    Yao Ling frowned. If she didn¡¯t work anywhere before, then it was a dead end. At least, she knew that this Qiu Qiu was a spy. Qiu Qiu¡¯s hastiness made her stand out than the rest of the servants. If she felt it was kind of hard to find the masters, it was better if she changed all the servants and maids in one killer move.

    "Xiao Yu, if you have something to do, you can go. I will sleep and wake me up when Young Mastere, okay?"

    "This servant will do this servant¡¯s chores then. Young Mistress, please rest."

    Yao Ling only nodded, turned around, and fell into deep sleep. She was too tired because of theck of sleep previous night. She needed to catch up to her beauty sleep.

    Xiao Yu knew that her young mistress was tired, so she didn¡¯t bother her anymore. She looked around and then went out in a hurry.

    It was identally seen by Xiu. He just went back from ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ and he was going to go back to the young master¡¯s room after running an errand. Xiu saw Xiao Yu in a hurry, feeling curious. He decided to follow her because he could see the anxiety on her face. ¡¯Is there something wrong with her?¡¯ He thought to himself.

    Xiao Yu kept walking in a hurry. She turned her head left and right. It seemed like she didn¡¯t want anyone to know where she went. Xiu started to feel suspicious. What happened to Xiao Yu? Why did she behave like that?

 Chapter 70 See Something That Shouldnâ€™t Be Seen 2

    They arrived at a secluded ce near Concubine Lan¡¯s courtyard. The two-faced concubine! Xiao Yu waited for a while under the shadow of a big tree. Xiu could see how she bit her lips in anxiety and her hands gripped her skirt tightly. If she was this scared, why did she still go?

    Xiu knew what he would witness was something that shouldn¡¯t be seen. He could feel Xiao Yu¡¯s anxiety was affecting him too. He felt a pang of sadness in his heart because he had a hunch that there was a chance Xiao Yu betrayed their masters. He could see how good Young Mistress was toward her and it was the same way Young Master treated him. Would she really be able to betray them?

    When Xiu heard the sudden rustling from the bush near the big tree where Xiao Yu waited, he quickly hid deeper in his current hiding ce. He looked at the sky and it was going to be dark soon. The sun was starting to set and it would perfectly hide his presence.

    Xiu saw that it was a young maid, probably the same age as Xiao Yu. Xiu furrowed his eyebrows once more, thinking about that girl. It seemed like she was Concubine Wan¡¯s personal maid, Liu Li. He sneered to himself and thought about how careful they were. They decided to meet at another concubine¡¯s courtyard as not to make it obvious who the real perpetrator was.

    Tsk! He started to realize the messiness of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ inner courtyard. It looked peaceful on the outside, but insider like him could tell that it was actually the opposite. He was sent by Master to serve and guide the young master. Master even warned him that he should protect the young couple from harm and that said a lot about the messiness.

    Xiu knew that Master really put importance to the young couple by sending him to them. He was actually Master¡¯s hidden guard that stayed by his side as a servant too and Master even went as far by telling him, ¡¯From now on, your real master will be Yao Ying. I really treat him as my son and he doesn¡¯t have anyone to protect him. It will be your job. Don¡¯t disappoint me!¡¯

    With those words, his new master and new life goal were sealed. He is Yao Ying¡¯s person and his loyalty belongs to him. He only needed time to prove his loyalty because he knew the young couple was wary of spies. He could feel that they also questioned his loyalty. He couldn¡¯t me them though. They were thrown into a brand new environment in which they had to adapt quickly and find out about the power struggle inside.

    If they weren¡¯t wary of anything but instead stupidly believed in luck, then they didn¡¯t deserve to be Master¡¯s stepchildren. Fortunately, Master really had great eyes in judging people. His new master was certainly a smart person.

    Xiu had a good sense of hearing due to his training as a hidden guard. He could clearly hear the conversation between the two servant girls, even though they were only whispering to each other.

    "Do you have any news?" Liu Li asked.

    "Liu Li Jie, I won¡¯t tell you anything! Not until you tell me where my little brother is!" Xiao Yu tried to negotiate with the evil creature in front of her.

    Xiu felt a thump in his heart. Was she being ckmailed by Liu Li? He coldlyughed inwardly. Even this type of disgusting things could also be done. He thought to himself, judging from the intelligence level of Concubine Wan, he didn¡¯t think she would be able to pull out something like this. However, he could never judge a book by its cover. He scrunched up his nose in disgust.

    He waited for Liu Li¡¯s answer. Fox spirit would always reveal its tail [1]. That... he believed. He didn¡¯t wait for long before he heard the nastyughter of the woman, making him cringe in revulsion. Maybe because he had heard and understood the true nature of this Liu Li girl, her pretty appearance became dull and ugly.

    "What¡¯s the hurry? Just like I said, if you give me a report about your young mistress, then nothing will happen to your little brother. Tsk... tsk... tsk..." Liu Li taunted Xiao Yu with undisguised evilness.

    "I won¡¯t tell you anything unless you give me proof that he¡¯s in a good condition!" Xiao Yu gritted her teeth in annoyance. Her tears were threatening to fall at any moment, but she had to be strong. Although she was sold as a ve, Master was kind enough to let her keep in touch with her family. How could she not feel anxious if her younger brother was kidnapped? She felt like going crazy because of worry.

    Liu Li pulled out something from her left sleeve and threw it to Xiao Yu in an arrogant manner. "This is the proof," sheughed in a wicked way. Even if maidservants sometimes did the dirty works for their masters, those maidservants still had some fears in doing something as nasty as kidnapping or killing people. But this Liu Li? Xiao Yu could only see her crazed appearance and it made her feel the chilling atmosphere down to her bone. She was thinking of how her younger brother would survive when he fell under the hand of this nasty woman.

    Xiao Yu nced at the blue ne which was carved with the word ¡¯Yi¡¯ on it. Xiao Yi... It belonged to Xiao Yi! She would recognize this ne easily everywhere because it was given to Xiao Yi by her. She bought it when she received her first sry. It was cheap but she wholeheartedly carved the words herself! She even asked one of the literate maids to teach her how to write this special one word. She touched the messy engraved words and traced it with her fingers. Even the slight mistake of the written word was there. This wasn¡¯t a fake.

    Xiao Yu felt like the world came down crushing on her. Xiu who saw her despair couldn¡¯t do anything. If he helped her recklessly, he would only reveal himself to Liu Li. By hiding in the dark, he could try to help Xiao Yu find her brother. He needed to tell Yao Ying ande clean to him about his identity. One of the reasons was because he felt overprotective over Xiao Yu and wanted to help her.

    "Where is he?" Xiao Yu was feeling agitated and trying to w Liu Li¡¯s face like a lunatic. Her previous demeanor changed into a frantic one. She hated this girl. She hated Liu Li down to her bone. Her young brother! She took her beloved younger brother!

    Liu Li looked at Xiao Yu in disgust. She easily caught both of Xiao Yu¡¯s hands andughed at her pitiful face. Liu Li could see the hatred but for her... it was just some types of amusement for her. A sinisterugh was pasted to her face, ridiculing Xiao Yu and her stupid emotion.

    Xiu gritted his teeth in anger, he almost... almost went out and beat up this evil woman. He closed his eyes, trying to contain his emotions.

    It wasn¡¯t enough that Liu Li gripped Xiao Yu¡¯s hands until it left a ck and blue mark. She also pped Xiao Yu¡¯s left cheek and pushed her until she fell down to the grown in a pitiful state. Liu Li patted her clothes, trying to clean the mess that Xiao Yu made.

    "Behave! Or else..." She trailed off, but the meaning was clear. If Xiao Yu kept opposing her, her younger brother would not get a good treatment either.

    ***

    [1]. Fox spirit would always reveal its tail: people with a motive will always reveal it eventually. Fox spirits seduce men (whether it be for their own survival or entertainment) so people use this phrase to say the fox spirit will reveal itself sooner orter.

 Chapter 71 See Something That Shouldnâ€™t Be Seen 3

    Xiao Yu could only mp her mouth and close her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Behaving like a lunatic wouldn¡¯t help her brother at all. After opening her eyes, the once crazed eyes changed into tranquil ones. It wasn¡¯t that she actually became calmer, but she needed to think of a way carefully about how to save her brother.

    "I will behave." She could only agree with Liu Li¡¯s term. Her brother¡¯s safety was more important.

    "Good! Any important news that I should know about?" Liu Li asked with a glint in her eyes. She felt that Yao Ling was a sore to her eyes. She smirked to herself; she already set her eyes to someone and she would get him with all cost necessary. Yao Ling previously had lowly status just like her, but why did she the one who got all the good things? If Yao Ling could, then she also could do the same!

    "Nothing important happened. Today Young Mistress is sick and she stays inside her room all day," Xiao Yu lied. She didn¡¯t know what her young mistress was up to, but she wouldn¡¯t tell Liu Li about it. She still had her conscience. Even though she might harm her younger brother, but she remembered how kind her young mistress toward her.

    "How about yesterday? Why didn¡¯t she go straight to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯?"

    "Young Mistress just wanted to buy snacks and she helped poor people there," Xiao Yu answered truthfully. There was nothing wrong yesterday, so she didn¡¯t mind telling her the truth.

    "Poor people?" Xiao Yu furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

    "Yes, just a little beggar girl." Xiao Yu answered in a soft voice.

    "Why did she help her?" Liu Li asked, feeling uncertain.

    Xiao Yu was dumbfounded with Liu Li¡¯s logic. Why couldn¡¯t her young mistress help other people who needed it? She wanted to roll her eyes, but she was afraid that she would make her agitated. "Er--- because Young Mistress is kind?" She could only mutter this question.

    "Gah! In this world, nobody is that kind."

    "But... she really only gave them money," Xiao Yu exined. Although she knew that Yao Ling had another n, but she didn¡¯t reveal any of it.

    "Hmph! Pretentious people!" Liu Li insulted Yao Ling¡¯s character in disdain.

    "..." Xiao Yu waspletely speechless. It seemed like Liu Li was really deranged and had twisted logic. She decided to stay silent as not to rattle the crazy woman in front of her.

    "Good! You didn¡¯t feed me with lies. I already knew that your young mistress was staying in her room all the time," Liu Liughed. "Continue your act and be good, okay?" Liu Li patted Xiao Yu¡¯s hand mockingly and made theter grit her teeth in anger.

    After that Liu Li turned around, she was identally facing Xiu and he could finally perfectly see her expression. Her previous deranged expression switched into a serene one in the blink of an eye and she left Xiao Yu there leisurely. Xiu was surprised with her amazing act, but it made his shiver in a bad way.

    Xiao Yu was rmed by what Liu Li had just said. She wasn¡¯t the only spy in her young mistress¡¯ courtyard. She didn¡¯t know how to warn her young mistress. If only... she wasn¡¯t one of them. She felt the guilt gnawing inside her heart and she couldn¡¯t help but cry. The tears that she had tried to hold back were flowing like a river. She cried until there was no tears left and both of her eyes were red and swollen.

    Xiu wanted to hug andfort her, but he couldn¡¯t. He could only hold back and let her cry a river. Xiu felt sympathetic with her condition.

    Xiao Yu wiped her eyes and touched her cheek where Liu Li pped her. She could feel that her cheek was also swollen. How can she get back and serve her young mistress in this condition? She was pretty sure her young mistress would ask why her face was swollen.

    She squatted down and hugged her knee; her gaze was nk, staring at nothing. What should she do? She wanted to save her younger brother, but she didn¡¯t have the heart to betray her young mistress. Xiao Yu sighed and finally stood up, feeling defeated. She would feed Liu Li with lies as long as she could. She probably should tell the truth to her young mistress, but was her young mistress able to save her younger brother? She wasn¡¯t really sure.

    When Xiao Yu finally left, Xiu followed her steps stealthily. He didn¡¯t go near her. Xiu just wanted to make sure she would go back safely and didn¡¯t choose to kill herself. When she went back to her own room, he continued following her and staying near her room.

    When Xiao Yu finally went out of her room, he could see that she did something to her face and her face didn¡¯t look so swollen anymore. After knowing that she would be fine, Xiu left her behind.

    Tomorrow... he has to find a way to tell Yao Ying the truth and also try to save Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother.

    ***

    Yao Ling woke up, after hearing the bustling sound beside her. She yawned and stretched her bodyzily just like a little cat. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Yao Ying was already inside their bedroom. Yao Ling opened the transparent red curtain that attached to her bed, trying to look inside the room clearly. She got up and her hair was alluringly falling down just like a fairy, making Yao Ying gulp in a trance.

    She only wore her inner see-through garment that entuated her body¡¯s contour. Yao Ling looked so ravishing. Her sleepy demeanor also made her look seductive in her own way. Yao Ying just stared at her in a trance. She looked so beautiful.

    ¡¯Damn! Seventy-four days to go.¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. He felt like crying while counting the day he could freely eat his wife.

    He tried to cover his obvious ¡¯tent¡¯ by turning around. He closed his eyes, trying to calm his appetite by counting sheep inside his head. At least, it effectively extinguished his raging fire and make his hardness softened once again.

    She looked at himzily and asked, "What are you doing?" She was curious why Yao Ying said nothing to her ¨C even a greeting didn¡¯te out of his mouth. He instead turned around and didn¡¯t move at all.

    Yao Ling went behind him and touched his back. It made Yao Ying¡¯s body jolt in surprise and he even dodged her touch. "What is it? Why did you dodge my touch?" Yao Ling felt hurt with his response.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know how to exin himself. ¡¯Wife ah~ This husband is in dire need to touch you, but this husband can¡¯t do that. Even your touch can ignite the raging fire inside of me, so I can only dodge ah~¡¯ He felt sympathetic with Yao Ling¡¯s hurt expression, but who would pity his ¡¯little Yao Ying¡¯? He whined to himself but didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud.

    He turned around and said, "Nothing. You just surprised me. That¡¯s all."

    "Oh..." Yao Ling still looked unconvinced but she let the matter drop. "Since when that you¡¯ve arrived?"

    "Not too long ago. Just an incense stick of time."

    "Why sote?" Yao Ling nced at the dark sky and knew it was past his usualing home time.

    "I managed ¡¯Qin Fu¡¯ orders and delivered them myself, just to prevent any mishap. I waited until the matriarch saw the embroidery and satisfied with it, then went home," Yao Ying exined.

    "Did you meet Qin Xiu Ai?" Yao Ling asked in jealousy.

    Yao Ying raised both of his hands and surrendered. "Of course not! This husband didn¡¯t dare to disobey my lovely wife," he grinned wolfishly, teasing his jealous wife.

    Yao Ling smiled in satisfaction. "Good!"

    She felt a bit guilty though because it was supposed to be her job, but Yao Ying also knew that she had to fake her sickness. Yao Ling exined everything that had happened that day and how she coaxed Ning jie to work at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. Yao Ying nodded, feeling satisfied with the result.

 Chapter 72 See Something That Shouldnst Be Seen 4

    Before they could continue talking, Xiao Yu knocked on the door and asked for permission to enter -- which was allowed by Yao Ling.

    "Come in," Yao Ling said.

    Yao Ling could see that there was something wrong with Xiao Yu. She didn¡¯t know why it was, but Xiao Yu didn¡¯t dare to look at her. It seemed like her face kept facing a certain direction, trying to hide one of her cheeks. With a sharp nce, Yao Ling could see that one of Xiao Yu¡¯s cheeks was a bit swollen. Yao Ling felt bewildered. Who daredy a hand at Xiao Yu? Although she didn¡¯t have any powers, she was still a favored stepdaughter of Wang Luo Hai.

    Did they think that she was so easy to bully? Or probably they couldn¡¯t touch her so instead they were targeting her maidservant? This was infuriating!

    Xiao Yu never leaves the household today, so she was pretty sure that it was done by someone inside this household. She furrowed her eyebrows, contemting. She felt so angry on Xiao Yu¡¯s behalf.

    "Are you okay?" Yao Ling asked.

    Xiao Yu felt touched by her young mistress¡¯ concern but also felt guilty at the same time. "This servant is okay," Xiao Yu smiled, but once she pulled her lips to smile, she felt the pain from Liu Li¡¯s p. She wanted to hiss but she held herself back. She didn¡¯t want her young mistress to worry about her.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t push it any further, but she would get the bottom of this. "You can go rest early," Yao Ling smiled and waved her hand, dismissing Xiao Yu for the night. She could also see Xiao Yu¡¯s red swollen eyes and how tired she was. Something was definitely wrong.

    Xiao Yu was grateful with Yao Ling¡¯s attentiveness. "Thank you, Young Mistress. This servant will go rest for the day." She curtsied politely, turned around, and head back to her own room. Xiao Yu felt really tired! She had enough problem for one day.

    After Xiao Yu went back to her room, Xiu couldn¡¯t hold himself back anymore. He knows that he needs to talk to their masters today. He didn¡¯t want Xiao Yu to be hurt by that bastard, Liu Li. He rarely cursed, but that evil woman was suitable to be called a bastard. Tsk. She was really rotten to the core.

    Xiu knocked on the door and asked for permission to enter the room, "Young Master, Young Mistress, can this servante in for a while? This servant needs to talk about important things and this servant also needs Young Master and Young Mistress¡¯ help."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other and frowned. It seemed something bad had really happened. Yao Ling asked Yao Ying, "Do you notice that something is wrong with Xiao Yu?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "It seems like someone hurt her."

    "Xiu also suddenly has an urgent matter to tell us. He probably knows something," Yao Ling pondered.

    "I think so too." Yao Ying agreed and then he called Xiu in, "Come in."

    Xiu came in nervously. He hoped that he made the right decision and both of their masters wouldn¡¯t be cruel enough by ming Xiao Yu and discard her. She had no choice but to be a spy. Yao Ying and Yao Ling could see the nervousness in Xiu¡¯s somber demeanor. They looked at each other in undisguised curiosity. They didn¡¯t talk, but instead, they waited for him to tell them himself.

    "Young Master, Young Mistress..." Xiu greeted them while gulping tensely. He didn¡¯t know how to start. Should he tell them about himself first? Or go straight telling them about Xiao Yu¡¯s difficulty?

    "What¡¯s the matter, Xiu?" Yao Ying was the one who asked the question. He looked at Xiu encouragingly. It seemed like what Xiu wanted to say needed a lot of courage and he needed the motivation to talk.

    What had actually happened? Xiu rarely appeared at night because he mainly stood guard outside, but this time, he even wanted to talk to them personally. If it wasn¡¯t important enough, the couple knew that Xiu wouldn¡¯t appear in front of them thiste at night.

    "Young Master, Young Mistress, this servant has important things to tell you and also need your help with..." Xiu finally had the courage to start the conversation.

    The couple looked at each other and nodded at the same time. "Just tell us. What is so important that makes you this nervous? If we are able to help, of course, we will help you," Yao Ying told Xiu confidently.

    Xiu bowed down and kowtowed in front of his masters. "I want to tell Young Master and Young Mistress about my true origin."

    "Okay. Go on!" Yao Ying and Yao Ling started to get very interested in what Xiu was going to say next.

    This servant was sent by Master Wang Luo Hai as Young Master¡¯s trusted confidante. Truth to be told, I am not an ordinary servant, but actually a hidden guard." Xiu decided to start with his true origin. If he didn¡¯t tell them the truth, he knew that they wouldn¡¯t fully trust him.

    "Why do you decided to tell us now?" Yao Ying asked.

    "This servant wants toe clean, because this servant knows that both masters are worrying about the spies in this courtyard. Besides, this servant knows that Young Mistress is trying to gather people secretly," Xiu exined.

    Well... Yao Ying and Yao Ling realized that they could never hide a secret perfectly. They probably should go with the flow. Fortunately, it seemed like Xiu was on their side.

    "Have you learned any martial art skills?" Yao Ying asked out of curiosity. Since Xiu already decided to tell him the truth, then he should ask all about him and satisfy his curiosity. If Xiu had great martial arts skills, then it would be a great advantage to him.

    "Yes, this servant has martial arts skills," Xiu answered confidently. One thing that he was proud of was his qinggong [1] skill, and other than that, his level of martial arts skills was better than the current young master¡¯s ability. He had been trained by Master Wang Luo Hai¡¯s hidden guard trainer since he was able to walk.

    "How good are you?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Er¡ª" Xiu didn¡¯t know whether to answer young master with the truth or not. Would his young master feel ashamed if he told him that he had better abilities than him? However as a hidden guard, if he said that he had low martial arts skills, wouldn¡¯t it make himself as a joke?

    "It¡¯s okay! Just tell us the truth," Yao Ling also felt curious about Xiu¡¯s skills. No wonder he had a scar on his face, it was probably because he was hurt when he did his duty as a hidden guard ¨C not as an ordinary servant. The scar was pretty deep and it was the result of sharp weapons, she believed.

    "This servant is currently better than Young Master," Xiu finally admitted truthfully. He peeked at his young master, wanting to know his reaction. He really didn¡¯t mean to insult his young master, but he didn¡¯t have other people topare himself with. ¡¯I¡¯m sorry ah~ Young Master, but currently, your martial arts skills level is pretty low,¡¯ Xiu thought to himself.

    Contrary to Xiu¡¯s expectation, Yao Ying looked at him proudly and said, "Good!"

    Xiu was taken aback and echoed his young master¡¯s word, "Good?"

    Yao Ying raised one of his eyebrows and told him, "Of course it¡¯s good! You work under me and if you have good martial arts skills, then it will benefit me, right?"

    If Young Master put it that way, well... yes... it was true. Xiu nodded and said, "Indeed, Young Master."

    "For whom your loyalty belongs to?" It was Yao Ling who threw out the important question. The couple had no use for people who didn¡¯t give their sole loyalties to them.

    ***

    [1]. Qinggong is a technique in Chinese martial arts. It¡¯s the technique for making the body extremely light in weight, by altering the distribution and flow of qi.

 Chapter 73 Finallyâ€¦ They Got Their Loyalty 1

    Without Yao Ying or Yao Ling needed to say it out loud, Xiu knew the gravity of his answers. "After the master gave this servant to Young Master, of course, this servant¡¯s loyalty fully belongs to Young Master Yao Ying," Xiu answered truthfully.

    "Did Father know about this beforehand?"

    "Yes, Young Master. This is an order given by Master. As long as this servant lives, this servant¡¯s life will be solely given to Young Master and Young Mistress."

    "After you are serving me, have you ever tell Father about my movement?" Yao Ying asked bluntly whether Xiu was a spy or not and whether he was still bounded by his loyalty to Wang Luo Hai.

    Xiu hesitantly said, but he chose to answer with the truth. "This servant never tells Master about Young Master¡¯s movement or daily life, but once... the master asked me how was Young Master stay in this house and also about Young Master¡¯s personalities, this servant answered him truthfully. Other than that, Master never asks about anything else."

    "Oh? So how did you answer those questions?" Yao Ling asked curiously. At least, Xiu was able to answer their questions truthfully ¨C so far.

    "Young Master adjusts perfectly in this household and this servant told Master the truth about how Young Master treats this servant kindly and how diligent Young Master learning from General Lin," Xiu said.

    "Only that?" Yao Ying smirked.

    "Er --- Young Master is also hardworking?" Thest part turned into a question. Xiu didn¡¯t know what else he could add. As a hidden guard, he was used to keeping to himself and be quiet. It was changed when he was suddenly given a task as Young Master Yao Ying¡¯s personal servant. He had to deal with a lot of people and talk to his young master on daily basis.

    Yao Lingughed out loud. "Don¡¯t joke around, Husband. And no need to praise him more, Xiu. Otherwise, your young master¡¯s head certainly will get bigger and bigger until his head won¡¯t fit the door."

    Xiu looked down in embarrassment and finally realized that he was being teased.

    "I remember that you say you need our help. What is it about?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Will Young Master agree to help this servant?" Xiu asked anxiously.

    "Well... for one, I believe in you, but in the future... you also need to be loyal only to me and my wife. Once you betray us, we will also abandon you," Yao Ying exined the main point in which Xiu nodded in agreement. Xiu knew after this he had to absolutely loyal to the couple and he was voluntarily doing so.

    "This servant understands."

    "Now... will you tell me what kind of problem that you have encountered?"

    "It¡¯s actually about Xiao Yu," Xiu said.

    Yao Ling¡¯s gaze suddenly became so sharp and asked him seriously, "What happened to Xiao Yu? Did it have something to do with her swollen face?"

    Xiu looked up and nodded. He never thought that Young Mistress¡¯ intuition and perception was really sharp. It seemed that she noticed the swollen cheek even though Xiao Yu had done a lot of things trying to cover it up. However, he also knew, if the young mistress didn¡¯t care for Xiao Yu at all, the wound would go unnoticed. Most masters probably wouldn¡¯t be able to notice, especially because Xiu saw firsthand how good the coverage was.

    "Yes, it¡¯s about Xiao Yu."

    "She¡¯s being ckmailed," Xiu answered in a clipped tone.

    Yao Ling gasped in surprise. "How?"

    "Her younger brother was kidnapped and she was forced to be a spy," Xiu answered truthfully. He didn¡¯t have a way with words, so he straightly said the point.

    Yao Ling¡¯s face slightly changed. ¡¯Xiao Yu... is really a spy?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart broken. Yao Ling always thought of her as her own people from the first time she served her and when you heard other people said that she was a spy, the first thing that came to mind and heart was the pain of being betrayed.

    Xiu saw the young mistress¡¯ change of expression and quickly interjected, "But this servant needs Young Mistress to hear me out first and then decide whether she really betrays you or not after that. Can Young Mistress do that?" Xiu knew that woman tended to make a decision with her heart, but in this case, he needed Young Mistress to think about this matter with a clear head.

    Yao Ying, as a man, understood Xiu¡¯s logic. He patted Yao Ling¡¯s shoulder, trying to encourage her. "Xiu is right. You have to listen to him first. There¡¯s probably more to the story."

    Yao Ling closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Yao Ying was right. She needed to listen first. If Xiao Yu really betrayed her, then why Xiu, who was just proiming his loyalty to them, was eager to seek their help?

    "Tell me, then." Yao Ling decided to listen to the story.

    "This servant identally saw her walk in a hurry and it piqued this servant¡¯s curiosity. This servant decided to follow her and had seen something that shouldn¡¯t be seen." Xiu exined.

    "That evil woman gave Xiao Yu the proof that she indeed kidnapped her brother and it made Xiao Yu went crazy. She wanted to scratch that evil woman, but that evil woman held both of her hands and pped her. This servant never saw any woman with such a twisted mind!" Xiu continued exining what he had seen.

    "What else?" Yao Ling still calmly asked. She needed to know the whole story. So far, it would only gain her pity. There was no proof of Xiao Yu¡¯s loyalty. She didn¡¯t know why that she turned herself cold just like this. Although she didn¡¯t want Xiao Yu to be hurt, she didn¡¯t have the heart to feel sympathize if Xiao Yu indeed betrayed her.

    Yao Ling realized even though she treated Xiao Yu like a sister, but she had put a barrier inside her heart just in case Xiao Yu was the spy. Yao Ling knew that she could truly treat Xiao Yu as her own, once she was sure that she had Xiao Yu¡¯s loyalty. This barrier was made by her to ensure herself from being brokenhearted. However, it was just a silly thought. That barrier was there, but when she heard Xiao Yu was the spy, she still felt breathless and brokenhearted.

    Knowing her for only a few days didn¡¯t matter, because personally, Xiao Yu was the closest girl that she had. As a personal maid, she was also her confidante. She was the first person to serve her and it meant that she was emotionally tied to Xiao Yu. She stayed by herself every day for God¡¯s sake! That was why Xiao Yu became an important person to her, hence her chaos feeling at the moment.

    Xiu answered her young mistress¡¯ question, "The evil woman asked her what Young Mistress did this morning."

    ¡¯Here it is! Xiao Yu¡¯s answer will also give her an answer about Xiao Yu¡¯s loyalty,¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. She dreaded what woulde next, but she knew that she had to face it sooner orter.

    Yao Ling asked, "What was her answer?"

    Xiu also didn¡¯t know what the young mistress did this morning and he also just hoped that Xiao Yu really didn¡¯t betray their masters. This was all that he could do to help her. "She said that Young Mistress was sick and stayed inside the bedroom all the time."

    Yao Ling felt herself sigh in relief. Xiao Yu didn¡¯t betray her! Yao Ling tried to maintain her calm demeanor in front of Xiu and asked, "Anything else?"

    "The woman asked about what Young Mistress did the previous day. Why didn¡¯t Young Mistress go to Fu Rong straight away? Xiao Yu answered that Young Mistress wanted to buy snacks and helped poor people," Xiu answered.

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. Xiao Yu had to mix the truth with lies in order to gain the enemy¡¯s trust. She is really a clever girl!

    "Young Master, Young Mistress, it seems like there¡¯s another spy in this courtyard. The evil woman made sure that Xiao Yu knew that someone confirmed that Young Mistress was inside the room all the time," Xiu said.

 Chapter 74 Finally... They Got Their Loyalty 2

    "It seems like I know who that spy is," Yao Ling said. In her mind, she already condemned Qiu Qiu as that spy. No one but her -- who tried to get inside her room.

    Before Yao Ling said what she wanted to say, Yao Ying asked a question first, "Who is that evil woman?"

    Yao Ling was taken aback with the question. She was too engrossed in thinking about Xiao Yu and forgot that one bit of important information.

    "To answer Young Master, it¡¯s Liu Li," Xiu answered confidently. "This servant was able to see her face clearly.

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. He never cared about the inner courtyard matter, of course, he didn¡¯t know who that Liu Li was. "Who is this Liu Li?"

    "Concubine Wan¡¯s personal maid," Yao Ling helpfully supplied him with the information. "Is this really because of Concubine Wan?" Yao Ling somehow didn¡¯t believe that Concubine Wan was able to think and n somethingplicated like this. Everyone knew how conceited and simple-minded Concubine Wan was, but perhaps Liu Li was the mastermind ¨C just like the previous battle of words incident.

    "This servant also wants to discuss this matter with Young Master and Young Mistress."

    "Oh? Tell me, then," Yao Ying felt that Xiu already had something nned on his mind already.

    "Tomorrow, this servant wants to ask permission to tail Liu Li and find out the whereabouts of Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother," Xiu humbly asked for his masters¡¯ permission.

    "Good! You do that and I¡¯ll find a way to make your disappearance not too obvious," Yao Ying conceded to Xiu¡¯s request.

    Something shed in Yao Ling¡¯s mind and she grinned inwardly. These two servants... since when that their rtionship was this good? It seemed like something was blossoming between the two of them. It would be cute if both of them could end up together.

    "Do you know how to start?" Yao Ying asked regarding Liu Li¡¯s matter.

    "This servant knows how. Please don¡¯t worry! Just leave it to this servant, Young Master." Xiu humbly said. Following a person was an easy feat for a hidden guard, especially following a woman without martial art skills.

    "Be careful!" Yao Ying reminded him.

    "This servant will, Young Master."

    After saying that, Xiu hesitantly said to Yao Ling, "Young Mistress, can you talk to Xiao Yu about it tomorrow? So... she won¡¯t be worried and sad all the time?"

    Yao Lingughed at Xiu¡¯s words. "Of course! She proves her loyalty and I will treasure those who loyal to me, including you. Don¡¯t worry! I will take care of Xiao Yu¡¯s matter. You can rest assured and do your job carefully tomorrow!"

    Xiu sighed in relief after listening to Yao Ling¡¯s assurance. However, he still felt something was a bit wrong. Why was he so concerned about Xiao Yu? He was in confusion but deduced that it was because they served the same masters and in a word,rades. Ah yes... Comrades should share their burden together.

    Yao Ling saw the sparkle in Xiu¡¯s eyes. It seemed like he realized something, but she knew it wasn¡¯t about love. This couple... it seemed like they had a long way to go. She shook her head in amusement. It seemed that she would have a great spectacle between these two every day.

    "Go! Rest for now. You will have a busy day tomorrow," Yao Ling ordered Xiu.

    "Yes, Young Mistress. This servant will go back first," After saying that, Xiu bowed and left the room. He felt a heavy burden was lifted from his body, feeling free and lighter. He probably could sleep soundly.

    Yao Ling turned and saw the contemtion in Yao Ying¡¯s expression. "Come, sit down. I¡¯ll help youb your hair and change into morefortable clothes."

    Yao Ling opened the knot on Yao Ying¡¯s hair and his ck long hair cascaded down his back. She slowlybed his hair and felt that it was an intimate gesture. Yao Ling could smell the fresh and mint scent emanated from Yao Ying¡¯s body. She enjoyed the scent and felt safe basking in it. This was her beloved husband¡¯s smell.

    "What are you thinking about?" Yao Ling asked softly.

    "The one behind Liu Li. I feel that something isn¡¯t right and this matter isn¡¯t as simple as it looks like. It¡¯s possible that Liu Li is a double spy, so we can¡¯t condemn Concubine Wan right away," Yao Ying exined.

    "I understand your point. We have to investigate it first. If what you said really true, then the real mastermind is dangerous. He or she hides really deep and he or she was probably already nning this n ahead of time."

    Yao Ling also thought that this muddle water was pretty dangerous and it was really ridiculous. Only a few days staying in this household and they already had to be cautious from hidden enemies. Spies, enemies, annoying concubines were actually bing a part of their daily life. Yao Ling previously wouldn¡¯t even dream that there would be a day she was in the middle of a power struggle. Who knew that she would suddenly be the stepchild of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯?

    Yao Ling went to their closet and chose afortable inner garment for Yao Ying to sleep in. She helped him change. She opened his robe and blushed after seeing his naked chest up close. A few days of training already made the previous soft body into a hard one. She could feel his masculinity level was leveling up way too fast.

    ¡¯Oh man! Her husband bes much more charming!¡¯ She really enjoyed looking at Yao Ying¡¯s body.

    ¡¯Yao Ling! Grip your mind! Stop being a pervert and drool over your naked husband!¡¯ She reprimanded herself, but at the same time, she also tried to convince herself. She was just admiring her own husband, so she actually didn¡¯t do anything wrong. If she wasn¡¯t the one who saw and enjoy his body, then who else? Other women? Pei! She wouldn¡¯t let any of them go near Yao Ying.

    With this in her mind, she looked at the distracted Yao Ying ¨C who thought seriously about the previous matter ¨C and took her chance to ogle her own husband leisurely.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t resist poking his chest and abs for a tiny... little bit. Yao Ling tried to make it inconspicuous enough and thought to herself, ¡¯Oh... it¡¯s getting harder. Wow!¡¯ She admitted that she liked it hard.

    Yao Ling felt satisfied and mentally agreed to let Yao Ying continue training at General Lin¡¯s house. She also got the benefit of having a healthy husband with a yummy body. She poked him when trying to help him put on his clothes. Yao Ling didn¡¯t help him put on his pants. She only gave him the new and clean pants that she had just taken and turned around to let him change by himself. She wasn¡¯t brave enough to look at his member without being embarrassed.

    "Aren¡¯t you going to look at me more?" Yao Ying teased her with twinkling eyes.

    "No!" Yao Ling could feel the tip of her ears getting hotter. She knew that she was probably blushing and her face was as red as tomatoes.

    "Ah... so only taking advantage of my upper body is enough?" Yao Ying asked evilly.

    "Wha... what do you mean?" Yao Ling stuttered in embarrassment. ¡¯Did he know I was poking him on purpose?¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. ¡¯No way! I was careful enough by poking him lightly. Very... lightly.¡¯

    Yao Ying looked at her exasperatedly. "Wife... Although my mind was distracted, I was able to feel your light touch and smell your arousal!"

    "What...?! What arousal? I am not aroused!" Yao Ling yelled at her husband.

    Yao Ling whose back was facing Yao Ying turned around in a sh and closed his mouth with both of her hands in embarrassment. She tried to make him stop talking such an embarrassing matter openly. She¡¯s still a girl! Of course, this kind of topic was a taboo for her. Thinking about it and talking openly about it were two different matters!

    She continued to rant, "You were just imagining things."

 Chapter 75 Seventy-four Days is Too Longâ€¦

    "Mmmm..." Yao Ying¡¯s voice was muffled because of Yao Ling¡¯s hands on his mouth.

    Yao Ying grinned and licked her palm slowly with his swirling tongue, which earned him an angry re from Yao Ling. "Ew!" She let his mouth go and waved around her right palm in disgust. "You are so disgusting!" She whined in annoyance. "Do you know how many germs in your saliva?" As her mother¡¯s assistant, this little bit information was a known fact for her. It was so icky!

    "It didn¡¯t stop you to exchange saliva with me though!" Yao Ying said with a smiling face and he appeared to look as innocent as possible.

    "..."

    Yao Ling gaped at his shamelessness. "What exchanged saliva?! I never did that with you."

    "Tsk... tsk... My innocent wife..." He touched her face and pinched her cheek tenderly, after that he touched her lips and caressed them softly. "We did kiss a lot. Doing that... won¡¯t it be considered as exchanging saliva?"

    Yao Ling knew that he was right, but she wasn¡¯t going to admit it. She wasn¡¯t as shameless as him. Yao Ling only pouted but didn¡¯t reply him.

    Yao Yingughed at her childishness and whispered on her ears, making her whole body tremble in need. "You can¡¯t deny it." Then, he licked her ears which made her moan.

    After that Yao Ying stepped back a little and touched his own chest in a mocking way. "Or you will certainly break my heart!"

    Yao Ling turned her face away and threw a tantrum. "Never!"

    Yao Yingughed out loud and said in a low dangerous voice, "Then, I will prove it to you then, so you will admit it yourself!" He turned her face around by pinching her chin softly and then her hazy gazended at Yao Ying¡¯s smiley face.

    Before she could say more about her annoyance, she gasped in surprise because of the sudden little pain on the back of her head. Yao Ying tugged her hair back a bit roughly. She was supposed to get angry at him due to the pain, but after seeing his fiery gaze, she swallowed back down the angry words that she wanted to say. God! He looked so ravishing at the moment.

    Without another thought, Yao Ying gave her the proof. He crashed down his lips to her small ones and licked it softly. After he didn¡¯t get the satisfied response, he bit her lips hard, but not hard enough to make it painful for her. He was trying to pry open her mouth and gaining entrance to her sweet little mouth. This much... could already prove that they indeed exchanged the so-called saliva, but he didn¡¯t want to stop. He just couldn¡¯t.

    Yao Ying could taste the mixture of lemon and minty breath from her mouth. It gave him a cooling sensation, despite the hotness of their fighting tongue. He couldn¡¯t get enough of her sweetness, even kissing became an enjoyable experience for him. He didn¡¯t know why she affected him so, her lips were like an aphrodisiac to him ¨C addicting!

    The same thing shed inside Yao Ling¡¯s mind. Her husband, her man. Despite her innocence, she could even feel her own arousal down to her core. She could feel the wetness down there and she didn¡¯t know what that wet thing was. Yao Ling could only feel the tingling down there, making her itch and tightened her core muscle. She moved one for her legs to the front and clenched both of her legs, trying to ease her uneasiness down there.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but moan, and it echoed inside the quiet room. The moan fell into Yao Ying¡¯s ear, making him groan because it attracted his lust. At first, he just wanted to tease his wife and prove that they indeed exchanged a lot of salivae. Who knew that he would bring trouble to himself? Who would quench his thirst at this stage? He could even feel his own throbbing hardness and it killed him if he had to hold himself back again.

    God! Seventy-four days more...

    Yao Ying¡¯s hands started to roam over Yao Ling¡¯s body. One held her waist tightly to prevent her from running away, while the other hand moved from gripping her hair to her face. He softly traced her snowy smooth skin and down to the nape of her neck. His lips left Yao Ling¡¯s lips and changed his target to her earlobes. Her soft spot...

    Yao Ling felt the loss of his lips, but before she could protest, she felt Yao Ying lick her earlobes and bite it softly. "Mmm..." She moaned in ecstasy. God! He made her almost fall down because her legs suddenly went weak. Without his grip on her waist, she would certainly fall down.

    "Aiya..." Yao Ling yelled in surprise. Yao Ying suddenly scooped her up in bridal style. Yao Ling wasn¡¯t ready and to prevent herself from falling down, she twisted her body and linked both of her arms around Yao Ying¡¯s neck.

    Yao Ying gave Yao Ling a wolfish smile which made Yao Ling shudder. ¡¯What¡¯ is he going to do next?¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. He brought her to their bed and threw her softly into the bed. It didn¡¯t make her feel any pain, but still, she red at him and whined, ¡¯Why does he y roughly today?¡¯

    Yao Ying hovered over her and stroke her face. "You are so beautiful!" He praised. Because of his sweet words, her previous anger was gone and a shy smile blossomed on her face. Who didn¡¯t like being praised? No one!

    She traced his face back in return. "You are not so bad yourself!" Sheughed.

    "Hmph! Of course!" Yao Ying arrogantly said. After saying that, he paid attention once again to Yao Ling, but his target changed. It wasn¡¯t her face, but her neck.

    Yao Ling knew what he was thinking and said, "Don¡¯t even think about it!"

    "What?" Yao Ying asked innocently.

    "The previous marks are still there. Don¡¯t add more!" Yao Ling scolded him. "Or else... I will bandage myself again!"

    "Ha! I don¡¯t think you can stand the torture again."

    "I can!" Yao Ling stubbornly said. Although she knew that she wouldn¡¯t do that again, she had to boast or else... she would spend a few days more in embarrassment!

    "Fine! Then I will mark the ce where no one will be able to see ¨C except me," Yao Ying relented, but still didn¡¯t give up.

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. She looked at where Yao Ying¡¯s eyes direction was. It was her breasts! She quickly covered her breasts with both of her hands and red at him, trying to convey a message which said: ¡¯Don¡¯t you dare!¡¯

    But, who was Yao Ying? He was pretty much a rogue. He justughed and pried to open both of her hands, removing his obstacle easily. Yao Ling¡¯s struggle was pretty much useless and it made Yao Yingughed out loud, especially because of the resentment in her eyes. His little tigress!

    "This... is the result of my training. Pretty strong, huh?" Yao Ying taunted with a mocking tone.

    Yao Ling gritted her teeth and took back what she thought previously. She mentally crossed out the part where she thought that she loved the result of his training -- his hard muscle. This rogue had another use of his strength and it didn¡¯t make her happy! Hmpf!

    Yao Ying trapped both of her hands on the top of her head with one hand, and his other hand went to her transparent robe and opened it slowly. It revealed her dudou [1] and oh... how tempting it was. Yao Ling chose dashing red silk with embroidered flowers. It only covered her breasts and belly, oh yes... it was also backless and had cloth strings that tie around her neck and her back.

    Looking at this seductive appearance of his wife, if he didn¡¯t get a tent on his member then it would be weird. He didn¡¯t know that a dudou could be this enticing, because he never paid any attention before. They indeed did some intimate things, but he never opened Yao Ling¡¯s clothes and he regretted that he didn¡¯t do it sooner.

    ***

    [1]. The dudou (literally ¡¯belly cover¡¯) is a type of old-fashioned Chinese bra.

 Chapter 76 Did He Think Her Breasts Were Gardens?!

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t attempt to open the red seductive dudou and find out about the forbidden things beneath it, otherwise, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop himself. He scanned Yao Ling¡¯s alluring body and tried to choose his target carefully. Hmmm... the dudou barely covered the top her breasts and it was quite a sight to behold. Nice and perky.

    "I didn¡¯t know that you love wearing this kind of sexy dudou," Yao Ying talked in a low hoarse voice while trailing his hands on her bare skin. He traced her throat, her corbone and down to the top of her breasts, making Yao Ling feel her whole body tingling. His touch seemed to ignite something within her. God! What did he do to her body?

    "What do you mean? Every woman wears this type of dudou!" Yao Ling tried to struggle and get away from him, but she failed miserably. Yao Ying had be stronger and it made her feel frustrated. She couldn¡¯t get away from him even if she wanted to.

    Yao Ling was under his mercy.

    "Hmmm... probably, but they might not look as seductive as you," Yao Ying smiled. Indeed... her pale white skin was in contrast with the red color of the dudou, making her look dashing --- ready to be eaten.

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes in annoyance, "Can you let me go now?"

    "Not yet," Yao Ying grinned sheepishly.

    "Why?!" Yao Ling whined.

    "I told you that I want to leave love bite marks on your body," Yao Ying grinned mischievously.

    "What?! I already told you no!" Yao Ling rejected his ideas, ring in anger. She didn¡¯t want to feel the same embarrassment once again. Where should she ce her dignity tomorrow? Everyone would certainlyugh at her again!

    "You won¡¯t me me if it¡¯s not on your neck, right? As long as no one can see them?" Yao Ying found a loophole from what Yao Ling had said previously.

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes widened, "But..."

    Without giving her a chance to say anything else, he kissed her throat gently which earned a moan from Yao Ling. Although her mind wasn¡¯t willing, her body couldn¡¯t resist his charm. "Mmm..." She moaned passionately.

    "Hmm... so sensitive..." Yao Ying smiled to himself but didn¡¯t stop kissing her. He trailed her corbone with his kiss, down to the upper part of her breasts.

    After reaching his target, Yao Ying stopped and looked at her with a fiery gaze. Yao Ying grinned at her for a while before he enjoyed his feast. Yao Ling understood from his gaze that her husband was in the bold and unrestrained mode. She knew that she couldn¡¯t stop this man from having what he wanted. At least, not tonight.

    He kissed the top of her breasts once again, without forgetting to bite softly them softly. Once he was satisfied biting, he sucked the ce where he bit and licked them to ease Yao Ling¡¯s pain. How could Yao Ling endure this kind of pleasurable torture? She bit her lower lips, trying to hold back her moan. She wanted to move her hands and gripped the bed sheets, but her hands were restrained by Yao Ying.

    ¡¯Mmm...¡¯ That was the only thing Yao Ling could mutter.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t dare to go down more or he would break his promise. He knew those twins buns that only covered by the dudou were restricted zone for now. Once he opened the dudou, his self-restraint would be gone with the wind.

    After he felt satisfied with his works, Yao Ying looked at his epic creations and then released Yao Ling¡¯s hands without another word. He stood up and said, "I will go first."

    Yao Ling felt bewildered with the sudden loss of warmth. ¡¯He left? Just like that?¡¯ She asked in annoyance, "Where do you want to go?"

    "Cold shower!" Yao Ying yelled at her but didn¡¯t dare to look back. He felt that before they went all the way, he would go crazy first. He closed his eyes for a while and decided to tease his wife.

    "Why? Do you want to join me?" After asking that, he turned around and looked at his wife seductively, "Or do you want to go all the way?"

    "Go take a cold shower!" Yao Ling tly answered. When she could think clearly, her annoyance came back in full force.

    Yao Ying sighed in disappointment and then after looking at her breasts, heughed out loud. "Don¡¯t you want to see my epic creations?"

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

    Yao Ying looked pointedly at her breasts while grinning wolfishly.

    Yao Ling looked down, but because of the position, it was hard for her to see his so-called epic creation clearly. She took a look at it in the mirror and yelled in anger, "Yao Ying!!!" Yao Ying ran out of the room and left behind his boisterousughter.

    Yao Ling saw his real epic marks and it angered her to death! Did he think her body was some kind of nk canvas? He made various shapes of marks on her upper part of her breasts.

    Were those flower-shaped marks? Peach blossoms? And what was that? She thought for a while and it was like the shape of a baby chick or something like that. Dogs? She only knew that it was the shape of an animal. Did he think her breasts were gardens?! She felt like throttling him! If she weren¡¯t in a haze just now, she would certainly prevent him from doing this.

    ¡¯Yao Ying!!!!!! When youe back, I¡¯m going to kill you!!¡¯ Yao Ling thought in anger.

    When Yao Ying came back from his cold shower, he burst outughing when he saw her angry expression. However, it made things worse for him. When he wanted to cuddle with his wife, he was directly kicked out from the bed. Yao Ling threw a nket at him and said, "You should sleep on the floor tonight. Don¡¯t you dare sleep beside me!"

    After that, Yao Ling turned around and gave him her back. Yao Ying begged for a while, but the woman simply didn¡¯t budge and didn¡¯t give him any response. He could only ept his fate in defeat and wallow in his own misery.

    Yao Lingughed inwardly, despite her anger. She knew he must have been looked so pitifully. ¡¯Hmph! Serve you right! Who told you to be so mischievous!¡¯

    That night, whenever he tried to get into the bed, somehow Yao Ling could feel it. She prevented him by kicking him out. Finally, the man gave up and decided that he probably should ept and do the punishment or his future day would be so bleak.

    He, who knew when he could fight and when he couldn¡¯t, would be victorious[1]. And Yao Ying knew that this wasn¡¯t the right time for him to carry on annoying his little wife. It looked like... tomorrow he has a lot of currying favor to do, so his little wife could forgive him.

    He probably should go and buy presents to make her happy. Lessons learned! Never wake a sleeping tigress [2].

    However, Yao Ying was probably thinking too much. Yao Ling wasn¡¯t that narrow-minded. She was just punishing him in a fit of anger. She was the kind of person who didn¡¯t really like holding a grudge. Once someone who made a mistake said sorry, then she wouldn¡¯t be able to get angry anymore - as long as it didn¡¯t touch her bottom line.

    But well... making her husband to repent and curry favor to her once in a while wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Who told him to be that naughty? Hmpf!

    ***

    [1]. He, who knew when he could fight and when he couldn¡¯t, would be victorious is a Chinese proverb by Sun Tzu. It means that it¡¯s important to pick your battles.

    [2]. Never wake a sleeping tigress: Don¡¯t create problems that you can¡¯t handle.

 Chapter 77 The Confession

    The next day, Yao Ling didn¡¯t even let Xiao Yu help her which earn the confusion of theter. She didn¡¯t want Xiao Yu to see the ridiculous things that Yao Ying did to her body --- the epic stupid garden on her upper breasts. When Yao Ying had given up jump into their bed, she finally able to go to sleep and wrapped herself inside the quilt. She pretended to sleep until she felt that Yao Ying¡¯s breath was steady, after that, she let herself rx and sleep along with him.

    The man had been gone by the time she woke up. She overslept and didn¡¯t send him out that morning. Well... it was fine. He should curry favor to her first, on the other hand, she also needed to talk to Xiao Yu.

    After she finished wearing her ruqun, she called Xiao Yu, "Xiao Yu,e in!"

    Xiao Yu came in and Yao Ling felt relieved when Xiao Yu looked better than the day before. Although the way she smiled was still forced, at least the swollen was getting better. Yao Ling pulled out an old medicine case and gave it to Xiao Yu, "Use it on your face. The swollen will get better in no time with this medicine. This is my mother¡¯s secret recipe."

    Xiao Yu gasped in surprise. "This servant doesn¡¯t dare. This medicine is too precious to be given to this servant, Young Mistress."

    Yao Ling smiled. "Don¡¯t worry! I can make the same medicine by myself now, but just take care of the medicine case. I want it back because it was my mother¡¯s."

    Xiao Yu looked at the medicine case that she held, feeling teary because of her young mistress¡¯ kindness. She curtsied and said, "Thank you, Young Mistress."

    Yao Ling casually waved her hands. "You are my own people. No need to worry about a trivial matter." Yao Ling contemted how to approach the previous day matter, but she knew that she had to have a talk with Xiao Yu. She didn¡¯t want a loyal subject to be led astray by Liu Li. "When you got inside my room, did you see anyone hover around my inner courtyard?"

    "No, Young Mistress. Why?"

    "I need to talk to you, but you know... there are a lot of spies around here," Yao Ling decided not to beat around the bush.

    Xiao Yu somehow felt guilty. Even though she didn¡¯t reveal anything to Liu Li, but she was one of those spies. She could only look down and nod her head.

    "I know who you are," Yao Ling casually said.

    *Thump*

    Xiao Yu could feel her own erratic heartbeat and the sweat on her back. Did her Young Mistress know something? She couldn¡¯t help but stutter, "Wh... what? What does Young Mistress mean?"

    "Don¡¯t pretend anymore! I know about them already!"

    *Bang*

    Xiao Yu¡¯s guilty conscience won! She couldn¡¯t lie about it anymore. Xiao Yu quickly kneeled down and kowtowed in front of Yao Ling, "Please forgive this servant, Young Mistress! This servant has no choice!" She banged her head on the floor pretty hard for a few times. Xiao Yu felt so guilty that she couldn¡¯t even feel the pain on her forehead.

    Yao Ling felt surprised with her sudden outburst. She didn¡¯t know that the guilt was eating away Xiao Yu¡¯s heart, making her couldn¡¯t sleep and eat peacefully. Yao Ling sighed and quickly squatted down in front of Xiao Yu. She stopped her banging by touching her forehead softly, "What are you doing? Your cheek is still swollen! Do you want to add another injury to your forehead?"

    Xiao Yu could feel the tears streaming down on her face. "This servant didn¡¯t mean it! This servant really didn¡¯t mean it! They force this servant to do this and this servant can¡¯t even face Young Mistress properly. This servant is too ashamed!"

    "I know! You don¡¯t have to feel guilty about it!" Yao Ling insisted. Fortunately, Yao Ling already heard the whole story. If this was before, she could probably be blinded by her anger and didn¡¯t try to listen to Xiao Yu¡¯s exnation. She had to learn to think and make a decision with a cool head.

    "But..."

    Yao Ling decided to relieve her from her fear. "I heard your confrontation with Liu Li yesterday from Xiu. He identally heard it. I¡¯m d though that he let me know. Thank you for being loyal to me!" Yao Ling truly thanked her. Xiao Yu could easily abandon her because they only knew each other for a while, but she didn¡¯t.

    Xiao Yu chose loyalty.

    "Young Mistress is truly good to this servant. How could this servant betray you?" Xiao Yu exined honestly.

    Yao Ling patted Xiao Yu¡¯s head lovingly. "That¡¯s good then. Xiu will help you to try to find your younger brother, so don¡¯t worry about it too much. I¡¯m sure we will find out his where about soon. However, you have to continue your current act. Keep feeding them with information about me. At least, until we really find your brother. If you can, try to find some information about the enemy too! Can you do that?"

    Xiao Yu, who received such grace and forgiveness, felt relieved. She wiped her tears and nodded confidently. "This servant will continue to act and report to Young Mistress what information I will getter. What the next step will be... I will also discuss it with Young Mistress first."

    "Good!"

    "Young Mistress... Xiu... really try to help me?" Xiao Yu asked hesitantly.

    "Yes, he begged us to help you and even offered his help on his own ord," Yao Ling answered truthfully. Then she added, "He is a good man."

    Xiao Yu nodded and blushed shyly. "Yes, he is. I hope he could find my brother."

    "Believe in him!"

    Xiao Yu nodded. "This servant will! He¡¯s this servant¡¯s hope."

    "Good!"

    "Thank you for Young Mistress¡¯ kindness. Thank you for helping this servant to find this servant¡¯s younger brother. I will follow Young Mistress to death," Xiao Yu promised.

    "Just loyally follow me is fine. No need to follow me until death!" Yao Lingughed at Xiao Yu¡¯s silliness.

    "Did you have any information about Liu Li¡¯s master?"

    "No, but this servant certain that it¡¯s not Concubine Wan. It¡¯s someone else."

    "How so?"

    "She once made a mistake saying that Concubine Wan isn¡¯t good enough to be her mistress, althoughter she smoothly corrected her statement, I already noticed it nheless," Xiao Yu exined.

    "Hmm... This Liu Li is pretty wicked and dangerous, you have to be careful around her. Don¡¯t let her bully you too much! After finding your younger brother, I will give you a chance to seek revenge," Yao Ling said.

    "Are you serious, Young Mistress?"

    "Of course! This kind of dangerous person, we can¡¯t afford to keep her around. Besides, she hurt you!" Yao Ling pointed at Xiao Yu¡¯s face. When she did that, Xiao Yu could feel the chilliness on Yao Ling¡¯s gaze, but she didn¡¯t feel afraid. Instead, she felt grateful that her young mistress cared about her to this extent.

    Suddenly they heard a slight creaking sound in front of their room, both Yao Ling and Xiao Yu quickly stopped talking. They knew someone was trying to listen to their conversation. Since they heard about spies, they¡¯d been trying to pay attention to little details around them. They could see someone sneaking in front of Yao Ling¡¯s room.

    Yao Ling gave a signal to Xiao Yu that they should stop talking about important matters. Xiao Yu nodded understandingly.

    "Young Mistress, thank you, God that you are feeling better already!" Xiao Yu said dramatically which earned Yao Ling¡¯sugh.

    "Just a cold, Xiao Yu. Don¡¯t exaggerate! I only need rest and I¡¯m as good as new."

    "Young Mistress¡¯ body is very strong and also you have good luck!"

    "What a sweet mouth! Xiao Yu,e on, let¡¯s go! I want to greet Grandmother and Mother before we go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯!"

    Knowing they were going to go out, the one who was sneaking in front of Yao Ling¡¯s room quickly went away. Yao Ling and Xiao Yu sighed in relief. It seemed like they had to put on a lot of performances in the future.

 Chapter 78 Ning Jieâ€™s Answer 1

    "Young Mistress, it¡¯s better if we don¡¯t talk about important things here. It¡¯s not safe," Xiao Yu said.

    "I know. It¡¯s too risky. Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s really time to go, or else, we will bete."

    After greeting the matriarch and Madam Wang for the day, Yao Ling diligently attended her lesson with Zhang Mo Mo just like usual. Zhang Mo Mo praised her and said that she had an improvement. It made her pretty happy. The sooner she could master the etiquette, the sooner she could learn another thing.

    After that, they went to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ directly. Before she entered ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, she saw Ning jie stood nervously in front of ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. She just walked back and forth but didn¡¯t dare to go in. Once... she tried to go in, but then... she chickened out. It was a quite funny sight, making Yao Ling want tough, but she knew she would hurt Ning jie¡¯s feeling so she decided against it.

    Yao Ling tapped her shoulder softly from behind and smiled, "Have you decided to work here?"

    Ning jie was surprised but managed to calm herself after knowing that it was Yao Ling. She sighed in relief and nodded. "Yes, this servant has already decided. Thank you for Young Mistress¡¯ help."

    "Good!"

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t bother correcting the way Ning jie called her this time, because they were in ¡¯Fu Rong and she was still the boss here. Ning jie should call her Young Mistress out of courtesy, besides... this would terminate the chance someone knew about their rtionship in private. It was better this way.

    "Come inside with me. I need you to embroider a handkerchief with a design of your own as the test. I want to know the level of your embroidery skill and your creativity level," Yao Ling exined briefly.

    When she saw Li Huan, she called him toe to her, "Xiao Huan, I want to test this new embroiderer. Give her everything she needs, because I want to gauge her skill level. Can you do that?"

    "This servant will prepare it," Li Huan quickly answered. This was the normal procedure of hiring embroiderers, so it was nothing new for Li Huan. He turned to Ning jie and said, "Follow me!"

    Ning jie looked at Yao Ling asking for permission silently. Yao Ling nodded and encouraged her to follow Li Huan, "Go with him! When you finish the embroidery, you can find me and show me the finished good. After that, we can talk about your sry and work schedule."

    "This servant understands," Ning jie politely answered. After that, she left with Li Huan.

    Xiao Yu asked Yao Ling curiously, "Who is that, Young Mistress?"

    "That¡¯s Ning jie."

    "Ah... the kids¡¯ benefactor?" Xiao Yu remembered where she had heard the name before and she guessed correctly.

    "Yes."

    "Aiya~ Young Mistress¡¯ kindness is really too much!" Xiao Yu scowled.

    Yao Ling helplessly exined, "I¡¯m not that kind, Xiao Yu. I¡¯ll tell you all about itter, okay? But this is not the right ce and not the right time. When everythinges into ce, I¡¯ll definitely tell you everything!"

    Xiao Yu nodded and smiled, "Okay! Thank you, Young Mistress."

    "All right. Let¡¯s go to work!" After saying that, Yao Ling did her works as usual. She waited for Ning jie¡¯s result patiently. Wang Luo Hai and Yao Ying weren¡¯t in ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. When she asked Li Huan, they were meeting a powerful and mysterious customer.

    Yao Ling wondered who that person was. "Have we ever received orders from this customer?" She asked Li Huan.

    "Yes, we have. This customer is one of our biggest customers. When they ce an order, we have to be the one who goes to the customer¡¯s ce. Only Master knows the customer¡¯s identity. This servant guesses that Master wants to introduce Young Master to this big customer," Li Huan exined.

    This mysterious customer really piqued her curiosity, but she knew that it was out of her authority. Yao Ying probably would tell herter. Her job was to secure their own people and other matters could wait. She trusted Yao Ying that he would be able to handle it perfectly.

    Yao Ling had just finished her inspections around the production room when she saw Ning jie seriously working there and she deliberately didn¡¯t pay much attention to her. It wouldn¡¯t make sense to care too much about a new worker. She could only wait for Ning jie to finish the embroidery and let here to her herself.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Ning jie to find her and show her the result. Yao Ling looked at the handkerchief in front of her. She smiled and asked, "Why do you choose to make this embroidery?"

    Yao Ling looked at the lovely embroidery design in her hands. It was a beautiful young woman who held a lovely bouquet of flowers on her embrace near her heart and the woman was surrounded by blooming flowers all around her. Her embroidery skill was actually very good! She was probably being humble by saying her embroidery wasn¡¯t that good. Yao Ling sighed in relief. If she didn¡¯t have a good embroidery skill, it was hard to let her work at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯.

    Ning jie answered her, "Xin Hua Nu Fang ¨C The flower of the heart in full bloom. It means to be happy at heart like flowers in full bloom."

    Yao Ling nodded her head, feeling happy after knowing the real meaning of the embroidery. "So... what are you feeling happy about?"

    Ning jie nervously answered Yao Ling, "It¡¯s actually also the answer to Young Mistress¡¯ question yesterday. It¡¯s this servant happiness to be able to find Young Mistress and work together with Young Mistress." After saying that, she decided to add some words, "Work together in everything." Ning jie emphasized thest part.

    Ning jie specifically emphasizing thest part and the meaning was clear! Ning jie was also agreed to work together and be Yao Ling¡¯s people. Yao Ling smiled happily after hearing her answer. "Well done! Wee aboard!" Yao Ling praised and weed Ning jie at the same time.

    "Come on! Let¡¯s go upstairs! We should talk about the details," Yao Ling invited Ning jie to go with her to a more secluded ce. It wasn¡¯t inconvenient to talk about an important matter in the production rooms. Walls had ears [1], so it was better to be safe than sorryter. The second floor was more secluded and a suitable ce for talking about important matters.

    Yao Ling showed the result to Xiao Qian, the leader of the embroiderers, which earned praise from theter and Xiao Qian agreed that Ning Qing Xue was a great asset to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. "Xiao Qian, let me borrow this new talent for a while!" Yao Ling asked for Xiao Qian¡¯s permission.

    Xiao Qian smiled and answered, "Young Mistress... Young Mistress doesn¡¯t need to ask this servant¡¯s permission for this kind of thing! Go ahead and take the girl!" After that, Xiao Qian turned to Ning Qing Xue and reminded her, "Be polite to Young Mistress! You should listen to Young Mistress¡¯ orders."

    Ning Qing Xie curtsied politely to Xiao Qian and said, "Xiao Qian Jie Jie, this servant will."

    "Good!" Xiao Qian nodded in satisfaction. It seemed like the girl was a fast learner. She knew that Xiao Qian was higher in position and Ning Qing Xue cleverly gave respect to her.

    Li Huan already introduced Ning jie to Xiao Qian previously, so Xiao Qian already knew about her. She asked a little bit about Ning Qing Xue¡¯s background and knew that the woman was in dire need of money because she had a lot of kids back home.

    Xiao Qian only thought that this woman got married at a young age and had a lot of kids. Xiao Qian didn¡¯t know that the kids were actually orphans. She also assumed that Xiao Qian had no husband, but she didn¡¯t ask any questions about it. Ning Qing Xue told briefly how Young Mistress helped her by luck and after knowing her situation, Young Mistress decided to help her by offering a job at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ which Ning Qing Xue epted gratefully.

    ***

    [1]. Walls had ears: Be careful of what you said, as people might be eavesdropping.

 Chapter 79 Ning Jieâ€™s Answer 2

    Ning Qing Xue, who understood about the misunderstanding, didn¡¯t bother to correct her. The fewer people knew, the better. This conclusion was also good to get rid of others¡¯ suspicion. She just wanted people to know that she was basically here just to earn money. Otherwise, if others knew that she had an unexinable closeness to Yao Ling, it would attract the enemies¡¯ attention far too early. They weren¡¯t ready for it and it would also ruin their whole n.

    "I will send her back after we are finished talking about her employment," Yao Ling exined. She didn¡¯t want to undermine Xiao Qian¡¯s authority. Before she worked at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, Xiao Qian was the one who managed all the embroiderers and still was, although some of her jobs alsonded on Yao Ling¡¯s shoulder -- for example, every time Xiao Qian want to do something, she had to consult it to Yao Ling. After she got Yao Ling¡¯s approval, then she was allowed to do so.

    Previously, Yao Ling was actually working under her too. Fortunately, Xiao Qian didn¡¯t feel envy at all, after knowing that suddenly Yao Ling became her boss. She was a reasonable person and could adapt to change quite easily. To be exact, she felt relieved that she could share some of the burdens from her overload jobs.

    Yao Ling took charge of the sry and it was not a part of Xiao Qian¡¯s authority, to begin with, so it wasn¡¯t a problem to take Ning jie away by using this reason.

    No one would suspect them.

    "Follow me!" Yao Ling said to Ning Jie. After that, she turned around while being followed by Xiao Yu and Ning jie. They went to the second floor without saying another word.

    After they arrived at the second floor, Yao Ling gave an order to Xiao Yu, "Xiao Yu, I need you to guard the stairs. If anyonees up, just let me know! I have an important matter to discuss with Ning jie."

    "Okay, Young Mistress." Xiao Yu didn¡¯t ask too many questions and she obeyed Yao Ling¡¯s order without a second thought.

    Yao Ling was at ease when she had Xiao Yu helping her by her side. It was easier for her to work on secret things like this with people that she could fully trust. It also reduced her anxiety in doing things with Xiao Yu standing guard.

    "So, tell me... why exactly do you change your mind?" Yao Ling asked with a smiling face. She was beyond happy!

    "I talked about it with the children. I gave them a choice whileying out the pros and cons of helping you and bing your subordinate. The children seemed didn¡¯t know what they were going to do -- ept it or not. Their gaze was nk in confusion. However, it seemed like that you¡¯ve already wormed your way in into Xiao Xia and Xiao Li¡¯s heart. They were the one who convinced me the most," Ning jie exined briefly about yesterday¡¯s event.

    "Oh? How so?" Yao Ling looked at Ning jie with wide curious eyes which made her look oh-so-adorable. Even Ning jie felt blinded by her charming expression. Sometimes, due to Yao Ling¡¯s clever mind, she forgot that the girl was younger than her.

    "They kneeled down and said that what you¡¯d said about them beingzy was actually correct. Except for the bigger ones, the little ones were practically useless. They vowed that they wanted to help and urged me to work together with you. They cleverly said that they had identally heard about our conversation and felt your offer back then was really good," Ning jie said.

    "They are very clever!" Yao Ling felt proud for the both of them. At least, they had a mind of their own and willing to listen to advice -- though they had identally heard what she had said.

    "Indeed!"

    "Have you told them about the risks?"

    "Yes, I have. I told them in a harsh way," Ning jie said. She remembered howst night she felt so agitated and told them in a loud voice that sometimes they could die while doing their mission. However, their answer really shut all of her arguments up.

    "It¡¯s fine, Ning jie. After all, we are currently living without any purpose but staying alive. To tell Ning jie the truth, we seek for adventure and new purpose. With Yao gong zi¡¯s offer, we are able to learn new things and skills, also broaden our experiences. It¡¯s not a bad thing. Currently, we can also die because of hunger. We know that Ning jie is barely holding on because of us, so why don¡¯t you let us help you by sharing your burden?" Xiao Yang ¨C who was sick ¨C heard about the whole things and he was the one who said these mature sentences.

    Xiao Yang was the oldest of the bunch, so his way of thinking was also quite grown-up. He always wanted to give something in return for Ning jie¡¯s kindness and yesterday¡¯s Yao gong zi gave a good offer to them. Beggars can¡¯t be choosers [1].

    The sentences came out from a ten-something years old kid and it made Ning jie feel so ashamed. "I¡¯m sorry for not being able to give you all the perfect childhood." She had tried to do the best, but she still failed them. However, she also knew they did this because they wanted to help her and it brought tears to her eyes. All of them are good kids.

    Xiao Li who was usually aloof also spoke up his thought, "Why are you saying sorry to us? We should be the ones who suppose to say thank you to you, Ning jie. If you didn¡¯t pick us up back then, we wouldn¡¯t be able to live."

    "Yes, Ning jie. This is good enough for us. We probably can die by doing a mission or something like that, but it¡¯s only the worst case scenario, right? Why should we think all of the negative things first? All of us will die someday. If it was time for us to go, then it was time. There will be no regret if we do something that we voluntarily do," Xiao Er said.

    "Ning jie, I agree with everyone!" Xiao Xia said excitedly. Although she didn¡¯t know for sure about what it was all about, she already took a liking to the pretty jie jie. She believed that she¡¯s not a bad person and she was very willing to follow pretty jie jie.

    The other kids murmured in agreement. Some of them were only the followers¡¯ type, but after listening to the exnation, the felt that it was making sense. Probably with the new arrangement, they could get a better future.

    Ning jie sighed, feeling defeated. All of them wanted to follow Yao Ling¡¯s n and she should probably ept their decisions. "If all of you agree, then tomorrow I¡¯ll go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. About what you will doter, it will depend on Young Mistress, okay?"

    "Young Mistress?" Xiao Xia asked.

    "We will be working for the prettydy that you love so much, Xiao Xia. We have to be polite and call her Young Mistress," Ning jie exined patiently.

    "Oh... I see," Xiao Xia nodded understandingly. "Young Mistress, it is."

    Ning jie told Yao Ling those conversations in details one by one. When Yao Ling heard what the children said, it made her feel really touched.

    "Don¡¯t you think they have grown up by saying those things?" Yao Ling asked.

    Ning jie blinked back her tears. "Indeed, Young Mistress."

    "I already told you... I take you as my sworn sister. In private, you can just call me Yao Ling," Yao Ling took her words seriously. Even if Ning jie pledged her loyalty, she would treat her as her real sister ¨C not as a subordinate.

    "Yao Ling..." Ning jie hesitantly called her with her name.

    "Good!"

    "So, will you tell me about your n for the kids?"

    "Hmmm... Are the children literate?"

    "No. They have various backgrounds, but all of them are from poor families. They didn¡¯t have the luxury to learn how to read and write," Ning jie exined.

    ---

    [1]. Beggars can¡¯t be choosers: It was said when you recognize that you must ept an offer or a situation because it is the only one avable to you.

 Chapter 80 His Insecurities

    Yao Ling felt lucky. Although she was also from a peasant background, Jiu Lan taught her to read and write. If it weren¡¯t for her, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to work at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ and gain Wang Luo Hai¡¯s approval. If it weren¡¯t for Jiu Lan, when she became a part of Wang Luo Hai¡¯s family, they would definitely insult her because she was illiterate.

    "I need you to spend some times teaching them how to read and write. You can start working at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ after making lunch for the children. I¡¯ll personally exin this to Xiao Qian. It¡¯smon to have someone only taking one shift, so it won¡¯t be a big problem considering that you also have responsibilities for the children. You already prove your worth with your beautiful embroidery just now. This way, in the morning, you will have time to teach the children," Yao Ling started to work on her n. She didn¡¯t want to dy their progress.

    "Okay. How about their jobs? How will you assign it to them?" Ning jie asked curiously.

    Yao Ling pondered over it for a while. "Hmm... I need to know their personalities first. I also need to know their strength and weakness. In a few days, I will probably go to your ce and find out about it. I¡¯m not in a hurry to put them on the jobs, because I need to clean up my courtyard first."

    "I can help you by giving the list of their names and I can also tell you a little bit of them for an introduction. It will be easier for you that way," Ning jie offered.

    "That would be helpful for me. Thank you. For now, you should go back to your post. I¡¯ll exin to Xiao Qian. About your sry, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take care of it," Yao Ling assured Ning jie.

    "Okay, Yao Ling. Thank you very much. Then, I¡¯ll go first," Ning jie curtsied and left.

    After Ning jie went back to her work, Xiao Yu went closer to her young mistress. "Young Mistress, do you n on using the children as your subordinates?" Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t help but ask curiously. Her young mistress really thought deeply about this matter.

    Xiao Yu admired how her young mistress could cook up such a good n. The children were fresh - not contaminated by any fractions previously - and young mistress would certainly get their loyalties, especially because she was able to convince Ning jie whom being loved by the children. Xiao Yu noticed that the n must have been cooked up on the spot back at Ning jie¡¯s house.

    Xiao Yu also thought that she should train herself to be more useful for Young Mistress. After being used and ckmailed by Liu Li, she felt her naivety should be thrown away. No one should be trusted except her master. She was also feeling thankful to Xiu. If Xiu didn¡¯t tell about it to Young Mistress, she probably would still lie to her young mistress and make a greater mistake. She would lose her chance to prove her loyalty.

    Yao Ling watched Xiao Yu¡¯s full of curiosity expression andughed. "Indeed. I need to gain more people to fight back. I don¡¯t want them to bully me and my people."

    Xiao Yu nodded in understanding. Before she could say anything else, Li Huan came. "Young Mistress, a servant from ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ said that Young Master won¡¯t be able toe to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ today because Young Master Lin caught him and he will borrow our young master for the rest of the day. They identally met after Young Master finished doing his business with Master."

    "Okay. I understand," Yao Ling smiled. "Give a treat to Lin Fu¡¯s servant and let him go back. Tell him I already got the message."

    "Yes, Young Mistress." After saying that, Li Huan did his job.

    Yao Ling shook her head in amusement. She knew that Lin Jian gong zi would certainly make troubles for Yao Ying. Yao Ling turned to Xiao Yu, "Later, don¡¯t forget to ask Ning jie to give me the children¡¯s name list!"

    "Yes, Young Mistress," Xiao Yu answered.

    "Come on then. We should get back to work." They got busy for the rest of the day.

    ---

    While Yao Ling was busy with recruiting people, Yao Ying went to General Lin¡¯s estate just like usual. He did his morning practice drill wholeheartedly. With his way with words, he befriended a lot of the soldiers there. He didn¡¯t differentiate himself from the others because of his new status. This made him be brothers with those soldiers.

    After finishing the morning drill, he went home, took a bath, and went to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. Currently, Xiu was away. He went out to tail Liu Li, trying to find a loophole there. He really needed to find one more people to serve him as to not make it obvious if one of them was gone doing another job secretly.

    When he met Wang Luo Hai at ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, he asked where Xiu was. Yao Ying simply said that Xiu was sick -- the ssic excuse and Wang Luo Hai seemed to believe him. Wang Luo Hai pondered a few moments before asking, "Don¡¯t you have another servant in your courtyard? Why don¡¯t you let one of them serve you? Just in case, Xiu isn¡¯t around."

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t say that he trusted no one in his own courtyard, so instead, he answered, "I don¡¯t like them."

    Wang Luo Hai raised one of his eyebrows but then gave him a solution. "How about I give you one more? Xiu was from my courtyard. This one servant is also Xiu¡¯s friend -- Feng. He¡¯s clever and you can trust him."

    Yao Ying looked at Wang Luo Hai in astonishment. It seemed that he knew about Yao Ying¡¯s insecurities and he offered his help. Was this the feeling of having a loving father? He could certainly get used to it. "Thank you, Father. It will be helpful for this son."

    Wang Luo Hai smiled and patted his shoulder. "I know that you will have some difficulties at first. Once I give them to you, they will be loyal only to you. I will send him to your courtyardter. For now, I want you to meet one of our biggest customers, but you have to keep a secret who they are."

    Yao Ying nodded in excitement. Before he went out, Yao Ying told Li Huan to give Yao Ling a message that he would be gone and meet an important customer. He didn¡¯t want her to feel worried when she didn¡¯t find him in ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ter.

    Wang Luo Hai brought him to a secluded ce. It was a run-down gazebo on the outskirt of the town. To get there they had to go through theplicated twist and turn through the forest and Yao Ying found no human presence around the area. Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t bring any of his servants, only Yao Ying.

    "Father, why do you only bring me here?"

    "You mean no servant?"

    "Yes."

    "You will knowter. In the future, if you meet this person, you also can¡¯t bring anyone with you. Only I know about this person¡¯s existence. And now, you."

    "Why?"

    "You are my son. Of course, I will trust you. You will inherit my legacy and you have to learn carefully from now on," Wang Luo Hai exined.

    Yao Ying was taken aback. "Why? Why do you trust me so much?" This was the question that kept bothering him.

    Wang Luo Haiughed. "Just like I said, I am good at judging people and I know you can be trusted."

    "But... you don¡¯t know about my background at all! How can you trust me so easily? Sometimes, I don¡¯t even trust myself. I¡¯m afraid that I wasn¡¯t a good man," Yao Ying protested and he finally opened up to Wang Luo Hai. This matter... was hard to discuss with his wife. He knew that Yao Ling was always looking up at him and he didn¡¯t want to shatter it with his own insecurities.

    Probably having a father to look up to wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Having man-to-man talk was what he needed at the moment.

 Chapter 81 Meet The Mysterious Person

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know who he was himself, but how could the people around him ept him so easily? He was thankful for that. But... he was afraid that the past him would make them disappointed if they found out that he was actually a bad guy.

    Wang Luo Hai could see his disturbed mind and how Yao Ying viewed himself in a harmful way to think. "Listen to me! I know that you have a lot of insecurities. Don¡¯t you ever doubt yourself! A person could forget his or her own past, but he or she can¡¯t change drastically his or her personalities. The people around you... all of them aren¡¯t fools. They can clearly see that you are a good man, so why don¡¯t you trust yourself a bit more?"

    Wang Luo Hai trusted his own judgment. If Yao Ying never once doubted himself or having this kind of insecurities, then he would never have trusted this young man. He still considered other people¡¯s feeling and even dared to ask him why did he trust him. Any other person would jump into the chance of bing his son without any questions and without second-guessing himself just like Yao Ying. Thus, Yao Ying earned his trust more. He certainly didn¡¯t choose the wrong person.

    Yao Ying heard what Wang Luo Hai had said and he was feeling touched. It didn¡¯t erase all of his insecurities, but it certainly made him better and he was thankful for that. "Thank you, Father!"

    "You are wee. I have to warn you about one thing. Once you meet this person, you will have no way to turn back. You will jump into muddle water along with me and this isn¡¯t just a simple battle in the inner courtyard. My legacy will be yours but it will alsoe with a price. How?"

    Yao Ying gaped at what Wang Luo Hai had just said? ¡¯What muddle water? Father ah~ You already bring me here and you just asked the question?! I don¡¯t think you even give the chance to say no!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. He seriously wondered how should he answer this tricky question.

    Wang Luo Haiughed at Yao Ying¡¯s expression. He could probably guess what was inside Yao Ying¡¯s mind. "You are right! I don¡¯t really want to give you a way out. I¡¯m just asking for the sake of formality." Hisughter died down and he became serious, "My legacy isn¡¯t only revolving around ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, but also for another important thing. I¡¯m serious, there is no way out for you. You will know whyter, but I assure you that I won¡¯t let you find yourself in danger."

    Yao Ying knew that he had no other choice. No wonder even themon people said that ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ wasn¡¯t a household to be trifled with and they had vast connections. It seemed like what Ning jie had said wasn¡¯t based on baseless rumor after all. He sighed but he could only nod in understanding.

    "This son will follow Father until the end," Yao Ying said. Haiya~ what else could he say? They already arrived at the meeting ce!

    They sat at the worn-out gazebo and waited for the mysterious person to arrive.

    "Can you at least give me a head up about this person, Father? Does this person truly our customer?"

    "No, this person isn¡¯t our customer." Wang Luo Hai only gave him a short answer and it made Yao Ying feel a bit frustrated. This old man didn¡¯t have the decency to tell him the details that he wanted to know! How could he face a person that he didn¡¯t know about?

    When he knew that Wang Luo Hai wasn¡¯t going to give him any answer, Yao Ying gave up trying to find out the identity of that person. They could only patiently wait and both of them didn¡¯t have anything to talk about to each other. The silence was deafening. Although they were in an abandoned forest, no sounds could be heard. The chirping bird or probably the sound of streaming water -- nothing at all.

    After waiting for one shichen, they finally heard the sound of unhurried footsteps. In front of them, a veiled woman wasing to them slowly and behind her, there were two ck-clothed guards with masks on their face -- probably her shadow guards. Yao Ying had thought that he would meet a man, but contrary to his expectation, the person was a woman. He couldn¡¯t see the face behind the veil, but judging from her hand skins, this woman was quite young.

    She was probably in disguise because she wore an ordinary white ruqun. Although it seemed ordinary, it was spotless white and the quality was not bad. This woman wasn¡¯t a simple person.

    "Mei Li gu niang..." Wang Luo Hai politely greeted the young woman. Yao Ying was quite surprised by how polite his father was. Was this woman that important? Yao Ying didn¡¯t forget to follow along Wang Luo Hai and greeted the woman.

    "Oh... Wang Luo Hai da ren... you bring another person?" The melodious voice talked in a sharp tone. Yao Ying understood that she disliked his presence and he noted the way Wang Luo Hai sweating because of what the woman had said. This made him more curious about this woman¡¯s identity.

    "Answering Mei Li gu niang, this one is my son, Wang Yao Ying," Wang Luo Hai introduced Yao Ying to the woman.

    "Oh... so this is the famous stepson of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯..." The woman scrutinized the man in front of her and she was satisfied with what she had seen. A handsome man with a good bearing. Calm and collected even when he was uncertain with this situation. A good seedling. Although she felt satisfied, the woman didn¡¯t n to let the other parties knew. She wanted to see what the old fox, Wang Luo Hai wanted to do.

    "Why do you bring him along? I already told you that my only contact is you," the woman didn¡¯t bother covering her dissatisfaction.

    "Forgive me for being bold, Gu Niang. This one is already old and wants to pass the legacy to my only son. Of course, I have to teach him everything. Including serving the master," Wang Luo Hai speak boldly. Although he showed her some politeness, truth to be told, they were on the same level. The difference was Mei Li gu niang directly serve their master.

    "Have you mentioned this to master?" Mei Li gu niang asked.

    "I already told Master," Wang Luo Hai answered truthfully.

    "Did you get any reply?"

    "Not yet," Wang Luo Hai said. He frowned for a little bit. It had been long since thest time he heard something from Master and it didn¡¯t sit well for him.

    Mei Li gu niang didn¡¯t reply, but she was quite deep in thought. "Very well, then." She turned to Yao Ying and asked, "Do you know what are you joining into?"

    Yao Ying wanted to cry but couldn¡¯t. He also didn¡¯t know ah~ But he couldn¡¯t answer her like that. This father of his really wanted him to jump into his world. The sly old fox! He even lied that they were going to meet an important customer!

    Yao Ying answered Mei Li gu niang politely, "Yes, I do."

    "It¡¯s good then. You should know for joining us you have to drink poison, right?" Mei Li gu niang pulled out a white porcin bottle from her sleeve. She opened the lid and took a pill from inside of it. She held out a small ck pill and made a gesture that she wanted Yao Ling to drink it.

    Yao Ying could feel that he got a headache. He didn¡¯t know what he was getting himself into and he also had to drink poison?!! What kind of joke this was? Wang Luo Hai simply didn¡¯t tell him all about it and he had a good chance to tell him while they were waiting for the woman to appear!

    Yao Ying stared at Wang Luo Hai and Wang Luo Hai nodded his head. The meaning was clear... Wang Luo Hai wanted him to drink the poison. Yao Ying could feel that he was getting paler and paler. He wanted to punch his father if he could!

 Chapter 82 Poison 1

    Yao Ying decided to be bold and said, "To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know that I have to drink the poison. Can you let me know why before I drink it?"

    Wang Luo Hai sighed, but he knew Yao Ying had a stubborn streak in him. He should have seen iting, but he knew that Yao Ying was correct to ask about this beforehand. Wang Luo Hai answered him, "This poison is a guarantee for us to stay loyal to the master. We will receive the antidote every month before it acts up, so don¡¯t worry! As long as you don¡¯t betray the master, then it will be fine."

    Yao Ying wanted to ask who the master was, but he knew this wasn¡¯t the right time. Or else... Wang Luo Hai would get into trouble. "Father, did you drink the same poison?"

    Wang Luo Hai admitted it, "Yes."

    "What poison is that?" Yao Ying asked cautiously.

    Mei Li gu niang grinned and answered him, "This is my most precious creation. I named it ¡¯Yue Du¡¯ -- Monthly Poison."

    Yao Ying wanted to roll his eyes. ¡¯Okay... The name is not so creative. I bet it¡¯s because you have to take the antidote each month, hence the name,¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. He felt really bitter inside.

    Mei Li gu niang continued to exin, "Don¡¯t worry... you will only feel hurt for half incense stick of time! You may suffer from shortness of breath and your heart will feel pain for a little bit. Only if you have an antidote then you won¡¯t feel the pain next month. For the first time, you won¡¯t need an antidote, but you have to feel the pain to know how potent this poison is."

    Yao Ying could hear the excitement from the woman¡¯s voice when she was talking about the potion. This woman was really sick on the head!

    Yao Ying knew that he couldn¡¯t stall times, he probably should just quickly drink the pills and be done with it. He would try to find the antidoteter, maybe Yao Ling could do something about it with her medical skill. "This one will eat the pills. Can Mei Li gu niang give it to me?" Although he was feeling bitter inside, Yao Ying didn¡¯t let them see his bitterness.

    Mei Li gu niang quickly gave the medicine to Yao Ying. Yao Ying used his hand to break a part of the pills and sneakily ate therger part of the pills, while he let the smaller parts fall down into his sleeves. Without a portion of the poison, how could Yao Ling find out the ingredients?

    While Yao Ying secretly hid the pills, he looked at the others¡¯ expression. He hoped that no one noticed what he had done. Luckily, no one said anything or did something to check on his sleeves.

    After eating the poison, Yao Ying somehow didn¡¯t feel any pain. Didn¡¯t she say that he should feel some kinds of symptoms? But why didn¡¯t he feel anything? He searched Wang Luo Hai¡¯s face and he could see the confusion in his eyes. Yao Ying took it that it was probably time to feel the pain, so he pretended to clutch his heard and moan in pain.

    He pretended to be short of breath just like what Mei Li gu niang had told him. Fortunately, she said it beforehand, otherwise, he knew that something bad would happen if they knew he didn¡¯t feel any pain. After he felt that half incense stick of time had passed, he started to tone down his act and calm his expression down for a liitle bit. He even pretended to feel the pain until he kneeled down on the ground.

    He didn¡¯t know that he was quite good at acting.

    Yao Ying could see the panic in Wang Luo Hai¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t dare to go near Yao Ying. However, once he felt Yao Ying¡¯s pain had subsided, he quickly helped Yao Ying up and asked about his condition. Wang Luo Hai looked very worried and Yao Ying thought to himself, ¡¯At least, he still has a conscience left.¡¯

    Yao Ying still pretended to catch his gasping breath and after he felt that it was time for the act to finish, he started to stand up straight and breath normally.

    "How do you feel?" Mei Li gu niang asked. From her tone, Yao Ying knew that she was satisfied with the result -- his pain. He could see that thisdy seemed to have a weird fetish and it made him shudder in fear!

    "Never been better," Yao Ying sarcastically said which earned a burst ofughter from Mei Ling gu niang. He scowled at her and he didn¡¯t intend to mask his feeling. He was really annoyed and he could always say he wasn¡¯t in the right mind, because he just drank poison.

    Yao Ying knew that he had to ask a question because no one but the poison maker could answer him and in this case, only Mei Li gu niang could answer him. "This poison... Have someone ever drink and get no reaction or pain?"

    Mei Li gu niang¡¯sughter suddenly stopped and she asked him curiously. "Oh... why the sudden question?"

    "Just curious. Because I could feel how potent it was," Yao Ying exined briefly. He pretended that he was in awe with this poison. A genius lunatic usually loved it if someone praised his or her creations.

    Mei Li gu niang couldn¡¯t hold back her happyughter. "I love it when someone appreciates my poison."

    Yao Ying¡¯s expression was darkened. Was this woman really crazy? Who would appreciate being poisoned and even appreciate the poison? He felt like throttling this crazy woman, but he had to mask his feeling by smiling, even though he felt like cursing.

    "Hmmm... no one could avoid the poison¡¯s effect, but two persons. One of them is me because I have the full antidote. The other person was given that antidote by me, so this poison wouldn¡¯t have any effect on that person," Mei Li gu niang exined.

    "Why did you easily tell me all of this?" Yao Ying asked curiously. This was supposed to be an important secret. For her to give him such an honest answer, wouldn¡¯t she afraid of being exposed?

    "No one but me can make the antidote. I only make the exact number of antidotes to be the same with the number of people who drank the poison. So, why should I be afraid? If someone kills me, then all of you will die. So you have to think about this clearly too before making a move to eradicate me," Mei Li gu niang smiled triumphantly.

    No wonder she was so confident!

    Yao Ying was confused. Only one person wouldn¡¯t be able to feel the pain, not including Mei Li gu niang. But what about him? Did he have a connection with Mei Li gu niang before he lost his memories? Who was that person? Was that person... him? There were so many questions that he wanted to ask, but he knew that he shouldn¡¯t ask too much or they would feel suspicious.

    But... if he was one of Mei Lu gu niang¡¯s acquaintances, why didn¡¯t Mei Li gu niang recognize him? Should he dismiss the idea and think of himself as being lucky? But... was this all really a coincidence? By joining this force, would he be able to find his real identity? He was deeply excited by the fact that he probably would be able to find out about his identity soon.

    Because he was trying too hard in thinking about his past memories, he felt a sudden headache which made him yelp in pain. The pain grounded into his temple and seemed like trying to split his skull. A wave of nausea also attacked him in full force and he felt like vomiting. He didn¡¯t know what happened next, but he could only feel the darkness surrounded him.

    Yao Ying fainted.

    ---

    Find this emo and it seemed like this emo would describe how Yao Ying felt when Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t tell him anything and he had to drink poison. (¨s¨F¡õ¡ä)¨s¦à©ß©¥©ß *flip the table*

    And Wang Luo Hai was like meh! ¨q(¨s^¨t)¨r©µ(£þ§¥£þ)©±

    Ha-ha!

 Chapter 83 Poison 2

    Wang Luo Hai was surprised with the turn of events, even Mei Li gu niang and her shadow guards. Wang Luo Hai asked Mei Li gu niang in panic, "What happened to my son? The poison isn¡¯t supposed to make someone fainted."

    Mei Li gu niang quickly checked on Yao Ying¡¯s pulse and told Wang Luo Hai her diagnose, "This isn¡¯t because of my poison. Something triggered his brain, probably about his missing memories. I remember that your stepson lost his memories, right?"

    "Yes, he is. Will he be okay?"

    "I will help him with acupuncture to lessen his pain and he will be okay in a few shichen. In the meantime, I need to make him rx his brain and let him sleep for a little while," Mei Li gu niang exined. She was a poison master, but also a doctor. Helping Yao Ying was a small matter to her, but Wang Luo Hai was truly feeling grateful to her.

    "Thank You, Mei Li gu niang."

    Mei Li gu niang knew that Wang Luo Hai was his master¡¯s important subordinates, so she couldn¡¯t let something happened to Yao Ying or it would affect their rtionship. She worked diligently and Wang Luo Hai was in awe when looking at how she tried to cure Yao Ying with her skill. No wonder she could stay by Master¡¯s side. Mei Li gu niang might be young, but she was talented in her own way.

    After one shichen had passed, Mei Li gu niang finally finished her treatment. "He will be fine. Do you bring your subordinates?"

    "You know the rules. I don¡¯t," Wang Luo Hai gulped. Did he have to drag Yao Ying all the way to their home? His old bone would break along the way and he could only do basic defense. He indeed brought two shadow guards, but he couldn¡¯t let them follow until here so they stayed a bit far from him.

    "When will he wake up?" Wang Luo Hai asked.

    "Approximately one more shichen." Mei Li gu niang answered him,ughing. "How do you n to take him home, old man? Will you let him sleep in the wilderness just like this?"

    Wang Luo Hai gritted his teeth in annoyance. How dare she called him old man? Even though he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to bring Yao Ying home in this condition, he wouldn¡¯t admit it. "Don¡¯t worry! I can wait until he wakes up. Only one more shichen, right?"

    "Oh well... I have two shadow guards here... I actually nned to help you and let them take away your son. But... you don¡¯t need my help, right?"

    Wang Luo Hai felt like vomiting blood due to what Mei Li gu niang said. Did she want him to throttle her? He was more concerned with Yao Ying¡¯s condition than his pride. So, when he saw Mei Li gu niang turned around and wanted to leave even without a proper goodbye, he called her, "Wait... Mei Li gu niang!"

    "Yes, Wang Luo Hao da ren?" Mei Li gu niang asked sweetly. In her mind, she chanted, ¡¯Beg me! Beg me! Beg me!¡¯ This old man was her favorite person to tease. She knew that the master regarded this Wang Luo Hai highly and she was simply jealous. In her mind, the master was hers and hers alone.

    Wang Luo Hai gritted his teeth but he naturally had to sumb to this weird woman¡¯s wish. He needed her help and he could only begged, "Please help this old man!"

    Mei Li gu niang pretended to stretch her neck and put on of her hands on her ears. "Say that again? I can¡¯t clearly hear you... Can you speak louder?"

    Wang Luo Hai closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. This woman was as annoying as Lin Zheng. Why did he always surrounded by these types of people? He chanted inside his mind, ¡¯This is for Yao Ying! Yao Ying! Yao Ying!¡¯

    "Mei Li gu niang, please help this old man¡¯s son!" Wang Luo Hai spoke louder.

    Even a fool could see the blossoming smile underneath the veil and it made Wang Luo Hai scowl a bit more. This woman was simply infuriating!

    "Ah... Wang Luo Hai da ren, why are you being so polite with this gu niang? Of course, I will help you! You don¡¯t need to beg to this gu niang or else this gu niang will be shy," Mei Li gu niang answered with a cheery tone.

    ¡¯Shy... shy... shy... your head!¡¯ If he stayed longer with this woman, Wang Luo Hai believed that he would already throw up blood a thousand times! What a ck-bellied woman! She was the one who clearly wanted him to beg him.

    Mei Li gu niang gave a signal to her hidden guards and the two quickly did their job. They helped Yao Ying up and one of them asked, "Where should we send this young master?" The question was directed to Wang Luo Hai.

    Wang Luo Hai contemted for a little while. It wouldn¡¯t be good if they went home straight to ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. This matter was only known to him and the matriarch. If Yao Ying suddenly appeared in this condition, then it would make a ruckus in the household. Besides, it would make Yao Ling worried. Whether Yao Ying wanted to tell Yao Ling or not, it was up to him.

    Wang Luo Hai decided to take him into an inn and he told the hidden guard. Although Wang Luo Hai wasn¡¯t really good at qinggong, his skill was only at an okay level. The hidden guard had to lower his pace, so Wang Luo Hai could follow him. They arrived at the inn in no time. After the hidden guard put Yao Ying on the bed, he bade goodbye to Wang Luo Hai and left.

    Wang Luo Hai looked at Yao Ying and sighed. He indeed felt guilty for tricking Yao Ying into joining this organization. He was getting older and he needed someone to continue what he had built so far. Wang Luo Hai wanted Yao Ying to continue to assist his master. He believed after joining their organization, Yao Ying would understand his point of view and know how great his master was.

    However, to tell him all about this, he needed Yao Ying to wake up first. Wang Luo Hai could only wait patiently by his side. True to what Mei Li gu niang had said, Yao Ying woke up at approximately one shichen.

    "Are you finally awake?" Wang Luo Hai asked carefully, feeling worried about his son.

    Yao Ying slowly sat down and held his pounding head. His headache was slightly better but still enough to make him feel disoriented. He touched his head and faintly heard what Wang Luo Hai had said. "I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine."

    "What happened? The poison wasn¡¯t supposed to be making you fainted!" Wang Luo Hai eximed.

    "I¡¯m... not sure. I just tried to think about my past, but I had a sudden headache. I can¡¯t believe that I fainted," Yao Ying slurrily answered Wang Luo Hai¡¯s question.

    Wang Luo Hai asked curiously, "Did the poison trigger something from your past?"

    Yao Ying was confused as well and he didn¡¯t want to tell Wang Luo Hai about it. He wanted to make sure about the connection between his past self and Mei Li gu niang, so he had to join this organization. He didn¡¯t know whether he hit the jackpot by joining this organization or not. He should probably thank Wang Luo Hai for the lead, but he certainly wasn¡¯t thankful with how he did it. Not telling him about this poison really made him angry!

    Yao Ying hoarsely said, "I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t remember anything but feeling the headache." Yao Ying cleared his throat, "Father, can you pour a cup of water for me?"

    Wang Luo Hai quickly poured a cup of water and gave it to him. Yao Ying drank it in one gulp and felt his previously dry throat better. "Father, can you tell me about this organization? Are you joining some kind of dark cult?" Yao Ying decided to ask Wang Luo Hai without beating around the bush.

    Wang Luo Haiughed at what Yao Ying suggested."What are you talking about? What dark cult? You are thinking too much!"

 Chapter 84 Hanging Out with Lin Jian

    Yao Ying looked at him, feeling wronged. Anyone with a decent mind would think just like him! What kind of organization would give poison to the members, unless it was a dark cult?

    "Father, I just drank a poison to join an unknown organization. Of course, I would have many crazy guesses about this so-called organization! I can¡¯t easily ept it without knowing the truth!" Yao Ying was a bit angry so he raised his voice for a little bit, but he still paid attention to his status. He still showed some degrees of respect to Wang Luo Hai.

    "I will tell you all about it. Just ask me the questions and I will answer it one by one," Wang Luo Hai hastily said. He knew that he was in the wrong and felt guilty, so he didn¡¯t scold Yao Ying for raising his voice.

    He asked Yao Ying, "How do you feel? Are you up to it? Or should we postpone the talk? After you are feeling better, talking about it won¡¯t be toote."

    Yao Ying could see how his father was really worried about him. Yao Ying decided not to ask about this matter, because he wanted to sort out his mind with the information that he got from his encounter with Mei Li gu niang.

    "Father, can we talk about this tomorrow? I need to sort out my thought and my pounding headache doesn¡¯t really help. I can¡¯t think clearly," Yao Ying admitted.

    This was what made Wang Luo Hai concern about -- his headache. He didn¡¯t want Yao Ying to put another pressure in his brain and nodded. "Very well then. We can talk about this tomorrow. Do you want to rest here first?"

    "What time is it now, Father?" Yao Ying lost track of time and he didn¡¯t want to make Yao Ling worried about him. How long did he faint?

    "It is Wu Shi ( modern timing: 11 am - 13 pm )," Wang Luo Hai answered.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief. It seemed like he didn¡¯t faint for too long. Otherwise, Yao Ling would worry about him. "Why don¡¯t we eat here, Father? After that, we can go back to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. After eating, I would probably feel better."

    "Why don¡¯t you rest for the rest of the day? I will handle Fu Rong¡¯s matter."

    "I don¡¯t want Ling-er to worry about me," Yao Ying answered truthfully. Yao Ling was more important than ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, but he wasn¡¯t going to tell Wang Luo Hai about that.

    Wang Luo Hai nodded in understanding. He called the inn¡¯s housekeeper and ordered lots of foods to be sent into their room. They talked while eating, but they avoided talking about the organization. Once Yao Ying tried to think more about his past or connecting the dots, the pounding headache would get stronger and he felt like his sight was blurry. He could do nothing but gave up thinking about it for now.

    After they finished eating, Yao Ying nned to go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ along with Wang Luo Hai. He had been resting for quite some times and it was enough to rejuvenate his energies. However, his n was ruined because of a certain annoying Young Master.

    They just went out of the inn, when Yao Ying heard that he was being called. "Yao Ying!" He turned around and saw that it was actually Lin Jian. Wang Luo Hai looked at Lin Jian andughed. "Yao Ying, you can talk with Lin Jian. No need to go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. You should probably enjoy yourself for a little bit."

    Yao Ying understood what he meant. Wang Luo Hai wanted him to loosen up, but with Lin Jian, he didn¡¯t think that he would be able to rx. Yao Ying didn¡¯t have another choice because Wang Luo Hai left him there and gave him a strict order to stay with Lin Jian.

    "Yao Ying!" Lin Jian called him excitedly. "I miss you! We haven¡¯t met for a while!" He tried to hug Yao Ying, but theter held Lin Jian¡¯s head with his palm to avoid his hug. Lin Jian could only il both of his hands helplessly. He still wanted to hug Yao Ying but failed miserably.

    "We just met a few days ago. Don¡¯t be ridiculous!" Yao Ying frowned.

    "But, I still miss you," Lin Jian grinned wolfishly.

    Yao Ying rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Where did you go?"

    "Hah! I know that you just pretended not to care about me! See? You also miss me and asked where I went, right? Right?" Lin Jian teased Yao Ying. Lin Jian usually wasn¡¯t as mischievous as when he was around Yao Ying. He didn¡¯t know why, but he liked it when the aloof man was irritated because of him.

    Lin Jian only saw his changed of expressions when Yao Ying was around Yao Ling. His gaze was softened around her and his smile was bigger.

    "Never mind. I¡¯ll go home now!" Yao Ying turned around and felt that it was better for him to go as far away as he could from here.

    "No... no... no... You have to apany me. You can ask your errand boy to go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ and let them know in advance that you are going out with me," Lin Jian grinned. But then, he looked around and couldn¡¯t find Xiu. He furrowed his eyebrows, "Where¡¯s your servant? He usually follows you around!"

    "He¡¯s not avable today."

    "Why?"

    "Why do you care so much about Xiu? Are you falling in love with him?" Yao Ying asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

    Lin Jian¡¯s eyes widened. "What? No! I still love women, you know!" After that, Lin Jian dropped the matter about Xiu. He was just being curious and he didn¡¯t want people to be mistaken and think that he was having the passion of the cut sleeve [1].

    Yao Ying grinned to himself. It was so easy to distract Lin Jian. "Can you send one of your servants to let my wife know?"

    "Sure," Lin Jian sighed in defeat. He called one of his servants and ordered him to go to ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯. The servant had to personally meet Yao Ling and told her that Lin Jian would borrow her husband for the day.

    "So, what do you want to talk about?"

    "Haiya~ why are you in a hurry? Come one! This good friend of yours will take you to a good ce first," Lin Jian grinned wolfishly.

    Yao Ying looked at the excited Lin Jian, feeling suspicious. What kind of good ce that he was talking about?

    "No," Yao Ying answered in a clipped tone.

    "Why?" Lin Jian whined pitifully.

    "I don¡¯t trust your judgment!"

    "What?! Why?!" Lin Jian felt wronged because of Yao Ying¡¯s annoying short answers. Besides, he doubted his judgment!

    "Your face is annoying," Yao Ying¡¯s fleeting gaze looked at him like he was an idiot.

    Lin Jian felt like he was angered to death. Was this how Uncle Wang felt when he was talking to his father? This kind of aloof person with a lousy mouth was the most annoying person he¡¯d ever met! But you know... an aloof person had his or her own charm.

    "What?! A lot of maidens say that I¡¯m handsome. Howe you say that my face is annoying?" Lin Jian sulked.

    "I¡¯m not a maiden." Yao Ying looked at him like he was an idiot and said, "Annoying is annoying. That¡¯s my opinion. Why should I care about what others said?"

    "..." Lin Jian was speechless and he felt like it would be better if he didn¡¯t say anything more about this matter. He would lose to Yao Ying anyway.

    Lin Jian sulked, but still, they went out together. "Where are you taking me?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "You¡¯ll seeter," Lin Jian answered mysteriously.

    "I need to go to other ces first."

    "Where?"

    "Buying presents."

    "Ha? Presents? What for? For whom?" Lin Jian asked curiously.

    "My wife!"

    "Please... you can do it next time!"

    "No can do!"

    "Why?"

    "If it was dyed, I would sleep on the floor againter!" Yao Ying shamelessly admitted how Yao Ling punished him. In his eyes, it was just a part of their lovely quarrel.

    ***

    [1]. The passion of the cut sleeve: a Chinese euphemism for same-sex love.

 Chapter 85 Lin Jians Stupid Idea

    Lin Jian ¡¯s jaw dropped so wide until it earned a chuckle from Yao Ying. Yao Ying asked him, "Why do you look so shocked?"

    "You aired your dirtyundry [1] shamelessly!" Where was your pride as a man, Yao Ying?!

    Yao Ying looked at Lin Jian like he was a fool. "You are not good enough to listen to my dirtyundry. It¡¯s just a simple thing of me trying to curry favor to my own wife. What¡¯s wrong with that?" He raised one of his eyebrows, wanting to know what else Lin Jian would say about this matter.

    "But... how could you say about it so openly? Sleeping on the floor is embarrassing! It means you are henpecked [2]! What did you do to deserve that kind of treatment anyway?" Lin Jian tried to find some juicy gossip.

    Remembering what he had done the previous night made him grinned happily. Lin Jian looked at Yao Ying like he saw a lunatic. "What are you grinning about?" Lin Jian asked.

    "I did take advantage of herst night," Yao Ying simply admitted it without going to the details. How could he say that he made a garden out of his crazy love bites? Thinking back, Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help but grin once again. He misses his dear little wife.

    "What?! You are a beast!" Lin Jian gasped exaggeratedly while closing his mouth with one of his hands. "What kind of beastly things that you had done? Tell me! Tell me!" His gossipy nature started toe out. He looked at Yao Ying expectantly.

    Yao Ying flicked Lin Jian¡¯s forehead which earned an ¡¯Ow!¡¯ from thetter. "Stop being so childish! Find yourself a woman and you will naturally know about it yourself!"

    Yao Ying poked on Lin Jian¡¯s sore spot. He also wanted a woman ah~ But he liked no one, so what could he do? Just randomly picked a woman on the street and married her? Lin Jian scowled and said, "Fine! Fine! I won¡¯t ask you anymore!" He didn¡¯t want Yao Ying to talk about his single status. Lin Jian paused for a little while, then asked, "So, what do you n to give to your wife?"

    "No idea." Yao Ying was truly at a loss. He never courted woman so far, even the one who proposed to him was Yao Ling. He had no idea what he should give as apensation for his little wife. What does she like? He realized that he never really paid attention to the subtle details like that. He thought to himself, ¡¯I should pay more attention to my wife¡¯s likes and dislikes.¡¯

    "Ah... ah... I have a lot of ideas. You should listen to me... Women usually like..."

    Before Lin Jian finished talking, Yao Ying squinted his eyes at him, cut him off, and said, "I don¡¯t trust you!" The meaning was clear. ¡¯Don¡¯t bother to tell me, because I won¡¯t listen to you. What can you do to me, huh?¡¯ Yao Ying was arrogantly looking down at Lin Jian.

    "Wha... what?" Lin Jian felt like he was turned into a stone and he was cracking in despair. "Why?" He whined like a child.

    "You are not a woman and you don¡¯t have a woman. Why should I trust you?" In other words, single people was no use. Scram!

    "Since when you be this ck-bellied?" Lin Jian asked, whining in anguish.

    "Since I met you." Yao Ying casually admitted. Before he met Lin Jian, it made his ck-bellied sidee out --- just for the sake of teasing and bullying Lin Jian. ¡¯En... since he met him,¡¯ he thought to himself righteously.

    Lin Jian felt like vomiting blood after listening to Yao Ying¡¯s answer. He decided to justpletely ignore him and changed the direction of the conversation. "Ah... you are right! If you want an idea, the ce that I want to take you is a great ce to ask that question," Lin Jian said proudly.

    "Really?" Yao Ying somehow didn¡¯t believe that this Lin Jian was a sensible person. However, Wang Luo Hai did tell him to stick with Lin Jian, so he could only follow him for the rest of the day. "Then... I¡¯ll trust you this one time. Lead the way!" Yao Ying said hesitantly, but his voice got stronger at the end. He decided to believe him --- just this once.

    "Good!" Lin Jian pped both of his hands happily. "Trust me! You won¡¯t regret it!" He jumped happily for a little bit, then motioned to Yao Ying confidently, "Follow me!"

    They walked to their destination while talking. To the others, it would look like they had the best rtionship in the whole world. But actually... it was more like Yao Ying was bullying Lin Jian with his short and deadly answers. He was in a bad mood, to begin with, and he was happy that he could release it to Lin Jian for a little bit. It didn¡¯t deter Lin Jian¡¯s will to talk merrily with Yao Ying though. Both of them were as stubborn as mules.

    One thing for sure, Yao Ying would feel regret for listening to Lin Jian¡¯s idea.

    They went to the street where Yao Ling met Xiao Xia, but the two men didn¡¯t find the food stalls as interesting and appealing as Yao Ling, so they just passed it by without a second nce. They stopped in front of a big building in the middle of the bustling street.

    The big building was a mixture of red and white color. There a lot of women scattering inside and outside of the building. The decoration was quite ambiguous and some of the women were trying to find customers by touching and calling men who were passing by. Red colorednterns were put up on every corner of the building, making the building looked very bright dazzling in the middle of other dull buildings.

    There were a lot of mening inside and going out at the same time. The ones who went inside had a look of anticipation of their faces, while the one who went out had a satisfied look --- judging from their grinning face. All of them were apanied by at least one woman on their side. They didn¡¯t feel shy, even though it was practically in the daylight! This ce didn¡¯t differentiate between daylight and night time! The business was always opened, weing the customers happily.

    When some of the women saw Lin Jian, they called him excitedly, "Young Master Lin, youe again! Ah... and you also bring your handsome friend... Quick! Come inside! We already miss you. It has been a long time since thest time you came."

    Although the women behaved seductively, but they cleverly add basfulness and coyness to make the customer¡¯s feel happy. In this case, it was Lin Jian.

    Lin Jianughed and followed the women leisurely like he had been there for a thousand of times. Yao Ying was gaping at the crazy scene before him. He looked up and saw what the building was called --- ¡¯Thousand Pleasures". It was a Hua Lou! A brothel! He felt like fainting in anger!

    Was this what Lin Jian called as a good idea? He was not stupid! He knew what kind of ce this was. If he stepped in, he was pretty sure that Yao Ling would kill him if she knew. Before killing him, she would probably castrate him out of anger and jealousy!

    He was supposed to curry favor at her by giving her presents to avoid sleeping on the floor once again. However... by being here, he was pretty sure that he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep inside his own room!

    "No... no... no... I won¡¯t go in there," Yao Ying said. He adamantly refused to step into the building.

    ---

    [1]. To air your dirtyundry means to talk about private issues amongst others that are not involved. It originates from the fact that your dirtyundry (an analogy for dirty secrets) should be kept out of sight when people are visiting, otherwise it could be embarrassing for you or them.

    [2]. Henpecked: (of a woman) continually criticize and give orders to (her husband or other male partner). It can also mean the husband is afraid of the wife.

 Chapter 86 Hua Lou

    Lin Jian gave signals to the women in which they cleverly caught. They quickly changed their target to Yao Ying. "Young Master...es with us. Don¡¯t be shy! We guarantee that you won¡¯t regreting into our hua lou..." They flocked to him like a group of hungry birds and all the women held him with their tight grips. "Your pleasure will be guaranteed here," The women said sweetly.

    Yao Ying wasn¡¯t able to free himself and he was being dragged into the hell hole without being able to defend himself. If he used his strength, he would hurt the women and it would bring him a lot of troubles.

    One, he didn¡¯t like hurting women. Two, the news of a man beating a woman wasn¡¯t a good thing to hear. If they knew it was him, then it would affect Fu Rong and Wang Fu¡¯s reputation. Three, if his name was spread around, Yao Ling would definitely hear about it and she would kill him!

    Yao Ying red at Lin Jian and said, "I¡¯m going to kill you!" He already told him that he was kicked out of his bed by Yao Ling and he still brought him here!

    The naughty Lin Jian justughed when he looked at the helpless Yao Ying being pulled helplessly by thedies. "Who told you to keep bullying me?" Lin Jian yelled. He wanted Yao Ying to hear him clearly.

    After saying that, heughed and followed the victim -- Yao Ying by going inside the hua lou. "Come on! Go to this young master usual room! Today... this young master wants this young master¡¯s friend to be happy! Money? Don¡¯t worry about it! This young master will be very generous today." Lin Jian gave the order to the women happily.

    They were pulled to the highest floor and judging from the room¡¯s condition, it was specially designed for VIP customers. Each room was pretty spacious and the decoration¡¯s quality was also the best. The hua lou seemed to guarantee the identity and secret of their VIP customers. Their arrangement was very good.

    Yao Ying was pulled to the room at the furthest end and it looked like it was the biggest room on the floor. This Lin Jian was certainly very rich and generous. He didn¡¯t dare to think how much money this room and service would cost him. He felt pain when he thought about the amount of money that was thrown away recklessly by Lin Jian while he had to save up for his family¡¯s future. This Young Master Lin was too extravagant!

    "Lin Jian! I don¡¯t want to be here!" Yao Yingined.

    "Young Master, why don¡¯t you want to stay here? Thedies here haven¡¯t shown you our great skill yet. What¡¯s the hurry?"

    "Yes, Young Master. Don¡¯t be such in a hurry! We will guarantee that you will have a pleasurable time here!"

    Yao Ying could feel his whole body shiver after listening to the women¡¯s words. He didn¡¯t like being touch freely like this and he also hated the fact that they wore heavy perfume. It made him dizzy and ufortable. His previous headache started toe back, haunting him. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t as bad as before.

    Lin Jian could see how stiff Yao Ying was and it made him want tough out loud. This was his payback. He was usually going to this hua lou strictly for business purpose and all thedies here were only his cover-up. At first, he wanted to bring Yao Ying here to meet up with his master. However, Yao Ying kept making him feel annoyed and it was time for him to annoy him back.

    Lin Jian knew that from Yao Ying¡¯s reaction that he had never been to this kind of ce and Yao Ying certainly didn¡¯t enjoy himself. It really amused him. The women knew the fact that he was here purely for business, but they cleverly understood his signal to torment Yao Ying. After all, this hua lou belonged to Wang Fu and Lin Fu. Yes, they were business partners. Only a few people knew about this and it seemed like Yao Ying wasn¡¯t one of them.

    Lin Jianughed and said, "Yao Ying! Rx! Enjoy yourself! You can also ask them, what kind of presents are suitable to be given to an angry wife."

    Yao Ying felt like smacking the idiot in front of him. What¡¯s the use of giving her wife a present now? If she knew where he got the idea from, she wouldn¡¯t let him off! "This is what you call as a solution? Are you stupid? You bring me more trouble now!" Yao Ying asked angrily.

    Lin Jian gasped in fake innocence. "What? How? These women can give you solutions! Right, Ladies?" Lin Jian asked thedies in a flirting manner.

    The women giggled. "Of course. Just tell us your problem and we will help you fix it right away." Previously, the women only held his arms. However, after saying that they wanted to fix his problems, the two women bravely touched Yao Ying¡¯s chest flirtily. They even had the gall to stick their bouncy breasts to his arms. All he felt was nausea. Yao Ying just knew that he didn¡¯t like the feeling at all! This was far too different from the happiness that he felt when Yao Ling touched him.

    Yao Ying quickly stood up, trying to free himself from the women¡¯s annoying clutch. He red at Lin Jian and threatened him, "Tell them to scram or I will pay you back with more severe consequences!" Yao Ying really meant it. He took Lin Jian¡¯s fan which he put down on the table after they arrived in the room and fanned himself. Yao Ying was trying to get rid of the heavy perfume stench. He just hated the smell!

    Lin Jianughed. "What kind of thing that you will be able to threaten me with?" He arrogantly asked.

    Yao Yingughed back. "Are you sure that you want to know?"

    "Of course!"Lin Jian leisurely drank tea, while looking at Yao Ying in anticipation.

    "Good! I remember that our father loves to bet, right?"

    "So?" Lin Jian asked, raising one of his eyebrows. "What¡¯s the connection between the bet and me?"

    "I can suggest to them a very entertaining bet concerning you."

    When Lin Jian heard this statement, he could feel the cold sweat on his back. This wasn¡¯t good at all! "What do you mean? What kind of bet?" He knew one thing for sure, their old men were really crazy about their bet. They would do anything... yes, anything... just to win the bet. Their pride wouldn¡¯t let them taste a loss. Once someone became the target of their bet, nothing good woulde out of it!

    Yao Ying pretended to think while scratching his chin and contemting. He grinned and talked confidently to Lin Jian, "How about... let them bet when will you get married?"

    Lin Jian could feel he got the goosebumps all around his body after listening to Yao Ying¡¯s suggestion. If that really happened, his days would be over in the blink of an eye. He imagined what the both of them would do. They would send many youngdies¡¯ pictures and even sent women to hisp. No... no... no... he couldn¡¯t let that happen!

    "No! Stop! I will tell them to scram! Don¡¯t you dare to put that idea into their head!" Lin Jian was in a panic. He quickly turned his gaze to thedies and said, "Go! Quickly go! What are you doing here? This young master doesn¡¯t need any women to apany us today."

    The women quickly did as they were told, although they were pouting and feeling wronged. It was rare for them to have such a handsome young master as a customer and if they could gain his favor, it would be their blessing. However, their hope was crushed before they could work on it and they could do nothing about it. They retreated and left both young masters on their own.

    Lin Jian red indignantly at Yao Ying. "Are you happy now?"

    "Very." Yao Ying grinned widely.

    Lin Jian was really afraid of being implicated with the old men¡¯s bet. He just blurted it out randomly and it actually worked!

 Chapter 87 The Truth About The Hua Lou

    Yao Ying remembered the poison that he hid inside his sleeves. He felt around his sleeves, trying to find it. Because of his headache, he forgot about it and he also couldn¡¯t let Wang Luo Hai see the poison. He nced at Lin Jian and saw that he didn¡¯t particrly watch his movement.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief when he was able to find the poison inside his sleeve. He looked down and let it roll on hisp. Lin Jian¡¯s line of sight was obstructed by the table hence he didn¡¯t feel suspicious. After the poison rolled over on hisp, he pulled out a handkerchief and took the poison with it. He kept it inside his handkerchief and put it back inside his sleeves.

    After finishing his task, Yao Ying started a conversation. "Why are you taking me here?" Yao Ying asked. Yao Ying wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew that Lin Jian probably had another reason for bringing him here. While asking, Yao Ying didn¡¯t forget to wash his hands. He was afraid that there would be residue left from the poison.

    Lin Jian turned serious all of a sudden. "You are not that stupid then." After that Lin Jianughed and continued talking, "Does Uncle Wang tell you anything about this hua lou? Anything at all?"

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean?" He felt like he was going to get another piece of important information here. Although he felt that he already got enough excitement for one day, he knew that he should wee as many information as he could.

    "Ah... so you really don¡¯t know. This hua lou belongs to us, Wang Fu and Lin Fu."

    Yao Ying¡¯s eyes widened and asked in surprise, "Really?"

    Lin Jian nodded seriously.

    "I never know that all of you are actually perverts!"

    Lin Jian could feel his expression darkened and three ck lines appeared on his forehead! "What do you mean we are perverts?" He asked in displeasure.

    "Opening a hua lou which is a pleasurable and forbidden ce for men... if all of you don¡¯t have that kind of pervert thought or thinking about s*x, howe all of you get the idea of opening a hua lou?" Yao Ying asked.

    Lin Jian massaged his forehead. He felt like vomiting blood because of Yao Ying¡¯s shitty usation. "One, this hua lou was opened before I was born and I¡¯m only continuing their legacy. Two, what do you mean pervert thought? We have a justifiable reason for opening this hua lou!"

    Yao Ying looked at him skeptically. "Really?"

    "Of course!"

    "What other reasons that you have --- except for s*x?"

    "If you say the word ¡¯s*x¡¯ one more time, I won¡¯t tell you anything!" Lin Jian threatened Yao Ying. For God¡¯s sake! He wasn¡¯t a beast! Howe Yao Ying dare to say that he was a pervert?! Just now... he was only acting! Acting!

    Yao Ying shook his head and helplessly said, "Fine! Just pretend that I said nothing. You are an innocent virgin male and never think about s*x."

    Lin Jian felt like Yao Ying was quipping on him, but he could only grit his teeth and rein back his anger. "How do you know that I¡¯m a virgin?" Lin Jian asked indignantly.

    "Oh... so which one is the real you? A virgin or a pervert?" Yao Ling asked and grinned sheepishly.

    Lin Jian felt both weren¡¯t good choices. If he said virgin, it was so embarrassing for his pride. How about pervert? It was the worst! It could affect his amazing reputation. Lin Jian could only hesitantly answer in a small voice, "Virgin!"

    "What?" Yao Ying asked, pretending that he couldn¡¯t hear Lin Jian¡¯s answer.

    "Virgin!" Lin Jian yelled, making Yao Ying roar inughter.

    "Well then, Virgin Boy. Can you tell me the details now?" Yao Ying teased him. This nickname, Virgin Boy, was pretty good.

    F*ck! Lin Jian felt like cursing the man in front of him. Virgin boy? That was so embarrassing! "Stop calling me that!"

    "Why are you so fussy?" Yao Ying rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Fine~ Tell me now!"

    Lin Jian touched Yao Ying¡¯s wrist, trying to feel his pulse.

    "What are you doing?" Yao Ying asked, feeling surprised because of Lin Jian¡¯s sudden movement.

    "Trying to feel your pulse."

    "Why?"

    "I want to know whether it¡¯s time to tell you or not," Lin Jian answered. After feeling his pulse for a little while, Lin Jian felt satisfied. "Have you drink the poison?"

    Yao Ying looked up in surprise. "Are you also one of them?" It seemed like the organization was far deeper than what he initially thought.

    "Yes," Lin Jian answered truthfully. "I also drank the same poison, so I guess we arerades now."

    "Are you joining willingly or...?" Yao Ying trailed off thest part of his question.

    "Of course! My father told me everything beforehand."

    "You indeed have a great father," Yao Ying said bitterly.

    "What? Why? Don¡¯t tell me..." Lin Jian looked at him bewildered. "He didn¡¯t tell you?"

    "You guessed it right. I met the person blindly, not knowing the reason why. And suddenly... I have to drink poison. Surprise! Surprise!" Yao Ying recalled sarcastically. He wondered if this was the difference between real father and stepfather --- the bond and trust between them!

    Yao Ying thought that Lin Jian would pity him. Contrary to his expectation, Lin Jian roared in full-blownughter. "Uncle Wang... Uncle Wang... thank you for doing a good deed!"

    "What do you mean a good deed?!" Yao Ying snarled at Lin Jian.

    "He helped me to take revenge on you! This is something that I haven¡¯t managed to do. I wonder how was your expression back then!" Lin Jian tried to imagine Yao Ying¡¯s stunned expression and it made him feel satisfied.

    "Ha-ha-ha!" Yao Yingughed sarcastically.

    "How about now? Did he tell you all the details?"

    "Not yet. Probably tomorrow. I just drank the poison today." Yao Ying thought to himself, ¡¯Since when talking about drinking poison has be such an easy feat? It¡¯s like an ordinary thing to do in their daily life. Oh well... probably because those all around you also drank the poison.¡¯

    Lin Jian nodded in understanding. "I will let Uncle Wang tell you the whole story, so I¡¯ll only tell you about this hua lou."

    "It¡¯s good enough for now. I don¡¯t want my brain to overload with many pieces of information at once," Yao Ying said helplessly. It seemed like Wang Fu and Lin Fu were tangled in a deep conspiracy.

    "Hmm... where should I start?" Lin Jian asked to himself.

    "Just the reason why this hua lou was built is sufficient enough," Yao Ying said.

    "This hua lou is the best ce for gathering and exchanging information. No one would feel suspicious if men went here periodically. They would just assume that... er... the men are seeking pleasure. The women are also trained to be perceptive and smart at gathering information from people who diligently be patrons here. A lot of important people and nobles love to enjoy themselves here," Lin Jian exined.

    "Including the women just now?"

    "Of course. Every woman here underwent training before they are finally able to work here," Lin Jian said.

    Yao Ying asked, "Did they also...?"

    "Yes, they also drank the poison. It¡¯s mandatory," Lin Jian answered.

    Yao Ying pondered to himself. What kind of organization actually it was? He decided to ask Lin Jian, "What¡¯s the purpose of this organization?"

    "You should ask your father about this," Lin Jian said. It wasn¡¯t his job to tell Yao Ying the details about this organization. Besides, the reason why his family and Wang family joined the organization could be different. That was why it was best that Uncle Wang should be the one who exined everything.

    Yao Ying sat back peacefully while enjoying a cup of tea that he had just poured by himself. His gaze becameplicated. Gathering and exchanging information --- this was an important thing for him. If he was able to be a part of this, it would be easier to find out about himself. Not to mention he also had to find out about Yao Ling and Jiu Lan¡¯s background.

 Chapter 88 The New Master 1

    Well... it was easier for him to get resources --whether it was human resources orwork resources-- after joining the organization. He was pulled inside the hidden life of these nobles. This was his good chance, although this came at a high price. As long as he didn¡¯t betray the organization, he would be fine. With that thought in mind, he slightly rxed.

    "Is this all because of the master?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "Yes," Lin Jian answered wholeheartedly. "Everything is for him."

    "Why? Why do all of you trust him so much?" Yao Ying wanted to know more about this master. What made Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t feel hesitate to push him into bing the master¡¯s subordinate? If one didn¡¯t trust his master, one wouldn¡¯t be willing to follow loyally like Wang Luo Hai. The same loyalty could be seen from Lin Jian¡¯s expression, although probably it wasn¡¯t as extreme as Wang Luo Hai¡¯s.

    "Our goal is in line with his goal. He¡¯s one with high reputation and has a great aspiration. Our master is loyal and cares about the people. We believe under his wings, we can achieve what we are yearning for," Lin Jian said with starry eyes.

    "You seem to be really really... idolizing him?" Yao Ying asked hesitantly. What Lin Jian said was too good to be true, in his opinion.

    Lin Jianughed. "You will too... once you met him."

    "Am I able to meet him too? Have you ever met him?" The more he heard about this master, the more his curiosity was piqued.

    "Of course. Once you get into the inner circle, you probably could. We generally meet with his right-hand man, but he appears once in a while. He¡¯s a busy man, Yao Ying. I have the honor to meet him once and his presence really shook me to the core. He¡¯s beyond charismatic," Lin Jian said.

    He only met the man once and the man was able to gain Lin Jian¡¯s heart? Was this master really that great? The more he listened, the more he felt that it was so outrageous. Was this the so-called blind trust? Well... he couldn¡¯t refute what Lin Jian had said because it was his personal opinion, besides he also didn¡¯t know anything about the man at all.

    "Oh... okay." It was the only thing that Yao Ying could mutter.

    "Any more questions?"

    "Who... is the master?" Yao Ying knew that Lin Jian didn¡¯t want to dwell on the details and he should ask about it to Wang Luo Hai, so he decided to not beating around the bush and asked about the master directly.

    "I can¡¯t tell you that," Lin Jian grinned.

    "Then why did I join this organization? I don¡¯t even know who the master is," Yao Ying sarcastically said.

    Lin Jian roared inughter. "I swear I¡¯m not teasing you. Your father probably can¡¯t tell you who the master is at first, but he will tell you about the organization. When you are officially joining through the ceremony, you will meet him."

    "Er--- drinking the poison isn¡¯t counted as the ceremony?"

    Lin Jian shook his head. "No. That¡¯s just a screening process, just to know whether the people will be loyal or not and also whether the people are really serious about joining the organization or not."

    "Wow! That¡¯s a really crazy screening process."

    "Indeed, but still there are a lot of us who are joining the organization willingly," Lin Jian chuckled.

    "What about the official ceremony? Is it some kind of gatherings?"

    "Yes."

    "When is it?" Yao Ying was excited after knowing there would be a gathering.

    "Hmmm... generally it was once a month, but this month¡¯s gathering has passed. Probably next month. You will get the notificationter. After all, you already drank the poison, so you will definitely get the invitation," Lin Jian exined.

    Yao Ying nodded in understanding. He chuckled inwardly. With this much amount of secrecy, it wasn¡¯t his fault for thinking that this was some kind of dark cult. "So... your purpose of bringing me here... is it really only for telling me that this hua lou belongs to both of our families? You can tell me about this everywhere! We don¡¯t have to go here."

    "Not really. The important agenda is that I want you to meet my master. He agrees to take you as a disciple," Lin Jian said.

    Yao Ying asked excitedly, "Really?"

    "Yep... I¡¯m going to introduce you to him, but one thing you should know about our master. It¡¯s..."

    *Bang*

    *Thump*

    Before Lin Jian could finish his words, the door was opened with a loud bang, followed by a falling person! Yao Ying looked at the neer and it was an old man with white messy long hair and white long beard. He wore old grayish clothing which showed that he was poor. His face was full of wrinkle, but his attitude was pretty much hyper and vigorous. His face was fully red and he huped for a few times, showing that he was actually quite drunk.

    The room was spacious and they were quite a distance away from the old man, but they could smell the reeking alcohol from his body. Yao Ying scrunched up his nose because of the strong smell.

    The old man was followed by a shopkeeper and a bodyguard. The falling person looked like he was also a part of this hua lou --- another bodyguard perhaps. The shopkeeper was sweating. He was afraid that this old man would offend Young Master Lin. He ordered the bodyguards to catch him, "Quick! Seize him! Don¡¯t let hime in there!"

    One of the guards tried to seize him to no avail, while the other one tried to stand up but he winced because of the pain. Before he was able to stand up, the old man kicked him and he fell down once again.

    To Yao Ying¡¯s surprise, the old man was quite agile. He easily dodged the bodyguard¡¯s movement sneakily. Even though he couldn¡¯t walk straight and his movement was somehow unbnced, but from the way he easily passed by the bodyguards, Yao Ying knew this old man was high-skilled in martial arts.

    "You are all useless! It¡¯s just an old man and you can¡¯t even deal with him!" The shopkeeper couldn¡¯t help but yell in anger. He didn¡¯t want to lose face in front of Young Master Lin. Two big burly bodyguards lost to an old man! Where should they put their faceter on? He med this to Mama ---the leaders of the courtesans. Why did she call him to take responsibilities for this old man? Granted, previously he thought that this would be an easy job. After all, this was just an old man. Who knew that the old man was very hard to deal with?

    Contrary to the shopkeeper¡¯s expectation, Young Master Lin wasn¡¯t angry but instead, heughed out loud. "If you are able to catch and deal with him, I will be the one who bows to you!" He said in between hisughter.

    "Wha--- what?" The shopkeeper was very surprised! "This servant doesn¡¯t dare, Young Master Lin!" Who was he? He was only a lowly ve, a mere shopkeeper. But after taking into ount what Young Master had said, he knew that this person was very good at fighting. Could it be that Young Master Lin knew who this old man was? If yes, it was no wonder for him to know that the bodyguards weren¡¯t the old man¡¯s match.

    "Young Master, do you know this old man?" The shopkeeper asked politely. While they were talking, the bystanders could see that the old man was only toying with the two bodyguards.

    Their fight happened inside the room, so outsiders couldn¡¯t join in the fun. However, they could hear themotion and some of them came out of their respective room. The highest floor was for higher rank people and they knew that they shouldn¡¯t bother with other people¡¯s trouble --- afraid that it would affect them and their reputation. That was why, after looking for a while, they went back inside their own ce. They didn¡¯t want to get involved.

    "I know him," Lin Jian answered leisurely.

    The shopkeeperined inwardly. If Young Master knew this old man, then why didn¡¯t he try to stop him from wreaking havoc?!

 Chapter 89 The New Master 2

    "Well... if you know him, aren¡¯t you going to stop this old man?" Yao Ying asked. The room would be destroyed thoroughly by them if the fight didn¡¯t stop anytime soon. Yao Ying could estimate how much the decoration cost --- some of the decorations were antiques and they were priceless! It would be a loss to them if this continued on. His heart was bleeding because of his mind could quickly calcte about their hefty loss.

    "Let the old man have fun first or the consequences will be bad for me! If I stop him now, I will the one who suffers the loss!" Lin Jian leisurely watched the show while casually drinking his tea. It was better for him to lose a little bit of money rather than receiving the wrath of this Big Buddha. Lin Jian really didn¡¯t dare!

    "Who is he?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "Ah... I forgot to introduce him to you. That old man is your soon to be master," Lin Jian introduced the old man with an easygoing manner.

    "What?" Yao Ying asked in surprise. This old man was his soon to be master? He knew that this old man was the real deal, but having a drunkard as a teacher? Wasn¡¯t this some kind of a joke?

    Lin Jianughed. "Don¡¯t worry! When he¡¯s sober, he¡¯s a good teacher."

    "Really?" Yao Ying was unconvinced. But well... this was the teacher that General Lin had approved, otherwise, how could he be Lin Jian¡¯s Master? He should probably trust General Lin¡¯s judgment.

    "If he¡¯s sober long enough though..." Lin Jian mumbled to himself. However, his voice was really small and Yao Ying wasn¡¯t able to hear what he said clearly.

    "What?" Yao Ying asked, trying to make Lin Jian repeat his sentence.

    "Nothing!" Lin Jian innocently answered Yao Ying.

    Yao Ying decided that he shouldn¡¯t ponder over what Lin Jian had said. He knew the brat wouldn¡¯t tell him anything, so instead of being stubborn, he asked another question. "How many disciples do the old man has?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "Before you be his disciple... there are only two disciples --- including me. Master is a bit picky," Lin Jian answered.

    "Do the both of you train together?" Yao Ying asked.

    "No. Shi Xiong [1] has traveled all around the world by the time I became Master¡¯s disciple."

    "Oh... so you never meet him before?"

    "Nope... never."

    Yao Ying nodded his head. This old man only received three disciples. Either he was toozy to have many disciples or he was unpopr. He was probably thetter, in Yao Ying¡¯s opinion. Well... duh... the man was in a bad condition when Yao Ying first met him. It was no wonder that he didn¡¯t think highly of the old man.

    *Bang*

    *Thud*

    *Thump*

    Various sounds could be heard inside the room and the fight... it was quite a sight to behold. Both of the burly bodyguards were mmed down on the floor at the same time, while the drunk old man was still standing proudly -- albeit his unkempt appearance and bloodshot eyes. The shopkeeper¡¯s shocked expressions, the bodyguard¡¯s groaning, and the smug drunkard were a particr sight to see. Yao Ying felt the scene was quite funny.

    Finally, Lin Jian decided to have mercy on the bodyguards and the shopkeeper. "All of you can go now! I will handle this," Lin Jian said. He reckoned it was already enough to make the old man satisfied.

    The three men felt like they were being pardoned. They quickly thanked Lin Jian, bade goodbye, and ran out of the room without a second thought.

    The old man squinted his blurry eyes, trying to see the two youngsters in front of him.

    *Hic*

    *Hic*

    The old man couldn¡¯t stop his hups and it brought another wave of strong alcohol smell. Yao Ying closed his nose by pinching it and breathing through his mouth. After knowing he was his soon to be Master, he couldn¡¯t afford to offend him.

    "Master... are you feeling better now?" Lin Jian helplessly asked, knowing that the answer was no.

    After hearing the familiar voice, the old man was finally sure that it was his disciple. His blurry eyes made him fail to recognize the kid, but he still recognized his voice. He had been looking for him for a long time. He pounced onto Lin Jian andughed heartily, "Smelly kid! You said that you will give this master lots of foods and wines, so this old master disregards everything andes here! Where is it? Where is it?" He excitedly asked like a little kid while his eyes were darting around.

    He smacked the back of Lin Jian¡¯s head and it made Lin Jian feel dizzy. He really didn¡¯t hold back in smacking him! Lin Jian bitterly thought to himself. "Ouch... Please show mercy to this disciple, Master! It hurts!" Lin Jian whined.

    The old man looked at him in disbelief. "How long have you be my disciple? *Hic* Only one smack and you already whined like a girl?!"

    Lin Jian pursed his lips but said nothing. What was the use of talking to a drunk old man? He would lose the battle anyway. He directed his master¡¯s attention to the table. "I already ordered Master¡¯s favorite food. Please help yourself!"

    The old man squinted his eyes once again and he was finally able to see the various selections of amazing foods. Without feeling embarrassed, he quickly dug out and ate the foods heartily. Yao Ying simply watched the whole things without blinking. Would he be able to eat all of that? The big table was full of foods and there were more than twelve main dishes --- not including the side dishes.

    And he really sessfully ate it all! It was like he hadn¡¯t eaten for weeks! He vacuumed all the foods into his stomach, and in the end, he burped without restrained. Yao Ying winced after listening to that horrible sound. He turned to Lin Jian and finally decided to ask, "Are you sure he is okay? Is he really your master?"

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know that the old master¡¯s hearing was hypersensitive. Even though he was drunk and feeling too full at the moment, but his ears were able to pick up what Yao Ying had said. The old man scowled. "What? Do you doubt this old master?" He asked mockingly.

    Yao Ying wanted to say something sarcastically, but he saw Lin Jian¡¯s expression and he held himself back. Lin Jian shook his head, telling him not to offend this Big Buddha. They couldn¡¯t afford to. Yao Ying gulped his words back and smiled, "Of course not! I¡¯m just feeling worried that Master will be too full. It¡¯s not good for the master¡¯s old body. I asked Lin Jian whether you are the master or not because Lin Jian hasn¡¯t officially introduced us yet."

    Yao Ying¡¯s smart mouth save them both from the old man¡¯s wrath. He shouldn¡¯t be called Yao Ying if he couldn¡¯t solve the problems with his clever mouth. His smart mouth already sessfully took ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ to another whole new level of sess. Appeasing an old man was an easy job for him.

    The old man asked in confusion, "Introducing me to you?" Then he turned to Lin Jian, "Why? I don¡¯t like socializing and you know that."

    Lin Jian exined slowly, "Master... I already asked you to receive my new friend as your disciple, remember?"

    The old man shook his head dejectedly. "I don¡¯t remember."

    "But... you already said yes!" Lin Jian cried in frustration.

    The old man tried to recall something from his memory but he failed to do so. He wanted to know whether his disciple was tricking him or not. Lin Jian knew that he didn¡¯t like to take in new disciple because he simply thought of them as a hassle. But once he epted one, he would definitely take it seriously. He would teach the disciple with all the knowledge and skills that he had.

    "Really? When?" The old man asked, feeling baffled.

    "Why does my mind seem blurry and for some reasons... I can¡¯t remember anything?" He directed the question to himself. "Taking in a disciple? Did I really agree to it?" He mumbled to himself.

    ---

    [1]. Shi Xiong: Senior male fellow student or apprentice.

 Chapter 90 The New Master 3

    "You really did!" Lin Jian said exasperatedly. "I won¡¯t lie to you! This disciple doesn¡¯t dare!" To tell the truth... the old man really didn¡¯t agree to anything. When he asked previously, the old man only hummed without giving him a direct answer. The only way to make him agree was like how Lin Jian sessfully became his disciples --- foods, wines, blurry minds, and saying something to convince the old man (while he was intoxicated) that Lin Jian was telling the truth. Yep... this was the trick that Lin Jian had perfectly learned over the years.

    The old man pondered over the matter for a little while and he seemed to recall that Lin Jian indeed wanted him to take someone as a disciple. Was it the youngster beside him? "Is that him?" The old master asked loudly.

    "Yes, Shi Fu[1]. His name is Yao Ying. He¡¯s my new best friend --- Uncle Wang¡¯s son," Lin Jian introduced Yao Ying.

    "Hmmm... that Little Wang¡¯s son?"

    "Yes," Lin Jian said eagerly.

    "Please receive this one as Shi Fu¡¯s disciple," Yao Ying politely begged and he cupped both of his hands as a sign of respect. The old master even called his father as Little Wang. Did he know his father as well?

    "I really... really... promised to receive him as my disciple?" The old man threw the question to Lin Jian. He knew that the brat had a lot of tricks on his hands, so he didn¡¯t trust him easily. Why couldn¡¯t he remember anything about it in this crucial time?

    "Yes, Shi Fu." Lin Jian said with a righteous face. Although the old master didn¡¯t believe him, there was nothing he could do. He didn¡¯t want to lose face in front of his new disciples.

    "This one never takes back what this one has said. Very well then... You will be my disciple too. Yao Ying, right? You can call me Shi Fu too. *hic* Tomorrow... I will look at your face carefully to remember you... *hic* Somehow... your face is blurry," The old master slurred his speech. After saying that, he fell to the ground and snored loudly.

    "It seems like Master finally falls asleep," Lin Jian said in relief. He grinned at Yao Ying, "Well... you sessfully be my Shi Di[2] then," Lin Jian said.

    Damn! Yao Ying forgot about it. Did he really have to call Lin Jian Shi Xiong? He pursed his lips, feeling indignant. "You are my best friend, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to call you Shi Xiong. It is better if I still call you just like usual, Lin Jian," Yao Ying said nicely and smiled.

    Lin Jian knew that Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to call him Shi Xiong and he could do nothing about it. He still remembered his threat about the bet. Lin Jian didn¡¯t want to provoke this sleeping tiger and got himself entangled into a new problem. Besides, even though Yao Ying said it nicely, but his smile was so eerie, making him shiver.

    Yao Ying asked, "What should we do about Shi Fu? I need to buy presents for Yao Ling and I can¡¯t stay out for too long." His headache was slightly better, but he wanted to rest early for the day. Yao Ying also felt that he had a lot to talk about to his wife regarding this turn of event.

    Lin Jian looked at Yao Ying and remembered something, "You just drank poison! How can you be strong enough to wander around like this? Back then, I even passed out for a few days!"

    "Really? I passed out too, but not as severe as you though. I was out for a few hours only and I¡¯m currently not feeling well. I wouldn¡¯t be here if my father didn¡¯t tell me to and of course... because of you," Yao Ying exined.

    "Well... I didn¡¯t know that you just drank poison!" Lin Jian pouted, feeling wronged.

    Yao Ying rolled his eyes, "Well... now you know! Can you let me go now?"

    Lin Jian nodded, "Sure. You probably should rest for a few days. Although the poison won¡¯t harm you or take your life, it¡¯s still a poison!" Lin Jian really pitied Yao Ying. What did Uncle Wang think for letting Yao Yinge out in this condition? Uncle Wang really didn¡¯t know how to take care of other people.

    "Shi Fu said that he wants to meet me tomorrow. Where should I meet him?"

    "At my home is fine. I probably will drag him there and let him stay for the night. This is already a usual routine for us." It was true. This can be said as amon urrence for his master to stay the night at ¡¯Lin Fu¡¯ from time to time.

    "Do you need my help to bring him home?"

    "No need, no need. Just pay attention to your own health. This is our ce and I can get helpers from here. It¡¯s not a big deal." Lin Jian felt worried about Yao Ying, so he adamantly told him to go home and rest.

    "Then, I¡¯ll see you tomorrow," Yao Ying bade goodbye and left without looking back. He was thankful that Lin Jian was quite understanding of his condition.

    Somehow Yao Ying missed Xiu. It would be better if he could help him think about the presents; he needed someone else¡¯s opinion on this matter. His headache made him couldn¡¯t think clearly. He knew Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a materialistic woman and she was quite unwillingly buying something expensive for herself. The woman was a foodie and she rather chose to spend money on food than for superficial things like clothing or jewelry.

    Should he buy a new ruqun for her? Hairpin? Bangle? Ring? Earrings? Feeling confused, Yao Ying decided to go to nearby essories shop. He just wanted to try his luck and maybe he could find something nice there.

    The store was small and the customers weren¡¯t that many. When he came in, he was weed with a few disys of jewelry. The disy contained various types of jewelry and they were divided based on the type. One disy for rings, another one for jade pendants, and so on. Yao Ying stood in front of the disy in confusion. There were so many designs! How could he choose one among them?

    "Can this servant help you?" A young woman around twenty-something politely asked Yao Ying. It seemed like she was the shopkeeper.

    "Do you have something beautiful for a present?"

    "Who is it for?"

    "My wife."

    "Ah... so it¡¯s for thedy. Do you have any specific thing in your mind? Ring? Earrings? Bangle?" The shopkeeper offered a various of choices to Yao Ying.

    Yao Ying shook his head dejectedly. "No."

    "Are the both of you newlyweds?" The shopkeeper asked once again. Judging from how this man was at loss in choosing the present, it seemed like he didn¡¯t know his wife preferences. If they were newlyweds, she had the perfect things for the man.

    "Yes."

    The shopkeepers grinned widely. "Then, this servant has the perfect things for you. Please wait here! I need to go inside and bring them out. It¡¯s quite precious so this servant didn¡¯t put it on the disy."

    Yao Ying nodded politely. It seemed like he came to the right ce. If he went to a bigger ce, it wouldn¡¯t guarantee the shopkeeper would personally give him a good idea or as attentive as this shopkeeper. Hopefully, she would bring out something that he would like.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the shopkeeper toe back and bring along the goodies. The shopkeeper smiled and said, "You are really lucky. These are our newest item and we haven¡¯t got the chance to sell this to our biggest customer. We usually sell our new item to our VIP customer first."

    The shopkeeper presented a beautiful pair of jade with a high-quality intricated design. They were made of mutton fat jade --- the color was white, almost translucent color. Although it was a pair of jade, the design could stand on its own -- a catfish. A catfish pendant symbolized wishes for a happy marriage.

    ----

    [1]. Shi Fu: a Chinese title for a teacher or skilled tradesman.

    [2]. Shi Di: young disciple (of the same master); younger or junior male schoolmate.

 Chapter 91 What Happened to Xiao Yus Little Brother?

    "If these pendants are put together, it will have an auspicious meaning. Look at how the fishbined with the fungus that one of the fish is biting --- It means may your wishese true year after year of marriage. These are usually for a wedding gift," The shopkeeper exined.

    Yao Ying remembered how they got married in a rush. With the limited fund, they weren¡¯t able to buy anything fancy as a remembrance. They only exchanged their most prized belonging. Would Yao Ling be happy if he gave her this? He loved the meaning behind these pendants, so he decided to buy them.

    "Pack it up for me. I will buy them," Yao Ying said. "Thank you for your rmendation."

    The shopkeeper was happy with the sessful purchase. She could see that this young master was rich. When she said the price, he paid easily without batting eyshes. Although it was quite expensive in Yao Ying¡¯s opinion, it was still under the range of his limit.

    After he finished paying and get the item, Yao Ying went out of the shop in a better mood. He hoped Yao Ling would like his present. He looked up at the sky and it was almost dark. Yao Ying knew he should go back home or he would miss his dinner with Yao Ling.

    He sighed tiredly. It seemed like there was still a lot of things to be done and talk about before he was able to sumb to his sleep. Well... he walked faster and he arrived at his home in no time. Yao Ying went to his courtyard, trying to find his wife and tell her what had happened earlier. He knew that she would probably freak out about the poison, but she had to know!

    Yao Ying just stepped into his courtyard when he was stopped on his track by Xiu.

    "Young Master, you are finally home." Xiu politely greeted Yao Ying.

    Yao Ying could see how haggard Xiu¡¯s appearance was. He seemed deadly tired as well and it surprised him. "What happened to you? Have you found out about Xiao Yu¡¯s little brother?" Yao Ying asked worriedly.

    Yao Ying skimmed his surrounding and felt that it was better to go inside his study first. "Hold on! Cease your talk. We better talk inside my study room." Yao Ying motioned for Xiu to follow him.

    They went into the study room and Xiu quickly locked the door. Seeing the worried look on Xiu¡¯s face, Yao Ying asked, "What happened? Why are you so anxious? Have you found him?"

    "At first, this servant thought that this would be an easy matter to deal with. This servant only needs to follow Liu Li, found out where they kept Xiao Yu¡¯s brother, rescued him, and went back here. However, Liu Li is quite adept with martial art. Of course, this servant¡¯s skill is far higher than her. Luckily, this servant was cautious and Liu Li didn¡¯t find out about my presence," Xiu exined dejectedly.

    "And something went wrong?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Not exactly, but it¡¯s hard for this servant alone to save the kid. This servant indeed found out where she holds him captive, but not the exact ce."

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

    "Liu Li used to work in a brothel and she has her ownwork channel --- an underground channel, to be precise. This servant followed her and she even could make the thugs shiver in fear. She¡¯s a dangerous and evil woman, Young Master," Xiu warned his master.

    "This person cannot be kept around --- too dangerous and unpredictable," Yao Ying made a decision. "Once we rescue Xiao Yu¡¯s brother, it seems like we have to think of a way to deal with her."

    "Which brothel does she keep him?"

    "Thousand Pleasures," Xiu answered.

    Yao Ying could feel the cold sweat on his back. F*ck! Wasn¡¯t that the ce where he had juste back from? "When? When did you go there?" Yao Ying felt rmed. He thought back and he didn¡¯t think he saw a familiar face back then.

    "Around Wu Shi (modern timing: 11am-13pm)," Xiu answered in confusion. Why would his young master ask about the time? He didn¡¯t think it was important enough to pay attention to. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to care about the result more?

    Yao Ying started to feel something bad is going to happen soon. He was actually there at the hua louat the same time... and if the girl covered up her face, he wouldn¡¯t be able to recognize her. But what about him? He didn¡¯t cover his face and she should be able to recognize him!

    "I was there." Yao Ying¡¯s words exined the whole things and Xiu¡¯s jaw dropped open widely.

    "What? Really, Young Master?" No wonder Young Master looked worried. Did he do something bad there? But it was a brothel! Why else a man would go there, unless... "What did you do, Young Master?"

    Yao Ying scowled at Xiu. "Nothing. Lin Jian dragged me there. Why else?" Yao Ying flicked Xiu¡¯s forehead. "Don¡¯t think too much!"

    "Ouch! Xiu held his forehead indignantly.

    Yao Ying knew that Xiu doubted him, but he didn¡¯t feel the need to exin himself to Xiu. But Yao Ling... he was afraid that Liu Li would try to do something with that bit of information. Fortunately, Xiu told him first, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be ready to face the consequences.

    After thinking for a while, Yao Ying was confused. ¡¯Thousand Pleasures¡¯ was basically theirs. Did this involved Wang Luo Hai and Lin Fu? But what was the connection between Liu Li and Thousand Pleasures? Or was there something else going on there?

    "Xiu, do you know the owner of ¡¯Thousand Pleasures¡¯?"

    "This servant doesn¡¯t know. Only the insiders know who the owner is and they keep their mouth shut. Probably no one in this city knows about the owner," Xiu said. "Even only a few of the insiders know about it. A mere shopkeeper probably also doesn¡¯t know about the owner."

    "Does it look like the owner know about this matter?"

    Xiu shook his head. "I don¡¯t think so. Judging from what I saw, I think Liu Li only keeps in touch with the shopkeeper. He was the only one who warmly received her there."

    "Ah... I see." Yao Ying thought that probably this wasn¡¯t rted to Wang Fu or Lin Fu --- only Liu Li and her master.

    "Can you tell me who is Liu Li¡¯s contact there? Tell me their interaction!" Yao Ying didn¡¯t tell Xiu the matter inside the hua lou. He started to realize that the owners were kept as a secret and Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t even let his subordinate know.

    "I¡¯m not sure. I can¡¯t go near here, because I could feel that there were a lot of experts hiding in the hua lou. They weren¡¯t exactly Liu Li¡¯sckey. Liu Li¡¯s contact is probably one of the high-rank shopkeepers there and they were quite intimate," Xiu said while slightly blushed. Until now, he still remembers how the sound of moaning and the pping sound of two flesh connected to each other reverberating inside the room. He was pretty sure that Liu Li gave her body for her sick ambition.

    "And Xiao Yu¡¯s brother? Where do they keep him inside the hua lou?"

    Xiu gritted his teeth in anger. "That¡¯s what I want to report to Young Master about. Liu Li and the man are really sick in the head! I could hear from their conversation that they keep the boy inside the shopkeeper¡¯s personal room! They... they were even sick enough to do the deed in front of the kid!"

    "Do the deed? What kind of deed?" Yao Ying asked in confusion.

    Xiu gaped at his young master. Was he for real? ¡¯Young Master ah~ You are the one who already got married, but you still ask this single dog about it? Are you trying to embarrass me further?¡¯

    Because there was no answer from Xiu, Yao Ying asked him once again, "What kind of deed?"

    "That... that..." Xiu stuttered. He looked at the confusion in Yao Ying¡¯s face and he was pretty sure that Young Master wasn¡¯t really joking. He could only helplessly answer him, "S*x, Young Master. What else would they do inside a brothel?"

 Chapter 92 Feng

    Yao Ying¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. He didn¡¯t think toward that direction. He only thought that they were probably torturing him or something. Having s*x in front of a kid? That was a really sick move! Yao Ying mumbled to himself, "I went to that hua lou, but I did not do that sort of things. Tsk! Those people are really crazy."

    Yao Ying felt bad for the little kid and he was pretty sure that it would be a traumatic experience for the kid. "Is this why you hold me back?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    Xiu nodded. "This servant doesn¡¯t want Xiao Yu to hear about this. This servant knows it will break her heart."

    "You are doing a good job. I will let Young Mistress know about this and it will probably better if she¡¯s the one who breaks the news to Xiao Yu."

    "Thank you, Young Master." After pausing for a while, Xiu decided to ask, "What should we do about the kid? If we want to save him, I will need someone¡¯s help to create a distraction first!"

    Yao Ying wondered if he could ask for Wang Luo Hai and Lin Jian¡¯s help for this. However, he retracted that thought. If he weren¡¯t able to help his own subordinate by himself, then he wasn¡¯t suitable to be their young master. He couldn¡¯t always turn to another for help when something happened unless it was really necessary.

    "Xiu, do you know someone called Feng who serve my father?"

    "Feng? This servant knows him. Why do Young Master suddenly talk about him?"

    "Father wants to give him to me and he said that you know him very well, so tell me all about him!" Yao Ying needed to know all the details about this man before using him and letting Feng serve him.

    "We can trust him," Xiu wholeheartedly said.

    "How so?"

    "He¡¯s my twin brother," Xiu grinned widely.

    "What? Howe I don¡¯t know about this?"

    "Well... This servant hasn¡¯t got the time to tell Young Master and also thought that it wasn¡¯t important enough. We did our job separately and rarely met with each other, but our bond is still there. His martial arts skills are as good as mine," Xiu exined. He asked excitedly, "Really? He wille to serve Young Master too?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "Tomorrow, I will ask Father about it."

    Before Xiu could answer, someone knocked on the door. "Who is it?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Answering Young Master, Master heard that Young Master alreadyes back, so Master sends this servant here," The man answered. The man¡¯s voice was very simr to Xiu¡¯s voice and Yao Ying got a pretty good idea who he was.

    "Are you Feng?"

    "Yes, Young Master."

    "Xiu, open the door and let him in," Yao Ying ordered.

    Xiu nodded and quickly unlocked the door, letting Feng in. Yao Ying looked at them in surprise, they were basically the carbon copies of each other. The only difference was the scar on Xiu¡¯s face. That was it! Their face, body posture, height... everything looked exactly the same!

    "Wow! Both of you indeed look like each other," Yao Yingughed.

    Xiu and Feng looked at each other and grinned at the same time. "Young Master, this is Feng," Xiu introduced.

    "So, how long have you been working for Father?"

    "At the same time with Xiu. We were sold together --- buy one get one free, to be exact." Feng grinned and joked. It seemed like Feng was much more lively than Xiu who was more on the aloof side.

    Yao Yingughed at what Feng said and nodded, feeling satisfied with his new aide. "What did you generally do for Father?"

    "This servant was Master¡¯s shadow guard. Xiu always worked as a servant while I worked behind the scene. However, it seems like this time Master wants this servant to serve Young Master as both servant and hidden guard --- just like Xiu," Feng exined.

    "Are you willing to follow me and be loyal only to me and my wife from now on?" Yao Ying asked seriously.

    "This servant is willing. And also... these are our servant contracts deeds. Master gave it to me and he wants Young Master to keep them," Feng exined. He pulled out two scrolls from his sleeve and gave it to Yao Ying politely.

    Yao Ying opened them and they were both authentic. Both of these servants belong to him now. "Good! Wee to the family! I won¡¯t mistreat you and I will treat you as my own family --- as long as you know your ce," Yao Ying said. Thest part was his warning for them. Although they treated them as families, there should be boundaries that couldn¡¯t be crossed.

    "This servant knows," Feng bowed politely. "Does Young Master has an order for this servant?"

    Yao Ying nced at Xiu and asked, "Does he know about Xiao Yu¡¯s matter?"

    Xiu shook his head and answered, "No."

    "Tell him everything from the start! After you finished telling Feng about it, we can arrange a n and Feng can serve as a distraction," Yao Ying said to the both of them.

    Feng looked at Xiu curiously, "What happened?"

    Xiu fed him with all the recent news about Xiao Yu and her predicament. Feng looked at Xiu weirdly, "Brother... since when do you care about a woman that much?" As far as he knew, Xiu wasn¡¯t an outgoing person and he always kept to himself. He was a bit aloof and well... he never talked to a woman --- ever, unless it was about work. This was also the only time he talked a lot about a woman and even worried about her! A woman named Xiao Yu, huh? It made Feng very curious about her.

    Xiu slightly blushed but he said nothing and only red at Feng. "What are you talking about? I only told you because Young Master asked me to!"

    Feng was quite dumbfounded after watching Xiu blushed. His aloof brother... blushing? Did he...? Feng couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, making Xiu winced. Yao Yingughed along with Feng, making it more obvious.

    "Feng... it looks like you will get yourself a sister-inw soon," Yao Ying said merrily.

    Xiu coughed in embarrassment while Fengughed happily. "It seems like it, Young Master." Feng looked at Xiu yfully.

    "What... what sister-inw?!" Xiu awkwardly said.

    The cute Xiu really made Yao Ying and Feng snickered. His feeling was this obvious but he still dared to lie. However, Yao Ying was in a hurry to give presents to Yao Ling, so he quickly drafted out a n with the both of them. They needed to scout Liu Li¡¯s behavior pattern for the time being. They needed to know for sure when Liu Li would meet his lover and found out about her master. They didn¡¯t want to alert the enemy by blindly saving the kid. They needed to find a way so no one would find out that they were the one who rescued Xiao Yu¡¯s brother.

    After finishing the details and diving the tasks between the brothers, Yao Ying decided to go back to his room. "Come on! Let¡¯s end it for the night." Yao Ying could feel that his headache starteding back. He supposed he really needed to sleep to ease the pain.

    "Er--- Young Master," Xiu hesitantly called Yao Ying.

    "Young Master, are you sure for going back to Young Master¡¯s room just like that?" Xiu asked.

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ying asked in uncertainty. Why couldn¡¯t he go back straight away?

    "Young Master has a heavy perfume smell and Young Mistress will probably..." Xiu trailed off thest part but Yao Ying perfectly understood what he meant.

    Yao Ying quickly ordered Xiu and Feng, "Quick! Prepare a bath for me!"

    How could he forget about this? He sniffed his own body and yes... the smell was heavily permeated there. Damn! How could he forget about this matter?

    "Yes, Young Master." Both Xiu and Feng answered him at the same time.

    Fortunately, Xiu reminded him. Yes... indeed he wanted to tell Yao Ling the truth, but not with his whole body smelling like this. Any sane person would get angrier if her husband smelled like a brothel --- even if she learned the truth that nothing had really happened.

 Chapter 93 The Awkward Dinner

    The bath was quickly prepared. Two servants were indeed more efficient that one and he mentally thought that he should thank his father for his generosity. Before he went into the tub, he carefully opened his robe. He put the handkerchief which contained poison along with his presents for Yao Ling beside the tub. Yao Yingid back inside the tub and closed his eyes. He felt his body muscle start to be more rxed and it also made his headache slightly better.

    Yao Ying knew that he couldn¡¯t take a bath for too long but he wanted to enjoy the luxury of bathing for a little while. The women in the brothel really made him feel dirty and he needed to remove the dirt thoroughly.

    Before he felt satisfied, Xiu knocked on the door, "Young Master... Young Mistress is waiting for you to eat dinner together. Xiao Yu was just here to send the message."

    "Okay," Yao Ying answered. It seemed like he should finish his bath as soon as possible. He quickly got out of the tub with a jump and dried himself. Yao Ying put on his robe and didn¡¯t forget to bring the poison and presents along with him. The wife is more important than a mere bath!

    Yao Ying went to his room and smiled brightly when he saw Yao Ling waiting for him. "Why are you waiting for me? I don¡¯t want you to starve yourself." He sweetly said.

    Ah... the best woman in the whole world is really his wife. Only by seeing her, he could already feel a sense of belonging. He felt that he was at home.

    Yao Ying felt too happy and he missed the pout on Yao Ling¡¯s face. "Of course I have to wait upon my husband, otherwise, my dear husband would probably stay at hua lou and forget about this lonely wife," Yao Ling said and smiled eerily.

    Yao Ying stopped at his track and sweated profusely. Damn! Did she find out about it? "What... what do you mean, Ling-er? This husband will never forget about you!" He knew he had to exin his behavior, but her piercing gaze really stopped his brain from working. It looked like his wife was really angry.

    He knew right away that he was in deep shit. Damn!

    "Oh... just now someone came to me and very... very eagerly... saying that she saw my lovely husband actually went to a hua lou with Young Master Lin Jian," Yao Ling said leisurely, but Yao Ying could feel the chilliness behind her voice. Yes... she was feeling resentful.

    Should he just pretend to faint? He probably could gain the beauty¡¯s pity and then she would let him off? Yao Ying berated himself inside his mind. Since when did he be such a coward? He was the one who went along with Lin Jian to the hua lou, then he should be the one who manned up and admitted his wrongdoing. Even if he had another purpose there, but Yao Ling didn¡¯t know about it. For making his wife angry, it was his own mistake.

    "I¡¯m sorry," Yao Ying said meekly. "But, I have a reason for it."

    Yao Ling knew that he probably had his own reasons. Yao Ying never did anything that made her doubted him, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel angry. It was a brothel for God¡¯s sake! Yao Ling sighed in defeat and nodded, "I will listen to your reasoningter. For now, we should probably eat first. I don¡¯t want us to talk about this matter with an empty stomach. An empty stomach can make people¡¯s mood be bad. I want us to talk peacefully."

    Yao Ying looked at his wife in awe. When did he get so lucky? Where could someone find a wife as understanding as his wife? Only him! Yao Ying proudly bragged to himself and he knew that he should really cherish this wife. Instead of throwing tantrum, she still felt that she needed to take care of him first.

    "Thank you, Wife." Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling, feeling grateful for her mercy.

    Although Yao Ling said that they should eat together, the tense atmosphere was obviously still there. Yao Ying wanted to open his mouth to talk, but he understood why Yao Ling wanted them to eat first. She wanted to calm herself down and not to make this matter worse.

    Who dared telling Yao Ling without his consent? Was it Liu Li? The more he thought about that Liu Li, the more he hated that maidservant. She wasn¡¯t only evil but also dangerous! And she also wanted to sow discord between them. Yao Ying was one step toote. If he gave Yao Ling the presents at the moment, he felt certain that she wouldn¡¯t appreciate the presents. Instead, she would take it wrongly. She would think that he gave her presents out of guilt and he didn¡¯t want that to happen.

    "What are you doing today?" Yao Ying asked about her day, trying to gauge Yao Ling¡¯s reaction. He was actually dying to ask who the culprit was, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask.

    "..."

    And... he was met with the deafening silence. Yao Ling ate slowly but she didn¡¯t answer him. She didn¡¯t even look at him! There was no sound inside the room. Xiao Yu and Xiu could feel the eerie atmosphere and they didn¡¯t dare to make a sound. They realized that Young Mistress was truly angered! Yao Ying was nning to introduce Feng to his wife, so he told him to wait outside. He didn¡¯t know how to bring up the subject when he was faced with the angry Yao Ling.

    Yao Ying decided to sacrifice Xiu. He gave him a signal with his head and mouthed the word Feng without a sound. He wanted to let Xiu introduce Feng to Yao Ling. Xiu could feel how he was sweating in fear. This was a matter between husband and wife ah~ How could Young Master easily sacrifice him just like this?

    "Young... Young Mistress..." Xiu called her hesitantly. He waited for her response but got nothing. When all of them thought Yao Ling would also disregard Xiu, the opposite happened. "What?" Yao Ling answered him, albeit only one word. Xiu had a bit of better luck than Yao Ying.

    Yao Ying felt hurt, but he knew he was in the wrong. He only clenched his jaw and nodded to Xiu, wanting him to continue talking. At least, it would make the atmosphere slightly better.

    "Master sent one more servant to serve Young Master. Young Master and this servant would like to introduce him to Young Mistress," Xiu said meekly.

    "Really?" She tilted up her head, slightly raising her eyebrow. The question was asked to Yao Ying and it made him feel happy. At least, she started talking to him. Sacrificing Xiu was a really great choice! If Xiu could hear Yao Ying¡¯s thought, he would definitely cry a river.

    "Yes, Ling-er. He currently waits outside," Yao Ying said. Yao Ying turned to Xiu and ordered him, "Xiu, you can call Feng in."

    Feng followed behind Xiu. When he stepped forward, Yao Ling and Xiao Yu gasped in surprise. Their eyes flickered between Xiu and Feng. They couldn¡¯t mask their surprise very well and they were practically gaping at Xiu and Feng. The scene was too funny, but Yao Ying didn¡¯t dare tough out loud. He didn¡¯t want to add the list of his fault on Yao Ling¡¯s book.

    "Ho... How?" Yao Ling asked in surprise. "Your name is Feng, right?"

    "Yes, Young Mistress. This servant¡¯s name is Feng."

    "Why... why do the both of you totally resemble each other?" Yao Ling was dumbfounded with what she saw.

    Xiu and Feng looked at each other andughed. "Because we are twins." Both answered at the same time.

    "Ahhh... I see," Yao Ling nodded in understanding. Her eyes flickered at Xiao Yu who looked dumbfounded as well. The girl was really cute. What would she possibly think about this new discovery? Yao Ling was curious about Xiao Yu¡¯s thought because of someone that she possibly liked had a doppelganger.

    "Wee to the family," Yao Ling weed Feng kindly.

    "Thank you, Young Mistress. Great minds do think alike. Young Master also weed me with the same speech," Feng smiled.

 Chapter 94 The Talk 1

    Yao Ying thought to himself, ¡¯Good speech, Feng! He gives one point for Feng. It seems like he¡¯s the more outgoing one between the twins. He has a smart and sweet mouth. It seems like the matter regarding ttery should be dealt with by him.¡¯

    Yao Ling just nodded at what Feng said and smiled. At least, she started to smile. The atmosphere had be less tense because of it.

    Xiao Yu knew that Yao Ling was still eating and it wasn¡¯t polite to obstruct her, but she really wanted to know the news about her younger brother. She decided to be brave and whispered to Yao Ling, "Young Mistress, can Young Mistress please help this servant?"

    "Help you? What kind of help?"

    "Can Young Mistress ask Young Master about this servant¡¯s younger brother updated news?" Xiao Yu looked at Yao Ling pitifully. She bit her lower lips, feeling anxious. She couldn¡¯t help but feel worried until she got the news about her younger brother. Xiao Yu wished that he was okay.

    Yao Ling was still angry at Yao Ying, but she also understood Xiao Yu¡¯s feeling. She sighed to herself. She knew that she couldn¡¯t let her pride get the better of her. Xiao Yu really needed her help and Yao Ling also wanted to help her ease her worry. She decided to call it a truce at the moment and start to talk to her husband again, "Husband..."

    Yao Ying¡¯s face lit up with happiness. Did she forgive him? He eagerly answered, "Yes, Wife?"

    Yao Ling could see his happiness and wanted to smile back, but she held herself back. She needed to punish him and make him feel anxious first before she gave him her forgiveness. "Do you have any news about Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother?" Yao Ling asked monotonously.

    Yao Ying realized it was because of Xiao Yu that Yao Ling decided to talk to him again. He mentally thought to himself that he should give a reward to Xiao Yu and Feng. If Xiu knew what inside his young master¡¯s mind was, he would certainlyin. Did Young Master forget about his sacrifice? Why was he the only one who didn¡¯t get a reward? Sadly, Xiu didn¡¯t know about it and his sacrifice was ruthlessly forgotten by a certain young master.

    "We found out his whereabouts, but not the exact ce. We need more time, so for the time being... you have to be patient." Yao Ying aswered Yao Ling¡¯s question, but thest part was directed toward Xiao Yu.

    Xiao Yu felt relieved when she heard that they found out about her brother¡¯s whereabouts. "I just need to make sure about one thing... Young Master... is he okay? Is he being bullied?" She asked with teary eyes which made Xiu¡¯s heart feel painful for her.

    Yao Ying nced at Xiu briefly, then he answered Xiao Yu¡¯s question, "He¡¯s currently fine. Don¡¯t worry!" Yao Ying had made a consensus with Xiu and Feng that they shouldn¡¯t talk about her brother¡¯s real condition, so he could only divulge that much to ease Xiao Yu¡¯s worry for the time being.

    Yao Ling saw Yao Ying¡¯s expression and she suddenly understood that Yao Ying didn¡¯t tell Xiao Yu the whole thing. He concealed some of the things about Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother condition. Yao Ling felt a knot in the pit of her stomach. It seemed like saving Xiao Yu¡¯s brother wasn¡¯t that easy feat after all.

    Yao Ling felt that she needed to talk alone to Yao Ying after dinner. She sighed inwardly and knew that they should probably dismiss the servant for an early rest.

    When Yao Ling looked closely at Yao Ying¡¯s face, she was certain that something wasn¡¯t right. He looked paler than usual and even his lips too! What was wrong with him? She took a peek on him once in a while and she found out that he tried to massage his forehead for a few times secretly. Did he get a massive headache?

    Did he get sick because he slept on the floor the previous night? Was that the reason he went to the hua lou? Just because of a fit of anger? She had a lot in her mind and she felt slightly guilty because of it.

    "What are you thinking about?" Yao Ling snapped out of her thought, because of Yao Ying¡¯s question. Yao Ying saw that she furrowed her eyebrows and deep in thought, making him curious.

    "What?" Her mind was still in a jumble and that was the only thing that she could mutter.

    Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling in confusion. He touched Yao Ling¡¯s lips and wiped it softly. "What are you thinking about? You bit your lower lip and even hurt yourself. Look! It bleeds for a little bit. Are you okay?"

    Yao Ling put down her chopsticks because she suddenly felt full. She forced a smile out of her lips and said, "Nothing. I¡¯m just feeling full." They both knew that she was lying through her teeth.

    Then she looked down at Yao Ying¡¯s bowl and found that it was already empty. "Have you finished your meal?"

    "En ~ I¡¯ve already finished my meal." Yao Ying answered her question. Yao Ying didn¡¯t have the heart to eat and he already felt full even though he only ate a little.

    "Good!" Yao Ling said.

    She turned to Xiao Yu and ordered her, "Please clean it up. Then, all of you can go rest earlier." Yao Ling practically dismissed their servants in order to have the talk with Yao Ying.

    The three of them looked at each other but knew that there was nothing they could do. They hastily cleaned up the table and left after saying goodbye.

    Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying and asked, "Will you exin it to me now?"

    Yao Ying sighed. "I don¡¯t know where to start. Do you want to know about my hectic day first or about Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother first? Which one?" Yao Ying asked softly.

    Yao Ling tilted her head for a little bit, contemting. If Yao Ying didn¡¯t have a massive headache, he would love to kiss her. "Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother first," she answered. Although she trusted Yao Ling, there was still wandering fear in her mind that Yao Ying would leave him someday. She was also afraid that he found another woman because of their promise not to consummate the marriage.

    Yao Ying nodded and told her what had happened to Xiao Yu¡¯s brother in details. He didn¡¯t cover up how the little kid was forced to see them doing the deeds. Yao Ling could feel her anger burst out. "How could someone do that to a little kid? I asked Xiao Yu and her brother is only eight years old! They are real monsters for doing that!"

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t possibly understand what¡¯s going on inside their mind! She remembered how Liu Li looked so calm and sweet, but it was actually only a disguise of her rotten heart and conduct. "Do you have a n to save him?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "I do." He repeated the drafted n to Yao Ling and Yao Ling nodded in satisfaction. Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a ruthless person. But once someone hurt the people who were dear to her, she would be unmerciful towards that person too!

    "I want her to be gone! Not only her but also her partner-in-crime too!" Yao Ling said in a firm tone. "These kinds of people would always ruin other people¡¯s lives and have no remorse after doing that!"

    "Did she the one who told you that I went to the hua lou?" Yao Ying asked curiously. He took the chance to ask when their topic was about that woman.

    Yao Ling nodded. "Yes," Yao Ling answered.

    Yao Ying sneered. "I knew it! She works really fast."

    "Hmpf! She¡¯s trying to sow discord. Although I know about it, I couldn¡¯t help but feel angry!" Yao Ling red at Yao Ying, feeling hurt.

    "I understand and it¡¯s not your fault. If I heard that you went to a brothel and visit male prostitutes, I would also feel angry and hurt just like you," Yao Ying said in remorse. "But... I really have my own reasons. I¡¯ll tell you about it. But before that, can you tell me what Liu Li said?"

 Chapter 95 What Happened Before Was...

    Yao Ling sighed and she recalled what had happened previously. Before she went back home from ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯, Ning jie already gave her the list of the kids and short descriptions about them. She had nned to review the list and assigned them to hone their skills first, before appointing them to their jobs respectively.

    However, her day was ruined by Liu Li. Yes, she was the one who told her about Yao Ying¡¯s issue. When Yao Ling just stepped into her own courtyard, she saw Liu Li pitifully cried softly there.

    "What happened? Why are you here?" Yao Ling looked at her in suspicion. She wasn¡¯t her maidservant, but Concubine Wan¡¯s. So what was she doing standing and crying in her courtyard? If she didn¡¯t know better about her personalities, Yao Ling would definitely pity her. However, she had already known beforehand what the bitch had done to Xiao Yu.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t show her disdain openly, because she wanted to know what Liu Li was up to. She gave her a concern expression and once again repeated her question because Liu Li didn¡¯t answer her, but instead, she only shook her head. "Liu Li, why are you crying inside my courtyard?"

    Liu Li looked at her while biting her lower lips in distress. "Young Mistress... this servant saw something and... and... this servant doesn¡¯t know whether this servant should tell Young Mistress or not."

    Yao Ling wanted to roll her eyes, but she held herself back. This two-faced maidservant still dared to say that she didn¡¯t know whether she should tell her or not. If she didn¡¯t want to tell her about it, then she shouldn¡¯t put an act and wait for Yao Ling there.

    Yao Ling nced at Xiao Yu and saw that thetter was trying to hold back her anger. Xiao Yu looked up and saw the look on her young mistress¡¯ face. She understood that her young mistress wanted her to contain her emotions --- which she did. After feeling satisfied, Yao Ling looked back at Liu Li and went along with her act.

    "Oh... what happened? It¡¯s okay... you can tell me," Yao Ling coaxed her.

    "Young Mistress... do you know about this servant¡¯s background?"

    "Hmm... I only heard that you were brought here by Concubine Wan. That¡¯s the only thing I know. Why? Is there something that I should know about?" Yao Ling pretended to be clueless.

    Liu Li looked a bit taken aback. She probably wished that Yao Ling would say that Yao Ling had already known about her background. It was actually embarrassing to say where she came from. A brothel girl wasn¡¯t exactly a good job. Because of Yao Ling¡¯s answer, she could only grit her teeth and be shameless.

    "This... this servant was a maidservant that Concubine Wan brought along from a hua lou," Liu Li exined in an embarrassed tone.

    Her embarrassment didn¡¯t gain herself a pity from Yao Ling, but Yao Ling still put on an act. "Hua lou? Really? It¡¯s lucky for you to have such a good master. She could easily leave you behind, but she kindly brought you along and now... she gives you the freedom to roam as a maidservant." Thest part was directed at Liu Li for trespassing her courtyard on her own whim. She was a mere servant and yet, she had the gut to act arrogantly. Even though she appeared to be sad, Liu Liu couldn¡¯t erase the smugness in her eyes.

    Liu Li seemed like she didn¡¯t hear the sarcasm on Yao Ling¡¯s words. She continued talking, "Indeed... it¡¯s really because of Concubine Wan¡¯s kindness."

    "So... is there anything else that you want to tell me, except for crying?" Yao Ling asked.

    Liu Li shyly said, "This servant had a few kins back at the hua lou and this afternoon... this servant paid a visit to them at ¡¯Thousand Pleasures¡¯."

    "So?" Yao Ling once again asked. What¡¯s the point of talking in a roundabout way? She just wanted Liu Li to get on with it and finish this meaningless talk.

    Liu Li once again squeezed out a few tears from her eyes and finally decided to talk, "This servant feels like Young Mistress is a kind girl who doesn¡¯t deserve to be treated badly."

    Yao Lingughed. "Me? Kind? Thank you for thinking highly of this Young Mistress. What do you mean by being treated badly? I think my life is good enough."

    Liu Li gritted her teeth in annoyance. She felt like Yao Ling was mocking her with her good fortune when in reality, Yao Ling didn¡¯t do that sort of things. It was just Liu Li¡¯s spiteful heart that was speaking. Yao Ling never unted her new status unless someone provoked her first.

    Liu Li masked her annoyance with grief. "But... but... I saw Young Master..."

    Yao Ling¡¯s attention was piqued because of what Liu Li had just said. Young Master? Yao Ying? What did he do? "Oh... you saw Young Master. Where?" Yao Ling felt a knot in the pit of her stomach because she had a feeling where Liu Li had seen her husband.

    "This servant saw Young Master visit the hua lou," Liu Li answered meekly. "But Young Mistress... please don¡¯t me Young Master. I¡¯m sure that Young Master has his own reasons for going there. Young Master is a good and loyal person too."

    Yao Ling could see through her white lotus act. If she didn¡¯t know better, what Liu Li had said would certainly increase her anger. Hah! A good and loyal person wouldn¡¯t be bothered to go to a hua lou! Although she knew that Liu Li was trying to sow discord, she couldn¡¯t help but feel angry! Why did Yao Ying give Liu Li a chance to find something to use against them?!

    "Did you see who he was with?" Yao Ling asked.

    "This servant didn¡¯t see it clearly because there were so many women surrounding Young Master." After that she gasped and closed her mouth with her hands, feeling regretful. "I¡¯m sorry, Young Mistress. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. This servant didn¡¯t mean to hurt Young Mistress¡¯ feeling. This servant just momentarily forgot."

    Yao Ling was contemting how she should behave at the moment. Should she behave coldly to Liu Li? Or should she pretend that she trusted her and also put on an act by crying pitifully just like Liu Li?

    She didn¡¯t want Liu Li to feel suspicious and found out that Xiao Yu had told her the whole truth. Oh, God! She wasn¡¯t a white lotus. What should she do to squeeze tears out of her eyes? Yao Ling looked at Liu Li and wondered how did she make it look so easy? Her tears just flew down like a river.

    Yao Ling put her hand on top of the others and carefully covered them with her sleeves. She clenched her teeth and decided to pinch herself until she could produce her own crocodile tears.

    *Pinch*

    Nothing happened. Maybe it¡¯s not enough? She pinched herself harder.

    *Pinch*

    Still nothing. Oh God! That was hurt... but still not enough to produce tears. She braced herself and tried to pinch herself harder.

    *Pinch*

    She seeded! A tear rolled down to her left cheek. Yao Ling felt like cursing. All that trouble and pain, but she only managed to squeeze out a drop of tear. Great!

    Well... at least, the tear was finally showed up. She started to act and asked while biting her lower lip, "Wh... what?"

    Liu Li was happy looking at the hurt expression on Yao Ling¡¯s face. Hmpf! She was only a peasant and yet didn¡¯t want Young Master to have concubines. She didn¡¯t even have a great and strong family to back her up and she still behaved arrogantly. It was Yao Ling¡¯s own fault for making Young Master have to go to a hua lou just to have some fun.

    Liu Li was delusional enough to think about Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s personal matter based on her own judgment. Based on her mind, a man was always so fickle and he wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied with only one wife. Young Master Yao Ying must not be an exception.

    Ha-Ha-Ha! She wanted tough at Yao Ling¡¯s face but she held herself back. It wasn¡¯t the right time... yet.

 Chapter 96 What Happened Before Was... 2

    Yao Ling could see the crazed look on Liu Li¡¯s eyes and she almost shook her head helplessly. This woman was really a lunatic. Sooner orter, she would meet her demise because of her own behavior and ambition.

    "Young Mistress... this servant only talked nonsense. Please don¡¯t listen to this servant! There must be some misunderstanding. Please don¡¯t me Young Master!" Liu Li pleaded on Yao Ying¡¯s behalf.

    This bitch! Yao Ling cursed inwardly. She was a mere maidservant and she had the gut to plead for her young master. The crazy thing was she didn¡¯t even serve the both of them! She was just a maidservant of a mere concubine. Xiao Yu¡¯s standing was actually higher than her! If she didn¡¯t actually use a dirty method, she would probably ask Xiao Yu to handle her. Too bad, Liu Li currently had the upper hands.

    Yao Ling sighed and sadly said, "This is a woman¡¯s fate." She nced at Liu Li and added, "As long as he doesn¡¯t bring one home, then I will be content."

    Yao Lingughed inwardly. ¡¯You wanted to appear to be understanding of my husband, huh? What now? Later... you will say that you already climb my husband¡¯s bed, huh?¡¯ This Liu Li was really too confident in herself. It seemed like she thought that she had everyone on the palm of her hands.

    Thest part was served as a warning to Liu Li. Even if she harbored evil intention by trying to climb her husband¡¯s bed with some kind of crazy methods, but she was still the main wife and she would never ept a concubine. She is a jealous woman. Her man is her man and she didn¡¯t want to share Yao Ying with other women.

    "Bu... But..." Liu Li would like to say that Yao Ling was a bully for saying that, but it would reveal her real intention. She paused for a little while and changed her tactic. "Ah... Young Mistress is really magnanimous. We live in a certain unspoken rule on the matter of taking concubines, but Young Mistress cleverly manages to dodge the rule. This servant is really envious of Young Mistress."

    If Liu Li only said thest part, then she was simply only envious of her. But the way she said that Yao Ling cleverly dodged the rules, Yao Ling wasn¡¯t oblivious to the fact that a mere servant was tantly quipping her. Yao Ling only held herself back because of Xiao Yu¡¯s matter. If not, she would certainly call people and have them p this unruly servant.

    "Don¡¯t worry! I don¡¯t need you to care about my matter. After all, you are Concubine Wan¡¯s maidservant. This courtyard matter doesn¡¯t belong to your job description. However, I¡¯m still thankful enough for your information. I will take care of my husband with utmost care," Yao Ling pleasantly said that while she still maintained her teary expression.

    Yao Ling knew she had to affirm the boundary between master and maidservant, otherwise, with a shrewd person like Liu Li, she would be taken advantage of. Liu Li wasn¡¯t a person that knew her ce and remember to be grateful. She didn¡¯t even feel grateful to Concubine Wan who saved her from the hua lou by bringing her along with her, instead, Liu Li was busy scheming everywhere. She was really thinking too highly of herself.

    "Young... Young Mistress... this... this servant just worried about you. This servant didn¡¯t mean to meddle on Young Mistress¡¯s business," Liu Li exined and started to sob, making it look like that she was being bullied.

    Yao Ling pretended to be softened and patted her shoulder, "I know you have a good intention and I¡¯m not ming you. Just remember that the problem between your masters, you are not in the position to make ament about it and even try to find or give an unweed solution. When the masters don¡¯t talk or mention something, then there¡¯s no ce for a maidservant to say and mention about those problems. Do you understand?"

    Yao Ling could see the change of expression on Liu Li¡¯s face --- she was getting paler than usual, but she didn¡¯t answer Yao Ling¡¯s question whether she understood or not. But Yao Ling didn¡¯t stop there, she continued talking, "I know I am probably only from a peasant background, but currently I am Wang Fu¡¯s child. Zhang Mo Mo especially teaches me about etiquette and she especially mentioned to me about this teaching."

    Yao Ling cleverly shifted the me of what she had said to Zhang Mo Mo. After all, she did really teach her about that. If Liu Li wanted to say a bad thing about that teaching, it meant that she was trying to oppose the matriarch¡¯s teaching. After all, Zhang Mo Mo was serving under the matriarch. If Liu Li still dared to say something against that teaching, then Yao Ling would personally apud on her bravery.

    "You...Young Mistress... this servant doesn¡¯t dare," Liu Li stuttered. She didn¡¯t think that Yao Ling would give her no face. In fact, she was really too full-headed, she still thought too highly of herself. Yao Ling didn¡¯t have to give a face to a mere maidservant just like her. It was different from Qin Xiu Ai --- she had to give that girl a face, even though she was trying to take advantage of her husband. After all, she was a concubine daughter of an important family. She actually gave a face to the Qin family.

    "I know... that¡¯s why I said that you meant well and I also won¡¯t me you with yourck of understanding. After all, I also didn¡¯t know about it when I was only a peasant girl, but Zhang Mo Mo indeed helped me a lot with her teaching. I know from Xiao Yu as a servant, no one ever teaches about those things," Yao Ling smiled.

    In other words, Liu Li was so stupid and didn¡¯t understand about noble¡¯s temperament and etiquette. She just softened what she said by mentioning Zhang Mo Mo once again. She also reminded her status as a servant. Yao Ling also admitted that she tantly said that she also oblivious about that fact when she was a peasant and unted her new status for a little bit.

    Liu Li couldn¡¯t help but feel that Yao Ling was a tricky woman. It seemed like she gave her a nice lecture, but she could hear the sarcasm behind her words. Liu Li knew that she lost this battle and to remove Yao Ling, she had to use her pawn --- Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother. She could use Xiao Yu to find out about Yao Ling¡¯s weakness.

    "This servant is thanking Young Mistress for Young Mistress¡¯ kind teaching," Liu Li muttered the sentences indignantly, but she didn¡¯t let it show on her face. "I¡¯m just worried about Young Master," Liu Li said.

    "Oh... worried about Young Master? Why? He has me and about him going to a hua lou, it doesn¡¯t seem that it concerns you, right?" Yao Ling started to feel agitated. This Liu Li really didn¡¯t know when to stop. Yao Ling was one step away from throttling her. Which maidservant had the gut to say something like that unless she really didn¡¯t put Yao Ling in her eyes? She never considered Yao Ling as one of the masters in ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯.

    Yao Ling¡¯s lips curled up for a little bit. She knew that she would get a good showter when she saw someone wasing.

    "Young Mistress, this servant just identally said the wrong thing. This servant meant to say that this servant worried about Young Mistress, not Young Master," Liu Li tried to cover up her mistake. "This servant is meddling too much. Please forgive this servant, Young Mistress."

    "I hope you won¡¯t covet something that is out of reach. Do you understand?" Yao Ling asked, smiling --- even though the smile didn¡¯t really reach her eyes.

    "This servant doesn¡¯t dare to covet Young Master..." Liu Li trailed off.

    Yao Ling smiled inwardly. Let the good show begins!

 Chapter 97 What Happened Before Was... 3

    "Oh... for a mere servant to have such a thought, it seems like the rules in this household aren¡¯t properly managed!" A raspy but melodious voice came from behind Liu Li and it made Liu Li shiver in fear. In this household, no one dared to mess with the owner of this voice!

    Liu Li turned around and saw the matriarch. She felt her legs weakened and quickly kowtowed. "Old Madam, this servant doesn¡¯t dare. This is just a misunderstanding." Liu Li gritted her teeth in anger... It seemed like she was being trapped by Yao Ling. Actually, Yao Ling did no sort of things. She just came back from ¡¯Fu Rong¡¯ and didn¡¯t know that Liu Li would seek her out and try to find troubles for her. The matter of the matriarching to her courtyard, it was a pure coincidence.

    This was also the first time the matriarch came to her courtyard. Yao Ling was also confused why the matriarch came to her thiste at night. She weed the matriarch happily, but for the sake of acting, she gasped in surprise and curtsied. "Grandmother, what are you doing here thiste? It¡¯s almost dinner time. If Grandmother needs something from this granddaughter, Grandmother should let someonee and call this one over. It¡¯s very cold at night."

    Yao Ling smiled and intimately held the matriarch¡¯s hands. She felt that the matriarch¡¯s hands were a bit cold and said, "Ah... Grandmother¡¯s hands are very cold. Why don¡¯t Grandmothere inside? I¡¯ll let Xiao Yu go and brew tea for Grandmother?" Yao Ling sweetly offered. She deliberately said that just to spite Liu Li. She got the chance for a little sweet revenge by letting her kowtow there for a bit longer.

    "Grandmother is fine," The matriarch smiled, feeling happy with the girl¡¯s thoughtfulness. She turned her gaze to Liu Li who kowtowed without batting eyshes. "If Grandmother didn¡¯te here, it seems like this old woman will miss a good show."

    Liu Li could feel her sweating back. The matriarch was very strict when she was governing the inner courtyard and she knew that the matriarch agreed with the view of having only one wife for life. Not only that, the old woman wasn¡¯t a person that was easy to be trifled with. She would be able to discern the truth in her tricks in the blink of an eye because of her experience and Liu Li didn¡¯t dare to provoke this Big Buddha.

    "Hmmm... isn¡¯t this Liu Li from Concubine Wan¡¯s courtyard? What are you doing here? If I am not mistaken, I heard something about coveting Young Master?" The matriarch asked with sharp eyes. She always hated the fact that Wang Luo Hai brought back Concubine Wan --- a lowly brothel girl and this Liu Li was brought back along with Concubine Wan. She didn¡¯t remember much about this girl, but she disliked what she had heard just now. A brothel girl would still be a brothel girl, even though she already washed away her past, but she couldn¡¯t wash away the stinky personality.

    A maidservant tried to climb the master¡¯s bed was a practice had been frowned upon. It was an act of disregarding and disrespect to the female master.

    Liu Li quickly answered while trembling, "Old Madam, it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. Really. This servant is just a lowly ve. How could this servantpare to Young Master? This servant just..."

    Before Liu Li could continue, Yao Ling cut her off. She didn¡¯t want the matriarch to know that Yao Ying visited a hua lou. She wanted to know the whole truth from Yao Ying first and she didn¡¯t want the matriarch to meddle in this affair. "Liu Li, I know it¡¯s just a misunderstanding. I won¡¯t me you."

    Yao Ling turned to the matriarch and pleaded softly, "Grandmother, it¡¯s really just a misunderstanding...."

    *pinch* Damn! No tears yet...

    "Liu Li is Concubine Wan¡¯s trusted maidservant, I¡¯m sure that as a first rank maid of a concubine, she knows her ce really well."

    *pinch* Where are the tears when you need it?

    "I hope that Grandmother will not investigate about it further."

    *pinch* Tears... tears... Come to me! A little bit is okay!

    "I am really not ming Liu Li."

    *pinch three times harder* Finally... She got herself teary eyes.

    The matriarch saw Yao Ling¡¯s teary eyes and felt a pang[1] in her heart. Her granddaughter looked like she was suffering a grievance. What did this maidservant do to her beloved granddaughter? She didn¡¯t believe for a bit that this Liu Li had a good intention.

    She probably tried to create a misunderstanding by going to Yao Ling¡¯s courtyard. She wasn¡¯t a maidservant in this courtyard and she came here to find trouble. The matriarch didn¡¯t know whether Concubine Wan was involved or not, but an ex-brothel girl¡¯s mentality must not be a good thing. Even though she was a first rank maid of a concubine, but she knew better what kind of concubine... Concubine Wan was. She could never erase her past.

    The matriarch knew Yao Ling was kind enough to let this maidservant go by not investigating it further, but she also didn¡¯t want her new granddaughter suffered a grievance. As long as she lived, she will protect this granddaughter. Besides, she hated the most women who tried to steal another woman¡¯s man.

    The matriarch patted Yao Ling¡¯s hands and smiled, "Don¡¯t worry! I know that you are a kind girl, but I also need to uphold the rules in this household. If you let a wild girl go once, in the future... there will be a lot of wild girls that show up and try to take away your husband."

    Yao Ling smirked inwardly. ¡¯This is it! This is what she has been waiting for! Hah! Liu Li... look at this! Do you want to act? I will apany you to act like a white lotus until the end!¡¯ Yao Ling was clever enough not to punish Liu Li by herself, otherwise, she would be seen as a fickle person. She would be branded as a jealous main wife while Liu Li got the benefit of being pitied by others. After all, she did nothing wrong... but instead, she only gave her information about her husband.

    "But... Grandmother!"

    "There¡¯s no but!" The matriarch sternly said. "This grandmother will always give you protection. So when you suffer a grievance, don¡¯t hold it inside. Just let this grandmother knows next time! Okay?"

    Yao Ling felt happy and nodded. "En... This granddaughter will listen to Grandmother. Thank you, Grandmother."

    With this statement from the matriarch, the servants who surrounded them knew that it was a deration. A deration that Yao Ling was under her protection. No matter what kind of background that she had, she was currently the beloved granddaughter of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. Who decided to go against her would also be against the matriarch.

    Yao Ling smiled inwardly. She probably should thank Liu Li for this. Without her act just now, there would be no guarantee that the matriarch would give a clear deration about her intention to protect Yao Ling. She really gains a lot today!

    "Liu Li... what do you want to say? Did Concubine Wan know beforehand that you are here to wreak havoc?" The matriarch asked sternly.

    Liu Li bit her lower lip indignantly. ¡¯She is being framed!¡¯ She shouted inwardly. Even though she had the intention to seduce Young Master before, she hadn¡¯t acted on it yet! So how could they me her and punish her for something that she hadn¡¯t done yet? Wasn¡¯t this called bullying?

    "This... this servant has nothing to say, but it¡¯s really a misunderstanding. Please give this servant justice, Old Madam!" Liu Li boldly said.

    "Justice?" The old matriarchughed. "You want justice? Then, I will give you one."

    The matriarch gave Zhang Mo Mo a signal to prepare herself. Zhang Mo Mo had been serving Old Madam since Old Madam was only a maiden. She already knew Old Madam¡¯s thought and behavior like the back of her hands. She nodded, showing that she understood. The matriarch wanted her to prepare ahead ---- she wanted to punish this stupid young girl.

    ----

    [1] A pang: a sudden feeling of mental or emotional distress or longing.

 Chapter 98 What Happened Before Was... 4

    "I heard the part where you said that you worried about Young Master. When Yao Ling said the next things, you cleverly defended yourself by saying the wrong thing. I¡¯m not as gullible as my dear granddaughter. Girls like you... I already saw too many of them. So, you don¡¯t need to pretend anymore!"

    "This... this servant really isn¡¯t pretending, Old Madam," Liu Li cried. She started to see the gravity of the situation. At first, she came here just to spite and sow discord to Yao Ling, but in the end... what did she get? The old madam¡¯s wrath! She knew that she would be punished and she regretted smuglying here. She didn¡¯t count the fact that there was a probability the matriarch woulde here.

    "Hmpf! Still dare to lie, instead of repentant and beg for forgiveness. Don¡¯t you think I don¡¯t dare to punish you?" The matriarch asked.

    Liu Li knew that it was better for her to be silent or the matriarch would get angrier.

    "All the servants here!" The matriarch yelled.

    "Yes, Old Madam," All of them quickly answered. They knew that the matriarch was really angry this time. The matter of servants climbing into the master¡¯s bed was the thing that the old madam hated the most. It was a taboo! They didn¡¯t think Liu Li would be this brazen and snicker to themselves. All the maidservants knew about this taboo, that was why they never thought about catching the male masters¡¯ eyes or affection. They still valued their life.

    "Today... this will be a reminder for all of you." The matriarch said loudly with her condescending stature. All the servants couldn¡¯t help but tremble, including Liu Li. This was the power of the matriarch. Her charismatic deposition was second to none.

    "In this household, the thing that I hate the most is for a servant to not understand his or her own position. This Liu Li will be set as an example! Are you worrying about Young Master, huh? Let me tell you, Liu Li! That is a matter between Young Master and Young Mistress. That¡¯s not a matter that you have the right to meddle with! Even Concubine Wan has to show her respect to the real heir of Wang Fu!"

    The matriarch once again made a brave announcement!

    *thump*

    *thump*

    All the servants except for Xiao Yu felt scared. The real heir?! With this kind of status and recognition, no servants would dare to bully the two of them. Xiao Yu¡¯s status would also soar along with them. Even the spies would have to think twice before spying at them. If they were caught, they would definitely get punished heavily or worse... get killed.

    Liu Li trembled in fear. The matter was getting worse. She came here without Concubine Wan¡¯s permission. If they called Concubine Wan... the consequences would be bad. Yao Ling¡¯s lips slightly curled up. She knew that Liu Li was afraid. Ha! Serve you right!

    "Grandmother, I don¡¯t think Concubine Wan..." Before she finished talking, Yao Ling¡¯s sentence was cut off by the matriarch.

    "Ssst... Yao Ling, I know that you are new in this kind of environment, but this grandmother will teach you as to not let you oblivious in the matter of inner courtyard. I don¡¯t want you to be bullied. She¡¯s Concubine Wan¡¯s first rank maidservant. She¡¯s been gone for a long time and Concubine Wan didn¡¯t know about this. Do you think it¡¯s possible?" The matriarch asked.

    Yao Ling pretended to nod obediently. This was what Yao Ling wanted. She wanted the matriarch to remember about Concubine Wan. Whether Concubine Wan knew about this matter or not, the consequences on Liu Li would still be the same --- very bad.

    Liu Li didn¡¯t dare to raise her head, so she didn¡¯t know that Yao Ling nodded her head. She only thought that probably the stupid Young Mistress tried to help her by making no sound to agree. She was going to smirk when she heard the matriarch¡¯s next sentence.

    "Call Concubine Wan over!" The matriarch told one of her personal servants to call Concubine Wan. The girl quickly curtsied and went out to call Concubine Wan.

    Liu Li could feel herself tremble once again. The matter of Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother was done by the order of her another master and Concubine Wan was oblivious to this fact. Concubine Wan always hated the fact that she used to be a brothel girl and she didn¡¯t allow Liu Li to make a contact with their past. Concubine Wan obviously wanted to cut off her past and if she knew Liu Li disobeyed her... it would be really bad.

    Concubine Wan was pretty strict with her punishment and Liu Li shuddered at the thought. Where did things go wrong? Her n was simply to sow discord, but instead, she was butchered by Yao Ling¡¯s words. After that, the matriarch came and Concubine Wan was called. She could only me this on her bad luck. However, she nced at Yao Ling in hatred. It was because of her! She would certainly get her revenge!

    Yao Ling identally saw Liu Li¡¯s crazed look. She shuddered in fear, but she took note on it. She should be more careful in the future and she also needed to warn Yao Ying about this woman¡¯s tendency to hold a grudge.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Concubine Wan toe and she was astonished by the fact that a lot of people had gathered on Yao Ling¡¯s courtyard. She saw the servants were kowtowing on the ground. It seemed that something big had happened and she was in puzzle why she was called over.

    She curtsied to the matriarch and Yao Ling, then asked, "Old Madam, what happened?"

    The matriarch knew that Concubine Wan wasn¡¯t really the brightest person and she could see from her expression that she was indeed bewildered with the scene. Before Concubine Wan saw Liu Li, the matriarch asked, "Where is your maidservant, Liu Li?"

    "Liu Li? This Concubine hasn¡¯t seen her for one shichen," Concubine Wan answered in confusion. Why would they search for Liu Li? Concubine Wan didn¡¯t really pay attention to where Liu Li had gone, because she got a headache since morning. She only wanted to rest and sleep, so she didn¡¯t allow anyone to bother her.

    "Does she always run around without your permission?" The matriarch asked, trying to know how this Concubine managed her own courtyard. A first rank maidservant was missing and yet... she didn¡¯t know? Either she was stupid or she was too good at pretending.

    "This Concubine doesn¡¯t understand what the matriarch implied of. She¡¯s indeed this concubine¡¯s first rank maidservant, but she usually asks for permission. However, today this concubine is having a massive headache and resting in my courtyard the whole day. This concubine admits that this one hasn¡¯t seen Liu Li because of that," Concubine Wan exined.

    The matriarch sneered at her, "You are already a part of ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯. Don¡¯t think of this household as a brothel in which your maidservant could roam around another person¡¯s courtyard without the owner¡¯s permission! You have to teach your maidservant how to behave!"

    Concubine Wan was slightly paler after listening to what the matriarch had just said. It had been such a long time since thest time the matriarch talked about her background. She knew how much the matriarch disdained her background and never mentioned it ever again. But why? She suddenly brought out this subject... was she trying to poke on her sore spot?

    However... Concubine Wan also knew that the matter wasn¡¯t that simple. There¡¯s no smoke without fire[1]. Liu Li must have done something to implicate herself. She gritted her teeth in anger. The girl was usually very sensible and even always came out with a great idea, howe she make such trouble for her?

    Concubine Wan asked cautiously, "What did Liu Li do to make Old Madam angry? This concubine will discipline herter!"

    ----

    [1]. There¡¯s no smoke without fire: if unpleasant things are said about someone or something, there is probably a good reason for it.

 Chapter 99 What Happened Before Was... 5

    "Hmpf! No need! I will be the one who disciplines her and I want you to be the witness." The matriarch pointed at Liu Li who didn¡¯t dare to move and still kowtowed on the ground without the courage to raise up her face. "This is also an exnation for you why I give her a punishment."

    Concubine Wan wanted to say something, but she retracted it back. She wanted to know what Liu Li did to make the old madam angry until this point.

    "This concubine will listen and obey Old Madam¡¯s decision," Concubine Wan said obediently. She didn¡¯t want the matriarch to turn her anger at her, so she stood at the side and simply became a spectator. She pitied the girl, after all... she was her personal maidservant and a clever one too. However, she was just a concubine and she couldn¡¯t help her without knowing the reason.

    "Liu Li... do you know your mistake?" The matriarch asked.

    "This... this servant is being framed. Please give this servant justice, Old Madam!" Liu Li begged.

    Yao Ling sneered at Liu Li¡¯s stupidity. Liu Li never felt that she did something wrong, so she demanded justice. If she was repentant and begged for forgiveness, the matriarch probably would be lenient. However... because of her pride, she still demanded justice. ¡¯Good for you! You dig your own grave!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    "Hmpf! You still dare to say that you are being framed!" After saying that, the matriarch turned to Yao Ling and asked, "Exin to all of us, Yao Ling! What did she do?"

    Liu Li was afraid that Yao Ling would say something about the brothel part. If Concubine Wan knew about this, she would be as angry as the matriarch! But... that was exactly what Yao Ling nned to do! How could she let such an opportunity to make Xiao Yu happy with such an act of simple revenge go? At first, she nned to protect Yao Ying, but she changed her mind and she could find an excuse for Yao Yingter.

    Yao Ling started her white lotus act once again, "Grandmother, Liu Li only warned me because of her kindness. She went to visit her family and friend at hua lou and identally met Yao Ying."

    The matriarch and Concubine Wan had a different reaction. The matriarch felt angry at Yao Ying for going to a hua lou after he had just entered Wang Fu. It wasn¡¯t only a disgrace! But also disrespectful toward Yao Ling. Her heart was more biased toward Yao Ling --- she liked the girl.

    Concubine Wan was surprised for a little while. But the surprise turn into anger! Her pity turned into hatred. How dared Liu Li go behind her back?! She had already told her to cut off herself from the past. She dared to go to hua lou again?! Concubine Wan looked menacingly at Liu Li, promising herself to teach Liu Li a lesson. Liu Li could feel Concubine Wan¡¯s angry gaze directed at her and she shuddered in fear.

    Yao Ling quickly saved her husband by saying the next thing. "Liu Li told me that Young Master Lin was there as well. Father also told me that Yao Ying was going out with Young Master Lin and he was being dragged around by him." In other words, Yao Ying didn¡¯t go to the hua lou because he wanted it, but because of Lin Jian.

    The matriarch sighed in relief because it wasn¡¯t that Yao Ying was being ungrateful and lecherous. "And then? Why was she worried about Yao Ying?"

    "Grandmother, please don¡¯t be angry... Liu Li just wanted to protect Yao Ying and asked me not to me him. See...? She is a kind maidservant," Yao Ling deliberately praised Liu Li but actually... it had the opposite effect.

    Liu Li, who was already muddle-headed, thought that Yao Ling was actually saving her and feeling grateful. She even said, "Yes, Old Madam. This servant just worried about Young Master."

    It was going in the direction that Yao Ling had predicted before. What she had said made the matriarch angrier. "Wan Lu Xi! What a good maidservant that you have! I already told you when you stepped your feet inside my ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯! If you want to stay here, you should cut off your past and never make contact with everyone in the hua lou! Look at this! Are you the one who told her to go?"

    Concubine Wan quickly kneeled down and cried. "This concubine is being framed! This concubine really didn¡¯t know about this matter! I also have been telling her every day not to keep in touch with someone in the hua lou!" Concubine Wan was really afraid this time.

    "After this matter is finished, I want you to control your subordinates better! Do you hear me? Once the same thing happens again, I will throw you out along with this disgrace! I don¡¯t care about what Wang Luo Hai will say. I won¡¯t let you and your disgraceful maidservant taint my ¡¯Wang Fu¡¯ name!"

    Concubine Wan really felt being wronged, but she could only swallow her own bitterness. She would certainly beat up that woman after they got back to their own courtyard! The matriarch basically said she would throw her out and she knew this old woman would never joke about that kind of thing. Concubine Wan kowtowed in front of the servants which made her want to die in embarrassment... but the matter had already reached this point, she had no other choice.

    "Please forgive this concubine, Old Madam. This concubine will certainly pay more attention to this concubine¡¯s maidservants. Please forgive this concubine this once," Concubine Wan begged for forgiveness.

    "Hmpf!" The matriarch was still angry, but she knew how to be reasonable. "Get up! I will let you go this once." She didn¡¯t want to sh with Wang Luo Hai because of this. The matriarch only wanted to warn and scare them.

    "Thank you, Old Madam." Concubine Wan quickly thanked her and got up. She stepped aside and didn¡¯t dare to meddle with this affair.

    The matriarch turned her gaze to Liu Li and asked in a piercing tone, "Who are you to care about Young Master? Even dare to tattle on him to Young Mistress?"

    Liu Li bit her lips in distress. She didn¡¯t know how to answer this tricky question. She was nothing to them! She wasn¡¯t Yao Ying¡¯s concubine, so she didn¡¯t have the right to worry about him. She wasn¡¯t Yao Ying or Yao Ling¡¯s personal maidservant, so she also didn¡¯t have the right to worry about him. She was pretty sure that the matriarch had already seen through her intention to sow discord.

    "This... this servant didn¡¯t think much and this servant just didn¡¯t want Young Mistress to suffer because of Young Master¡¯s deed," Liu Li answered.

    "Hah! I heard it perfectly clear that the one you are worried about is Young Master. Now... you cleverly changed your words. I am might be old, but not deaf! Did you already know the full reason why Young Master went to a hua lou? What kind of deed that Young Master have done? Did you see it for yourself? I can hold you on the ount of framing your own master!" The matriarch said angrily.

    "This servant doesn¡¯t dare," Liu Li cried. She quickly sat down and pped her own mouth to put on an act of repentance.

    *Pa* "This servant is wrong!"

    *Pa* "This servant will not dare to do this again!"

    *Pa* "Please have mercy on this servant!"

    *Pa* "Please have mercy on this servant!"

    *Pa* "Please have mercy on this servant!"

    Liu Li kept pping herself because no one was stopping her. She could see that Yao Ling tried to open her mouth, but the matriarch¡¯s re stopped her and she obediently stood beside the old matriarch. What Yao Ling just did had erased Liu Li¡¯s doubt about Yao Ling. At first, she thought that Yao Ling was only putting on a white lotus act and made her get into deeper trouble, but it seemed like she was wrong. Yao Ling was really kind enough to help her.

 Chapter 100 What Happened Before Was... 6

    If Yao Ling knew what inside Liu Li¡¯s mind was, she wouldn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She indeed only acted and wanted to put on the act until the end as to not making the matriarch feel suspicious of her too. But well... if it put out a little bit of Liu Li¡¯s grudge, then it would work out just fine for her.

    *Pa*

    *Pa*

    Liu Li lost the energies to talk, but she still continued pping herself until her face was swollen. When Yao Ling saw the expression on the matriarch¡¯s face, she knew that the matriarch didn¡¯t intend to stop her anytime soon. Yao Ling could also see how the other servants flinched everytime the p touched Liu Li¡¯s face. Liu Li really didn¡¯t dare to fake-pped herself.

    The matriarch wasn¡¯t stupid. She knew that Liu Li pped herself because she wanted to avoid heavier punishment such as flogging. The matriarch wanted to see how long she would persist and try to look pitiful.

    When Liu Li finally had no energy left, her hands fell beside her and she started to sob. The matriarch asked her, "Are you done?"

    Liu Li answered meekly, "This servant doesn¡¯t have any energy left."

    "Good! You¡¯ve finished your own punishment, but I haven¡¯t given you my decision. Now, it¡¯s time for your punishment from me," the matriarch saidzily.

    Liu Li¡¯s eyes widened. She thought by doing this, she would gain the old matriarch¡¯s pity. But who was the matriarch? She had been living enough to know this petty trick. She had seen various tricks her whole life. How could a mere maidservant try to manipte her? It might work to Yao Ling because of her naivety, but it wouldn¡¯t work on her.

    The matriarch looked at Zhang Mo Mo and thetter nodded, telling the old matriarch that everything was ready.

    "Listen! Liu Li will serve as an example to you all. I will let all of you know about her mistakes. One, she went to a hua lou. If outsiders know that a first rank maidservant of a concubine went to a hua lou, it would ruin this Wang Fu¡¯s reputation. Two, trying to sow discord by letting Young Mistress know about Young Master¡¯s whereabouts in the hua lou without confirming anything. Fortunately, the young mistress already knew about it beforehand and Young Master has his own reasons. It means Liu Li was trying to incite a fight between masters. Three, worrying about Young Master. Let me ask you all a question whether Liu Li¡¯s behavior is correct or not. Young Master is new in this household and maidservants already have the guts to covet what shouldn¡¯t be coveted. You... let me ask you a question!"

    The matriarch pointed at one of the maidservants who worked at Yao Ling¡¯s outer courtyard. If Yao Ling wasn¡¯t mistaken, her name is Qiu Ling.

    "Do you know Liu Li?"

    "This servant knows." Qiu Ling answered the matriarch question quickly, afraid to offend the Old Madam.

    "Who does she serve?"

    "Concubine Wan."

    "Then where are we now?"

    "Young Mistress Yao Ling¡¯s courtyard."

    Then, the matriarch turned to Yao Ling. "When you arrived here, has she been here all along?"

    Yao Ling nodded. "Yes, Grandmother. It seems like she has been waiting for me here."

    The matriarch asked Qiu Ling once again, "What do you think of this?"

    Qiu Ling felt like crying. Everyone here wasn¡¯t supposed to be offended or else she would have a difficult life. Everyone knew that Liu Li was scary when she was angry at someone. Once she put an itchy powder at a maidservant¡¯s rouge when thetter offended her, and the result? The maidservant was disfigured because she kept scratching herself. However... she knew that she couldn¡¯t lie.

    "Liu Li jie was waiting for Young Mistress toe. I actually asked her about it, because I was sweeping the yard when she arrived. She indeed confirmed that she was waiting for Young Mistress." Qiu Ling admitted.

    "A maidservant came her without the knowledge of her own master and she deliberately waited for Young Mistress to tattle about Young Master¡¯s whereabouts. It implied that she indeed has bad intention toward the new masters. It¡¯s not a maidservant ce to care about this matter and even ask Young Mistress not to me Young Master. Her intention is very clear!"

    The matriarch chose another maidservant from Yao Ling¡¯s courtyard. "You! Tell me her intention!"

    The maidservant who was being called trembled in fear. It was Qiu Qiu. Qiu Qiu knew Liu Li¡¯s personalities better than anyone else and it seemed like hering days would be eventful. She stuttered, "She wants to make Young Mistress angry at Young Master to affect their rtionship."

    "Why?" The matriarch once again asked.

    "She... she probably wants Young Master for herself?" Qiu Qiu could only whisper the answer, but loud enough for everyone to hear. That was what the people had been guessed all along.

    "Hmpf! All of you should think clearly before trying to make a stupid move just like this. Even this maidservant understands your thought, Liu Li." The matriarch red at Liu Li. Her swollen face looked unpleasing to the eyes.

    "Zhang Mo Mo... flog her thirty times!"

    Everyone gasped in surprise. Thir...thirty times?! For a person to be hit that many times -- especially a woman, that would certainly cripple her for good or worse -- death. Concubine Wan also gaped in astonishment. Even though she was nning to punish her, but she was still her person so she wouldn¡¯t let her being flogged until she became a cripple; she would punish her with another method. However... the matriarch already opened her mouth and she didn¡¯t dare to say something for Liu Li, even her position as concubine was at stake due to Liu Li¡¯s deed!

    Yao Ling jumped in surprise. She didn¡¯t want Liu Li to be dead -- yet. Yao Ling needed her to find out about her real master! "Grandmother... this..."

    Before she could plead on Liu Li¡¯s behalf, the matriarch stopped her. "I know that you want me to be lenient, but in the future... you will thank me. If she is still alive after the beating, then she can stay in this household. But remember! Know your ce, Liu Li! However... if she is dead, then you know what to do." Thest sentence was directed at Zhang Mo Mo who quickly answered yes.

    Two servants quickly dragged Liu Li and one maidservant gagged her mouth. Zhang Mo Mo led them to the punishment bench. Yao Ling was scared shitless. She wanted Liu Li to learn a lesson, but she didn¡¯t know it would escte to this point.

    The matriarch held her hand and said, "Come with me! Let¡¯s go inside your room. I don¡¯t want your eyes to be tainted."

    To the matriarch, it was only a simple matter of punishing a servant. However... to Yao Ling, it¡¯s the first time she sees such brutality. She could only helplessly follow the matriarch. After they arrived inside the room, Yao Ling ordered Xiao Yu to prepare hot tea for the matriarch. Both of them sat down.

    The matriarch sighed and asked, "Do you want to say something?"

    Yao Ling hesitantly asked, "Is it really nessary, Grandmother?"

    "Child, you are still new in this household. There are so many tricks and treacheries in the inner courtyard, you can¡¯t be too lenient toward a maidservant like that. I only heard a little bit of your conversation and I already knew about her intention. I suppose... you also know about it, right?"

    "Yes, Grandmother."

    "I help you set an example for the others, but from now on, you also have to learn to harden your heart a little bit. This isn¡¯t a simple household. Love and harmony between a noble household like ours aren¡¯t going to happen. That¡¯s sad but it¡¯s actually the truth. Each of concubines has their own want and need. They bound to fight each other and it includes your mother, Madam Wang. Now, you have be a part of this fight. I can¡¯t always help you, Girl. Do you understand?"

    Yao Ling nodded, thanking the matriarch for her kindly reminder. She showed her that she really cared about her and Yao Ying. They talked to each other for a little while. The matriarch went to her courtyard, in fact, only for a little chat. She missed Yao Ling because they could rarely talk. Yao Ling was too busy with her lesson and the matter of Fu Rong.

    The matriarch quite satisfied with Yao Ling. She paid attention to her every move and gesture, whether she was sitting, walking, her hands and feet movement, and also every smile and frown. She improved a lot and already emitted a noble aura. Her motions and looks induced a pleasant feeling to the onlookers. She secretly praised Yao Ling in her mind.

    When the matriarch left, Yao Ling told Xiao Yu to ask around about Liu Li¡¯s condition whether she survived the ordeal or not. She told Xiao Yu, "If she survives, give her medicine to show that we care." Xiao Yu nodded and quickly as she was told. Yao Ling ordered other maidservants to prepare their dinner.

    She sighed tiredly. Really... she would have to ask Yao Ying what happened to him today. Why did he go to hua lou? Didn¡¯t she enough for him? She felt the insecurities gnawing inside her mind, making her feel sad. She didn¡¯t want to lose her husband!

 Chapter 101 The Talk 2

    Yao Ying was in awe when he heard Yao Ling¡¯s story. He didn¡¯t think that what he did would make a great impact like this! It was just a matter of visiting a hua lou! He silently med Lin Jian in his heart. If it weren¡¯t because of him, then these things wouldn¡¯t have happened.

    Yao Ling wanted tough at his bbergasted face, but she didn¡¯t want to let him off easily. "I already told you my story. Isn¡¯t it supposed to be your time to exin to me what did you do? Didn¡¯t you go out to meet with an important customer? Howe you met Lin Jian and went to a hua lou?" Yao Ling bombarded Yao Ying with so many questions at once, making Yao Yingughed bitterly.

    Yao Ying was contemting whether he should pull out the pity card first or the hua lou matter first. If he pulled out the pity card first, by the time he told her about the hua lou matter... Yao Ling probably would get angry once again and he couldn¡¯t use the pity card once more. Should he feel that he was lucky because he drank poison today? Heughed bitterly inwardly... he was really henpecked by his wife. He even thought drank poison as a blessing in disguise.

    It seemed like the pity card should be brought out thest and he could also cate her in some other ways. Yao Ying smirked inwardly. Yao Ling would never know that their intimate contact had turned her beloved husband into a wolf.

    Yao Ying told her clearly about the hua lou matter. Yao Ling looked up at him in surprise, "The hua lou belongs to us and the Lins¡¯s?"

    "Yes," Yao Ying answered. "Lin Jian brought me there just to let me know that fact and introduced me to his master and now... he bes my master too."

    "What?" Yao Ling looked at him in confusion. "Does the master a lecherous person?" If not... why would they have to meet at a hua lou?

    Yao Lingughed, "No! He just loves drinking wine." After saying that, Yao Ying went into a deep exnation about what had happened. Yao Ling nodded in understanding, but in the end, still asked, "Did you really do nothing at the hua lou?" Yao Ling¡¯s heart was full of jealousy. No wife would want her husband to visit a ce like that!

    Yao Ying helplessly shook his head, "I swear I didn¡¯t do anything there! I already have such a beautiful wife, why would I find wild grasses outside?" He ttered her. "I only need you."

    Which woman didn¡¯t like being ttered? Yao Ling wasn¡¯t an exception. Although she was still angry, her lips curled up for a little bit, telling Yao Ying that her mood was slightly better. It made Yao Ying sighed in relief and felt like he just avoided a disaster.

    "Ling-er, I need your help. Can you find out about this poison?" Yao Ying pulled out the handkerchief from his sleeves, opened it and let Yao Ling see the poison¡¯s residue.

    Yao Ling looked at him, feeling rmed. "Poison? What poison? Did something else happen?" She looked at him from head to toe and asked, "Are you injured?"

    Yao Ying was happy that she cared. He appeased her softly, "I¡¯m fine. But I indeed took this poison and drank it." He sighed softly and went to another round of story-telling.

    Yao Ling gaped at what she had heard. There were too many questions inside her mind. An organization? Poison? Mei Li gu niang? She wondered if she had gone to another crazy world. She cried, "This is really too much! Do we involve ourselves in some kind of conspiracies?!"

    "I have no idea too. I can only follow Father¡¯s lead, after all, by joining this family... it means that we tie ourselves together with them. Whatever Father chooses to do, it¡¯s only right if I follow after him."

    "That¡¯s true. Let me check your pulse! I need to make sure that you are really okay." Yao Ling quickly checked his pulse and found out there was nothing wrong with him. However, she didn¡¯t really know this poison¡¯s effect and she needed to do some researches. Fortunately, Mother Jiu Lan taught her a little bit of poison as well.

    "Did the poison really have no effect on you?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "Indeed... I felt nothing at all! That¡¯s weird! Mei Li gu niang said that only two people that already drank the antidotes from her would be fine."

    "It seems by joining this organization, you will be one step closer to find out about your identity," Yao Ling deducted.

    Yao Ying tapped Yao Ling¡¯s nose lightly, "Indeed."

    "The poison will only re up once a month, right? I will try to feel father¡¯s pulse and see the difference between him and yours." Yao Ling stood up and kept the poison inside one of her drawers. She put it inside her medicine box.

    "Okay." Yao Ying answered.

    Yao Ying was going to reach out for Yao Ling and hug her when he felt a massive headache once again. He clutched his head tightly... this headache was two times more severe than before. Yao Ying groaned in pain, making Yao Ling felt worried. Yao Ying thought to himself, ¡¯I haven¡¯t used the pity card, but a headache reallyes!¡¯ Yao Ying actually wanted to pretend to get a headache, but his n was ruined by the real one. Was this called ¡¯karma¡¯?

    "Ying... are you okay?" She frantically went to Yao Ying and massaged his temple with the special technique that Mother Jiu Lan taught her. Her hands moved precisely to the spot where Yao Ying felt the pain and it eased his pain tremendously.

    "Thank you, Ling-er. I feel so much better," Yao Ying smiled in relief, however his face was paler than usual.

    "Didn¡¯t you say that the poison has no effect on you?"

    "Yes. But after drank the poison, I kept trying to think and remember about the past. It made the headache worse. Somehow I fainted because of the headache..."

    "Fainted?!" Yao Ling frowned and berated him, "You need to rest, but you still ran around the whole day." She frowned to herself. Haish! It seemed like she couldn¡¯t get angry at him. He actually didn¡¯t do anything wrong and honestly told her everything that happened that day.

    "En..."

    "Come on, let¡¯s go to bed and rest." Yao Ling held Yao Ying¡¯s arm lovingly and pulled him up, then led him to the bed. "Wait for me here. I¡¯ll call Xiao Yu to let her prepare peppermint tea to soothe your headache. I also have Mother Jiu Lan¡¯s recipe of medicinal peppermint oil and I will apply it for you."

    Yao Ying murmured his agreement. Although the pain had eased a lot, it still made his sight slightly blurry. When Xiao Yu came with the tea, Yao Ling helped Yao Ying sit up and drink the tea. It indeed made him feel slightly better.

    Yao Ling took a little bit of the medicinal peppermint oil and applied it on Yao Ying¡¯s forehead. Yao Ying found the smell quite pleasing and made him smile. Yao Ling gently massaged his forehead once again, trying to make her husband feel better.

    Yao Ying opened his eyes and saw a mark on Yao Ling¡¯s left hand. It seemed like someone hurt her and the color had turned from white into purplish blue. Yao Ying quickly sat up and held her left hands, asked, "What happened to your hand?"

    Yao Ling looked down, feeling embarrassed. "Nothing..."

    "This is not nothing! Who dares to bully you?! Tell this husband and I will bully them back!" Yao Ying was in a rage when he knew someone hurt his wife.

    Yao Ling: "But..."

    Yao Ying: "There¡¯s no but! Tell me who did this!"

    Yao Ling: "But..."

    Yao Ying: "No but!"

    Yao Ling: "..."

    She was speechless and finally decided to yell because he didn¡¯t give her any chance to exin, "I¡¯m the one who did this! Are you going to bully me then?" Yao Ling smiled while fluttering her eyshes and taunting him.

    "What?! Why?!" Yao Ying asked in confusion. He didn¡¯t know that her wife had the tendency to hurt herself.

 Chapter 102 Wolfish Husband

    Yao Ling shyly admitted it, "I pinched it, so I could squeeze out tears to gain pity from the matriarch."

    Yao Ying: "..."

    "I never know that crying is that hard! I can¡¯t be like the other girls who easily crying..." Yao Ling looked down embarrassedly.

    ¡¯Well... that makes sense... she¡¯s a strong woman, to begin with!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. ¡¯And he prefers a woman who is strong and can fight beside him!¡¯

    Yao Ying speechlessly looked at his wife, then he flicked her forehead softly. "Why are you so impulsive? Don¡¯t make this as a habit! You have to find another way to cry, just... don¡¯t hurt yourself, okay?" After that, he brought her hands to his lips and kissed the mark softly. "You will break my heart if you hurt yourself like this."

    Yao Ling blushed, making her snowy white cheeks became slightly reddening. Yao Ying¡¯s words were slightly cheesy, but she somehow understood. When he said that he drank poison, it tore her heart apart. She sighed to herself and realized that her feeling toward him had be deeper.

    Yao Ying sighed when he looked at his blushing wife and felt that every movement of his wife always looked so alluring. Yao Ling pulled her hand back shyly. "Husband... don¡¯t jest!"

    "Why should I jest about something like this? I¡¯m really worried about you!"

    Yao Ying wanted tough. After what he had just said, Yao Ling¡¯s face was getting redder and redder. If he teased her one more time, he was afraid that her face would look like a tomato.

    "Oh... I almost forget! I have a present for you!" Yao Ying pped his hands excitedly. He pulled out the presents from his sleeves and caressed them softly. These gifts contained his heart toward her and it meant a lot to him. He was slightly nervous because he didn¡¯t know whether Yao Ling would like it or not. He hoped she could understand his feeling.

    Yao Ying gave her the pendants and told her the meaning that the shopkeeper had exined to him. He looked at her tenderly when he found out that Yao Ling loved it so much and she smiled like a little kid which made Yao Ying happy too. They both got one each and Yao Ling understood Yao Ying¡¯s meaning perfectly. He was taking this marriage seriously and he wished for the both of them to have a happy evesting marriage. What more a woman could ask for? After all, this was just a convenience marriage at first.

    "Thank you, Ying," Yao Ling smiled happily at him.

    "Are you thanking me only with your words?" Yao Ying smirked at her.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows, "What do you want then? I have no present for you... But I will try to find something for you tomorrow!" Yao Ling said excitedly.

    ¡¯Geez! This woman really has no conscience. He doesn¡¯t want a present! How gullible!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. He decided to deny her present childishly, "Don¡¯t want!"

    "Well... what do you want then?"

    Yao Ying wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You know what I want?"

    Looking at his gesture, Yao Ling knew what the man wanted her to do. She slightly blushed but shook her head. Yao Ling pretended to be dumb, "No, I don¡¯t know."

    "Well... then it¡¯s time for this husband to do something and im the present myself," Yao Ying smirked.

    "Do what?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Taste you for a little bit." After saying that, the supposed-to-be-sick man jumped on her wife happily.

    "Ompphhh..." Yao Ling yelled. "You are heavy, Husband...! Let me go!"

    She never thought that this supposed-to-be-sick man still had vigorous stamina to pounce on her. "Ying... let go! You are not feeling well. We can do this another time!"

    Indeed... she was touched by the lovely presents, but still... she didn¡¯t want him to tire himself out. He had just fainted at noon, for God¡¯s sake! Why couldn¡¯t he tone down his behavior a little bit?!

    Yao Ying kissed her lips softly and Yao Ling could only sigh in defeat, but nheless... she followed his example and kissed him back. She moaned his name softly, "Ying..."

    Her sweet moan found its way to Yao Ying¡¯s ears. It was soft and gentle, starting an itch from the bottom of his heart. He shuddered because of his swirling deep emotion. His wife always could evoke pleasant feeling deep within his heart.

    *knock*

    *knock*

    A soft knocking sound reverberated inside the room. However, the couple was falling deeply into their passionate kiss and didn¡¯t hear the sound.

    Both Xiu and Xiao Yu were outside, waiting for their masters¡¯ call. Xiao Yu knocked on the door because she wanted to ask whether the masters¡¯ still needed their help or not.They knew that Young Master had just got a massive headache. When they didn¡¯t hear any answer from inside, they felt anxious. They thought something bad probably had happened because the masters usually answered them. They looked at each other and opened the door slowly --- just trying to make sure that the couple was okay.

    Xiu and Xiao Yu were bbergasted when looking at their masters¡¯ behavior. Their jaw dropped and their eyes were widened in surprise. No sound coulde out of their mouth. They didn¡¯t know that they would be weed with such an amorous scene.

    Both of their masters¡¯ were upying their bed and they kissed each other without refrain. It was like they were watching ¡¯yellow book¡¯[1] in real life! Although both of their masters¡¯ clothes were still intact, they never saw two people kissing as passionately as them.

    Xiao Yu was going to mutter a sound, but her mouth was quickly closed by Xiu¡¯s hand to prevent her from talking. He shook his head, telling her to be quiet. He could see that Xiao Yu blushed and it seemed like she hadn¡¯t gotten over her shock. His other hand hugged her waist and he quickly dragged her out. It was a sin for them to watch their masters¡¯ private time. It was best if they left before the two masters noticed their presence.

    When they were out of the door, Xiu awkwardly released Xiao Yu and stood aside. When their gaze met each other, both of them quickly averted their eyes and blushed. Their heart was shaking because of what they had just witnessed. They were both quite innocent in the matter between man and woman, so what they had seen really made them feel embarrassed. The funny thing was... both of them looked at the scene together!

    Xiao Yu fanned herself because she felt hot all over her body. Xiu cleared his throat and turned around. Then he said, "We should probably wait for the masters out here -- just in case, they need us. They haven¡¯t dismissed us for the day yet."

    "Ye... Yes..." Xiao Yu stuttered. Her gaze fell into Xiu¡¯s lips and the previous scene popped out inside her head once more. She felt like dying in embarrassment. The redness on her cheeks spread to her neck and the tips of her ears, making her feel hot all over her body. She needed to calm herself down. "I... I need to relieve myself! I will be backter!" After saying that, she ran away just like her life depended on it.

    Xiao Yu thought of the strong hand that held her waist and once again she felt shy. While Xiu... he thought about how her waist felt on his hand. It was so... soft and small. God! Both of their faces were beet red.

    Xiu, who caught a glimpse of her look when she watched his lips, curled up his lips in amusement. The girl was actually really shy and innocent! His eyes were brimming withughter. Oh... How he wished he could kiss those luscious lips of Xiao Yu!

    Back to the room, both Yao Ying and Yao Ling were deep into the kiss and didn¡¯t realize their personal servants¡¯ presence at all! If they both knew, they have probably died of embarrassment! Who would want to be seen in this kind of state by other people?! Fortunately, both of them didn¡¯t know anything about it at all.

    ----

    [1]. Yellow book: pornographic book.

 Chapter 103 Run a Fever

    "Ying... Hmmm..." Yao Ling called his name breathlessly. "Stop..."

    The man¡¯s desire and appetite was pretty big, therefore he didn¡¯t hear what Yao Ling said. Yao Ying was in the state of mind in which he wanted to satiate his own desire. He needed to taste the sweetness of his wife. The feeling of his wife underneath him was far too different from the other women. Yao Ling never wore heavy perfume, instead, she only relied on her original body¡¯s fragrance.

    She emanated a sweet jasmine fragrance which always seemed to be able to calm his mind. When they were close to each other, the smell became more prominent and somehow affected his senses. She somehow always made him feel intoxicated and excited.

    Yao Ling was worried about his husband¡¯s condition. Would he be okay to push himself like this? "Ying..." Although she was trying to be stern, because of the way he nibbled and kissed her neck, it sounded more like a seductive moan.

    "So... do you like this?" Yao Ying asked in amusement. He nibbled and licked her soft spot without a second thought.

    Yao Ling could only mutter, "Hmmm..."

    This wife of his was really sensitive and responsive to everything he did to her. He looked at the way she gripped the bed sheet tightly with one of her hands, while she tried to muffle the sound of her moan by the back of her other hand. She was trying very hard to deny her arousal, every time he touched the soft spot on the nape of her neck. She was the epitome of beauty.

    Yao Ling looked at him with her slightly teary eyes and it added an innocent and pure charm to her seductive appearance. Her cloth was already in disarray, revealing her tender neck, shoulder, and a part of her dudou. He really wanted to open it and see what¡¯s underneath it.

    "So, you like it, huh?" Yao Ying couldn¡¯t stop his predatory look in his face and his eyes were slightly darkened, swirling with deep emotion.

    Yao Ling turned her hazy gaze at him and it told him how much she loved it. He couldn¡¯t make up his mind whether he should take the risk by opening her dudou or not. Before he managed to think more, Yao Ling grasped the edge of his robe and pulled him down.

    She put both of her arms behind his neck and linked them, pulling him down for another kiss. They both had a mutual feeling of couldn¡¯t get enough of each other. However, his lips movement suddenly stopped and Yao Ying was breathing heavily.

    Yao Ling was confused. Why did Yao Ying suddenly ceased all movement? Where had his passion gone? Yao Ling¡¯s mind was clearing up when she realized that Yao Ying¡¯s breathing was quite abnormal. She hastily calmed herself down from her passion.

    When she touched his face, she felt something was amiss. Why did his temperature suddenly rise? It was scorching hot and made her quickly turned him around, then she let himy back on the bed. Yao Lin felt his pulse and it was quite messy. He was fine just now, why it suddenly change? Her face was etched with worry.

    Yao Ling wanted to call Xiao Yu and Xiu in, but she remembered how she and Yao Ying looked. She arranged their clothes neatly and then called both of the servants softly. She didn¡¯t want to shout or yell in a panic because it would rm the other servants.

    "Xiu... Xiao Yu... quicklye in!"

    Xiao Yu was already back and sat in front of their masters¡¯ door. Both of them didn¡¯t dare to look at each other. They stood up when they heard Young Mistress calling them. Xiao Yu turned to Xiu, "Do they already finish doing it?"

    Xiu: "How am I supposed to know?"

    Xiao Yu: "Is it supposed to be this fast?"

    Xiu: "What do you mean?"

    Xiao Yu: "Does Young Master actually not as strong as he looks?"

    Xiu looked at him in disbelief. "Are you crazy? We are not going to talk about the Young Master¡¯s strength and their sexual life here!"

    Xiao Yu pouted and muttered softly. "But... it¡¯s really super fast. I pity Young Mistress."

    Xiu: "How do you know that much about s*x?"

    Xiao Yu looked at him like he was crazy. "Do you know how woman love gossiping? The other maids also talk about their s*x life!"

    Xiu knocked her forehead softly. "Stop it! Don¡¯t talk about s*x life anymore! Probably something happened... Come on! Let¡¯s go inside! Don¡¯t make our masters wait for too long!"

    Xiao Yu gasped and realized that she had almost forgotten that Young Mistress called her just now. She grabbed Xiu¡¯s hand and dragged him in. When she realized what she had done, she quickly released her hands shyly. "Sorry."

    "It¡¯s okay... I can lend you my hand everytime you want."

    What Xiu said made Xiao Yu red in embarrassment. "Stop it!"

    Yao Ling could hear their banter, even though she couldn¡¯t make out what exactly they were talking about. She called them louder, "Xiu... Xiao Yu!"

    When they both heard the slight urgency in their young mistress¡¯ voice, they understood that something really had happened. They quickly came in and greeted their masters.

    They saw Young Master wasying on the bed with slightly reddened cheek and heavy breathing. Xiu and Xiao Yu quickly found out that something was definitely amiss.

    They asked in unison, "Young Mistress, what happened to Young Master?"

    Yao Ling decided to let them know about what Yao Ying had gone through, but only the part where he was poisoned and tried to recall his past. She didn¡¯t mention about the organization because it was pretty much a secret --- even Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t let his closest attendants know. She didn¡¯t dare to tell Xiu and Xiao Yu regardless of her trust to them.

    "Poisoned?!" They couldn¡¯t believe what they had heard. They were sweating profusely. Xiu was too busy handling Xiao Yu¡¯s matter and didn¡¯t follow his young master, then it led to his poisoning. Both of them quickly kneeled down, asking for forgiveness.

    Yao Ling was bewildered. "What are you doing? You are not making any mistakes. It¡¯s just a stroke of bad luck. Come on! Quickly stand up! I need both of your help! I can¡¯t let anyone know about Young Master¡¯s condition."

    They nodded and prepared themselves to help their young mistress.

    "Xiao Yu, help me bring my silver needle case here."

    "Xiu, fetch clean water for me. I need to lower his body temperature. Don¡¯t rm the other servants!"

    Both of them quickly did as they were told. Xiu didn¡¯t dare to quicken his step just in case someone was watching. He worked efficiently just like his usual pace.

    After Yao Ling received the case, she quickly performed acupuncture to Yao Ying. She needed to stabilize his condition first. If it wasn¡¯t because of the poison, then why is his condition suddenly getting worse? Was it really because he tried to remember his past? However, it seemed like there was nothing wrong with his head. Yao Ling was perplexed.

    However, she understood that she had limited skills in medicine. She didn¡¯t want to rm Wang Luo Hai, because she was afraid that someone would realize that the poison didn¡¯t work on Yao Ying. Mei Li gu niang probably didn¡¯t realize about this matter, because she was only concerning herself in healing Yao Ying¡¯s headache. Besides, judging from Yao Ying¡¯s story, the woman was really proud of her poison and she wouldn¡¯t have thought that it didn¡¯t work on Yao Ying.

    Xiao Yu was helping Yao Ling by wiping her sweat. Young Mistress had beenpletely immersing herself in treating the young master with a serious expression. She didn¡¯t even stop to rest and it had been more than one shichen.

    Xiu was helping bypressing the young master¡¯s forehead and he changed it from time to time. It seemed like all of them would have a restless night.

    When Yao Ling was finally finished, it took her almost two shichen and she was deadly tired. Xiao Yu saw Yao Ling¡¯splexion and it didn¡¯t look good. She quickly asked, "Young Mistress, are you okay? How is Young Master?"

    "He¡¯s already fine." Yao Ling was in relief and she looked that Yao Ying was finally sleeping peacefully, "You can all go back. I will take care of Young Master."

    "But... Young Mistress, you are already tired! Let Xiu serve Young Master. Young Mistress also need to rest!"

    Yao Ling justughed. "I¡¯m fine. Young Master is sick and I¡¯m his wife. Naturally, I should be the one who takes care of him. Go! Tomorrow, there are a lot of things to do."

    Xiao Yu was actually nning to tell Young Mistress about Liu Li, but looking at Young Mistress¡¯ tired face, she decided to postpone it and tell her about it tomorrow. After all, it wouldn¡¯t be toote.

 Chapter 104 Res

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t get to sleep and she was only able to rx after Yao Ying¡¯s fever had gone down. She sighed and caressed Yao Ying¡¯s cheek lovingly, "Why are you pushing yourself too hard?"

    She sadly looked at the pale man in front of her. Yao Ling knew that he always thought about their future and kept pushing his body to the limit. After morning drills, he took care of Fu Rong and drank poison, then he went to the hua lou with Lin Jian. When he went home, he still wanted to jump on her. Haish! She should pay more attention to Yao Ying¡¯s body. She also needed to give an order to Xiu to remind Yao Ying to rest in between his activities from now on.

    She didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep, but she was woken up by a gentle caress on her cheek. Yao Ling blinked her eyes and rubbed them, trying to remove her sleepiness. She saw Yao Ying was finally awake. She jumped on her feet and asked him, "Are you feeling better?"

    Yao Ying¡¯s face was still pale, but some of the colors had been back. Yao Ling sighed in relief when she saw the improvement of his condition. She quickly checked his pulse and found that it was already steady and strong. There should be no problem anymore.

    "You have to rest for a few days! I don¡¯t want you to push yourself too hard! It will only harm your body! Do you understand me?" Yao Ling asked in a stern voice, showing that she wasn¡¯t joking. She wanted Yao Ying to take care of his health seriously. Yao Ying knew that his wife was quite stubborn, so he could only nod in agreement.

    "You should rest. I will take care of the other matters, so you can peacefully rest." After saying that, Yao Ling kissed Yao Ying¡¯s lips affectionately. "Be good, okay?"

    Yao Ying was slightly blushing. Why did he feel like the role was switched? It felt like he was the wife and she was the husband, but the feeling of being taken care of was sweet.

    Yao Ling saw that it was already Mao Shi (modern timing: 5am-7am) and the sky was still dark. She wanted to go out and when she opened the door, she could see a few maidservants and servants had started working. The day had started to them and it was time to work. She saw Qiu Qiu passing by and Yao Ling called her, "Qiu Qiu, where is Xiao Yu?"

    Qiu Qiu answered, "Young Mistress, Xiao Yu jie is currently preparing hot water for you. She boils the water in the kitchen. Do you need this servant to call her for you? I¡¯ll take care of her duty in the kitchen if it¡¯s urgent."

    Even though she knew Qiu Qiu was a spy, she still treated her the same. Besides, the girl was meticulous in doing her jobs, so she couldn¡¯tin about it.

    "No need. Just tell her that I¡¯m looking for her, okay?"

    Qiu Qiu nodded and quickly went to tell Xiao Yu what Young Mistress had told her too. It didn¡¯t take long for Xiao Yu toe and find Yao Ling. "Young Mistress, do you need me for something?" Yao Ling decided to talk on the outer part of the room, so they wouldn¡¯t bother Yao Ying¡¯s rest.

    Yao Ling: "I will not go to Fu Rong today, but I will stay at home to take care of Young Master. Where is Xiu?"

    Xiao Yu: "This servant bumped into him and he was going to be here soon too."

    Yao Ling: "Good! I want to make an arrangement for the rest of the day. I will read the kids¡¯ background and assign them to some jobs, you will bring my note to Ning jie after we finish talking about it. Tell her that I can¡¯t go there until Young Master gets better. When you go thereter, I want you to find Li Huan and tell him to give you a report of the shop under my order."

    Xiao Yu: "This servant knows. Should this servant go to the matriarch and tell her that you will not attend the lesson?"

    Yao Ling: "No need. I will pay morning respect to her along with the madam and I will personally exin to them. I don¡¯t want them to worry about Young Master. Besides, I don¡¯t want this matter to be known to others."

    After saying that, Yao Ling suddenly remembered something and asked Xiao Yu, "How is Liu Li?"

    Xiao Yu: "Speak of the devil... she really has a long life. She manages to avoid the cmity. It seems like she indeed knows martial arts -- just like Xiu had mentioned, so her body was stronger than ordinary maids. However... it seems like one of her legs are crippled, after all, 30 flogs were heavy punishment for a woman regardless of how strong she is."

    Yao Ling sighed and said, "She reaped what she sowed and she can¡¯t me other persons for her own foolishness. Did you already send the medicine?"

    Xiao Yu: "Yes. Just like how Young Mistress instructed mest night."

    Yao Ling nodded. "We should keep an eye on her."

    *knock*

    *knock*

    "Young Mistress..." Xiu called from outside of the room.

    Yao Ling: "Come in."

    Xiu quickly opened the door and came in. "Do Young Mistress has any orders?"

    Yao Ling: "Go to Father and tell him that Yao Ying is sick. Entice him to visit us here, because I want to talk to him. If I try to find him in this early morning, it will make people suspicious."

    Xiu: "Yes, Young Mistress."

    Yao Ling: "Where is Feng?"

    Xiu: "Feng is busy with various tasks. Should this servant call him?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "No need. Just tell him to keep a tab on Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother. Find out the situation, so we can save him. I don¡¯t think Liu Li will be going there anytime soon, so it¡¯s better to save him sooner. The matter of finding Liu Li¡¯s master will be easier if we follow Liu Li closely these past few days. I believe she will try to find help from her other master. After all, she¡¯s currently in Concubine Wan¡¯s ck book."

    Xiu: "Yes, Young Mistress. So... if there¡¯s a chance, Feng can rescue him today. Is that correct?"

    Yao Ling nodded, "Yes. It¡¯s better that way, but of course, he has to be sure that he can save him before he makes a move. Tell him to be careful! I¡¯m afraid... with Liu Li¡¯s personalities, she will vent her anger to a weaker person."

    Xiao Yu quickly kneeled down and said gratefully, "Thank you, Young Mistress for saving this servant¡¯s brother."

    Yao Ling felt overwhelmed by Xiao Yu¡¯s attitude. She already told her that she thought of her as a family, but it seemed like it was already drilled in her mind that she was a mere servant. "Get up! You don¡¯t need to kneel down."

    Xiao Yu smiled happily and quickly stood up. "Yes, Young Mistress."

    Yao Ling: "Xiao Yu, I have something to propose."

    Xiao Yu looked at her young mistress in interest and asked, "What kind of thing, Young Mistress?"

    Yao Ling: "I want your family to move to Ning jie¡¯s house. How many people in your family?"

    Xiao Yu: "Only this servant¡¯s father, mother, and brother."

    Yao Ling: "Good! Your mother can help taking care of the kids. Your father can find a job in Fu Rong and your brother will have many new friends. Besides, your brother can also learn along with the other children. I¡¯m afraid because they already found your house, it¡¯s not a safe ce to live anymore."

    Xiu and Xiao Yu looked at her in surprise. Young Mistress was indeed very perspective. They never thought that she would think that far ahead. Xiao Yu was feeling touched. Young Mistress even went to a great length to save her family. She promised herself that she would be loyal to Young Mistress as long as she lived. And the most important thing... she would rather die than to betray such a kind and thoughtful master.

    Yao Ling: "Of course, before that... I need to talk to Ning jie first. I need her permission, after all, it¡¯s her house."

    Xiao Yu nodded. "My father can help repair the house, Young Mistress. After all, his talent is a talented builder."

    Yao Lingughed at that. "It¡¯s good then! It¡¯s easier to convince Ning jie that way. I never thought that your father had such a good talent."

    Xiao Yu blushed happily. "Young Mistress, it¡¯s just pure luck! His talent can be useful for Ning jie and the kids."

    Yao Ling turned her gaze to Xiu, "This matter I will let you handle it after I talk and get Ning jie¡¯s agreement."

    Xiu answered politely, "Yes, Young Mistress." In actuality, he was very nervous. He was going to meet Xiao Yu¡¯s family! He had a fleeting thought that they were going to be his inw, but he removed his thought hastily. They didn¡¯t even make a promise to be with each other. Howe he already think way ahead by himself?!

    "Good... now do your job. I¡¯ll prepare myself to receive father. After that, I will review the kids¡¯ background with both of you." Yao Ling dismissed them and went to check on Yao Ying once again.

 Chapter 105 Woman Trap

    While waiting for Wang Luo Hai toe with Xiu, Yao Ling checked on her sleeping husband. Everything was still okay, but she just needed to make sure that there was noplication. She would feel uneasy if she didn¡¯t check on him.

    Yao Ling needed to ask Wang Luo Hai what they should do. She didn¡¯t dare to carelessly call a physician unless she wanted the matter of drinking poison would be known to others.

    She heard loud heavy footsteps outside of the room and they were getting closer. Wang Luo Hai burst in hurriedly, feeling anxious. He asked, "Is Yao Ying okay?"

    Yao Ling gestured to Xiu to go outside and guard the door. She needed to talk alone with Wang Luo Hai. "He¡¯s getting better, Father. He told me about the poison. Is it because of it?"

    Wang Luo Hai shook his head, "It¡¯s highly unlikely. I saw a lot of people drank the poison, but they never fainted or got sick the next day. Mei Li gu niang said it¡¯s because of his headache."

    "Father, can I feel your pulse? I want to know the difference between yours and Yao Ying¡¯s." Yao Ling asked politely. After all, they weren¡¯t of the same blood, so she needed to be cautious when she behaved around Wang Luo Hai.

    Wang Luo Hai looked at her in surprise. "Do you also study medicine?"

    Yao Ling smiled and nodded, "My mother taught me."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded, but he didn¡¯t ask any more question. He only had a fleeting thought about how Yao Ling was having a lot of amazing talents. Wang Luo Hai gave her his wrist and she felt the pulse. Yao Ling could feel slight disarray on his pulse and she could detect that it¡¯s probably because of the poison. It wasn¡¯t supposed to harm him, so unless he didn¡¯t drink the antidote, then there should be no problem. Mei Li gu niang didn¡¯t lie about this.

    However, when she checked Yao Ying¡¯s pulse... she didn¡¯t find the same disarray pulse that Wang Luo Hai had. Did he really immune that poison? But how? So many thoughts were swirling in her mind all at once.

    "How is it?" Wang Luo Hai asked.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t tell him about the way Yao Ying immune to the poison. "My deduction is the same as Mei Li gu niang. Probably because Yao Ying didn¡¯t get enough rest yesterday."

    "Haiya~ it¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have let him go with that rascal, Lin Jian. I thought they would only drink or eat together. Who knows that he would bring him to the hua lou?" Wang Luo Hai shook his head, thinking about yesterday matter.

    "Is it true?" Yao Ling asked softly.

    "About what?"

    "The hua lou is ours and the Lin¡¯s?"

    Wang Luo Hai smiled. "So, Lin Jian already told Yao Ying?"

    "Yes, he is."

    "Indeed... We will discuss this matter once Yao Ying is feeling better. I don¡¯t want to talk about the same things twice. It¡¯s a hassle."

    "Okay, Father." Yao Ling nodded in agreement.

    "Yao Ling, I will let someone go to Lin Fu to tell them that Yao Ying needs to rest for a few days and will not go to their morning workout," Wang Luo Hai said.

    "Thank you, Father. Ah... I almost forget. Please also let the messenger tell Lin Jian that Yao Ying won¡¯t be able to meet him," Yao Ling said.

    "Meet him? For what?" Wang Luo Hai asked. "Didn¡¯t they already have too much fun yesterday?"

    Yao Lingughed. "Yesterday, Lin Jian introduced him to Lin Jian¡¯s master and Yao Ying has be his disciple too. They nned to meet after Yao Ying finishes the morning drill, but it seems... it¡¯s not going to happen today," Yao Ling exined.

    Wang Luo Hai nodded. "Okay. I will let him know. You don¡¯t have to pay morning greet to your grandmother and mother. I¡¯ll let them know about this."

    Yao Ling curiously asked, "Do they know about the organization?"

    "Your grandmother knows, but your mother doesn¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to make your mother worried, especially because we need to drink poison. I¡¯m pretty sure she would make a fuss about it. It¡¯s better if she doesn¡¯t know about this matter."

    "But... what kind of excuse that Father will give them?" Yao Ling asked.

    Wang Luo Haiughed. "It¡¯s easy. You just got the flu, right? I¡¯ll just say that Yao Ying was contracted the flu because of you. Let¡¯s just say that you kissed him!"

    Yao Ling gaped at the shameless old man in front of him. "Father! That will be too embarrassing!"

    Wang Luo Hai looked at her and smiled, "Why embarrassing? You are both husband and wife. It¡¯s legal for you to kiss and make love!"

    Yao Ling felt like dying. She didn¡¯t want to hear someone that she called Father to talk about making love! However, she couldn¡¯t refute his words, because it was really a good reason. She could only sigh in defeat and finally said, "Then, I will trouble you, Father."

    Wang Luo Hai patted Yao Ling¡¯s shoulder and said, "It¡¯s okay. Just rest. I will handle Fu Rong¡¯s matter. If it¡¯s not urgent, I won¡¯t let anyone from Fu Rong bother you."

    "Thank you, Father."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded and after that, he left the room. Yao Ling felt slightly better after knowing that she didn¡¯t need to go to Zhang Mo Mo¡¯s lesson. She felt tired because she couldn¡¯t sleep well the previous night. However, she knew that she needed to n the lesson for the kids, so they wouldn¡¯t waste too many times.

    Xiao Yu already prepared her breakfast. She ate her fill and then asked Xiao Yu to make congee for Yao Ying. He needed to eat lighter food in order to make him feel better.

    "Husband... please wake up. I need you to eat breakfast." Yao Ling tried to wake him up.

    Yao Ying opened his eyes and smiled at Yao Ling. "I don¡¯t feel good. Can I skip breakfast and continue to sleep?" He asked with a hoarse voice.

    "That¡¯s no good. You need to replenish your energy with food and it will make you feel so much better. Trust me!" Yao Ling sternly said. She felt like rolling her eyes. Why did he behave like a whiny little child?

    "I know, but I have no appetite."

    Yao Ling frowned. She touched his forehead once again and there was no fever. Yao Ling could only resign to use the cute and spoiled tactic, "Can you do it for me, please? Don¡¯t you say you love me the most?"

    Yao Ying: "..."

    ¡¯A woman trap! This is really woman trap! If he doesn¡¯t eat the congee, won¡¯t it mean that he doesn¡¯t love her?¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. He could only resign to his fate.

    "Well... okay!" Yao Ying agreed and when Yao Ying tried to get up, Yao Ling quickly helped him. She blew the congee until it was on the perfect temperature and feed him lovingly. Yao Ying was entranced by his wife and kept looking at her, he didn¡¯t realize that he finished a bowl of congee in no time.

    "Good boy!" Yao Ling said while patting his cheek sweetly.

    Yao Ying pouted because she really treated him like a little kid!

    Yao Ying: "I¡¯m not a kid!"

    Yao Ling grinned. "As long as you follow my instruction in taking care of your body, then I will treat you as a grown man, okay?"

    "Didn¡¯t I already eat the congee just like what you want?" Yao Ying said indignantly.

    Yao Ling roared inughter because of his childishness. "Yes... yes... now... grown man... please rest and sleep. I will be by your side, okay? If I¡¯m not here, I probably stay in the outer room. I need to discuss a few things with Xiu and Xiao Yu."

    Yao Ying was still sleepy, so he nodded andid back. "Okay, I¡¯ll sleep now." He indeed felt tired.

    Yao Ling tucked him in the bed and kissed his lips once again. When she felt that Yao Ying was asleep, she went to the outer room and brought out the list of the kids from Ning jie.

 Chapter 106 The Kids

    Yao Ling read the description briefly one by one. She needed Xiu and Xiao Yu to judge their weakness and strength objectively, so she could put their talents to great use. Ning jie supposed to be teaching them how to read and write starting this morning.

    Right on time, Xiu and Xiao Yu arrived shortly after she finished reading the list.

    Yao Ling: "Does Feng already go to the hua lou?"

    Xiu: "Yes, Young Mistress. After finishing the tasks in the household, he already went out and did Young Mistress¡¯ orders."

    Yao Ling: "Good! After we finished talking about the kids, I want you to personally fetch Ning jie to our household by the pretense that concerning Fu Rong matter. I need to talk to her about the kids and move your family to her house. But of course, you should cleverly find some reasons that won¡¯t make Fu Rong¡¯s workers feel suspicious. Remember, Ning jie will only arrive after lunch time. Once the matter is solved, I will need Xiu to take care of Xiao Yu¡¯s parents and quickly move them. We have to work quickly just in case Feng is able to save Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother today. If someone from Liu Li¡¯s side tries to find trouble to Xiao Yu¡¯s house, Xiao Yu¡¯s parents are already gone and safe."

    Xiao Yu nodded. "This servant can handle that matter easily. This servant will be creative in finding a reason to justify Ning jie toe into our household."

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes were twinkling with delight. She didn¡¯t a subordinate who wasn¡¯t able to think creatively by herself or himself. She also needed to be clever, smart and could adapt easily to different kinds of situation and oue. Because just in case she wouldn¡¯t be able to give an order, her subordinates would be able to work and have a thought of herself or himself.

    "Good!" Yao Ling nodded in satisfaction."Xiu, I have no job for you until I finish talking with Ning jie, so just behave like usual and do your job. Just take note of what the other servants and maidservants did. Any news regarding Liu Li as well. I want to know how she behaves today, although I¡¯m pretty sure her condition is pretty bad and won¡¯t be able to do anything. But... probably because of this, she will lose control and search her other master."

    "Yes, Young Mistress," Xiu answered her politely.

    "Now... I want to talk about the kids and their possible jobs. Currently, we have 12 kids --- 7 girls and 5 boys," Yao Ling started to exin. "Xiu, you are actually a hidden guard, so you should probably know how Father trains and divides the jobs of his subordinate, right? I need your insight regarding this matter. Although I have confidence in myself, but your guidance is needed --- just in case, I miss something."

    "Yes, Young Mistress. This servant does understand a little bit." Xiu said humbly.

    "Very well." After saying that, Yao Ling gave them a brief exnation.

    1. Xiao Xia is very clever and good with words. She is currently six and it will be good if she¡¯s trained and follows Xiao Yu. She can be one of her personal maidservants.

    2. Xiao Li ( 9 years old ) has an ordinary face. Yao Ling thinks that he should be able to blend everywhere and suitable as a spy. He can learn many roles and won¡¯t stand out due to his appearance.

    3. Xiao Yang (11 years old -- the oldest of the bunch). Ning jie described him as a responsible person and tactful. Yao Ling is thinking whether he should be a hidden guard who serves as a servant in her courtyard, but Yao Ying already has Xiu and Feng. Or should she put him in Fu Rong to pay attention to the movement inside there?

    4. Xiao Er (10 years old) is a kind soul and responsible for the babies. She¡¯s diligent in doing odd jobs around Ning jie¡¯s house. Yao Ling wants her to join her first rank maidservant and Xiao Xia can take the identity as her little sister, so they can work together.

    5. Xiao Qiao (boy / 7 years old). He¡¯s actually Xiao Li¡¯s younger brother and has the same ordinary face. Without a second thought, Yao Ling wants him to be a spy just like Xiao Li who works outside independently. At least, Xiao Xia will be able to control the stubborn Xiao Li and Xiao Li can control and teach his little brother.

    Yao Ling read that the rest of the kids¡¯ age ranges were from 6 years old to 9 years old. She couldn¡¯t put them outside of the household. She already had three personal maidservants if she had Xiao Xia and Xiao Er to join her as her maidservants. She¡¯s able to choose one more girl to serve her and her choice fell down to Xiao Ai (8 years old). Ning jie described her as a kid who paid attention to little details -- in other words, very thorough. She could help her manage her things.

    Yao Ling told Xiu and Xiao Yu about the arrangement for the six kids and wanted to ask about their opinion. Not only that but also the fact that the rest of the kids were too small. She wanted to have someone at the hua lou, but she remembered that even the courtesans were the subjects of the poison too. She didn¡¯t want to put the kids in too much danger.

    "What do you think?" Yao Ling asked Xiu and Xiao Yu seriously.

    Xiu pondered over it and said, "I agreed with the arrangement. For Xiao Yang, it will be better if he works at Fu Rong. The person there needs tomunicate with a lot of people and maybe one little kid for doing odd jobs. She could take advantage of people¡¯s unguardedness toward children."

    Yao Ling looked over the list and decided to choose Xiao Liu (8 years old) for the job. The description said that the girl was cheerful and had a sweet mouth --- the best candidate for the jobs.

    Xiu: "Young Misstress, I will take Xiao Mo (9 years old) as Young Master¡¯s personal page boy. I can also train him martial arts. It¡¯s not unusual for a young master to have a young pageboy to bring things for him."

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. "Good idea. How about the rest of the kids?"

    Xiu: "Feng can take Xiao Guan (7 years old) and Xiao Qiu (7 years old) and train them as a hidden guard. One can be given to Young Mistress --- Xiao Qiu is a girl and more convenient to be Young Mistress¡¯ hidden guard. The other can be given to Young Master."

    Yao Ling: "It¡¯s a great idea. There are only two kids left --Xiao Xiu and Xiao Lan (both 6 years old). They are too small. I will let Ning jie teach them embroideries, so I can put them at different shops. I heard that Wang Fu has an enemy and I suspect they also work on the same field. So why not training the girls to be useful in this aspect?"

    Xiao Yu: "That¡¯s a good idea, Young Mistress. If it¡¯s already fixed, I will go to Fu Rong and bring Ning jie back."

    Yao Ling nodded and dismissed the two of them. She felt really tired, but she still had to find out something about the poison. Yao Ling decided to check on her beloved husband and he was still sleeping peacefully. She spent the day working diligently. When there was free time, she would research the poison.

    When Ning jie came, she gave a brief exnation and Ning jie surprisingly didn¡¯t make it too difficult for Yao Ling. She agreed with the children¡¯s arrangement and saw how Yao Ling cleverly put the kids on the job which suitable for them. Ning jie promised Yao Ling that she would teach the children diligently.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t forget to mention about Xiao Yu¡¯s family matter and Ning jie readily agreed because they could help her ease her burden. Xiao Yu¡¯s mother could help taking care of the babies and household jobs. Ning jie could see how Yao Ling didn¡¯t try to exploit the children based on her own advantage. Each of the children and Ning jie would get the benefit of her arrangement too.

    Yao Ling asked Ning jie curiously, "You were kicked out of Qin Fu. Howe you still own a residence?"

    Ning Jie looked at her and smiled, "Although you heard about the monsters in Qin Fu, there was also a kind soul there -- my grandmother. She managed to keep this house for me and give me the deeds before she passed away. Although it¡¯s in a bad condition, at least, no one will try to take it from me. It seems like my grandmother also had calcted about this part. Qin Fu indeed let me be and never interfere with my problems."

    "Haish! I still can¡¯t believe someone can be so vicious to his own blood and flesh," Yao Ling said in disbelief.

    Ning jie just shrugged it off. "It doesn¡¯t bother me anymore. At least, now I have you and the kids." Ning jie was indeed very grateful for having Yao Ling as her friend. Without her, the children would waste their life along with her.

 Chapter 107 Who is That Woman?

    "Ning jie... are you really sure that you agree with the children¡¯s arrangement?" Yao Ling once again asked --- just wanted to make sure.

    "I do. I can see that you already think really hard about this matter. You even find a solution to Xiao Yu¡¯s problem and my problem all at once by making her family stay at mine!" Ning jie wholeheartedly praised Yao Ling. Yao Ling was only fifteen, but she was able to think ahead carefully and she admired her for that.

    "Thank you for receiving Xiao Yu¡¯s family. It really means a lot to me, after all, Xiao Yu is like a sister to me."

    Xiao Yu who stood beside Yao Ling all along couldn¡¯t help but cry. She was really really touched by her young mistress. She quickly kneeled down and thanked both of her benefactors. Yao Ling and Ning jie smiled and nodded.

    "Ling-mei, when do you want the three children who will serve you to start working?" Ning jie asked curiously.

    "You don¡¯t have to be in a hurry. For now, just teach the children carefully. I naturally will tell you when the timese. There will be a good show sooner orter in this household," Yao Ling said mysteriously.

    When Ning jie and Xiao Yu curiously asked, Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to reveal it. "Just watch the showter!" That was the only thing that she said, making Ning jie and Xiao Yu pouted.

    Yao Ling remembered something and told Ning jie, "I will ask Feng to teach all the children martial arts. I want them to be able to protect themselves. Just a little self-defense for the kids who won¡¯t be a hidden guard. But I have to talk to my husband first and arrange it."

    Ning jie pped her hands happily, "That¡¯s a good idea!"

    After the matter was concluded, Ning jie was back to Fu Rong full of smiles. She wanted to do some researches about the poison once again, but she felt that her whole body was deadly tired. She should probably join Yao Ying for a short nap. She told Xiao Yu about it and dismissed Xiao Yu.

    "I¡¯m tired and I will take a nap. You can go to Xiu and tell him to move your parents. Just give him the address! I don¡¯t want you to go, because I¡¯m afraid Liu Li¡¯s master will keep an eye on our movement. Xiu has the ability to shake off his track and lose the spies who tail him if he works alone," Yao Ling gave Xiao Yu an order.

    "Okay, Young Mistress." Xiao Yu quickly ryed what she had heard to Xiu. Xiu nodded in agreement to Yao Ling¡¯s arrangement and obeyed her orders.

    Yao Ling went to bed and saw his husband sleep peacefully. She smiled when she saw his gentle face. Yao Ling joined him in the bed andid her head on top of his chest. She nuzzled her head on his warm embrace, feeling content. She smelt his masculine scent and gradually fell asleep blissfully.

    Yao Ying was in deep sleep, but he could feel that Yao Ling nuzzle him. He hugged her tighter and smiled in content. Once again, he fell asleep. Yao Ying found himself in a dark abyss and everything felt so surreal to him. Suddenly, he heard a soft melodious voice talking softly in his ears.

    "Don¡¯t you remember me?" The woman asked whileughing and taunting him seductively.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t see her face --- everything was blurry, but somehow the voice was familiar. The crisp sound of theughter somehow was a dear sound to him. Yao Ying asked the woman with a loud voice, "Who are you?"

    He tried to grasp the woman, but she evaded him. When she moved, he could see that tears were flowing down from her eyes. In the state of blurriness, the only things that he was able to see were those tears. It hurt his heart deeply --- he could feel the sudden stab on his heart. Who was this woman? Why did he feel like this?

    The previous happy voice turned into a menacing one. "Who am I? Who am I? How could you?! How could you forget about me?!"

    The previously delicate woman who wore a pastel color ruqun changed into a demoness who wore a ck ruqun. Everything happened so fast without giving Yao Ying a chance to process the whole things. The woman was flying toward him with very fast speed and suddenly she was already in front of him.

    The woman¡¯s blurry face wasing closer to his own face and he could feel her hot breathing -- somehow it omitted a rotten smell that making Yao Ying flinch in disgust. However, he couldn¡¯t move his body at all and he could only let her get closer to him. He wanted to yell at her but he couldn¡¯t make out any sounds.

    When he felt he was going crazy, he could feel someone pped his face hard --- but not enough to make him feel any pain or leave a mark. "Yao Ying... Yao Ying..." He faintly heard a wonderful silky voice, calling him. The woman in his dream brought him a familiarity feeling, but the voice that reverberating through his ears just now... brought him a different kind of feeling --- warmth, and tenderness.

    Yao Ying suddenly opened his eyes and his gaze was nk, making me Yao Ling jumped in surprise. She was actually sleeping when she felt Yao Ying¡¯s body was abnormally sweating and his breath was lightly hitched for a few times. Because of it, she woke up and found Yao Ying get paler once again. He kept mumbling something incoherently, making her feel worried. She had a feeling that he was having a nightmare.

    Yao Ling had tried to shake his body, but still... he didn¡¯t wake up. His movement was getting stranger, so she quickly pped his face and tried to wake him up by force. Fortunately, after a few moments of yelling and pping, Yao Ying finally opened his eyes.

    "Yao Ying, are you okay?" Yao Ling asked with a worried tone.

    Yao Ying could feel her anxiousness and he wanted to calm her down by forcing a smile. He wanted to say something but he felt his throat was rather dry. He couldn¡¯t make any sound, but instead, he was coughing nonstop. Yao Ling quickly brought her a cup of water and let him drink his fill. When he felt his throat was better, he smiled and said, "I¡¯m fine. I only had a nightmare."

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows, making her look cute and adorable. Yao Ying felt like he wanted to pinch her cheek, however, he knew that Yao Ling would definitely not appreciate that gesture. "What kind of nightmare?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "It was just a woman who turned into a demoness. She was angry that I forgot about her. That¡¯s all..." Yao Ying exined truthfully without covering up anything. He didn¡¯t feel this was an important dream.

    However, Yao Ling thought it was the opposite. She didn¡¯t divulge her opinion because she also had her doubt. Based on medical knowledge, there was a probability the nightmare was actually triggered by his headache. In a sense, the nightmare probably had a connection with his forgotten past.

    Yao Ling felt a pang in her heart because he dreamed of a woman. She was afraid... really afraid... that it was someone he held dear previously. She couldn¡¯t help but feel jealous. How could she not? She remembered her own promise and it stabbed her heart with inexplicable feeling. She could only hope that this was indeed only a nightmare and a one-time thing. She started to afraid that one day... Yao Ying would remember his past and leave her all alone.

    Her negative thought was stopped by Yao Ying¡¯s question, "Are you okay?"

    Yao Ling nodded and forced herself to smile, "I¡¯m okay. I¡¯m just worried about you. Do you feel that you know that woman?"

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t realize the fluctuating feeling inside Yao Ling¡¯s heart. She was currently full of insecurities and doubts, but she covered her feeling perfectly. She didn¡¯t really want to make Yao Ying feel worried or even worse --- guilty. If only Yao Ying knew... he would certainly find a way to calm his wife¡¯s mind. After all, no matter he remembered his past or not, he would forever choose Yao Ling as hiswfully wedded wife.

    Fortunately, Yao Ying made a great move after that. He kissed Yao Ling¡¯s mouth and it took away her negative thought with lust. Yao Ling felt slightly calm. ¡¯Yao Ying is here beside her. She¡¯s not going to let a nightmare ruin her life!¡¯ She thought to herself.

 Chapter 108 Their Intimate Moment 1

    After kissing her, Yao Ying answered her lightly. "No, I can¡¯t make out her face. Only a blurry image of her face. That¡¯s all. I think I was dreaming of a ghost." Yao Ying shuddered at the thought.

    Yao Ling saw his behavior and it slightly eased her heavy heart. Yao Ying didn¡¯t think he knew her then it was alright. It was probably because of her own anxiousness that led to her negative thought. Yao Ling stifled augh and said, "Even a ghost likes you..."

    "What are you talking about?" Yao Ying felt bewildered. "It¡¯s just a nightmare! Don¡¯t mention ghost anymore! It makes my whole body shudder in fear. What if it appears at night?"

    Yao Ling scoffed at what he said. "Hmpf! I don¡¯t believe in ghost."

    "Really?" Yao Ying asked, raising one of his eyebrows.

    "Of course!" Yao Ling puffed out her chest and lightly patted it.

    "Well... okay..." Yao Ying watched her while smiling evilly.

    Yao Ling felt relieved after he finally relented. She turned around, trying to find out what time it was. She still waited for Xiu and Feng¡¯s report on their job. When she turned around, Yao Ying took this chance to slowly spook her from behind. He nudged her back softly and yelled softly, "Bo!!"

    Yao Ling was actually still feeling scared of the ghost story. At first, she didn¡¯t think about it until Yao Ying asked the question what if it appeared. That was why she was easily scared at that moment. When she felt the gentle touch on her back, she could feel her whole body shiver. When Yao Ying said ¡¯Bo¡¯, she almost fainted in fear.

    Yao Ling yelped and yelled in surprise, "Aaaaaa~" She almost fell out of the bed, if Yao Ying didn¡¯t catch her in time. Yao Ling could feel her heart beating faster and faster. She stared at Yao Ying in anger and pped his chest, "Not funny!"

    Yao Ying roared inughter, feeling amused by her reaction. He looked at her innocently and asked, "But... you said that you didn¡¯t feel scared! I¡¯m just teasing you."

    Yao Ling puffed her cheek, pouting. "I¡¯m not scared! Just feeling surprised. That¡¯s all!"

    Yao Ying pretended to nod and agree with her. "En..." However, Yao Ling could see the mischievous twinkling in his eyes with a hint of mocking. He didn¡¯t believe her!

    Yao Ling turned her head away indignantly. She wasn¡¯t going to lower herself to his level. She harrumphed and left the bed but not without ring once again at Yao Ling. She searched for Xiao Yu. "Xiao Yu..."

    Xiao Yu who waited upon her in front of the room quickly answered her, "Yes, Young Mistress?"

    "What time is it now?"

    "It¡¯s Shen Shi (modern timing: 3 pm - 5 pm), Young Mistress."

    "Do Xiu and Feng alreadye back?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Not yet, Young Mistress."

    "Very well then. Prepare light snacks for me and Young Master. Young Master has just woken up, he probably feels hungry," Yao Ling ordered Xiao Yu.

    "Yes, Young Mistress."

    When Xiao Yu went out, Yao Ling came back to her inner bedroom. Yao Ying was stillzily sitting down on the bed. Yao Ling was still angry, so she paid him no mind which made Yao Ying frowned. Yao Ying tried to coax her, "Come here!"

    "No!"

    "Come here!" Yao Ying gently asked her toe to him once again.

    "No!"

    Yao Ying knew that she was just throwing tantrum, but hey... he was a sly fox, to begin with. He pretended to be dizzy. "Ouch!" He touched his head to make it look more convincing and didn¡¯t forget to scrunch his face, trying to portray his pain perfectly.

    Yao Ling looked at him in surprise and quickly went to him hurriedly, "Ying, are you okay?" She quickly removed his hand from his head and massaged his temple. After that, she tried to feel his pulse. However, before she could do that, her hand was stopped by Yao Ying.

    "I¡¯m fine..."

    "But..."

    "I¡¯m really fine..."

    "But..."

    Yao Ying looked at her smugly. "I¡¯m just teasing you."

    Yao Ling wanted to smack the sly man in front of her. How dare he y around with her feeling?!

    Yao Ying sensed her anger started to appear, so before it could explode, Yao Ying quickly calmed her down with a sensual kiss. In taming her anger, a peck on her lips wouldn¡¯t make a difference. It wouldn¡¯t make her muddleheaded and forget about her anger. Yao Ying deepened his kiss by sucking her lower lips just to taste more of her sweetness.

    True to Yao Ying¡¯s expectation, once the kiss went deeper, the previous anger was diminished by their heated session. Yao Ying touched the back of Yao Ling¡¯s head and caressed it tenderly. He gripped her head softly and pushed himself deeper into her mouth. Their dancing tongue worked together in rhyme and the sound of their moan echoed in the quiet room.

    "Hmmm..."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t even know that she made such a seductive voice, making Yao Ying grow harder. He was supposed to be sick, but still... he couldn¡¯t control his lower body. His sickness couldn¡¯t mask the lust that he felt. Even simple kissing like this would be able to make him hard in need. He wondered since when he became such a pervert? But until now... he only feels this way toward his wife.

    His other hand started to trace her neck softly, trying to open her white outer robe a little bit. The transparent robe obstructed his hungry gaze of her slender neck and he decided to rip it. Yao Ling gasped in surprise. "Ying! This is my favorite robe!" She softly chided her husband.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t care about it because his mind was simply distracted by her appearance. "I will buy a new one for you," Yao Ying said with an overbearing manner. He started to get impatient because it only ripped for a little bit. He used both hands and practically ruined her robe. Yao Ling felt like crying in despair.

    Her thought was gone when he started to find her soft spot and teased her to death. One of his hands started to trail down. He felt hesitated, but then... he started to be bolder. Yao Ying didn¡¯t open her dudou, but instead, he touched one of her soft breasts. He started by touching ittely --- to be exact, he only dared to brush over it.

    Yao Ying simply wanted to watch her reaction whether it was okay to up their game for a little bit. Yao Ling felt his touch, but she only thought that it was an ident, so he let him be. A simple brush made her shudder in need. She could feel her nipples started to get hard because of it. Yao Ying thought herck of objection as an agreement. However, when he was going to knead one of them, a loud gasp was heard.

    They were both in surprise and quickly jumped away from each other. Yao Ling realized her tattered robe and quickly covered her body with her quilt. Both of them looked at the source of the voice. Xiao Yu stood there while holding their light snacks. She looked at them with widened eyes and her expression was quiteical.

    Both of her hands were full and she couldn¡¯t cover her eyes. Her choice was supposed to cover her eyes and the tray would fall down, then the light snack was ruined or she just stood there in bewilderment. She chose thetter because her brain seemed to be malfunctioning because of the shocking scene. ¡¯Young Master... Young Mistress... the day isn¡¯t dark yet... howe you do the deed just like this? Are you trying to embarrass this single dog?¡¯ Xiao Yu thought to herself.

    Yao Ying looked at Xiao Yu and chided her softly, "Why didn¡¯t you knock on the door?"

    Xiao Yu looked at them in a grievance. "But... This servant did." Xiao Yu was feeling wronged. She indeed knocked on the door. After that, she heard a voice from the inside. She thought she had already gotten the permission to enter. Who knew that her masters were in the middle of doing the deed?!

 Chapter 109 Their Intimate Moment 2

    Yao Ying looked at her in disbelief. "Really? Why didn¡¯t I hear about it?"

    Xiao Yu bit her lower lips and thought to herself, ¡¯How can Young Master hear me when you are in deep lust and enjoy your feast?¡¯ However, she didn¡¯t dare to talk it out loud. This was the second time she was met by such a scene. She should probably be careful when she went inside her masters¡¯ room. She wouldn¡¯t survive if she kept seeing this type of scene. It would taint her virgin mind!

    Xiao Yu didn¡¯t know how to exin herself without offending her masters, so she could only put the light snacks on the table and kneeled down, "This servant has done something wrong. Please punish this servant!"

    Yao Ling, who covered her whole body with a quilt out of embarrassment, finally decided to peek and see Xiao Yu. Her whole face was blushing and Yao Ying felt she looked so attractive. Yao Ling bit her lower lip and said, "Husband! Don¡¯t tease Xiao Yu anymore! It¡¯s just an ident."

    Yao Ying nodded and told Xiao Yu to stand up. "Next time, just wait until you hear us clearly say you cane in, okay?" Yao Ying gave him a reminder. He didn¡¯t want to be seen when they were making love.

    "Yes, Young Master." Then, Xiao Yu hesitantly added, "If Young Master and Young Mistress want to have a light bite to eat, the snacks and tea are ready."

    "Xiao Yu, can you go out first? I want to tidy myself up first," Yao Ling said in embarrassment.

    "This servant can help you, Young Mistress."

    "No need. Just wait outside for a little while and I will call youter." Yao Ling didn¡¯t want Xiao Yu to see the state she was in, after all, her robe was all tattered because of a certain beast! Xiao Yu seemed to understand her thought, so she quickly curtsied and went out. It wasn¡¯t a secret that Young Mistress didn¡¯t really like to be served.

    Yao Ling removed the quilt and saw the real condition of her white robe. She was heartbroken! The robe was personally embroidered by her because she loved the soft feeling of the fabric when it touched her skin. This was thest batch of fabric that she painfully searched around. The fabric was first brought by a customer and she said it was a rare fabric. She felt like crying in despair.

    Yao Ling red at Yao Ying who tried to appear innocent in front of her. "How could you?!" She scowled at him, feeling really angry. If she didn¡¯t like the robe, it was fine, but she really liked it!

    Yao Ying felt guilty and asked for forgiveness. "I¡¯m sorry, Ling-er. I just couldn¡¯t hold myself back because you are so alluring." The man shamelessly admitted his mistake. "I willpensate you and buy a new one."

    "I want the same fabric." Yao Ling relented and knew that he could use Fu Rong¡¯s resources to find the same fabric once again.

    "Of course..." Yao Ying coaxed his wife until she felt satisfied and he sighed in relief. It seemed like he had to buy a lot of stocks for this fabric. He could imagine himself tearing her robe in passion every time they did it. ¡¯En...¡¯ He thought to himself. Better be safe than sorryter.

    Yao Ling looked at the pitiful state of her robe but decided not to throw it out. She should probably modify it to make something out of it. She didn¡¯t want to waste any excess fabrics. Yao Ling was a little bit perturbed so she didn¡¯t realize how she taunted Yao Ying with the state she was in.

    When she looked pitifully at her robe, she forgot that she was only wearing her dudou and underpants. From behind, Yao Ying could see her white naked back perfectly clear. After all, her dudou was backless and have cloth strings that tie around the neck and back. Yao Ying groaned to himself. This wife of him would really be the death of him. He could look but he couldn¡¯t touch. Oh... the agony!

    The woman didn¡¯t have a sense of property at all! She was usually very shy! Howe she suddenly be brave? Yao Yingined to himself because Yao Ling indeed stirred his arousal once again. He could feel his hardness and decided to ask her, "Ling-er! Please be more responsible!"

    Yao Ling looked up and stared at him in surprise. "Responsible? About what?"

    Yao Ying pointed down at his building tent and raised one of his eyebrows. "Of course about this!"

    Yao Ling saw where he pointed at and her face was beet red, feeling abashed. She closed both of her eyes with both of her hands and peeked. The tent was still there and it wasn¡¯t going to go softer anytime soon. "What... what do you mean? Why am I the one who should be responsible?"

    "Eh... who else? You are the only woman in my life and it gets harder because of your presence. Then... who should I me?"

    Tsk. If he dared to me another woman, Yao Ling would kick him out of her room. "But... I did nothing!" Yao Ling denied her involvement.

    "You did nothing, but you unt around your sexy back to this husband. How do you expect me not to react to that beautiful view? If I¡¯m not reacting to it, how can we make a baby?" Yao Ying teased her mercilessly.

    Yao Ling started to realize her state and tried to cover herself with her hands but to no avail. If she hid her back then her dudou would lift up and show her bare stomach. If she covered her front, her naked back would be exposed.

    Yao Ying wanted tough at her predicament but he held himself back. She is so cute! "So... are you going to do something for me?" Yao Ying asked once again.

    Yao Ling sighed in defeat. "What do you want me to do?" After all, she understood that man had his own need. As a wife, she should be the one who had to take responsibilities.

    Yao Ying¡¯s face lit up when he heard what Yao Ling had said. Did she offer herself to him? "Are you sure?" Yao Ying asked. After he threw out the question, he regretted it. What if she suddenly backed out? Then it would kill him.

    Fortunately for him, Yao Ling answered him positively, "I¡¯m sure."

    "Come here..." Yao Ying ordered her softly.

    Yao Ling walked to him timidly. She remembered something and it was probably what he wanted her to do. "Err... do you need my hand?" Yao Ling asked softly.

    "What?" Yao Ying pretended that he didn¡¯t hear her question.

    "Do you need my hand?" She asked louder, exasperatedly.

    "Ahhh... where does my shy wife go?" Yao Ying teased her.

    "Ohh... so you don¡¯t need my hand. Then, bye..." Yao Ling turned around, pretending to be angry.

    "Wait... wait... wait..." Yao Ying said frantically. There was no way he let this chance go. He pulled her hand and shended on hisp.

    Yao Ling could perfectly feel his hardness poking on her butt and it made her stiff. Yao Ying saw even the nape of her neck became tinted with red color. Yao Ying couldn¡¯t stop himself and kiss the back of her neck. He took one of her hands and put it on his hardness.

    Yao Ling shyly gripped on his hardness and felt fortunate that she didn¡¯t face him. Or else she would die in embarrassment. At least... this way, he couldn¡¯t see her shy expression. The feeling when doing this in the daylight was a bit different. She could see everything clearly. She touched him through the soft fabric of his pants. Even though there was a barrier, she could feel his warmth on her hands.

    When Yao Ling gripped his hardness, Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help but moan in delight. "Hmmm...." Her touch ignited the fire inside him and he kissed the back of her neck with a bit more force.

    Yao Ling moaned along with him, but chided him, "Don¡¯t leave a mark again!" In the midst of their passion, how could Yao Ying hear her plea?

 Chapter 110 Their Intimate Moment 3

    Please note: This chapter contains mature part. If you want to skip it, you can directly read after these symbols ***. If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.<

    ---------

    !MATURE PART!

    Yao Ying continued attacking Yao Ling''s neck by nibbling and licking it in a circle pattern, making thetter started to lose her reasoning as well. They had been intimate for a few times --- even though they didn''t go all the way, but Yao Ying already found every soft spot on her neck. He put his knowledge to his own advantage. Yao Ying wanted Yao Ling to lose her mind in their passion too because he also wanted Yao Ling to enjoy all of this.

    "Ying... Don''t... It''s still bright outside. We can''t..." Yao Ling murmured softly. Even though she was muddleheaded in passion, but the room was still quite bright and she was still conscious of the sounding from the outside despite their passionate moment. She could hear the talking sounds of her courtyard''s servants and the rustling sounds of their feet walking past their room. It made her more nervous because she was afraid that their intimate moment was known by others. Although what they did was legal, but still... it was too embarrassing!

    Yao Ling was in a panic because of theck of answer from Yao Ying, so she talked once again, "Ying... hmmm... there are people outside... hmmm..." She m.o.a.ned through her talk because the man didn''t stop tantalizing her sense.

    "Don''t worry! They won''t know as long as you stop yourself for m.o.a.ning loudly. Can you do that?" Yao Ying asked smugly.

    "But... how... mmmm..." Yao Ling m.o.a.ned once again. Before she could get another word out of her mouth, her naughty husband attacked her senses once again. He nibbled her ears and once in a while, he blew her ears with his hot breath, trying to mess up her mind. When she started to m.o.a.n, he licked her ears softly.

    "Ying..." She called his name desperately.

    "Don''t worry! It won''t take long, Ling-er. Just let yourself go and enjoy the pleasure," Yao Ying answered her with a low hoarse voice. Indeed... he was already aroused to the point of no return and he knew... with a little bit of her touch, she could easily make him c.u.m. "Move your hand..." Yao Ying demanded with a soft voice. He didn''t want to scare her off with his demand.

    Yao Ling started to move her hands up and down. "Like this?" She asked him softly whether she did the right thing or not. She rubbed him through the thin fabric.

    Being touched through the fabric, Yao Ying could feel the s.e.x.u.a.l gratification and he groaned in ecstasy. "Yes... yes... just like that." Yao Ying encouraged Yao Ling. He enjoyed the feeling of her hand and it made him feel really good.

    Yao Ying held her hand and tried to stop her movement for a little while. "Stand up for a little while," Yao Ying ordered sternly. Yao Ling raised up her butt and before she could fully stand up, Yao Ying held her still.

    Yao Ying felt the fabric as a hindrance and he wanted to remove it. He pulled down his pants halfway to his knees in one swoop. He wanted to feel the magic of her hand directly --- flesh to flesh. After that, he adjusted her position and put her on hisp, but she didn''t sit directly on his hardness. It wasn''t the right time... yet. Yao Ying put her hand back to his hardness once again. Yao Ling could feel the tender flesh was in contrast with the way it stood up proudly. She felt her hand was being burned by the hot hardness and the feeling of his n.a.k.e.d flesh was different.

    Yao Ying once again dipped into her neck, trying to muffle the sound of his m.o.a.n. After all, he knew that their servants were right outside the door. "Move your hand again..." Yao Ying ordered Yao Ling to move her hand once again impatiently. "Don''t stop... hmm..." He m.o.a.ned to his gritted teeth, trying to lower his passionate voice. His breath was slightly hitched.

    Yao Ling obediently followed his lead and moved her hands up and down leisurely. "Put a little bit more pressure with your hand..." Yao Ying taught her how to please him.

    Yao Ling did as she was told, but she was surprised by his reaction and quickly let his hardness go. "Ouch... ouch... ouch... Ling-er! That''s too much pressure!" Yao Ying said exasperatedly. Her pressure hurt his little Yao Ying. "Tone it down... tone it down..." Yao Ying whisper-yelled at her. "You will break my little Yao Ying!"

    "Oops... I''m sorry," Yao Ling said guiltily. Thest time she did this, she just moved it up and down under his guidance. That was why when he didn''t help her... she didn''t know how much pressure she should apply to her movement. Well... at least, she is learning to do her best for him.

    Yao Ling tried to pleasure him by adjusting the pressure and speeds of her hand. When she didn''t hear himining once again, Yao Ling understood that she did the right thing and he seemed to enjoy it. She mentally took note that this was the correct pressure to apply. Whenever she felt the twitch of his hardness, he would bite her neck a little bit harder than usual. After the twitch had passed, he would turn softer by licking or sucking the ce that he had just bitten. Somehow, it felt sensual to her and it made her m.o.a.n get a little bit louder. She had to remind herself for a few times that there were people lurking outside of their chamber.

    "Do you like it, Ying?" Yao Ling asked softly. She knew that she did it right, but she didn''t know whether Yao Ying enjoyed it or not. She needed him to tell her, reassuring her that she enjoyed her hand movement.

    "Hmmm... I like it a lot... No... not like it, but I love it," Yao Ying answered her with uneven breath. His mind was full of the tingling sensation down there and how he enjoyed the movement of her hands. Up and down. Up and down.

    "Rotate it for a little bit," Yao Ying gave a little pointer to let him enjoy her hand more.

    Yao Ling tried to cater to his needs. "Like this?" She asked while her hand was slowly rotating his hardness. She didn''t dare to put too much pressure when she was trying the new technique. Because she didn''t feel sure about the correct movement, the speed of her hand was changing. Sometimes slowing down, sometimes faster. The various speeds of her hand movement made it more pleasurable to Yao Ying. A little bit sloppy but Yao Ying appreciated her effort.

    "Oh, God!!" Yao Ying groaned blissfully. "Yes, that''s it! You do it right," Yao Ying praised Yao Ling wholeheartedly. "Now...quicker... quicker..." He whisper-yelled at Yao Ling. When Yao Ling gave him a hand job, his hands were both gripping the edge of their bed. Her current hand movement made him almost c.u.m and he tried to hold on as long as he could.

    He let go of the edge of the bed. One of his hand gripped her waist a bit tighter, trying to prevent her from moving. His other hand roamed around her body. He touched her n.a.k.e.d back and made a slow circle seductively. Until he felt that it was unbearable, his hand moved into the front of her body. His hand slipped into her dudou and traced her n.a.k.e.d flesh.

    Yao Ying did this unconsciously. He was in too much pleasure to understand his own movement. His mind was pretty much in a blur and he did everything based on his basic instinct. Yao Ling could feel his hand moving around inside of her dudou and every part that he touched leave a tingling after taste. Until he finally kneaded one of her b.r.e.a.s.ts, she felt more aroused and she felt that she was drenched down there. She was ashamed of her wanton reaction, but Yao Ying didn''t give her enough time to think. She was purely feeling the carnal pleasure.

    Yao Ying softly pinched her soft bud, making her whole body shudder in pleasure. ''God!'' Yao Ling screamed inwardly. She didn''t know that it could feel this good. Her sweetness down there was tingling with need and it got wetter. She m.o.a.ned a bit louder, "Hmmmm..." At thest moment, she remembered to bite her own lips --- just to hold back her m.o.a.n.

    Yao Ying continued to assault her soft bud by twisting and rolling it softly. Yao Ling didn''t stop her hand movement on his hardness. They were mutually pleasuring each other. Whenever she felt his hardness twitched, Yao Ying forcefully kneaded her b.r.e.a.s.t. It was a mixture of pleasure and pain.

    "Hmmm..." She couldn''t hold back her m.o.a.n and Yao Ling threw back her head, leaning to Yao Ying''s shoulder. When he touched her soft bud, she could feel the electric shock to her whole body. God! She loves the pleasurable feeling.

    "Ling-er... quicker... move your hand quicker please..." Yao Ying softly m.o.a.ned beside her ears, making her tremble. Even his voice could make her feel aroused. What did he do to her?

    Yao Ling obediently did as she was told, even though her hand was already beyond tired and it was almost numb. "Are you almost there?" Yao Ling couldn''t help but ask. She didn''t know how long she should do this. She felt like her hand was going to break soon.

    "Almost... almost...bine the movement and go faster!" Yao Ying knew that it was time to let go. He understood that Yao Ling started to get tired.

    Yao Ling felt happy that he was going to c.u.m soon, otherwise, her hand would be broken! She did as she was told and went quicker without rest. Sometimes she would change the pace for a little bit, but she never stopped. When she did all this, Yao Ying continued ying with her soft bud in excitement. Twisting... rolling... kneading... The next time they enjoyed their intimate moment... he wanted to see the color of her soft buds. He never saw them and it started to make him feel curious.

    Yao Ying could feel that he was almost there. He quickly said, "Almost... almost there... don''t stop!"

    Yao Ling moved her hand more excitedly, knowing it was almost finished. Until finally... she heard his lovely m.o.a.n and the fact that she felt his body was spasming under her. His grip on her b.r.e.a.s.t and waist was getting tighter, making her m.o.a.n in pain, but she let him be. He released everything and c.u.mmed to his heart content. The white-colored liquid shot up andnded on Yao Ling''s hand and a little bit on her back. When Yao Ying felt his c.u.m.m.i.n.g moment had passed, he released his tight grip.

    He felt a little bit guilty because he could see her waist was a little bit bluish due to his tight grip. Yao Ling sighed in relief after she finished her duty. She quickly got out off hisp, feeling shy all of a sudden. Her movement made Yao Ying released his roaming hand which stayed on her b.r.e.a.s.t. It was okay if he touched her b.r.e.a.s.t during their passionate moment. After all, she was also a bit muddleheaded. However, after they finished doing it, her mind started to clear up and the shyness was also back to the fullest.

    She couldn''t believe that she could behave wantonly just like that! Yao Ling knew that she was also aroused by the fact that her sweetness down there was still tingling and drenching in wetness. She could even see her wetness on one of Yao Ying''s thighs where she sat down previously. Yao Ling could only blush in embarrassment.

    *************

    Yao Ling could feel the stickiness on her hand and quickly wiped it with her tattered robe. She sighed in regret... it seemed like the robe really couldn''t be saved. She tried to wipe the stickiness on her back, but it was at the part that she couldn''t reach. She looked at Yao Ying shyly and asked for his help, "Can you help me wipe my back?"

    Yao Yingughed and helped her wipe it clean. He kissed her shoulder softly and said, "Thank you, Wife." Yao Ling just nodded her head, blushing. There was a basin of clean water on the chair beside their bed, Yao Ying used the water and wiping cloth to clean Yao Ling''s back.

    Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling''s cute expression with contentment. After releasing his load, he felt slightly better and above all, satisfied. Yao Ling turned around and saw his smug expression, she could only helplessly shake her head. She didn''t dare to look down, because his thing was left in the open. The shameless man didn''t seem like he wanted to move anytime soon or have the decency to at least cover himself, but instead, he let his thing dangling around.

    "Don''t you feel any shame? Quick clean yourself up and wear your clothing properly! I''m hungry and you also need to nourish your body," Yao Ling started to nag at Yao Ying. It felt like she started to be shameless when she was around him.

    "I''m just rxing for a little while," Yao Ying answered leisurely. He seemed to understand her shyness and it made him wanted to tease her more.

    "At least go cover... cover... that... that... thing!" Yao Ling pointed at his softness [Well... the hardness has already be soft, that''s why Yao Ling calls it his softness].

    "What? But you like it, right? How can you call my little Yao Ying as that thing? My little Yao Ying will be heartbroken, Love." Yao Ying grinned mischievously at his agitated wife and found that she looked so adorable in this state.

    "When... when do I say that I like it?" Yao Ling looked at her husband, feeling bbergasted because of his sudden shamelessness.

    "Your m.o.a.n told me that," Yao Yingughed out loud.

    Yao Ling looked at him, bewildered. Well... she should pay him no mind. She quickly changed her clothes and washed her hands, then she ran away from there. She let Yao Ying change his clothes by himself because she was too shy. That was enough excitement for one day.

    Before she went out of the inner room, Yao Ying asked her once again, "Wife... what do you call this?"

    Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying who pointed at his member once again. She felt like kicking his gut, but she decided against it. "Little Yao Ying!" She almost yelled, fortunately, she remembered that Xiao Yu was in front of their room. "Are you happy?"

    Yao Ying yelled happily, "Happy... very happy... Remember.... never call my baby as that thing ever again!"

    Yao Ling could only shake her head in defeat. She could never beat his shamelessness. Howe he came up a nickname for his member? So shameless!

    After she knew that Yao Ying was already presentable, Yao Ling called Xiao Yu in. Judging from her shy state and her reddened face, it seemed like she heard what had happened inside the room. After all, they weren''t being quiet, to begin with. They tried to hold back, but once or twice they would lose their head and m.o.a.n in a loud voice.

    Yao Ling decided to pretend to be dumb and act clueless about what had just transpired inside their room. Fortunately, Xiao Yu knew her ce and she didn''t mention a thing about it. While Yao Ling was blushing, the satisfied man was grinning shamelessly.

 Chapter 111 The Report 1

    "Xiao Yu, prepare everything for us." Yao Ling was really famished after their little exercise, besides both of them hadn¡¯t eaten lunch.

    "Yes, Young Mistress." Xiao Yu answered her with a red face, but she didn¡¯t dare to look at Yao Ling¡¯s face. Yao Ling could only sigh and let her be. She needed to be thick-skinned when she behaved around her maidservants. After all, she¡¯s a married woman and this won¡¯t happen only once.

    Yao Ying sat on the seat beside her and she didn¡¯t dare to look at him too. Xiao Yu¡¯s shyness seemed to affect her. Besides, she was toozy to look at his smug face. They enjoyed their snacks and tea silently. Yao Ying didn¡¯t feelfortable with the silence, so he asked her, "What did you do in the morning? It seemed like you made a few arrangements."

    Yao Ling almost forgot to tell him and she recited everything that she had done. She didn¡¯t forget to tell him that she arranged his subordinates, Xiu and Feng to do some jobs. "I¡¯m sorry for not asking your permission first."

    "Don¡¯t worry! You are my wife. You can order them around as you see fit. After all, I know that you do everything for our best interest." Yao Ying directly gave her permission to control and arrange his people.

    Yao Ling nodded, feeling satisfied with his answer. He always knew how to make her feel better. In the middle of their tea time, Xiao Yu whispered to Yao Ling that Xiu hade back. She quickly told her to let him in and Xiao Yu was also told to guard the door.

    "Young Master, Young Mistress..." Xiu hurriedly came in and gave his respect.

    "How is it?"

    "Young Mistress truly has good insight. This servant told Xiao Yu¡¯s parents to bring only important things and get backter for the rest. They did as what this servant told them and this servant quickly sent them to Ning jie¡¯s house. I didn¡¯t want the old couple to go back and forth, so I was the only one who went back to their house. The whole ce was ransacked by unknown people. It seemed like an attempted robbery, but we know the truth, so..." Xiu exined and trailed off at thest part.

    Yao Ying nodded his head. "It seems like they try to kill them."

    "Haiyah~ I¡¯m not sure if the one who did it is Liu Li. She is currently crippled and I¡¯m sure that her body is still full of wounds. But well... she has her own henchmen for doing the dirty deed." Yao Ling pondered over the matter once again.

    "To me, it seems like her other master is the culprit. He or she is probably afraid that Liu Li will tattle on him or her. By killing Xiao Yu¡¯s family, it may trigger our anger and borrow our hands to deal with Liu Li," Yao Ying told them his spection.

    "Well... that makes perfect sense. We can only know for sure when Liu Li gets better. I¡¯m waiting for the good show," Yao Ling smiled. Liu Li was quite a character. Judging from her personalities, after she got better, she would definitely do something amusing for them --- whether it would help them or make trouble for them, she didn¡¯t know for sure.

    "Xiu... how about Feng¡¯s side? Is there any news?" Yao Ling asked, feeling worried about the little kid. She hoped they would be able to rescue the kid, because judging from the way they tried to kill Xiao Yu¡¯s parents, the next target would be the little boy.

    "Still no news," Xiu shook his head and answered. He hadn¡¯t met his brother, so he didn¡¯t know anything about his progress too.

    "The other side already starts working... We need to save Xiao Yu¡¯s brother today. Otherwise, the consequences will be bad," Yao Ying analyzed the whole things and Yao Ling knew his conclusion was in line with hers. If they didn¡¯t save Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother today, they were sure that he would be killed.

    "Xiu, why don¡¯t you go and assist Feng? At least, bring back some news about this matter," Yao Ying ordered Xiu. He didn¡¯t have a good feeling about this. Yao Ying was also feeling worried about Feng¡¯s safety. After all, they didn¡¯t know the strength of their enemies.

    "Yes, Young Master." Xiu quickly went and did as he was told. Before going out, he tried to calm Xiao Yu by saying that her parents were safe. The only one left to be rescued was her brother and he promised her that he would certainly bring him back safely. Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t help but feel touched by his care and kindness.

    Xiao Yu looked at his fading back, contemting. Why was he so kind to her? She wasn¡¯t pretty or talented, well... she was childish and a bit awkward. She didn¡¯t see any good quality in her, so why Xiu was behaving like this around her? Xiu that she knew was a talented and handsome man. Even the scar on his face didn¡¯t diminish his outstanding feature. Was there a possibility that he...?

    Xiao Yu shook her head, trying to push out unnecessary thought from her mind. Young Mistress had helped her a lot, she should cherish her chance to serve her and be a good maidservant. Other things could wait.

    Xiu and Feng were backte at night --- around Hai Shi ( modern timing: 9 pm - 11 pm ). They used their qing gong and used the roof as their way into the courtyard. Xiao Yu had been ordered to wait upon their return in front of the courtyard. Xiao Yu already made sure that no other servants were loitering around the courtyard and let them in. Xiao Yu was a bit worried when looking at Feng¡¯s disheveled condition, but she had to guard the door --- just in case, there were spies. Until she had another trusted maidservant as a friend, she had to do all of these important jobs by herself. Even though she wanted to know the result, she held herself back and waited patiently.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were surprised when they looked at Feng¡¯s condition. "What happened?" Both of them asked at the same time. They worriedly stared at Feng¡¯s bloody look.

    Feng was in a bit of sorry state. There was dried blood on a few parts of his bodies. Yao Ling saw that his wounds weren¡¯t really deep so she sighed in relief. She quickly took one of the medicines that she always kept for emergency and gave it to Xiu. "Use this medicine to treat Feng¡¯s wound first. You can give us the report after that."

    Feng was touched by Young Mistress¡¯ kindness. After all, some masters didn¡¯t really care about their subordinates¡¯ wellbeing. The first thing they asked was usually about the mission. How was the mission? Did they aplish the mission? Did something go wrong? Those kinds of questions. Wang Luo Hai was one of them, but he was kind in his own way. Probably because Young Mistress is a woman, so she is morepassionate to other people.

    Feng humbly said, "There¡¯s no need, Young Mistress. This servant can give Young Master and Young Mistress the full report first. All of these are only superficial wounds, so this servant will be okay."

    "But..."

    Yao Ying stopped Yao Ling for saying more. A hidden guard had his own pride and they didn¡¯t want to show their weakness to their masters. He understood Feng¡¯s way of thinking. "Ling-er, just let him be. I¡¯m sure Feng knows his own limit."

    Yao Ling swallowed down what she wanted to say and obediently followed Yao Ying¡¯s order. She nodded and sat beside Yao Ying.

    "Now... give us the full report," Yao Ying ordered in a cool voice.

    "Yes, Young Master." Both Xiu and Feng answered at the same time. Xiu gave a chance for Feng to tell the whole story.

    "This servant went to the hua lou and tried to find out about Xiao Yu¡¯s little brother¡¯s whereabouts. It didn¡¯t take a long time for me to find the room because Xiu already gave me a pointer the position of the room," Feng started his exnation.

    "And then?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

 Chapter 112 The Report 2

    "Xiao Yu¡¯s little brother --- Qiao Qiao was alone when this servant went into the room. However, when this servant tried to save him, there was a sound in front of the room. Qiao Qiao was bound with a rope, so he couldn¡¯t talk, but he was clever enough to shake his head. He looked at the door just to tell this servant that it was the captor that wasing. This servant quickly hid and jumped up to the roof beam. The captor didn¡¯te in alone but with a few people." Feng exined.

    "Did you find out anything important from their conversation?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Yes, Young Master. They said that they needed to find out about Liu Li¡¯s condition. If she was crippled by the flogging, then they should discard her because she was already useless chess piece. If she was dead, then it was even better. Dead people couldn¡¯t talk."

    "Hah! So, they want to remove their sole witness, huh?" Yao Ying said in anger. She was actually feeling pity toward Liu Li, after all, she was following a heartless master.

    All of them couldn¡¯t fathom the cruelty of those people, after all, Liu Li was working under their master¡¯s order. "Did they say something about the master¡¯s identity? I know that they wouldn¡¯t specifically say the name, but anything is fine... remember what they said slowly and tell me something that probably could be our clue."

    Feng pondered for a little while, trying to remember every detail of the captors¡¯ conversations. Bits and pieces of the conversations came into his mind. Feng excitedly said, "This servant remember something!"

    Xiu looked at him in expectation and nudged Feng, "Quickly! Tell us!" He was so curious about the master behind those crazy people, especially because the master was the mastermind behind Xiao Yu¡¯s pain. He wished to tear apart that heinous person.

    Feng nodded and finally told them what he remembered. "It seemed like the master is a woman because one of the men had the expression of being infatuated to the master¡¯s beauty and they jokinglypared it to Liu Li. It seemed like by their lecherous opinions, they didn¡¯t really respect the master."

    "Hmm... It seems like there¡¯s another person behind the female master and these people are given to her, that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t have their loyalty or respect. Or one other possibility, she hired those thugs just for a one-time purpose only." Yao Ying rubbed his chin, thinking. This was indeed a piece of interesting news.

    "Other than that? What else?" Yao Ying asked once again. He needed to know more details to determine more conclusions.

    "This servant thinks the female master is currently living in Wang Fu," Feng said confidently.

    "How so?" Yao Ling asked, feeling interested in Feng¡¯s conclusion.

    "Because they said the usual messenger was Liu Li, but once Liu Li was unavable. The one who came was another person from Wang Fu. However, it seems like the new messenger is a woman who is still new in doing this kind of things. They made ament how that messenger was shaking in fear when saw them." Feng said confidently. One of the men even lecherously said that another pretty woman wasing to their way. It seemed like they treated women like some kind of dirt and only as their ything.

    "Did they say the name of the messenger?"

    "Sadly, no," Feng answered dejectedly. "If we know who the messenger is, it will be easier for us to find out about the identity of their female master."

    "It¡¯s okay. We will find out about that female master sooner orter. At least, we already have clues," Yao Ling said. She suspected the Concubine Xi or Concubine Lan. There were other women, should she be careful around them... or not? Yao Ling didn¡¯t say it out loud. The fewer people knew about her thought, the better.

    Yao Ling finally remembered something. "Howe you are injured?"

    "Young Mistress, it¡¯s because of this servant¡¯s negligence," Feng answered her solemnly. "This servant didn¡¯t dare to save Qiao Qiao when there were so many people, because it would create a ruckus. However, the next time they went back, they directly wanted to kill Qiao Qiao. This servant didn¡¯t have time to ask for help, so directly jumped and fought with them. If it was only fighting, this servant would be able to defeat them easily, but they took Qiao Qiao as a hostage."

    Feng remembered the scene that happened at that time. One of the captors took Qiao Qiao and put his sword on Qiao Qiao¡¯s neck. Feng knew that the captor wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill Qiao Qiao, after all, it was their real purpose.

    "Put down your sword," The one who took Qiao Qiao as hostage ordered Feng. By that time, Feng already killed two of the perpetrators and including the one who took Qiao Qiao, he still had five enemies left. Their martial arts skills weren¡¯t really good and it pained him that he couldn¡¯t beat them. His task was to save Qiao Qiao, so he had no other choice, but threw his sword to the ground. Feng gritted his teeth in anger, trying to see Qiao Qiao¡¯s captors¡¯ next move.

    "Hah! How arrogant of you! Do you want to save this boy by relying on only yourself? Don¡¯t make meugh!" Judging from his arrogant tone, it seemed like the man was the leader. "Look! What can you do when I do this to this boy?" With a smirk, the man deepened the sword, making the sword scratch and pierce Qiao Qiao¡¯s neck. The sword was tinted with a hint of blood.

    What kind of moral did this man have? He was even able to hurt a little kid. With this kind of subordinates, the master must also be cruel and heartless. The others followed the leader¡¯s lead andughed along with him. They seemed to enjoy the whole ordeal.

    The room where they kept Qiao Qiao was pretty secluded, so no one really paid attention to what had happened inside. The sound of a loud party, theughing sounds of women and men altogether, not to mention the zither¡¯s melodious sound from outside of the room also helped them masking the sound of the fight inside. Feng could see that because of their haughtiness, they paid him no mind and underestimated him. They thought he had nothing else to deal with them.

    Feng smirked to himself. He wasn¡¯t a hidden guard for nothing. Feng pulled out something from his sleeve and threw a small knife at the leader who already lowered his guard. The small knife directlynded on his forehead. Blood spurted out of the wounds and the leader was dead on the spot without a chance to do anything else. He fell down and brought Qiao Qiao along with him. He squeezed Qiao Qiao on the ground and fortunately, it was corresponding with Feng¡¯s calction, the swords that the leader held didn¡¯t hurt Qiao Qiao.

    Feng didn¡¯t pay any attention to Qiao Qiao, but he didn¡¯t forget to remind him, "Go! Hide!" Qiao Qiao quickly hid himself in the corner, shaking in fear.

    After that, he took his sword and dealt with the rest of the captors easily. All of them were killed less than an incense stick of time. Feng quickly helped Qiao Qiao up and released him from the gag and the rope that bound his hands.

    "Come on! We have to go now," Feng said hurriedly. He got a bad feeling about this and his instinct was always right.

    Before they could jump out of the window, they heard a few loud footsteps outside of the room. "Ge ge... there are peopleing," Qiao Qiao said hoarsely. He had been gagged for a few days and his captors didn¡¯t give him the luxury to drink often, so his throat was dry and it hurt to talk.

    Feng nodded and quickly scooped up Qiao Qiao into his arms. He took him and jumped out of the window in a sh. When they looked back, they were seen by the people who opened the door. At first, they were surprised by the bloody scene inside the room. They didn¡¯t really care much about the kid, but their brothers were killed and they wanted to avenge them.

    "Chase them!" One of the men said. They quickly jumped out of the window and chased Feng and Qiao Qiao, thest people who went into the room didn¡¯t forget to look around and close the door slowly. They didn¡¯t work under the hua lou and didn¡¯t want to offend the mysterious hua lou¡¯s owner, hence the secrecy. They couldn¡¯t afford to pay the price if the hua lou¡¯s owner found out what they did under their nose.

    Unbeknownst to anyone, after all of them were gone, the door of the room was opened. Lin Jian stood there and watched what had happened coldly. "What a mess!" He shook his head in disdain. His expression didn¡¯t match his usual liveliness.

    Lin Jian said to his subordinate who stood beside him, "Clean this ce up!"

    "Yes, Young Master." The subordinate answered politely.

    "Don¡¯t leave any trace!" Lin Jianmanded them with a chilling voice.

    After giving his order, Lin Jian turned around and left without a second nce. His subordinates worked efficiently and the room was cleaned perfectly without any trace that there had been a bloody fight in there. Everything was back to normal --- like nothing had happened inside the room.

 Chapter 113 The Report 3

    Feng knew that they were being chased, but his pace was a bit slower than usual because he was carrying Qiao Qiao. They went to a secluded ce to avoid creating a ruckus and caught the attention of unwanted people. The people who chased them seemed to have more prominent skills than the previous batch, so they quickly caught up to him.

    Before they reached him, Feng quickly told Qiao Qiao to hide and cover himself inside a thick bush. He made sure that Qiao Qiao couldn¡¯t be seen from the outside and told him, "Don¡¯t move around and don¡¯t make any sound! Stay here and I will be back to pick you up, okay?"

    Qiao Qiao nodded obediently. "Yes, Ge ge. Thank you for saving me."

    Feng only patted his head and smiled. He didn¡¯t say anything else, but quickly turned around and ran to another direction. His diversion task was quite sessful because the chasers were following him. They didn¡¯t see him when he hid Qiao Qiao and Feng sighed in relief. It was easier for him to deal with the chasers.

    One of the chasers threw a small knife at Feng¡¯s direction. Feng could feel the whooshing sound of the moving dagger and he quickly dodged. He turned back and threw one of his daggers and it hit one of the chasers on the leg. The man fell down and groaned, but he was unable to chase them anymore.

    The various actions that he just did had made his pace slower and one of the chasers was able to catch up to him. The man pierced his sword in the direction of Feng¡¯s shoulder, Feng was able to dodge it. However, he was unable to block the attack from behind and his back was sliced by another sword. It didn¡¯t cut really deep and probably because of the adrenaline, he didn¡¯t feel the pain at all. He continued to defend himself and attacked when he saw a good chance

    He saw an opening when one of his chasers was stumbling. Feng quickly seized the chance and pierced the heart of the man. He didn¡¯t feel pity to his enemies, besides, he was dealing with a cruel group. Feng started to get tired and he counted that there were still four people left to handle. His energy had been depleted, but he persisted to hold on and fight them.

    One of the men taunted him, "Don¡¯t you feel tired? Why don¡¯t you give up and let us know the child¡¯s whereabouts."

    Feng sneered at the man. "Do you think I¡¯m stupid? You will kill me even if I tell you about the kid. So... over my dead body."

    Feng was quite angry, so he felt a surge of energies from inside his body. He managed to kill one of them by slicing his neck with one powerful sh. The rest of the men were surprised that their opponent was still able to kill one of their people. It made them get angrier and one of them yelled, "Kill him!"

    This order aroused the rest of the men¡¯s spirit and they attacked him menacingly. They managed to sh a few parts of Feng¡¯s body, but thetter didn¡¯t seem to hesitate using it to his advantage. He let one of the men pierced his shoulder de and in turn, he pierced his heart. Only two left, but the two of them were the ones with higher skills. Feng knew that he was at disadvantage and smiled bitterly to himself. This was the first task given by his new master and it would be crazy if he failed to do the job properly.

    Feng kicked the chest one of the men and then turned around to pierce the man behind him with a sword. He was on point and pierced the stomach of the men, but before he could pull back his sword, he could feel the movement of the wind behind him. He knew that the man that he kicked before already regain his posture and tried to stab him. He knew that he wasn¡¯t going to be able to dodge it in time.

    "Feng, be careful!"

    When he thought he was going to be heavily injured -- or worse, dead, he heard Xiu¡¯s voice. The stab never happened and when he turned around, the man was already falling down and dead on the spot. It seemed like Xiu threw a dagger to his vital point and killed him in one swift move. Feng and Xiu¡¯s skills were almost on par with each other. They had the same master so their technique was basically almost the same.

    "Thank you, Xiu!"

    Xiu sighed in relief. "Luckily, I arrived in time. Our secret method to find each other¡¯s whereabouts is finally useful." They were taught a secret method to track each other by their master. It was a method by enhancing their profound qi and could only be done by them --- identical twins with spirit connection.

    Xiu walked to Feng¡¯s direction to see how he was doing. "Feng, you are injured, right? I can feel the piercing pain on my shoulder de too!"

    "I¡¯m fine. Come on! We have to go back and bring Qiao Qiao to Ning jie¡¯s house! It¡¯s alreadyte!" Feng said in a rush.

    "Why don¡¯t we treat your wounds first?" Xiu felt worried.

    "There¡¯s no time. I¡¯m also afraid that the captors will find out Qiao Qiao¡¯s hiding ce!"

    "But..."

    "Xiu, my task hasn¡¯t finished yet!"

    Xiu nodded in agreement because he knew how stubborn Feng is. He wouldn¡¯t treat his wounds until he finished his task. They found out that Qiao Qiao was still on the same spot and probably because he was in shock, Qiao Qiao got a fever. They quickly sent Qiao Qiao to Ning jie¡¯s house and when Qiao Qiao finally met with his parents, they sighed in relief. They rejected their offer to stay and quickly went back to Wang Fu.

    Yao Ying was in surprised when she heard the whole story. "I thought this is just a simple matter about Wang Fu¡¯s inner household matter, but they have a lot of subordinates! Is there another force behind this Liu Li?"

    "Ying... let Feng rest and let Xiu tend his wounds. We can talk about thister." Yao Ling looked at Feng in worried. Previously she thought that he only had superficial wounds, but there was one deep wound --- it seemed like he was pierced by a sharp sword. "Xiu... it seems like Feng has a deep wound on his shoulder de. Pay more attention to it. Both of you can rest. Do you want to break the news to Xiao Yu?" Yao Ling threw the question at Xiu.

    Xiu shook his head. "This servant needs to treat Feng¡¯s wound. This servant would like to ask Young Mistress¡¯ help to tell everything to Xiao Yu." After all, his brother is also one of the most important persons in his life.

    Both Yao Ling and Xiu had a tacit understanding about which matter that Xiu referred to. It was to the fact that Xiao Yu¡¯s younger brother was forced to see the sexual act by Liu Li. Yao Ling nodded and let them go. "Call Xiao Yu over when you are going out." Yao Ling gave Xiu an order.

    When Xiao Yu came, Yao Ling told her everything from the beginning to the end --- without leaving out any small details. Xiao Yu was heartbroken and cried when she heard what her brother had been through. She felt slightly guilty, it all happened because they wanted to control her and it made her family suffer.

    Yao Ling saw the guilt look and tried to cheer her up, "It¡¯s not your fault. If you want someone to me, then me me. After all, it¡¯s all happened because of me." Yao Ling indeed felt guilty. If Xiao Yu didn¡¯t serve her, she probably wouldn¡¯t be involved in this matter.

    "Young Mistress! This isn¡¯t because of you! This is the work of evil people!" Xiao Yu quickly denied what Yao Ling had said.

    "That¡¯s right! This is the fault of that evil people, so you need to calm down and stop ming yourself. I will give you a holiday tomorrow. Just go to Ning jie¡¯s house and tell me how¡¯s Qiao Qiao holding up! Spend your time with your family, okay?" Yao Ling urged her to go and enjoy herself for once.

    Xiao Yu was genuinely touched and happy at the same time. "Thank you, Young Mistress!"

    "Go! Ask Xiu whether he needs your help or not. Feng is hurt because he tried to save Qiao Qiao." Yao Ling wanted Xiao Yu to show her gratefulness to Xiu and Feng, after all, they put a lot of efforts to save her brother.

    "Yes, Young Mistress." Xiao Yu quickly went out and tried to find the brothers.

    Yao Ling massaged her forehead, feeling that everything was a bit too much to handle. She enjoyed the new wealth, but with it... came a lot of responsibilities and problems to handle.

    "Are you feeling tired?" Yao Ying asked softly.

    "A little bit." Yao Ling looked up and forced a smile to appease Yao Ying. Yao Ying seemed to understand what she was thinking about and kissed her lips softly. It pained his heart that she had to go through a lot since they arrived at Wang Fu.

    "Come on! Let¡¯s call it a day!" Yao Ying said softly. They both were already tired and it was best to sleep.

 Chapter 114 A New Day

    The next morning, everything went back to normal. Yao Ying felt a bit better, but Yao Ling forced him to rest and stay at home with her. Xiao Yu was out since early morning and Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to bring along other servants that she didn¡¯t trust to Fu Rong, so she preferred to stay at home.

    When they were being idle like this, they felt it was really boring. They used to work all the time and somehow, it made them feel at a loss, not knowing what to do. "What are we going to do today?" Yao Ying asked Yao Ling leisurely.

    "Well... I also have no idea. I just want you to rest, so I didn¡¯t n anything beforehand," Yao Ling answered truthfully.

    "I already gave you an impressive idea, but you heartlessly rejected my proposal." Yao Ying pouted childishly.

    Yao Ling massaged her aching temple that was caused by her husband. "I¡¯m not going to do it with you!"

    "Why?" Yao Ying whined.

    "Don¡¯t you see the sun outside? It¡¯s very bright outside! Doing it once with you yesterday in the broad daylight is already reaching my limit! I feel ashamed each time I saw Xiao Yu after that," Yao Ling whisper-yelled in anger.

    Yao Ying: "Then... isn¡¯t now a good chance? Xiao Yu isn¡¯t here! We have to use this chance to explore more!"

    Yao Ling: "That¡¯s making it worse! No one will guard the door for us. What if other servants hear what we do? The gossip will spread inside the household."

    Yao Yingughed. "Oh... so that¡¯s the problem? No worries then. We will let Xiu guard the door! It¡¯s a good idea, right?" When Yao Ying was going to call Xiu over, Yao Ling tugged his sleeve and covered his mouth with one of her hands.

    She hissed at him. "Stop it! I don¡¯t want to embarrass myself in front of other males!"

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows, knowing that she had a point. He didn¡¯t want to let other males listen to her alluring moan. No way! He wasn¡¯t going to share their intimate moment with another person!

    "Then... have another maidservant to take Xiao Yu¡¯s ce for the day!" Yao Ying gave Yao Ling another idea.

    "No! If one of them are spies, she will certainly tell her master about our activities. It¡¯s too embarrassing! No matter who her master is... he or she probably lives in this household too! I don¡¯t want to second-guess myself in front of every member of this family!" Yao Ling exined whileughing at Yao Ying¡¯s darkened expression.

    "Tsk... We will clean up this courtyard soon, so you have no more reason to reject me," Yao Ying said righteously, making Yao Lingugh out loud.

    "I just gave you... that... yesterday. How can you be so pervert after that?!" Yao Ling shook her head in mock-despair. She pretended that it was a casual thing to say, but her blushing face didn¡¯t escape Yao Ying¡¯s eyes. He knew that his wife was actually stil feeling shy about it.

    "That... that... what?" Yao Ying teased his wife. Yao Ling was still shy talking about intimate matter and it was in contrast with how she behaved when they did it. So cute! "I¡¯m only a pervert toward you, so you should be happy!" Yao Ying grinned mischievously.

    Before they could banter more, Xiu gave an announcement that the matriarch wasing. Yao Ying and Yao Ling quickly stood up and tried to make themselves look more presentable in a short time, after that, they went out of the room to greet the matriarch.

    Yao Ling sweetly greeted the matriarch, "Grandmother, it¡¯s a great honor for us to have your visit. Is there something that Grandmother needs?"

    "No... No... I just want to check on both of you. I heard Yao Ying is sick, so I pay a visit." Then she turned to Yao Ying, "Ying-er, are you feeling better?"

    "Yes, Grandmother. This grandson is feeling better. Thanks to Ling-er¡¯s gentle care," Yao Ying charmingly answered, making Yao Ling slightly blush. His praise indeed made her feel happy and proud at the same time.

    "Why don¡¯t Grandmothere in and sit down?" Yao Ling politely asked the matriarch.

    The matriarch agreed to Yao Ling¡¯s offer and she sat down on the main seat inside the couple¡¯s personal room. "I see that both of you have a great feeling toward each other."

    When the couple heard what the matriarch had just said, they looked at each other in confusion. Why is the matriarch suddenly talking about their feelings toward each other? It was kind out of the blue.

    "But... where is my great-grandchild?" The matriarch looked at them seriously and pouted.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were dumbfounded with the sudden question. Was the matriarching all the way here just to ask for great-grandchild? Yao Ling could only answer with a twitching mouth, "We haven¡¯t been blessed with good news yet. I¡¯m sorry, Grandmother."

    "No worry. No worry. That¡¯s why I¡¯ming here. Grandmother feels really lonely and misses a child¡¯sughter, so I¡¯ve prepared a few things for both of you." The matriarch smiled happily and called Zhang Mo Mo, "Zhang Mo Mo, give Yao Ling the things that I¡¯ve prepared."

    "Yes, Old Madam." Zhang Mo Mo pulled out a present which nicely wrapped with red silk fabric and gave it to Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling looked at the present excitedly, "What is this, Grandmother?"

    "Open it!" The matriarch smiled softly and urged Yao Ling to open the present.

    When Yao Ling opened it, she realized that there were a series of books inside the wrapper. Yao Ling loved to learn new things and she excitedly opened the books. She suspected that the books were about pregnancy and how to take care of little children, but what she didn¡¯t expect was... it was actually a yellow book! When she opened the first page, it was already showing a position of making love and everything was so vulgar! The drawing gave the perfect details of man and women¡¯s body part and the position was very... very... crazy.

    Her eyes almost bulged out of her sockets and her cheeks were already reddened to the point of looking like a tomato. This... this... what the matriarch meant by giving her these books?! And also... in the broad daylight? In front of the servant too! This is so humiliating!

    Yao Ying was confused by Yao Ling¡¯s reaction. What made her blush cutely like that? He actually sat at the opposite side of Yao Ling, so he couldn¡¯t see it clearly. He decided to go near her and take a peek from behind her while asking, "Why are you blushing? What kind of book is it?"

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t close it in time, so Yao Ying was still able to see what¡¯s inside and he made the same reaction as Yao Ling. This... this kind of book... He could be a shameless person when he was with his wife privately, but seeing this kind of thing in the open was a different matter. Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help but blush along with his wife.

    The matriarch who saw their reaction roared inughter and wiped the tears on her eyes with a handkerchief, "Why are both of you shy? It isn¡¯t like you never do it, right?"

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling: ¡¯Yes... we never do it all the way.¡¯ However, they couldn¡¯t say it out loud. Not only it¡¯s embarrassing, but also it¡¯s the secret between both of them. They also didn¡¯t want to make the matriarch disappointed because they could see how much she wanted a great-grandchild.

    Yao Ling could only cover her face with both of her hands and said, "What are you saying, Grandmother? This really makes me feel embarrassed."

    "Our family is a bit open-minded, so talking about bed matter is a usual thing. Besides, these books are always passed down to the younger generation after they got married. I didn¡¯t give it to you before, because I thought both of you are already married for a little while, so you probably know about this matter. But..." The matriarch trailed off at thest part, but the meaning was clear.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were speechless. "..."

    Yao Ying¡¯s eyebrows twitched for a little bit. Did she mean that he wasn¡¯t good enough in bed? He tried to calm himself and vowed to himself that after the promised deadline... he wouldn¡¯t let Yao Ling get out of the bed and showed them how manly he was. They wanted a great-grandchild, huh? He would give them as many as he could! Yao Ling didn¡¯t know that the matriarch actually provoked the man¡¯s temper and the matter of her couldn¡¯t get out of bed? It would really happen in the future.

    Although he was thinking that way, Yao Ying knew that he couldn¡¯t offend the matriarch. He graciously thanked the matriarch, "Thank you, Grandmother. We will happily learn and try everything inside the book!"

    The matriarch was happy because of Yao Ying¡¯s answer. "Good! I will wait for the good news!" After that, she left in a good mood, but Yao Ying and Yao Ling didn¡¯t know that it was the beginning of their torture. The matriarch didn¡¯t stop at giving the yellow books. When the elders tried to interfere with their sex life, it would be embarrassing to the point of the couple were afraid to go home!

 Chapter 115 Back To Their Daily Life

    After the matriarch¡¯s episode, Yao Ling went back to her poison research. No matter how many times Yao Ying tried to entice him doing intimate things, Yao Ling just ignored him. For her, it was more important to know about the poison and ensure Yao Ying¡¯s health. They have the rest of their lives to enjoy doing intimate things.

    Yao Ying pouted when he saw Yao Ling busy all the time, even though he knew how important it was. "Are you sure you don¡¯t want to do it?"

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes in annoyance. This was the twentieth times he asked the same question! Yao Ling finally answered him, "Yes, I¡¯m sure. If you have the urge to satisfy yourself, you can do it by yourself. Use your own hands!"

    "Tsk... tsk... I never know that you are so cruel!"

    "Not cruel, just stating a fact," Yao Ling grinned.

    "Ling-er, tomorrow I have to go for a little while."

    "Go where?" Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "I already told you that you have to rest!"

    "I won¡¯t put a strain on my body. I just want to go to Lin Fu to meet my new master. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s polite to not pay my respect to him, after all, he already received me as his disciple," Yao Ying exined.

    "Did Lin Jian tell you something?"

    "Yes, the master usually never stays long at one ce, so it¡¯s probably better for me to meet him as soon as possible and also before he changes his mind. It seems like this old man has a weird character," Yao Ying told her the truth. Lin Jian indeed had his servant to give him this news and Yao Ying also felt that his headache had already stopped, so it was the proper time for him to greet the old master.

    Yao Ling sighed but she knew that she couldn¡¯t hold him back. "You are not a little kid, so I also can¡¯t stop you to go. But please think about your body! When you feel tired or your headache acts up again, you should go home and find me, okay? Don¡¯t do the morning drill! You can exercise for a little bit, so don¡¯t go all out!"

    Yao Ying kissed Yao Ling¡¯s lips and agreed to her condition. He knew how worried Yao Ling was and he would behave at Lin Fu. He looked at what Yao Ling did and asked, "Do you find out something from the poison residue?"

    "I think this slow-acting poison isn¡¯t that harmful as long as you get the antidote. It¡¯s simr to gu poison but less potent. However, Mei Li gu niang cleverly adapted the gu poison. She¡¯s able to make antidotes that have two different purposes--- one antidote to fully cure the person and one half-antidote to control people. She is a genius and the master behind her is more genius. I bet he¡¯s the one who asked Mei Li gu niang to make such a poison," Yao Ling exined.

    "Why do you reach such a conclusion?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "Judging from your story, she is loyal to the master, right? She only gives him/her the full antidote. He/she could get her trust and he/she is also able to control a poison master to such extent is really an amazing person," Yao Ling exined her point of view and it made sense.

    "Do you find out about the ingredients?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "Not fully. There are some ingredients that I don¡¯t know, so it will take a little bit of time for me to understand this poison clearly."

    Yao Ying nodded in understanding. "Thank you for your hard work."

    "We are husband and wife. There¡¯s no need for us to be so formal, besides... you also do a lot of things for me," Yao Ling said shyly.

    "Do I?" Yao Ying asked her, grinning.

    "Yes."

    "For example?"

    "You granted my silly wish," Yao Ling admitted in a soft voice.

    "Really? Which one?" Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows, thinking in confusion. What kind of silly wish that he had granted?

    "Marrying me," Yao Ling smiled softly.

    "Oh that... Silly! It¡¯s not a silly wish. If I didn¡¯t like you, I wouldn¡¯t marry you even if you forced me." Yao Ying flicked her forehead and said, "Don¡¯t think too much! We made the decision of getting married together, so you don¡¯t owe me anything. Remember it, okay?"

    Yao Ling blushed after listening to what he had said. It made her heart beat faster. Is it love? She doesn¡¯t know but she certainly won¡¯t regret it if she indeed falls in love with him.

    "But..." Yao Ying suddenly talked.

    "But what?" Yao Ling asked.

    "This husband is feeling a bit sad..."

    "Why?"

    "You care more about the poison than having fun with me."

    "..."

    Yao Ling felt like pping this shameless man. She thought it was about something important, but in the end, he just messed around with her! Of course, the poison was most important! Yao Ling red at him, "I¡¯m doing this for you. Because I¡¯m worried about you!"

    Yao Ying was taken aback. He didn¡¯t know that the reason she was so diligent in researching the poison was actually because of him! It was a lie if he said that he wasn¡¯t touched by her attentiveness. "About me?" He asked softly.

    "Yes. You drank this poison and even though you said that there¡¯s no negative effect on your body, I need to make sure that it¡¯s true! I don¡¯t want it to harm your body..." Yao Ling trailed off at thest part, but the meaning was clear.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know what to say to Yao Ling. His heart skipped for a little bit. Is it love? He had the same thought as Yao Ling --- he won¡¯t regret it if he falls in love with her. Yao Ying hugged her from behind and put her chin on the top of her head --- he was much taller than the petite Yao Ling, but somehow... they fit perfectly.

    "But you don¡¯t need to put a strain on your body. You can research it when you have the time!"

    "I have a lot of time now!"

    "I haven¡¯t finished talking yet! When you have the time and you are not with me..." Yao Ying smiled mischievously.

    "What¡¯s the difference?"

    "I want to spend my time with you! But you only look at that hideous poison!" Yao Ying whined childishly.

    "..." Yao Ying speechlessly thought to herself, ¡¯Where is my husband? Why suddenly he bes shameless and now... a whiny little brat?!¡¯

    "Today, I finally can take a break from Fu Rong, so I have a lot of free time. My rest day! Without this holiday, I can only spend a little bit of time at night to research the poison. It will take longer!" Yao Ling tried to reason with the whiny man.

    "Look! You said it¡¯s your rest day. Do you know the meaning of rest? It means to cease work or movement in order to rx, refresh oneself, or recover strength."

    "Then what do you want me to do with you?"

    "Of course to rx on the bed with me and probably enjoying ourselves," Yao Ying excitedly told her his n.

    "By your definition of rest, I also can¡¯t do it with you. Rest means to cease movement in order to rx. If we do the intimacy things, I¡¯m pretty sure my mouth, my tongue, and my hands won¡¯t stop moving," Yao Ling counterattacked him with a solid argument.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know since when Yao Ling was more cleverer at debating. He could only give her another suggestion, "Er... then you rest and I will do all the work?"

    Yao Ling red at him. "You are not going to give up, are you?"

    Yao Ying grinned cheekily. "No... I won¡¯t stop until you agree."

    Yao Ling felt her face darkened. Give him an inch and he will take a mile. Without another word, Yao Ling kicked him out of the room. "I want to get my peace. When you already calm your little brother Yao Ying... you cane back in and sleep inside the room."

    Yao Ying had no choice but taking a cold shower and didn¡¯t dare to do anything for the rest of the night!

 Chapter 116 The Explanation

    The next day, Yao Ying and Yao Ling were called to Wang Luo Hai¡¯s study after they finished breakfast. They looked at each other and it seemed like Wang Luo Hai decided to tell them about the organization.

    They went to the study room and Wang Luo Hai already waited for them there. "Come in," Wang Luo Hai said when he heard the knocking sound on the door.

    When he saw the coupleing in, he gestured for them to sit down. "I know that you must have a lot of questions. I will answer it all. Just ask me what you want to know." Wang Luo Hai knew that it was time to tell them the truth, they already put it off a bit too long.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other and they seemed to be in a tacit understanding to let Yao Ying ask the first question. "Why didn¡¯t you tell me anything and go straight away to let me meet Mei Li gu niang and drank the poison?" This was the question that he wanted to ask the most.

    "I¡¯m sorry," Wang Luo Hai apologized first before jumped into the exnation. "I am deeply integrated into this organization. There is an unspoken rule that my descendant shall continue the works of her or his predecessor. I now have you as my child and you are the only sessor that I have. It can only be passed down to you."

    "But why didn¡¯t you tell me all about it beforehand?"

    "Because I am afraid to lose both of you!" Wang Luo Hai said softly. He wanted to have children of his own for so long and he finally found them, so he didn¡¯t want to let them go.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were dumbfounded. There were so many possible reasons, but they never thought about this. "Afraid to lose us?" Yao Ying asked him in confusion.

    "It¡¯s hard for me to find a son that I truly like and what sane people would agree to drink poison to a new organization that he has never heard of?"

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling thought to themselves, ¡¯No sane person, of course!¡¯ They were both speechless. Wang Luo Hai already understood about that point and yet... he still did it.

    "There¡¯s another rule. If my descendant didn¡¯t want to continue doing my work, they would hunt you down. I want to ensure your safety because there¡¯s no other choice for you. You have to join the organization." Wang Luo Hai told them the truth.

    Yao Ying sighed. Wang Luo Hai might do it the wrong way, but he did it because he cared and he didn¡¯t have the heart to me him. "I know, but you should trust me too. I might get angry at first, but once I made a decision to be your son... I will follow it until the end." Yao Ying was a decisive person, once he put his mind into something, he would do it until the end.

    Wang Luo Hai felt his heart touched by Yao Ying¡¯s thoughtfulness. He sighed in relief. "I¡¯m afraid that you will hate me for that."

    "You are my father. How can I hate you?" Yao Ying smiled softly.

    "Yes... you are our father. We are family, so Father... Yao Ying is correct. You should trust us. If you have something in mind, you can share the burden with us." Yao Ling added.

    "This is my fault. I won¡¯t do it again." Wang Luo Hai promised them. "What else do you want to know?"

    "What kind of organization is it?"

    "Do you know the political condition of our kingdom?" Wang Luo Hai asked.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling shook their head. Yao Ying answered on their behalf, "We were just peasants. We only know that currently, our kingdom is in peace due to a peace treaty. Other than that, we really have no idea."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded. "Fair enough..." Sometimes he forgot that they used to be mere peasants because they were always so smart and behaved elegantly, especially after Yao Ling took Zhang Mo Mo¡¯s lesson. They are also able to read and write --- which is rare for peasants.

    "There are a few reasons for the peace treaty. The peace treaty with the Qin Kingdom is because of the political marriage between the King of Qin and a princess from our Shu Kingdom -- Princess Huai Yi. The princess is popr because of her beauty and cleverness. Once she met the King of Qin, she was able to capture his heart and sessfully became the Empress. Thus, we are able to maintain the peacefulness. As long as Princess Huai Yi stays powerful, we don¡¯t have to worry about the Qin Kingdom. About the Han Kingdom, the people there are more barbaric. Their living condition is far worse than us, hence they always raid our borders just to find some foods."

    "Barbaric in what term?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She was always interested in learning new things and this information really piqued her interest.

    "For example, the way they dress up. We, Shu people, always use fabric to make clothes. They prefer pelts."

    "Oh? Besides that?"

    Wang Luo Haiughed at her. "You look so interested... Well... They are more rugged, burly and bigger than most of us -- even the women."

    "And then?"

    "How about this? I will give you a book and you can read about their civilization from there? It will take a lot of time if I tell you about it one by one," Wang Luo Hai offered.

    "Then... thanks to Father," Yao Ling grinned widely.

    Wang Luo Hai nodded in return, then he continued talking, "It¡¯s a bit hard to subdue the barbaric, but we have one general that they really fear of, General Wu. He is currently stationed on the border and after crushing their famous general, we are able to sign a peace treaty."

    "Father, what¡¯s the connection of that matter with the organization?" Yao Ying asked, feeling impatient. He wasn¡¯t interested in knowing the history between the countries.

    Wang Luo Hai shook his head and said, "You have to know at least to know that much, it¡¯s connected to our organization too."

    "What?"

    Yao Ling nudged Yao Ying and whispered to him, "Just let Father finish the story first!" That shut him up.

    "Because of the peacefulness, the court starts to get restless. There are a lot of princesses, but only a few prices --- only five. Some of them start to get restless because the crown prince hasn¡¯t been announced by the king. Even between the princes, there are also small factions that divided them."

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows and started to realize that the organization seemed to have a connection with one of the prince. He sighed but he already joined the organization, so he could only go with the flow. They lived a bit far from the capital and yet their father was actually having a deep connection with the royal family.

    Wang Luo Hai noticed Yao Ying¡¯s expression and smiled, "You seem to understand something."

    Yao Ying nodded, "Is the organization somehow connected to one of the princes?"

    "Yes. To be exact, two princes."

    Yao Ying raised one of his eyebrows. "How so?"

    "The princes have the same birth mother, so they are in a good rtionship. One of them isn¡¯t really interested in bing King, but instead... his hobby is making money. He uses his talent in making money to fund and support the other prince."

    Yao Ling asked, "Such a good brother? I heard from my deceased mother that the royal family is bloodthirsty and they don¡¯t hesitate to even kill their own kins." Yao Ling was a bit skeptical about that so-called kind prince.

    "A lot of people think that way, but so far... he proves himself that he indeed doesn¡¯t have the desire to acquire the throne. The other prince is the one who has the brain to solve the country¡¯s problem."

    "Father, have you ever thought... what if...ter they separate?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "I know both of them really well and I believe that won¡¯t happen!" Wang Luo Hai answered resolutely.

    "Do they have a connection with the previous Empress?" Yao Ying suddenly asked.

    Wang Luo Hai looked at him in surprise. "How do you know?"

 Chapter 117 Connection to The Throne 1

    "I have a hunch because I heard that Grandmother is the previous Empress¡¯ sister. But who is the princes¡¯ mother?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "The Empress¡¯ beloved niece --- in other words, she is also your grandmother¡¯s daughter. My sister. Your aunt." Wang Luo Hai exined.

    Yao Ying asked in surprise, "I thought that Father is the only son."

    "Yes, I¡¯m the only son, but not the only child," Wang Luo Hai smiled.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other. ¡¯Well... that¡¯s true. They never ask whether the matriarch had another child or not. They just assumed that Wang Luo Hai was the only child.

    "Ah... it means Wang Fu is the maternal family of the princes and that¡¯s why Wang Fu bes their backer, right?"

    Wang Luo Hai nodded.

    "But why do they also want their maternal family to drink the poison? Don¡¯t they trust their own maternal family?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "I would make the same decision if I was them. They were once betrayed by one of our family," Wang Luo Hai said but he didn¡¯t divulge on it any further. Yao Ying and Yao Ling could see the pain in his eyes, so when he didn¡¯t say anything, they didn¡¯t push for an answer. They believed he would tell them when he was ready.

    "Who are the princes?"

    "I will give you a brief description of each prince," Wang Luo Hai said.

    The first prince is Shen Wang. He¡¯s the oldest prince, but popr for his lecherous behavior. He already has a Wang Fei, but he still goes around to fill his household with concubines --- even the King is having a headache because of him. Because of that, he is unfavored and only dwells with lust every day. His mother already passed away so he also didn¡¯t have powerful backers. One word to describe him --- useless prince.

    The second prince is Chu Wang. One of the strongest candidates to be a crown prince. He¡¯s popr because of his handsomeness. He¡¯s quickwitted and has a strong backer. His mother is the daughter of General Wu and because of General Wu¡¯s current strong poprity, Chu Wang¡¯s position in the court is pretty stable.

    The fifth prince is only five years old, so he doesn¡¯t pose too much of a threat. His mother is the current favorite concubine of the King. Everything can change in a few years, so it never hurts to be careful and ns ahead just in case the fifth prince -- Chen Wang rises in power.

    Yao Ying asked, "So... it means we support the third and fourth prince?"

    Wang Luo Hai nodded his head in excitement, "Yes. They are actually twins and very close to each other. They have a bond that is known only to a few people --- they are able to feel the other person pain. So when the other is in danger, the other can feel it. They can detect each other¡¯s mood. This fact is only known to a small circle of people, so both of you should seal your mouth."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling answered at the same time, "Yes."

    "What are their titles?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Xiao Wang and Ming Wang."

    "Anything else that I should know about them?" Yao Ying asked, feeling interested in knowing more about the persons that they supported wholeheartedly.

    "Because of theirbined power, they greatly affect the court. However, because of that, the King is wary of them. He is even slightly jealous of their power. Xiao Wang is very good at business and he is very wealthy. Ming Wang is the brain in politics. The King even attempts to drive a wedge between them for a few times just to lower their influence and power," Wang Luo Hai exined.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "That¡¯s why I hate politics. It makes the rtionship of the people in the family be soplicated. Father and sons can be enemies in a heartbeat."

    "Indeed... that¡¯s the cruelty of the royal family. The princes can¡¯t run away from their fates and they have to work hard to protect themselves. Even the fifth prince won¡¯t leave untouched if Chu Wang starts to move. That man is very cruel and nothing can stop him when heys his eyes on something --- including women."

    "Are the reasons for you to support them purely because you are blood-rted, Father?" Yao Ling asked. She didn¡¯t agree with that kind of perception. She would respect Wang Luo Hai more if the reason was that of the quality of the princes themselves. After all, the winner would take over and control their kingdom. If it fell to the wrong hands, then the kingdom would be ruined.

    "No... of course, not. Although they are young, they are wise and have a certain charisma that makes people trust them and give them their loyalty. They also care about the people. You don¡¯t know the crazy amount of donation that Xiao Wang has given to the citizens," Wang Luo hai exined.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling didn¡¯t really care about those superficial things. They already heard enough about the princes and they wanted to see them before they could make a judgment about their characteristics.

    "Then what about the boss of our organization? Is it the prince?" Yao Ling asked with twinkling eyes. Wow! It seemed like Yao Ying would be able to meet with a prince! When they were peasants, they wouldn¡¯t dare to think that someday they would meet a prince. After all, the princes were high up there. They only heard a rumor here and there back at the vige, but because to them it was a piece of insignificant news, they didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to it.

    "Yes, we are directly under Ming Wang¡¯s leadership," Wang Luo Hai smiled. "Xiao Wang won¡¯t be bothered to lead such a big organization, but he is the one who manages the business side --- such as our Fu Rong."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at him in surprise. "Fu Rong? Is our Fu Rong under the banner of Xiao Wang? Isn¡¯t this our Wang Fu family business?"

    Wang Luo Haiughed when he saw the surprise in their expression. "Yes, it¡¯s under Xiao Wang¡¯s banner. We directly report our ountancy to him --- well... more like his subordinates. After all, we are staying a bit far from the capital."

    "What about the profit? I know that our manor is still able to live luxuriously, so how do we split the profit?" Yao Ying started to rack his brain, calcting their profit. After all, the ountancy currently is held by him.

    Wang Luo Hai shook his head when he saw Yao Ying¡¯s reaction. He knew that Yao Ying didn¡¯t mean anything bad about what he asked about. He could see that Yao Ying wasn¡¯t a greedy person, so Yao Ying probably thought about their Wang Fu. "Eighty - twenty. We get the eighty percent of the profits. The rest will be used to fund the prince¡¯s political expenses."

    "Only twenty? I thought he would take at least fifty."

    "No, Xiao Wang has already calcted everything. Besides, Fu Rong is only a small part of his business chains. He always generously shares his profit with his subordinates," Wang Luo Hai exined.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were impressed by Xiao Wang¡¯s characteristics. It seems like he wasn¡¯t a petty or stingy person.

    "Father, if you want to help the princes, why don¡¯t you stay in the Capital? Won¡¯t it be easier for you?" Yao Ling asked.

    "No, it¡¯s far too dangerous. The King is a very cautious and narrowminded person. He already guards himself against the princes. If we are staying there, we most likely will be a suspect and won¡¯t be able to live as freely as now. After all, we are the maternal family of the princes," Wang Luo Hai exined the real situation in the Capital.

    "Hah... the life of the royal blood is very dangerous. The luxuriouses with a heavy price, especially with a paranoid King as a Father," Yao Ling felt that the princes were quite pitiful.

    "Is the princes¡¯ mother still alive?"

    "Yes, but she¡¯s practically living as a hostage." Wang Luo Hai sighed in sadness, remembering his sister¡¯s current situation.

    "A hostage?" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    "Yes." Wang Luo Hai nodded.

 Chapter 118 Connection to The Throne 2

    "But... why?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "To control the princes. Am I right, Father?" Yao Ying asked Wang Luo Hai whether his guess was correct or not.

    "You are correct." Wang Luo Hai knew that Yao Ying was always perspective.

    "Do they get married out of love?" Yao Ling hesitantly asked. She felt really curious about this.

    Wang Luo Haiughed bitterly. "In political marriage, who will get married out of love? Especially to the Emperor. He has thousands of concubines, how can you expect a man with a harem full of beautiful women will be able to love one woman for life? It¡¯s simply an outrageous dream!"

    "Ha..." Yao Ling sighed. "It¡¯s true. All the males from royal bloodlines indeed have a lot of beautiful women around. I really do pity the women."

    "That¡¯s true!" Wang Luo Hai said. "My sister actually really did love the Emperor and it adds to her grievance."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other and helplessly talked to each other through their eyes, ¡¯Father... you also have concubines.¡¯ But oh well... they just swallowed the words inwardly.

    "Father, what¡¯s the organization for? What¡¯s your job there?" Yao Ying asked, steering back the topic to the organization once again.

    "It¡¯s the web ofmunication and spy intelligence for the princes. I manage thework in this city," Wang Luo Hai answered.

    "No wonder there¡¯s a rumor about how Wang Fu has a pretty bigwork," Yao Ling remembered what Ning jie had told her. Then, she was reminded of something, "If this news is public secret, won¡¯t it affect the Emperor¡¯s opinion to our family? Won¡¯t it increase his anxiety?"

    Wang Luo Haiughed. "Yes, but we indeed are the ones who supply the gossip to themoners. After all, without a little bargaining chip like this, the Emperor won¡¯t be scared of us. If he doesn¡¯t fear us, he will certainly crush us to death. Besides, we also cover up ourwork nicely. We pledge our loyalty to the Emperor and promise him to give the Emperor thetest news first. At a nce, we look like we solely work for him."

    "But...?" Yao Ying felt like Wang Luo Hai hadn¡¯t finished telling them all about it.

    "Clever Boy..." Wang Luo Hai praised Yao Ying. "Of course, we sort out what kind of news that the Emperor is allowed to hear, what he needs to hear and what¡¯s not."

    "Doesn¡¯t the Emperor also have his own intelligencework?" Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows.

    "Yes, but some of our people are there too, so what we report to the Emperor always go in line with the Emperor¡¯s intelligencework. We will just add a piece of bonus information once in a while so the Emperor will rely on us and remember our worth," Wang Luo Hai exined.

    Yao Ling found that Wang Luo Hai -- although he seemed to be an easygoing person, actually was very clever. It seemed like they were serving the Emperor, but actually, they controlled the information around the Emperor!

    Yao Ying started to see the bigger picture very clearly, about Fu Rong, the Hua Lou, and the connection with General Lin and Lin Jian. This was a really bigwork and he wondered how long they had built this kind of amazing achievement. It seemed like the princes were indeed very clever or someone probably had prepared thiswork for them.

    "Father... this isn¡¯t an organization that has a n for treason, right?" Yao Ling asked. After all, they even managed to infiltrate the Emperor¡¯swork, so what else they couldn¡¯t do?

    "Of course, not! Never say such a treasonous word! It will lead to disaster if other people hear about it. All the members of our family will be killed!" Wang Luo Hai gently chided Yao Ling and to remind her that that word shall not be said. They ought to be careful when talking about the Emperors. He believed that the Emperor must have sent spies in their household too!

    "We are doing this just for the sake of the princes. As long as the Emperor lead the kingdom wisely and never direct his sword to the princes, then we will do nothing and keep supporting him. We solely serve the princes," Wang Luo Hai tantly pledged his loyalty to the princes.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling nodded. After everything was in the clear, they felt relieved. "Any more question?" They heard Wang Luo Hai ask and both shook their head altogether. It was enough information for one day.

    "If you want to ask somethingter, you can just find me. You can go now! I heard that Yao Ying want to meet your new master?" Wang Luo Hai asked.

    "Yes, Father."

    "You will have a lot of fun with that old man around." Wang Luo Hai grinned.

    "Why?" Yao Ying asked curiously. What kind of fun?

    "You will see. Hahaha ---" Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t want to divulge more, but instead, heughed out loud. It made Yao Ying and Yao Ling look at each other in confusion. "Go... go... just do your jobs for the day!" Wang Luo Hai indirectly chased them away from his study room.

    The two of them obediently went out and they both did what they needed to do. Yao Ling and Xiao Yu went to Zhang Mo Mo¡¯s lessons and Fu Rong. She checked everything on Ning jie¡¯s side from Ning jie¡¯s report and everything went smoothly. The kids obediently followed their arrangement. Qiao Qiao had calmed down, but the kidnapping indeed made him a little bit traumatic. However, Xiao Yu assured her that with the help of the other kids, he would get better in no time.

    Yao Ling told Ning jie to teach Qiao Qiao reading and writing too. Ning jie readily agreed because she could see that Qiao Qiao is a clever boy. Xiao Yu thanked Yao Ling for her grace and boldly said that Qiao Qiao was also ready to serve Yao Ling. Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry at Xiao Yu¡¯s excited face. She patted Xiao Yu¡¯s shoulder and said, "Xiao Yu ah~ I will think where to assign Qiao Qiaoter. But let the poor boy rest and calm his mind first, then we can talk about thister. I want him to follow me willingly --- not because you force him too, okay?"

    Xiao Yu shook her head and said, "This servant didn¡¯t force him, Young Mistress ah~! He indeed said that he wants to follow you! And also... he wants to be like Feng. Whenever he talks about the hero who saved him, Qiao Qiao¡¯s eyes are twinkling with excitement and worship."

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help butugh. "Just tell him to recuperate first and learn diligently, and I will assign him under Feng, okay? Of course, I need to ask Feng first whether he agrees or not."

    Xiao Yu nodded in excitement. "Thank you, Young Mistress." She finally was able to sigh in relief, because she had secured a future for her brother. Her family was already doing good and she could wholeheartedly serve Young Mistress.

    "How is Liu Li?" Yao Ling asked.

    "She¡¯s recuperating, but not really well. Concubine Wan seemed to be angry because Liu Li went to the Hua Lou and smeared her name in front of Old Madam. Concubine Wan always hates her own background, so Liu Li really poked on her sore spot."

    "Keep sending her a good medicine until she is fully healed. How¡¯s the treatment toward her there?"

    "Yes, Young Mistress. After she has fallen from grace, the other maidservants on Concubine Wan¡¯s side start to bully her. After all, she¡¯s popr for being narrowminded and a bit cruel before."

    "When the timees for her to ask our help, just tell me and help her with everything you can. Sooner orter, she will be our important chess piece." Yao Ling smiled. Although she pitied the girl, she had targetted her husband and she wasn¡¯t magnanimous enough to let that matter go.

    "Yes, Young Mistress." Xiao Yu knew that Liu Li wouldn¡¯t end up well, but unlike her young mistress, she didn¡¯t pity her at all --- after all, she had targetted her family and even kidnapped her younger brother. This grudge... she shall pay for it. Unfortunately, her young mistress still needed her, so she could do nothing about it. She wasn¡¯t going to betray her young mistress¡¯ trust over Liu Li.

    *******

    Yao Ying went to Lin Fu and he was weed by Lin Jian. "If you still don¡¯te here today, I will probably drag you here," Lin Jian pouted. "What did you up to?"

    Yao Ying looked at him and threw him a question back, "Didn¡¯t you already know beforehand?"

    Lin Jian was taken aback by his question but managed tough. "How do you know?"

    "I heard from my subordinate that there were a lot of corpses that he left back at the hua lou, but not a word about it was leaking out. So, I assume that you know something about it and clean up the mess for me," Yao Ying answeredzily.

    "You are so confident, huh?" Lin Jian shook his head. "I just don¡¯t want the hua lou¡¯s reputation to take a hit. It will certainly affect our business. Don¡¯t be big-headed and assume that I did that just for you!"

    "Uh-huh..." Yao Ying didn¡¯t believe a word that he said.

    "I¡¯m just curious. Why didn¡¯t you ask for my help?" Lin Jian asked.

 Chapter 119 Shi Fu 1

    Fortunately, Lin Jian found out about the kidnapping matter by chance, otherwise... it would end up badly.

    At first, Lin Jian got a report that one of his shopkeepers was having a shady business with one of Wang Fu¡¯s maidservant. His informant mentioned that they even spent the night together andtely it was getting bolder and bolder. He wanted to ask Yao Ying whether he knew that maidservant, but when he realized that Yao Ying didn¡¯t even know that Wang Fu was one of the owners of this hua lou, he kept these bits of information back.

    He paid close attention but didn¡¯t interfere, after all, it was Wang Fu¡¯s matter and it had nothing to do with him. By the time he heard that a kid was kidnapped and being kept in the hua lou, he started to realize that something bigger was going on. Lin Jian found out that Yao Ying had already made a move and he just decided to deal with the aftermath. He already killed the shopkeeper as a reminder for the others. Their hua lou wasn¡¯t a ce for them to do shady business.

    The shopkeepers weren¡¯t actually part of the organization --- only three of them were and it was because they worked long enough and could be trusted. The recently hired shopkeepers didn¡¯t know anything about it and Lin Jian couldn¡¯t believe that one of them was bold enough to kidnap a kid and put jeopardy to their hua lou. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t strict enough, after all, this hua lou was mainly handled by him, so it had be his responsibility. He didn¡¯t hesitate to kill the shopkeeper to warn the others to behave and instill fear to them.

    Lin Jian was curious why Yao Ying didn¡¯t try to ask for his help. Yao Ying already knew that he was handling this hua lou! It would be a piece of cake for him to save the kid. That was why he asked Yao Ying why didn¡¯t he ask for his help?

    "I can¡¯t ask for your help every time I¡¯m in trouble." Yao Ying admitted. He didn¡¯t want to rely on other people too much and also he wanted to prove that he was capable of handling his own matter. A man¡¯s pride, to be precise. Besides, he wanted to learn to protect his people on his own. If there was a little bit setback and he kept asking for help, it would make him get used to it and bezy.

    Lin Jian shook his head at his stubbornness. "Just find me when you need help." He offered his friendship to Yao Ying wholeheartedly.

    "Don¡¯t worry! I will!" Yao Ying grinned. "Thanks for the offer. I will put it to good use." Despite his pride, Yao Ying knew there would be a day he needed Lin Jian¡¯s help and his offer was deeply appreciated.

    Lin Jian suddenly had a bad premonition when Yao Ying said that he would put it to good use. He gritted his teeth and stood by what he said, and hopefully, Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t abuse his offer too much.

    "So, where¡¯s Shi Fu?" Yao Ying casually asked. "Oh... and also General Lin? I haven¡¯t told him personally that I couldn¡¯t attend the morning drill. I should pay my respect to him."

    "Don¡¯t worry! I already exined to my father that you were sick and not cking off, so you should be fine. Coincidentally, Shi Fu and my father are currently together. I will take you there!"

    Yao Ying nodded and followed Lin Jian. However, he didn¡¯t expect to see the scene in front of him when he saw both Shi Fu and General Lin. His jaw practically dropped open in surprise, while Lin Jian only shook his head and sighed.

    "Kneel down!" Shi Fu said.

    "But... Shi Xiong! I am a general now!" General Lin whined. He felt like crying because of the old man in front of him. He would make him lose his dignity ah~.

    "Although you are my general, you are still my Shi Di." Shi Fu said heartlessly and he crossed both of his arms in front of his chest, trying to intimidate General Lin.

    "Errr.... Is General Lin Shi Fu¡¯s Shi Di?" Yao Ling asked Lin Jian in surprise. He really didn¡¯t see iting!

    "Yes," Lin Jian answered. He looked at the scene in front of him without a change of expression. It seemed like it was a usual urrence and Lin Jian already got used to it.

    "What did General Lin do? Why is he being punished?" Yao Ying looked around and there was no one around. "Why is there no one around?"

    Lin Jian stifled hisughter. "Why are you bombarding me with so many questions? There¡¯s an unspoken rule for everyone in this household. Whenever Shi Fu is here, no one is allowed to stay near him. If something like this happens, there will be no witness. Otherwise, my father¡¯s reputation will plummet."

    Yao Ying: "Does this happen all the time?"

    Lin Jian: "Yep..."

    Yao Ying: "But... no one knows except us, right?"

    Lin Jian: "Of course. Only us and Uncle Wang."

    Yao Ying: "General Lin... does he always let Shi Fu bully him like this?"

    Lin Jian: "Yes..."

    "Then the reason for the punishment?" Yao Ying asked again, still feeling curious.

    "I¡¯m not too sure myself. Just now, they were still perfectly fine," Lin Jian helplessly answered Yao Ying¡¯s question. "Come on! Let¡¯s hide and enjoy the show!" Lin Jian took Yao Ying to the nearest thick bush. They squatted down and watched the unfolding scene in front of them.

    "Lin Zheng! Do you admit your wrong?" Shi Fu asked Lin Zheng once again after General Lin kneeled down in front of him.

    "Shi Xiong, how can I admit that I¡¯m wrong?! I really couldn¡¯t find the wine that you wanted! It had been bought until not even one jug left. How can you me me?" Lin Zheng looked at his Shi Xiong indignantly. It was just a simple matter! However, he knew that wine was always Shi Xiong¡¯s bottom line. If he didn¡¯t have theirte Shi Fu¡¯s wish before he died to protect and listen to Shi Xiong, he would already throttle the man in front of him. Shi Xiong was already so old and yet still behaved like a little kid!

    Shi Fu squinted his eyes at Lin Zheng and mmed his hand on the table beside him, "Hmpf! You know that wine is my bottom line! Didn¡¯t you remember what Shi Fu had said before he passed away?"

    Lin Zheng gritted his teeth to the shameless person in front of him but still answered him nheless, "Remember."

    "Recite it!"

    "Lin Zheng, I know that you are a capable man, but I¡¯m worried about your Shi Xiong. Even though he¡¯s a genius at martial arts, but his IQ is like a little kid. You have to be the magnanimous one and take care of him, okay?" Lin Zheng recited what his Shi Fu said on his deathbed with a darkened face and to Yao Ying¡¯s surprise, Lin Jian followed along and recited the whole things perfectly.

    Yao Ying whispered softly, "How can you remember it so clearly?"

    "You will if you heard these sentences almost every day for a few years," Lin Jian grinned. "Actually, Father can ignore Shi Fu¡¯s demand, but he respects the old man a lot. After all, Shi Fu once saved Father when he almost died. Even though Father has to lower his dignity as a great general, but he never sees it as a silly thing to do. Yes, he sometimes is angry, but after it finishes, everything will back to normal. He really loves Shi Fu dearly and treats him as his own brother."

    Yao Ying thought to himself. ¡¯No wonder, Father said that there will be a good show when the old man is around. I bet if he¡¯s here, he will be happy when he sees General Lin being bullied.¡¯ He imagined Wang Luo Hai wicked smile and shivered inwardly. He couldn¡¯t seem to fathom the love-hate rtionship between the two of them. However, he was quite proud of General Lin, because he knew how to reciprocate and thank others for his merit toward him. An upright General!

    "Don¡¯t you want to save your father?" Yao Ying asked Lin Jian, feeling worried for General Lin.

    Lin Jian also knew that this was already beyond outrageous. He scratched his chin and nodded, "Yes, I think we really have to save him from the humiliation." After that, he seemed toe up with an idea andughed.

    Lin Jian turned to Yao Ying and said, "Watch and learn! You will have to deal with this kind of scene once in a while and you have to know how to handle it. Our Shi Fu is a bit entric."

    Yao Ying nodded, but before he could say anything else, Lin Jian kicked Yao Ying¡¯s butt. Yao Ying was pushed by Lin Jian¡¯s kick and he flew out of the bush where they hid. Yao Yingnded near where Shi Fu and General Lin were and he could only yelp, "Ahhh..."

    ¡¯Damn! Is this what Lin Jian called to watch and learn?! He just made me his sacrificialmb!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself and sweated because he knew that General Lin wouldn¡¯t want Yao Ying to see him in this state.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry at this moment.

 Chapter 120 Shi Fu 2

    Shi Fu and General Lin looked at Yao Ying at the same time. They were surprised by his sudden and unique way of arrival. Yao Ying could see their astonished look in their eyes and he could also see the reflection of his own shocked face. ¡¯Damn you, Lin Jian!¡¯ He cursed Lin Jian inside his mind. He really didn¡¯t hesitate to sacrifice him!

    Shi Fu squinted his eyes and looked at Yao Ying in confusion, "Who are you?" He seemed to see this youngster¡¯s face somewhere before, but he couldn¡¯t recall where he had met him before.

    At the same time, General Lin also asked him, "What are you doing here, Yao Ying?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, but at the same time, he was embarrassed because he was being punished.

    Shi Fu seemed to recall something. Yao Ying? Isn¡¯t it the name of his new disciple? He decided to ask, "Are you Little Wang¡¯s kid? My new disciple?"

    Yao Ying quickly got up, cupped his hands and bowed to Shi Fu, "Yes, Shi Fu. Yao Ying is Shi Fu¡¯s new disciple. This disciple greets Shi Fu."

    General Lin sighed in relief when his Shi Xiong¡¯s attention was fully given to Yao Ying. It¡¯s time for him to run away! "Shi Xiong... it seems like you will be busy teaching Yao Ying. So, Shi Di will go back first and Shi Di will try to find the precious wine. Bye!" After saying that, the shameless Lin Zheng quickly got up and without waiting for his Shi Xiong¡¯s permission, he quickly ran away. He already felt embarrassed enough to be punished in front of his disciple, so there was no need to hesitate. Poof! And the Great General Lin was gone.

    Yao Ying, "..."

    How could an aloof general like General Lin run away just like that?! It seemed like shamelessness ran in the family? He started to realize Lin Jian¡¯s way of solving this problem --- sacrificing another person to find a chance to run away. Tsk! He wouldn¡¯t let him go easily too!

    "Shi Fu, this disciple would like to give respect to Shi Fu." After saying that, Yao Ying gave a full kowtow to his new Shi Fu. Yao Ying saw a cup of tea on the table and asked Shi Fu, "Shi Fu, can this disciple present you with a cup of tea as a simple ceremony to affirm our master-disciple rtionship?" Yao Ying was confident that everything would go smoothly.

    "No... no... I don¡¯t want tea! I want a jug of wine!" Shi Fu pouted like a little kid.

    Yao Ying was speechless, but he knew that he had to fulfill Shi Fu¡¯s desire. Fortunately, Xiu went to Lin Fu along with him. He hid in the bush along with him and when Yao Ying was being kicked, Xiu also came out and helped him to stand up.

    "Xiu... go back to Wang Fu and ask Father for his most precious wine collection!" Yao Ying recalled that Wang Luo Hai preferred tea than wine, so he should be generous enough to share his wine with him.

    Yao Ying remembered that Shi Fu wanted to find a precious wine that General Lin couldn¡¯t even find and he wasn¡¯t sure whether Wang Luo Hai¡¯s wine would be on par or better than the wine that Shi Fu wanted, so it should probably be better to distract Shi Fu. "Lin Jian,e here. Shouldn¡¯t you introduce me to Shi Fu?" Yao Ying decided to call the betrayer and let them face this together!

    "Lin Jian? That brat is here too? Why didn¡¯t he greet me?" Shi Fu asked in displeasure. What kind of disciple is he? Where is his manner? Maybe he should punish him along with his father!

    Both Shi Fu and Yao Ying heard Lin Jian cursing in a low voice, then he appeared from behind the thick bush with a soft smile. "Ah... Shi Fu... this disciple greets Shi Fu." He pretended that he wasn¡¯t the one who cursed just now.

    Shi Fu scowled and asked Lin Jian, "Why didn¡¯t youe out and greet me?!"

    Yao Yingughed to himself. Shi Fu¡¯s annoyance had been directed at Lin Jian, so he could sigh in relief. He knew that Shi Fu had a weird personality, but without directmunication, he wouldn¡¯t be able to know how to appease him. That¡¯s why he needed to see how Lin Jian dealt with the old man.

    "Shi Fu, I just want to surprise you!" Lin Jian coaxed the old man while pretending to be heartbroken. "But, Yao Ying ruined it!"

    ¡¯Damn! Did he just throw the attention back to me?¡¯ Yao Ying scowled. Then he said, "I¡¯m sorry, Shi Xiong. Shi Di really admires Shi Fu and wants Shi Xiong to introduce me properly to Shi Fu."

    Lin Jian red at Yao Ying. Didn¡¯t he say that he didn¡¯t want to call him Shi Xiong? When there was trouble, he was really quick in pulling out the Shi Xiong card! Lin Jian had no choice and he introduced Yao Ying formally to Shi Fu. Yao Ying looked at Shi Fu expectantly, waiting for him to tell what kind of lessons he would receive.

    Shi Fu looked at Yao Ying at a nce and noticed something different about him. "Come here," Shi Fu called him toe over and he looked at Yao Ying¡¯s paleplexion. He felt that there was something wrong with Yao Ying¡¯s body.

    Yao Ying came to him and without waiting for Yao Ying to say something, Shi Fu quickly grabbed Yao Ying¡¯s hand and he checked on his pulse. "Hmm...there¡¯s something blocking your brain. Hmm... blood clots? Hmmm..." The old man kept murmuring something, making Yao Ying slightly anxious. After a few moments, Shi Fu released Yao Ying¡¯s hand and stroke his white beards slowly, thinking.

    Even though Shi Fu had the mind of a child and loved to get drunk, but his abilities were all real. Lin Jian could vouch on this aspect. "Do you have memory loss?" Shi Fu asked seriously.

    Yao Ying nodded. He hesitantly looked at Lin Jian, asking with his eyes whether he told Shi Fu or not. Lin Jian seemed to understand what he meant and he shook his head --- he didn¡¯t tell him. It was purely Shi Fu¡¯s prediction.

    "Shi Fu, how do you know?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "Something is blocking your brain and the result is your memory loss," Shi Fu exined briefly.

    Yao Ying asked hopefully, "Can you treat me?"

    Shi Fu bluntly told him, "I can¡¯t, but I can alleviate a bit of your headache. It seems something triggered a headache reaction and it will happen from time to time. I see that you have already received treatment, but it isn¡¯t enough."

    Yao Ying sighed in disappointment but knew that alleviating his headache was already good enough. "Shi Fu, will there be a day for me to remember my past?" Yao Ying asked softly.

    "There¡¯s no guarantee. After all, the matter with the brain is simply a mystery. Maybe one day, you can suddenly wake up and remember your past. But maybe... that day will nevere. Life works in a mysterious way." Shi Gu felt pity toward his new disciple, but there was really nothing he could do.

    "Let me see your palm!"

    Yao Ying quickly gave him his palm. "Hmmm... you are strongly controlled by destiny. There¡¯s a point in your life when you must surrender your interests for the sake of others. Hmmm... there¡¯s a break in your lifeline. There would be abrupt changes you will be experiencing in your lifetime -- not only once, but twice. This memory loss is probably one of them. You have one hell of a journey in your life." Shi Fu concluded what he read from Yao Ying¡¯s palm.

    ¡¯Wow... this Shi Fu of his... how many talents that he has?¡¯ Yao Ying listened carefully to what Shi Fu had said about his fate. When he read his palm, Shi Fu seemed like a different person from the childish person previously.

    "You have to be careful in making a choice or decision in your life, otherwise you will lose everything," Shi Fu gave him a piece of advice. Yao Ying nodded and cupped his hands, thanking Shi Fu for giving him a pointer.

    Shi Fu mumbled softly to himself, "Poor child! You really live a hard life! At least, when you don¡¯t remember your past, you can leave a peaceful life. I sincerely hope that you don¡¯t remember your past, however... who can defeat fate?"

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying. Both of them asked together, "What did you say, Shi Fu?"

    Shi Fu just smiled mysteriously but didn¡¯t say anything else.

    "Shi Fu, you are really biased. You have a new disciple and you forget the old one! I always ask for you to read my palm, but you never do it for me! But... you read Yao Ying¡¯s!" Lin Jian whined.

    "You have no problem with your life, so what¡¯s the use of reading yours?! You will always forever be a brat!" Shi Fuughed at Lin Jian¡¯s childish behavior. "Besides, my divination alwayses in a whim!"

    Well... that¡¯s true! Lin Jian sadly pouted. Shi Fu¡¯s divine skill could only be triggered by certain unknown events. That¡¯s why Lin Jian couldn¡¯t really me the old man. It seemed like Yao Ying indeed had aplicated past. It made him slightly more curious... who is he, actually?

 Chapter 121 Shi Fu 3

    "Now... where is my payment?" Shi Fu came back to his childish nature. The wise man from before was gone in a heartbeat. Yao Ying was a bit taken aback by the sudden change of Shi Fu¡¯s behavior.

    Lin Jian rolled his eyes, knowing that his Shi Fu had thousands of different personalities. "What kind of payment do you want, Shi Fu? Didn¡¯t you say that your divine skill alwayses on a whim? How can you charge Yao Ying for it?"

    Shi Fu childishly pouted. Then he pulled out something out of his sleeve --- a white jade porcin bottle. "Of course, I will give him something more! The divination that I¡¯ve said before... just take it as a gift for my new disciple!"

    "What is that, Shi Fu?" Yao Ying asked curiously. It seemed like it was an expensive and rare bottle, so the things inside that bottle should also be precious, right?

    "A medicine suitable for your headache," Shi Fu smiled mischievously. Yao Ying¡¯s eyes exuded happiness when he heard that. His Shi Fu was really amazing, he indeed knew that he was still having a subtle headache every now and then. It didn¡¯t hinder him from doing activities, but still bothering him nheless.

    Yao Ying wanted to grab and take the bottle from Shi Fu, but the old man quickly pulled his hand back along with the bottle in a fast movement that couldn¡¯t be seen by naked eyes. He quickly put it back inside his sleeve once again. "There¡¯s no free medicine in this world. I will wait for my payment first and after I receive it, this medicine will be yours," Shi Fu said happily to Yao Ying.

    "That¡¯s why I asked you what kind of payment do you want?" Lin Jian asked for Yao Ying¡¯s behalf.

    "You know my favorite thing."

    "Wine?"

    Shi Fu snorted. "Of course! What else?"

    "No good wine, no medicine. As simple as that." Shi Fu smiled wickedly, knowing that by doing this... he would get a good wine to drink.

    Yao Ying smiled. "Don¡¯t worry, Shi Fu! The wine is already on the way."

    True enough... not too long after Yao Ying saying that Xiu came back with a jug of wine. Xiu whispered to Yao Ying, "Young Master, this is the best wine that Master has. He said this is the wine that General Lin is looking for. Previously, it has been bought by Master so not a jug left can be found in the market."

    Yao Yingughed out loud because of that. So, this was what Father meant that he would get a good show at Lin Fu. He must have predicted that the old man, who loved wine so much, would demand his most favorite wine to General Lin. Wang Luo Hai bought it all just to spite his beloved best friend, General Lin. When General Lin went to buy it, it was already toote --- the wine had sold out everywhere. General Lin only had two choices... being punished by his Shi Xiong or begged Wang Luo Hai for a jug of wine. What a sly fox!

    Father probably knew that General Lin was too proud to beg him for a mere wine, so he would choose to receive a punishment. Yao Ying sometimes wondered whether both of them were really best friends or not!

    Yao Ying quickly presented Shi Fu with the wine and thetter received it happily. He opened the lid and the heavenly smell of his favorite wine burst into his nostril. Shi Fu asked Yao Ying curiously, "My favorite wine! How do you get it? Even my useless Shi Di couldn¡¯t get it for me!"

    "Shi Fu, this is given by my father," Yao Ying said. He didn¡¯t want to get all the credits, besides it would be a lie if he said that he was the one who got it.

    "Little Wang?"

    Yao Ying nodded. Shi Fuughed heartily. "No wonder that Lin Zheng couldn¡¯t find my favorite wine. It seems like Little Wang did something first behind Lin Zheng¡¯s back! Little Wang is really mischievous."

    After that, Shi Fu threw the bottle at Yao Ying which was caught just in time by Yao Ying. "Drink it once a day before sleeping at night. It will have a better effect if you brew it with hot water. You need to finish it all the pills in there and there will be no more headache."

    "Thank you, Shi Fu." Yao Ying thanked him gratefully.

    "Tomorrow... you can start your lessons, but of course, as long as you bring this wine as a payment," Shi Fu grinned. "Little Wang is really clever at bargaining things, huh? He never takes a loss. He knows that I won¡¯t teach you without good wine as payment."

    Yao Ying was a little surprised. Why did Shi Fu seem really close with his father too? Probably, he should ask Lin Jianter. "Yes, Shi Fu," Yao Ying said happily.

    "Go... Let me enjoy my wine! Lin Jian... you should alsoe tomorrow. I see that your foundation is worse than before. It seems that you¡¯ve been cking off," Shi Fu gave his thorough assessment toward Lin Jian.

    Lin Jian nched at what Shi Fu said, but he couldn¡¯t deny it. He had been cking off ever since he came back from the border. After all, he had been having fun a lot and he also made a new best friend. It seemed like he had to start training diligently again, otherwise, he would receive a crazy training schedule from Shi Fu. "Yes, Shi Fu!" Lin Jian answered in a low voice.

    After that, they both left Shi Fu alone to enjoy his wine. Yao Ying decided to ask Lin Jian, "Why is Shi Fu seem so familiar with my father?"

    "Our father used to y around together, so whenever Father had a lesson, Uncle Wang was always loitering around and bothering my father until my father got angry and beat him up. Shi Fu was there too. To be honest, they are quite close to each other, because Shi Fu also loves bullying my father," Lin Jian answered,ughing at his father¡¯s bad luck for meeting such a mischievous friend and Shi Xiong.

    Lin Jian asked Yao Ying, "Do you have any n for the rest of the day?"

    "I¡¯m probably going home and rest. Wife¡¯s order. She¡¯s worried about my headache," Yao Ying exin.

    "Tsk! Having a henpecked friend isn¡¯t fun!" Lin Jian mocked Yao Ying jokingly.

    "Haiyahhh~ it¡¯s better than a single dog who is jealous of us," Yao Ying mocked him back.

    Lin Jian felt like vomiting blood. This man was simply too annoying! "Don¡¯t you want to visit our hua lou?" Lin Jian asked curiously.

    "Why?" Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. Why did Lin Jian want to take him to the hua lou again? He barely survived thest time he went there. If he went to the hua lou once again without any reasons, Yao Ling would probably kick him out of their bedroom again -- or worse... didn¡¯t let him touch her ever again!

    "I only want you to familiarize yourself with the way our hua lou works, after all, you are already a part of us. Uncle Wang should already have this thought in mind. Usually, I¡¯m the one who manages the pieces of information that we collected from the hua lou. Before me, it was Uncle Wang¡¯s job because sometimes I have to go to the border. I think you should learn about this too just in case I¡¯m not stationed in An Yang City," Lin Jian exined.

    Yao Ying pondered over it and thought that it was reasonable. Yao Ling probably would understand, but it was better for him to tell her about it first. He was afraid that she would hear about this from someone else and it would backfire at him.

    "Xiu... do Father and Young Mistress at home?" Yao Ying asked Xiu about their whereabouts because he seemed to meet with Father back at Wang Fu when he went to retrieve the wine.

    "No, Young Master. They are both at Fu Rong," Xiu answered. "After I got the wine, Master and Young Mistress were heading out to Fu Rong together. They should have arrived there by now."

    Yao Ying decided to take Lin Jian to Fu Rong and asked for Wang Luo Hai and Yao Ling¡¯s permission. Wang Luo Hai never told him that he should learn about theirwork intelligence at hua lou and he didn¡¯t want to overstep his boundaries, so he should probably ask Wang Luo Hai about it first. Lin Jian agreed to his reasoning and followed docilely behind him.

    When they arrived at Fu Rong, Wang Luo Hai and Yao Ling were in their office on the second floor together. One was doing the ounting while the other one was doing special custom embroidery. They worked in harmony despite the silent atmosphere. Xiao Yu and Wang Luo Hai¡¯s personal servant stood behind their masters, just in case they needed help.

    Wang Luo Hai and Yao Ling heard the footsteps and they looked up to see Yao Ying and Lin Jian stood in front of them. Both of the youngsters didn¡¯t forget the courtesy, they greeted Wang Luo Hai first and then Yao Ling.

    "What are you doing here?" Yao Ling was the one who asked. "Didn¡¯t I say that you should rest?"

    "There¡¯s something important that Lin Jian wants to ask Father." Yao Ying exined when he saw the displeasure expression on his wife¡¯s face.

    Yao Ying could only helplessly look at Lin Jian. He didn¡¯t want to be the one who told him that he wanted to go to the hua lou --- even though it was strictly only for business matter. He made an eye contact with Lin Jian, telling him that he should start the conversation first.

    Lin Jian sighed and knew that he should be the one who asked for their permission. It was his idea, to begin with. Besides, his henpecked best friend didn¡¯t even have the gut to ask his own wife for permission!

    "Uncle Wang, I already told Yao Ying about the hua lou¡¯s matter. I wonder if I can start teaching Yao Ying the way the hua lou works and operates. After all, I can¡¯t always take care of it, especially when I¡¯m away from An Yang City or when I am assigned to the border," Lin Jian went straight to the main point.

    He deliberately didn¡¯t ask for Yao Ling¡¯s permission, but by telling Wang Luo Hai about this in front of her, she should already understand that they didn¡¯t want to y around there, but strictly for business purpose only.

 Chapter 122 Mi Hui 1

    Yao Ling listened to what Lin Jian said. Hmm... thework intelligence? She sighed in annoyance. There were a lot of ces to gather information, but why should it be in a hua lou? She knew that it was only her jealousy talking, but she just couldn¡¯t help it. At least, Yao Ying told him truthfully about this and she also knew that by taking Lin Jian here, Yao Ying was also considering her feelings. She also knew that even Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t tell Madam Wang about the hua lou matter.

    Considering this, she felt a little bit better.

    Wang Luo Hai knew that Lin Jian was probably heard something about his next assignment, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be in a hurry telling Yao Ying to handle thework intelligence. "Then, I will bother you to teach Yao Ying everything about ¡¯Mi Hui¡¯ (meaning: Secret Meeting)."

    "Mi Hui?" Yao Ling asked.

    "That¡¯s how we called thework intelligence at the hua lou," Lin Jian exined.

    Wang Luo Hai patted Yao Ling¡¯s shoulder. "Don¡¯t worry! Yao Ying won¡¯t have the time to y around there, because there will be a lot of things to learn."

    Yao Ling nodded, but still asked worriedly, "Are you feeling better? Your headache... will it be okay if you think too much?"

    Lin Jian really tempted to roll his eyes, because of the affectionate couple. It was just a quick peek on how they normally operated, so how could that make Yao Ying get a headache? He wasn¡¯t going to give the rein to Yao Ying right away! What kind of a headache that he would get?!

    Yao Ying, who felt happy for being cared for, didn¡¯t care about the jealous single dog. "I¡¯m better, don¡¯t worry about me!" If there were no other people, he would probably already jump on Yao Ling and kiss her lips. Too bad that he couldn¡¯t do that!

    After getting the permission, Yao Ying and Lin Jian quickly went to the hua lou. "I will introduce you to our people there, so they will know that you are also a part of us. If you need their help, you will be able to move them freely. Of course, you will need a token to do that. Currently, I already ask someone to make one for you. Just wait for a few days and I will have him to send the token to you. Don¡¯t lose it!" Lin Jian warned him.

    "Don¡¯t you think it will be better if I look around first?"

    "No, it¡¯s okay. They already expect me to introduce you to them. After all, the inner circle of Mi Hui already knows that you are Uncle Wang¡¯s son," Lin Jian exined.

    Yao Ying nodded. It seemed like his job would increase after this, but as long as he could handle them properly, it would also be good for him. "Can I ask them to do something for personal use?" Yao Ying hesitantly asked.

    Lin Jian asked him, "Do you mean to look any information about your past?"

    "Yes..."

    Lin Jian sighed, knowing that it was an important thing for Yao Ying. "You can, as long as it doesn¡¯t sh with Mi Hui and the organization¡¯s interest. I will give a piece of advice... don¡¯t do it right at the start. You are still new in this organization and you haven¡¯t gained the trust of the organization and our people. It won¡¯t be a wise move. You have to prove yourself first."

    Yao Ying understood this point and knew that Lin Jian¡¯s advice was also for his own good. "I know. I¡¯m not in a hurry to find out about my past too. I live quite happily at the moment. However... not knowing about my past... makes me feel that a piece of me is missing. There¡¯s a hollow in my heart that can¡¯t be filled." Yao Ying admitted his inner thought truthfully.

    Lin Jian patted Yao Ying¡¯s shoulder. "I know... You have a happy family now. You should cherish it. Don¡¯t be too obsessed about your past! Otherwise, you will overlook your happiness at the moment." Lin Jian gave him his sincere advice.

    Yao Ying put what Lin Jian said into his heart because he understood that it was true. He reminded himself that he had Yao Ling, so he wouldn¡¯t have a bleak future even if he didn¡¯t remember anything.

    "Can you tell me the basic operation of the hua lou?" Yao Ying asked. He didn¡¯t want to go unprepared to the hua lou.

    "It¡¯s pretty easy, to be honest. Our inner circle of Mi Hui is the senior shopkeepers and the famous courtesans of our hua lou. We have to mix them with oblivious shopkeepers and courtesans as to not making it obvious that we are gathering information secretly. We always choose the best of them --- just like I said, they underwent training first before they were allowed to join the organization," Lin Jian exined.

    "By allowing... you mean let them drink the poison?"

    "Of course..." Lin Jian grinned.

    "If they choose not to drink the poison?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "They either choose to drink the poison or die," Lin Jian answered seriously. "We have to keep the secrecy of the organization and it¡¯s for the greater good."

    Yao Ying could feel the killing intent on Lin Jian, but in a sh, it was gone. Yao Ying wasn¡¯t a cruel person, but he also wasn¡¯t a saint. He knew that it was important to be a bit vicious from time to time if they wanted to protect themselves. "I guess they will choose to drink the poison," Yao Yingughed. He already experienced it once, so he knew perfectly clear about it.

    "Yes..." Lin Jian grinned. "But they soon pledge their own loyalty, so I¡¯m not really worried about that."

    "Who¡¯s in charge of that?"

    "For choosing the person that could join us, it¡¯s usually decided by me. So...ter it will be your job too. The one who does the poison ceremony is one of the shopkeepers along with several hidden guards. Just in case, they refuse to drink the poison and want to run away," Lin Jian answered.

    "Hmmm... okay. The shopkeepers and the courtesans¡¯ jobs?" Yao Ying asked.

    "They just need to secure the targets and try to get information. Our VIP customers are mostly important figures in business or officials. We do a background check for each of them to expect what kind pieces of information we can get from them, so the courtesans can easily gain the information through any means nessary."

    "Only VIP customers?" Yao Ying thought that information could be easily obtained by the people around those VIP customers too.

    "Good question," Lin Jian grinned. "Not only them. We have two tiers of courtesans too -- the second tier courtesans would deal with the people around the VIP customers."

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. "The system is pretty good."

    "You said that no one knows that we are the real owner. Who acts as the owner then?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "You will meet that personter," Lin Jian smiled.

    "How do you meet with them? I mean to give you their report."

    "Of course, by pretending to be the hua lou¡¯s VIP customers," Lin Jianughed at the obvious question.

    Yao Ying felt a headacheing. Lin Jian is single, so it should be fine for him to pretend to be a yboy. However, he¡¯s different! He has a wife!

    Lin Jianughed at Yao Ying¡¯s darkened expression, knowing what he thought about. "Don¡¯t worry! We can find another way!" Lin Jianughed out loud. "The courtesans in our hua lou isn¡¯t selling their body. They sell their talents, so the hua lou¡¯s reputation isn¡¯t really bad. Some of the VIP customers love toe because of that. You know that it¡¯s easy for powerful people to get concubines, but not all of them have someone to talk to. That¡¯s how we entice them toe to our hua lou. Some of them only needpanions and not the lecherous type of people."

    Yao Ying nodded in understanding. "That¡¯s the difference between our hua lou with the lowly brothels, right?"

    "Yes... the people are more cultured and don¡¯t behave like a lustful animal," Lin Jian grinned.

    "I see..." Yao Ying was quite satisfied with those kinds of arrangement.

 Chapter 123 Mi Hui 2

    They arrived at the hua lou and they were weed by one of the shopkeepers. The shopkeeper took them to the usual ce and this time, Yao Ying felt morefortable because he knew that he was here purely for business matter.

    Yao Ying paid attention to the shopkeeper. He was a bit old -- around forty years old and his hair was more to the greyish side. Although he was old, his movement was quite agile, probably because he was very thin and had a little bit of martial arts skills. If there was a strong wind, he would probably be blown away by it --- he looked that fragile. However, his eyes were sharp, showing that he was clever and his smile was quite sly.

    "Shopkeeper He... I want to wee my friend to the hua lou life," Lin Jian smiled proudly. "Call my favorite Mi Hui for me." One of the courtesans were called Mi Hui, it was a part of their disguise. So once he called Mi Hui, it meant that Lin Jian wanted to meet with the inner circle of the organization. To other regr customers or oblivious shopkeepers, they would only think that Lin Jian want to call Mi Hui -- one of the courtesans.

    Lin Jian already told him about it on the way there. He even asked Lin Jian, what if there was a confusion between the two Mi Hui --- the courtesan or the organization. Lin Jianughed at him and exined, "Don¡¯t worry! Only three people which are able to call the organization -- Uncle Wang, me, and now... you. Unless there is a token to move them, other people can¡¯t easily call them. Besides, you can only ask for the organization to the three senior shopkeepers."

    Yao Ying nodded in understanding. "What about General Lin?"

    "Ah... Father doesn¡¯t want to handle hua lou. He is a bit miffed at women --- except the love of his life," Lin Jian said.

    "Is the one who weed us one of the inner circle shopkeepers?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Yes. Shopkeeper He is one of them and he¡¯s the one I trusted the most," Lin Jian answered and also gave Yao Ying a hint.

    "Will I also be able to meet the two housekeepers today?"

    Lin Jian shook his head. "No... it will be too obvious because they usually handle everything behind the scene. If we identally meet them, I will let you know. For now, shopkeeper He will be just fine. He¡¯s our main contact anyway."

    Yao Ying knew what Lin Jian said was correct, so he didn¡¯t really make a fuss about it. A few servants served them luxurious dishes along with the most expensive wine on the table. They already knew Young Master Lin¡¯s preferences, so Lin Jian didn¡¯t need to order anything and everything would be prepared and delivered to him.

    "Is there a need to order this many dishes?" Yao Ying sighed, still feeling that they were really wasting foods here.

    "Don¡¯t worry. This is on me!" Lin Jian said.

    "That¡¯s not what I mean," Yao Ying answered in disdain. He was a peasant and knew how hard it was for peasants had to work just to serve foods on the table for their families. That¡¯s why his heart felt slightly aching when he saw people wasting foods like this. "If you weren¡¯t able to finish the food, I will bring the leftovers with me."

    "What for?" Lin Jian asked. He was a young master who was born with a silver spoon on his mouth, so he didn¡¯t really understand Yao Ying¡¯s train of thought.

    Yao Ying exined patiently because it seemed like the young master needed to be taught to care more about the peasants. "To give them to the people who don¡¯t have enough foods to eat. If we can¡¯t eat it all, in the end... the foods will be thrown away and don¡¯t you feel that it¡¯s a waste of foods?"

    Lin Jian was surprised with the way Yao Ying¡¯s mind worked, but it made sense. He nodded in agreement and he vowed that he would also do this next time.

    "Let¡¯s eat while waiting for Mi Hui." Lin Jian was pretty hungry and it was also time to eat lunch. Yao Ying nodded in agreement because he started to get hungry too.

    They both eat heartily and in the middle of eating, the door was opened from the outside. "Young Master Lin... Young Master Wang..." Three beautiful women came into the room and greeted them politely. Yao Ying knew that he was Young Master Wang, but he felt that it was a bit weird because other people rarely called him with that surname and he still didn¡¯t get used to it.

    Yao Ying watched them carefully and one woman in a soft pink robe stood out from the rest. The woman is a stunning beauty and her delicate makeup made her appear more seductive. When she greeted them, her bearing was magnificent and elegant. It was on par with Yao Ling, but he preferred Yao Ling¡¯s exquisite beauty. If he wasn¡¯t in a hua lou, he would have probably mistaken this woman as the daughter of a prominent family.

    The two other women¡¯s bearing didn¡¯t lose to the woman in the soft pink robe and Yao Ying wondered what kind of training they underwent to make them this graceful. Yao Ying really admired the person who handled the training. No wonder the VIP customers loved toe here and have a great time with the women --- without having sex. Looking at them would certainly make people feel content.

    As though they knew that they came strictly for business, the women didn¡¯t try to seduce both of them. They sat quietly in front of them and looked at Lin Jian¡¯s next instruction. "Girls, this is Young Master Wang. He is a part of our Mi Hui and when I¡¯m not around, he will be the one who handles everything."

    "Yes, Young Master Lin," they politely answered.

    Lin Jian pointed at the girl in the soft pink robe and introduced her, "She¡¯s our number one courtesan, Mi Hui. We always describe to people that the meaning of Mi Hui¡¯s name can be said as secret rendezvous with the customer, just to make them feel happy and don¡¯t realize the other meaning behind the name."

    Ah... so he guessed correctly. That stunning beauty is Mi Hui. Yao Ying nodded politely at Mi Hui and didn¡¯t say anything else. He felt like apuding them for thinking that far about the name and the code -- Mi Hui.

    "She¡¯s our contact to ourwork intelligence in this hua lou and the people also know her as the owner of this hua lou," Lin Jian grinned.

    Yao Ying was surprised that Mi Hui was actually the popr fake-owner of this hua lou. The woman looked no older than him, so they were probably at the same age. It seemed like this woman was clever and quick-witted to have that title.

    "Nice to meet you," Yao Ying finally talked to her. It would be rude of him if he didn¡¯t make a brief conversation with her, after all, he would be in touch with her from time to time.

    "Nice to meet you too, Young Master Wang. If you need something, you can just tell me," Mi Hui talked to him politely. After all, the men in front of her were their bosses and she knew her ce very well. She was the owner in name only and the people who held the power in this hua lou were these young masters.

    "I will," Yao Ying said.

    Lin Jian introduced the other two women as Qing Su and Qing Lu. Yao Ying curtly nodded to them. He didn¡¯t know what he should do, so he just kept silent and let Lin Jian do the talking. He would only be an observer.

    "Qing Su, you can y qujin for us," Lin Jian ordered. Qing Su quickly went to the qujin that had been prepared beforehand and start ying.

    Lin Jian whispered to Yao Ying that the qujin would muffle their talking voice, so no one could hear what they were talking about. Yao Ying nodded in understanding.

    "Qing Lu, you can sing along," Lin Jian once again ordered the other woman. Without being told, Yao Ying already understood the reason.

    "Mi Hui,e closer... any report?"

    Mi Hui quickly sat near both of young masters, but she didn¡¯t breach the etiquette and still maintained a good distance. It seemed like the women in this hua lou really knew their ce.

    "Yes, Young Master. This servant has a few things to report," Mi Hui answered. She looked at Yao Ying hesitantly, because she wasn¡¯t sure if it was okay for her to talk in front of him. After all, she was also surprised that Master Wang Luo Hai and Young Master Lin would let a stepson handle this hua lou¡¯s operation. This hua lou was an important point of the organization.

    Lin Jian saw the hesitation and said, "It¡¯s okay! You can talk in front of him. He¡¯s our own people and you should treat him just like the way you treat me."

    When Mi Hui heard the approval from Young Master Lin, she had no choice but to give the report in front of Young Master Wang. Yao Ying saw her hesitation and he knew that he needed to gain the approval of these people first before he would be allowed to fully handle the operation of Mi Hui.

 Chapter 124 Mi Hui 3

    "Just give me the report!" Lin Jian demanded.

    Mi Hui knew that although Young Master Lin always had a happy smiling face, he actually had a pretty big temper and she didn¡¯t want to offend him by not believing in his judgment. She knew when she had to retreat, so she just directly gave him the report.

    "There¡¯s a movement from the Han Kingdom, they send one of their princesses to be Emperor Qin¡¯s concubine. It seems like they want her to fight head-on with our Empress Huai Yi," Mi Hui exined.

    "Hmm... a barbaric kingdom want to fight for affection now, huh? It seems like their kingdom is pretty scared of General Wu. Have ourwork heard something about this Han princess?" Lin Jian asked curiously.

    "Han Kingdom¡¯s people always love nature and it seems like the princess has an affinity with butterflies. When she dances, she can attract butterflies and because of that uniqueness, it makes her be famous with that heavenly dance."

    "Affinity with butterflies?" Yao Ying was interested with that news, after all... it was a unique talent, to begin with. He didn¡¯t really believe in that rumor, but the Han sure had an interesting way to make Emperor Qin feel curious.

    "Do the Han people have some kinds of tricks? I don¡¯t believe this kind of thing is possible." Lin Jian was very skeptical of the news.

    "Do you think this princess will be able to shake Empress Huai Yi¡¯s power?" Lin Jian asked Mi Hui.

    Mi Hui hesitantly answered, "Some rumors said that it¡¯s possible. This princess is said to be an unparalleled beauty and despite the burly posture of Han women, this princess has a slender and slim body. Because her mother is a Shu woman and she inherits the mother¡¯s look."

    Lin Jian looked up in surprise, "What? The popr Shu woman who ran away from the Han Emperor?"

    "Yes," Mi Hui answered.

    "Interesting... very interesting." Lin Jian never thought that he would get such a piece of amazing news. His father would definitely like this story.

    "Gather more urate information about this girl," Lin Jian ordered. His curiosity was piqued and he would get the bottom of this princess¡¯ background.

    Yao Ying wanted to ask a lot of things but he knew it would be wise to talk about thister when there were only the two of them left. It seemed his knowledge about the political matter was too little. How could he handle Mi Hui if he didn¡¯t want to learn about politics? He sighed inwardly. It seemed that he had to start to learn about it.

    "Any other important pieces of information?" Lin Jian asked once again.

    "There has been an attack to a few of our master¡¯s business chain. Lately, it¡¯s getting messier and the business starts to be unstable. On the other hand, the political side is getting better. The left prime minister has agreed to support our side, but the right prime minister still stubbornly refuse our offer to work together."

    "So... the old man still persists in supporting Chu Wang, huh?"

    "Yes, Young Master," Mi Hui answered.

    "How bad is the attack to our master¡¯s business chain?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    Mi Hui nced at him but nheless answered him. "Pretty bad. It seems like a few people work behind the scene together and also at the same time. One attack at a time should be manageable, but together like this... it put a bit jeopardy."

    When it was about business, Yao Ying¡¯s mind started to work -- unlike when he heard about the political side. "Lin Jian, what kind of business chains that the master has? Is it all embroidery business?"

    "Not all of them are embroidery. Some of them are hua lou, restaurants, and woman¡¯s essories. The master only chooses the most famous shop in each big city and acquire them one by one, thework intelligence on each big city will be handled by one person who will also make a greaterwork on nearby small cities."

    Yao Ying nodded in understanding. "The ones that were being attacked? Which business?"

    Mi Hui hesitantly answered, "Embroidery. A few cities have been attacked at the same time."

    Yao Ying felt that this information was pretty interesting. "I run the embroidery here, but no one attacks us. It makes me feel interested in knowing the attack details." Yao Ying seemed to forget that Mi Hui didn¡¯t really ept him yet, because his mind was solely on the attack. "Tell me about the attack!"

    Lin Jian nodded at Mi Hui and he knew how business-minded this Yao Ying was. Who knew that he probably woulde out with a good idea to handle them?

    "The first one, a group raided our final products that were sent to the pce and our people were killed while our products were burnt to ashes."

    "Hmm... this is a tant provocation. It¡¯s not about the business aspect anymore. They want to ruin the shop¡¯s name because the pce will get affected by it if they didn¡¯t receive the products on time," Yao Ying analyzed. "How about the products? Are there any backup?"

    Mi Hui shook her head. "No, but fortunately, the product was made ahead of time. There are still a few days left to start again from scratch. It seems like they need to pull an all-nighter in a row. However, the fabric is rare."

    Yao Ying asked her about the fabric and when he heard about it, he noticed that it was the fabric that Yao Ling wanted for her inner garment. It seemed like this Empress had a weird preference. She wanted the inner part of the robe to use this specific fabric because it felt good to the skin, otherwise, she would feel itchy. She didn¡¯t really make a fuss about the outer part, but she wanted the embroidery to a special technique. The outer robe and the inner robe had to have two different embroideries. Yao Ying shook his head in awe, because of the Empress¡¯ unreasonable request.

    If the embroiderer didn¡¯t have a good skill and experience, she wouldn¡¯t be able to fulfill the request and also make it in only a few days time. "Does our master has a solution?"

    "We just received the information just now. It seems like they are currently discussing this matter," Mi Hui answered.

    Yao Ying looked at Lin Jian and whispered, "I think I can solve this problem, but I need my wife¡¯s consent first. She¡¯s the one who will do most of the work, but I¡¯m not sure whether I¡¯m allowed to involve her. I don¡¯t want her to drink the poison."

    "We can talk about this after the report is finished," Lin Jian whispered back. He understood Yao Ying¡¯s concern, but he didn¡¯t want to let Mi Hui know about this matter.

    "That¡¯s the first attack. What about the others?" Lin Jian asked.

    Mi Hui exined about the rest of the attacks. Basically, they were ying around with the suppliers and the customers. Orders had been canceledst minute, the fabric that they ordered hadn¡¯t been sent due to various reasons, the price of the fabric suddenly raised, and a few of their best embroiderers were taken. But fortunately, they could only bribe the oblivious people that worked in the stores. Some of the inner circle embroiderers had been poached too, but they reported it, so the countermeasure had been prepared.

    The persons in charge of those stores -- whose rank was the same as Wang Luo Hai -- weren¡¯t idiots. The orders that had been canceled were sold at the store and the price was even higher than the bulk orders. Because of the good quality, they were sold easily.

    For the fabric that had been yed by the suppliers, their stores always had backup suppliers, so it wasn¡¯t really a big deal. After that, each store quickly terminated its cooperation with the shady suppliers. Even when those suppliers regretted their stupidity, everything was toote. There was no second chance for betrayers.

    Those attacks were easily handled before it was toote, but only the pce¡¯s order that hadn¡¯t been solved. Yao Ying was quite impressed with the way each store dealt with the problems and he understood that he had to prepare more countermeasures --- just in case, something like that happened to Fu Rong.

 Chapter 125 Mi Hui 4

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian already took note of everything. Lin Jian asked once again, "Any other report?"

    Mi Hui shook her head. "There¡¯s no more, Young Master Lin."

    Lin Jian nodded in satisfaction. After all, this was the first time there were so many troubles in their parts. Lin Jian could onlyugh inwardly because the first time Yao Ying learning about Mi Hui, he heard so many reports that should be dealt with. Well... at least, he was still here to guide him.

    After their business was finished there, they let the three women go out. The once bustling room became silent. Both of the men were deep in thought. Yao Ying decided to ask Lin Jian, "This is a chance for me to prove my usefulness, but this will include my wife. What should I do?" Yao Ying sought Lin Jian¡¯s advice because he was the senior here.

    "Actually, it should be fine. The store is a mixture of people who know about the organization and not. As long as she pretends to remain oblivious about the organization, it should be fine," Lin Jian said.

    "Is it okay for you to lie about it too?" Yao Ying was confused because Lin Jian seemed to be a true believer of this organization, but why was he being lenient to him and Yao Ling?

    "Haiyah~ I might be a bit biased toward you. It¡¯s because I think of you as my best friend," Lin Jian grinned.

    "Really?" Yao Ying was a bit doubtful and he somehow knew that the reason wasn¡¯t as simple as that.

    "That¡¯s only one of the reasons. I believe Uncle Wang already knows that you told about it to Yao Ling, but he let her be. I trust his judgment," Lin Jian gave him the real reason. Wang Luo Hai was the actual leader of their Mi Hui -- he was above Lin Jian in rank, so the way Lin Jian trusted Wang Luo Hai was justified. After all, Wang Luo Hai always put the organization¡¯s interest above all. He might also let one of his subordinates to monitor the couple --- thest part he didn¡¯t say it out loud.

    "Do you have a way to contact the organization, if Yao Ling is able to do it?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "Hmmm... it should be Uncle Wang¡¯s job. We can discuss it with him too."

    "Then, we should go to Fu Rong. They are probably still there."

    They didn¡¯t forget to tell the servant to wrap the rest of the foods and it earned them the servant¡¯s weird look, after all, why a wealthy person suddenly want to bring the leftovers home? The servant could only do his job and wrapped them nicely.

    The leftovers were given to Xiu and Lin Jian¡¯s personal servant - Ah Mao to take care of. They already knew what to do, so along their way back to Fu Rong, Xiu and Ah Mao gave the leftovers away to the beggars. Looking at the beggars¡¯ happy face, Lin Jian knew that doing a good deed like this was quite pleasing for him.

    "Lin Jian, why do you seem to be interested in the Han Princess?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    Lin Jian contemted for a little while whether he should tell Yao Ying or not. "That woman... had a past with my father."

    Yao Ying looked at Lin Jian in surprise. Was that princess¡¯ mother the woman in the painting? Yao Ying vividly remembered about that scroll and he decided to ask Lin Jian, "I saw a painting of a woman at your house. Before I could see the woman¡¯s face, your servant quickly covered it. It seemed like a dear painting to your father. Is that woman is... her? The Han¡¯s Princess Mother?"

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t answer him, but his usual twinkling and mischievous eyes were full of sadness. "Oh... that painting?"

    When Yao Ying thought he wasn¡¯t going to answer him, Lin Jian opened his mouth and started talking once again, "That¡¯s the painting of the woman¡¯s that Father¡¯s love the most."

    "Your mother?" Yao Ying asked hesitantly. He wanted to know what made his cheerful friend suddenly became mncholic.

    "Hmm... you can say that." Lin Jian¡¯s answer was a bit ambiguous.

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. ¡¯What did he mean by saying I could say that? Was it because she wasn¡¯t his real mother? Or he didn¡¯t want to think of her as his mother because he felt that he was being abandoned? However, it seemed like General Lin only loved one woman his whole life. If Lin Jian wasn¡¯t her real son... then who was Lin Jian¡¯s mother?¡¯ Yao Ying thought inwardly.

    Yao Ying sighed and said, "You don¡¯t have to tell me if it¡¯s a painful memory." Judging from his sad face, Yao Ying assumed that this woman was the source of his sadness.

    Lin Jian decided to tell him a little bit of the story, but the things that only involved him. He couldn¡¯t tell him about his father¡¯s matter. "I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s painful memories." Lin Jian didn¡¯t know how he should start telling him, after all, he kept it bottling up for a long time.

    "She¡¯s not my mother and can also be said that she¡¯s mine. I was three years old when I met her and at that time, she had just had her hairpin ceremony. At the same time, she married my father. To me, she¡¯s a mother, a sister, a friend --- everything," Lin Jian started his story. His gaze was hazy and full of sadness.

    Yao Ying wanted to ask more, but he held himself back. He sighed and patted Lin Jian¡¯s shoulder, making thetter give him a forced smile.

    "After a few years, she was gone and became the Han Emperor¡¯s Concubine," Lin Jian said.

    Yao Ying was in surprised! Huh? General Lin¡¯s wife became Han Emperor¡¯s concubine?! How could that happen? "Is she... the Han Princess¡¯ mother? A Shu woman who ran away?" Yao Ying stuttered, feeling shocked because of the crazy news.

    Lin Jian merely nodded but didn¡¯t say anything more.

    "How... howe?" Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help but ask. Why would General Lin allow another man to take away his beloved?! It didn¡¯t make any sense!

    "It¡¯s because of me..." Lin Jian weakly said.

    Yao Ying shut his mouth, knowing that this was a sore subject. Because of the heavy subject, they didn¡¯t realize that they had arrived at Fu Rong. Their previous cheery mood became somber. Lin Jian tried to lighten the mood by saying, "We can talk about thister. We should go out for a drink and I will tell you all about it."

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t believe that Lin Jian had such a painful memory. The man looked so cheerful and bright all the time, but he realized that he really couldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover. And also... each family really had their own problems.

    "Okay," Yao Ying agreed, after that, they didn¡¯t talk about it anymore. Yao Ying knew that Lin Jian would tell him when he was ready. Yao Ying didn¡¯t realize that he had epted Lin Jian as his best friend long ago, otherwise... he wouldn¡¯t be sofortable talking with him and even felt worried about him.

    When they arrived at Fu Rong, Wang Luo Hai and Yao Ling were still on the second floor. They were swarmed with many orders, therefore they didn¡¯t have the time to rx. After knowing that Yao Ying was finally back from the hua lou, Yao Ling felt slightly relieved. It meant that nothing really happened there.

    Wang Luo Hai asked them, "Why are you bothing back here?" He thought that they would go home straight away after visiting the hua lou. Yao Ling already mentioned to him that she wanted Yao Ying to rest for one more day and got back to work tomorrow, but it seemed like something changed Yao Ying¡¯s mind.

    "Father, we have a few things to discuss," Yao Ying said.

    Wang Luo Hai saw the grim expression on Yao Ying and Lin Jian¡¯s face, so he knew that this matter must be very important. With a little gesture, he dismissed all the servants and maidservant inside the room -- including Xiu and Xiao Yu. Wang Luo Hai had a guess that the matter was rted to the organization. After all of the servants left, Lin Jian and Yao Ying quickly summarized the whole report that they had just gotten to Wang Luo Hai.

    "Hmm... such a big thing happened?" Wang Luo Hai already heard about it, but he never thought that it was that severe. If the embroidery wasn¡¯t soplicated, then they should be able to handle it, but The Empress¡¯ request was actually veryplicated.

    "Yes, Father. I want to ask Yao Ling whether she is able to help to finish the order or not," Yao Ying said. "If she can... I don¡¯t want her to join the organization. I can even drink the poison on her behalf if I have too."

    Wang Luo Hai clearly understood Yao Ying¡¯s sentiment. He didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to drink the poison and Wang Luo Hai also agreed with him. Yao Ling is a woman and she will be the one who bears the next descendant of Wang Fu. He didn¡¯t know the full effect of the poison and he was also afraid that it would affect her womb. Call him selfish, but they are already his family --- he had to think far ahead for them. Better be safe than sorryter.

    "I will handle this matter, as long as Yao Ling agrees to do it," Wang Luo Hai said.

    Yao Ling looked at them helplessly. Did they even give her any choice? They seemed to be very confident in her skills. She was honestly confident that she could do it, but she also needed the details first to make a decision. Yao Ling understood that this was a chance for Yao Ying to prove himself as a trustworthy and capable subordinate. In the long run, it would be helpful for them. Whether she liked it or not, she would always support her husband and she knew that she couldn¡¯t refuse this job.

    "Can you give me the details of the embroidery first?" Yao Ling asked. "As long as it¡¯s reasonable, I can do it for you. The technique that you mentioned... I can do it. But what about after this matter is concluded? Father, you have mentioned that this technique is rare and will attract unwanted attention."

    "Don¡¯t worry... I will handle it. No one unrted will know that the one who makes it is you, but the masters will know about it -- of course," Wang Luo Hai said truthfully. This kind of big problem... there was no way it would escape the princes¡¯ eyes, especially Xiao Wang.

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. "When can I get the details? I heard the deadline is quite close."

    "Give me a few shichen and I will give you all the information," Wang Luo Hai said. He could pull more strings to get the details and he also had to let the masters know that his stepchildren were able to solve it. He felt proud of his stepchildren and smiled softly.

    Knowing that there was nothing else he could do, Lin Jian went back home. Yao Ying could still see his sadness and he felt guilty. If he didn¡¯t ask anything about the Han Princess, Lin Jian wouldn¡¯t be sad. But really... who would have thought that the Han Princess¡¯ mother was probably General Lin¡¯s wife?

    Wang Luo Hai left to find out more about the orders, leaving Yao Ying and Yao Ling alone in the office. Yao Ying asked her softly, "Are you really okay for doing this? It will take most of your time to work on this and you also have to pull an all-nighter!"

 Chapter 126 Too... Immoral!

    "Don¡¯t worry! I can ask Ning jie¡¯s help. Her skill is quite good, so I can teach her a little bit to reduce my workload," Yao Ling said. She grinned at him, "I¡¯m doing this for you. So... what will you give me for an exchange?"

    Yao Ying stared at her mischievous look and twinkling eyes, knowing that she was joking. Her yful side looked so endearing to him and a smile graced his lips. "Oh... what kind of presents that my little wifey wants?"

    "Hmpf! You have to be creative and think about it yourself! I want it to be a surprise... a... surprise!" Yao Ling acted spoiled, unlike her usual graceful behavior. In front of Yao Ying, she behaved more openly about her feelings.

    Yao Yingughed. "Since when you act cutely like this?" He pinched her nose, which earned a pout from Yao Ling.

    "I will give you something that you enjoyter," Yao Ying smiled mischievously while whispering softly on Yao Ling¡¯s ears. He didn¡¯t forget to nibble her ears for a little bit, making Yao Ling¡¯s ears reddened. ¡¯This man! He always behaves like a rouge! This is Fu Rong! Not their own house!¡¯ Yao Lingined inwardly.

    Yao Ling pushed him away and touched the part that he had nibbled on like it was burning her. "Stop doing an ambiguous thing in the broad daylight!" Yao Ling scolded him, but he didn¡¯t feel any remorse at all! Instead, he smiled wolfishly.

    "No one is here and I¡¯m just tasting my wife for a little bit. What is wrong with that?" Yao Ying grinned sheepishly at the panicked woman in front of him. The way Yao Ling touched her ears with an indignant face made her look like a little rabbit.

    ¡¯Shameless! Really really shameless! Where does his unexpressive husband go?¡¯ Yao Ling berated him inside her mind.

    Yao Ling remembered back at the time when they lived with Jiu Lan in the vige. The first time she found him, Yao Ying never showed any of his emotions and went into depression, making her feel sad for him. But looking at the current Yao Ying, he felt way too different from back then, but actually in a good way. He was more rxed than before, smiling more,ughing more, and... loving her more? Did she dare to say that he loved her?

    Yes, he was indeed more intimate with her, but did it mean that he loved her? She realized that she had be greedier and wanted him to love her. After the appearance of Qin Xiu Ai who had coveted Yao Ying and the hua lou incident, she started to analyze their rtionship and realize her feelings more.

    If she didn¡¯t have any feelings toward him, would she feel jealous when Qin Xiu Ai fell on top of him? If she didn¡¯t have any feeling toward him, would she feel the pain in her heart when she heard about the hua lou incident? If she didn¡¯t have any feelings toward him, would she still cared when he was sick or when he was in deep trouble?

    The answer is no... If she didn¡¯t have any feelings for him, she wouldn¡¯t feel all of those emotions. She would just take advantage of him instead of caring about him. She started toe in term with her own feelings... yes... she loves him with all her heart. However, telling him about this probably wouldn¡¯t be a good idea. She must be sure of his feelings first.

    Yao Ling sighed and answered Yao Ying, "Nothing is wrong if you put it that way! But the ce is wrong ah~ This is not our own bedroom! It will be... too... too immoral!" Yao Ling covered her face with both of her hands in embarrassment.

    "Oh okay... so in other words... it will be fine as long as we do it in our bedroom, right?" Yao Ying started to behave yfully once again. It seemed like he got her permission to do as he wished inside their own bedroom.

    Yao Ling groaned, knowing that she couldn¡¯t run away from this topic! "Yes... yes... as long as we do it in the bedroom, I¡¯m fine with it!" Yao Ling tried to appease him by saying that, but she didn¡¯t actually take it to heart. It was better than being pounced by him right here! What if someone came in? It would be embarrassing to death!

    Yao Ying nodded gleefully, after getting the answer that he wanted to hear. "I will hold you on that," Yao Ying smugly said. Somehow, Yao Ling could feel a chill on her spine and felt like she was falling into Yao Ying¡¯s trap. Could she take back what she had said? She could only groan inwardly.

    "Ying... the fabric for the inner part... have you already gotten it?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She thought that it was better to distract him with work-rted discussion, so he could be more serious. She wasn¡¯t as shameless as him!

    "I did. I actually wanted to give it for you as a recement for yours, but it seems like you have to wait for a little bit. I actually bought a lot, but we still don¡¯t know how grand and long the Empress¡¯ robe is. So there might be a chance that you won¡¯t get this fabric for now," Yao Ying exined, feeling sorry for his wife. He knew how much she loved this fabric!

    Yao Ling sighed in disappointment, but oh well... she could just wait for the next batch. This matter was important for Yao Ying, so she should wait patiently then. It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t have a backup inner garment. She suddenly remembered something and asked, "Why did you buy a lot? I only need it for an inner garment. There¡¯s no other use for that fabric other than for that. It will be too pricey to sell it as inner garments."

    Yao Ying smiled at her wickedly. "Oh... you know why... it¡¯s because of you."

    "Huh?" Yao Ling was in confusion. Because of her? Why?

    Yao Ying smiled. "I¡¯m afraid that you will be angry with me if I don¡¯t have a backup for you. After all, I¡¯m nning to tear a lot more of your inner garment in the future."

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Yao Ying continued talking, "If I tear one, you can just make a new one, right?" He looked at her smugly, making Yao Ling more speechless. If he put it that way... then wouldn¡¯t she have to make her own inner garments every day?!

    How could he say something like that without blushing and batting eyshes? The man really didn¡¯t hesitate to release his shamelessness to the max. Yao Ling could only mumble while rolling her eyes in annoyance, "Whatever you say."

    Yao Ying, who felt like he had already won the battle, was nodding arrogantly. Yao Ling could only shake her head and give up. Being the wife of a shameless person really brought a headache to her. Haiya~

    When they were in the middle of bantering, Xiao Yu asked permission toe in. Yao Ling allowed her to and Xiao Yu quickly gave her the Empress¡¯ measurement. "Master¡¯s personal servant gave me this. He said that we should make the robe first because the embroidery pattern is still on the way." Xiao Yu exined.

    Ah... so it meant that they were approved to make this robe then...

    Yao Ling nodded, "Good! It will save us time." Then she turned to Yao Ying and said, "Ying, I¡¯m going to start working on this first. You can go back home first! I think it will take a lot of my time and I can¡¯t go back early to Wang Fu."

    While talking to Yao Ying, her eyes were still glued to the rough draft of the robe and she was in awe at how grand it was. She really didn¡¯t understand the mind of the royal family. This kind of robe could feed a few towns for a whole year, but what else could she do? She just shook her head in amazement, but still needed to dutifully do her job.

    Yao Ying saw her serious expressions and couldn¡¯t help but find her adorable. He smiled dotingly and said, "You don¡¯t have to mind me. I will just stay here and I won¡¯t distract you. I bet you will forget about dinner, so I can be at your service here and will buy dinner for youter. For now, I just want to watch you work." The wifey was working hard for him, how could he justzily stay inside their Wang Fu without doing anything?

    Yao Ling nodded, even though she was feeling shy because of his presence, she said nothing. She happily received his offer, because they could spend more time together.

    "If you need any help, just ask me," Yao Ying offered his assistance.

    Yao Lingughed. "Your presence here will be enough." Yao Ling said truthfully, after all, they usually only spent the night time together.

    Yao Ling told Xiao Yu to tell Ning jie toe and help her, while Yao Ying told Xiu to prepare the fabrics for Yao Ling. They did it without being obvious to the others. For the fabric, it was easy to cover it up, because it was already widely known in Fu Rong that Young Master was specifically buying them in a bulk for Young Mistress. When the fabrics were being carried away from the warehouse, they only thought that the young mistress would make an inner garment out of it, so they didn¡¯t really pay any attention to it.

    They stayed cooped up in the office, after all, the second floor was the ce where Yao Ling did custom or special orders for their clients. Yao Ying looked at the women and couldn¡¯t help but feel bewildered about theplicated works that they did for just one robe. Creating a pattern, cutting the fabric, stitching... He was quite proud of his wife for being able to master those skills perfectly. She did it all with ease and even doing it while humming, showing Yao Ying how much she enjoyed doing her jobs.

    The funny thing was... she was sighing from time to time when touching her favorite fabric that she had sacrificed for the greater good. She still felt a bit unwilling to part with the fabric. Yao Ying chuckled inwardly and promised himself that he had to find more of those fabrics just to satisfy his wife.

    When he knew it was Hai Shi (modern timing: 9pm-11pm), Yao Ying reminded Yao Ling that it was time to go home. "Ling-er, why don¡¯t you stop for the day?"

 Chapter 127 Massage Time

    "But... we still have a lot of things to do!" Yao Ling whined, feeling a bit anxious about this specific order.

    Yao Ying reminded her, "You probably don¡¯t feel tired, but think about the others, please? They are already tired!"

    Yao Ling looked around her and first... her gazended at Ning jie. Even though she was smiling, she couldn¡¯t pretend to not seeing her tired and droopy eyes. She also saw Xiu, Feng, and Xiao Yu who kept yawning from time to time and after they went back home, they still needed to serve her and Yao Ying. "What time is it?" Yao Ling asked when she saw the dark sky and the deserted roads from the second floor¡¯s window.

    "It¡¯s already Hai Shi (modern timing: 9pm-11pm), Wife," Yao Ying answered.

    Yao Ling was a bit surprised and she looked at the others apologetically, "I¡¯m sorry. We should stop working for the day. I didn¡¯t realize that it¡¯s already veryte... Feng, you should send Ning jie home. I don¡¯t want her to walk alone at night. It¡¯s dangerous for a woman to go back home all alone."

    "Yes, Young Mistress," Feng answered. He also understood how dangerous it was and he didn¡¯t hesitate to agree to Young Mistress¡¯ order.

    "Thank you, Ling-mei... Then, I will bid goodbye and go home first," Ning jie said tiredly. She felt like her whole back was going to break because she had to bend over for a long time. Ning jie felt every part of her body aching. She was feeling surprised that Yao Ling wasn¡¯t looked as tired as her. What she didn¡¯t know that Yao Ling had already gotten used to doing heavybor, previously, she used to bend over and squat all days just to collect herbs for Jiu Lan.

    All of them went back home and when Yao Ying and Yao Ling arrived at their own courtyard, Yao Ling told Xiu and Xiao Yu to rest straight away. But they insisted to serve their masters before they could rest with ease. Yao Ying and Yao Ling could only shake their head because of their stubbornness... because of the deadlock, they could only let Xiu and Xiao Yu serve them.

    After finished taking a hot bath, Yao Ling¡¯s sore body felt a lot better and her whole body was more rxed. Yao Ying already waited for her and he sprawledzily on the bed. After knowing that Yao Ling was finished taking a bath, he turned his body to the side and supported his head with one of his hands.

    Yao Ling was stunned by what she saw.

    Yao Ying let his ck long hair down and it flowed down loosely on his body. He looked at her with a smiling face. His robe was a bit messy and it showed her a part of his alluring chest. Somehow... he looked so attractive, making Yao Ling gulp her saliva due to her own excitement. Why did she suddenly feel that she had be the wolf here? She retracted her gaze and suddenly felt so shy. She suddenly felt her whole body be hot in desire.

    Yao Ying saw her cute wife blushing. Her face, which actually was already red because of the hot bath, slowly became redder until it spread to the tip of her ears. She only looked at him for a little while, but he could also see the lust in her eyes -- even though it was gone in a sh. He suddenly realized that he also affected her the same way as she affected him and it made him feel happy. He always felt a little bit conscious of himself because she always refused to be intimate with him. It seemed like Yao Ling was just being shy and here he thought that she probably didn¡¯t really like him.

    "Why are you standing there? Don¡¯t you feel tired?" Yao Ying asked with a cheery tone while patting the vacant ce beside him. "Come here!"

    Yao Ling started to remember that he had said. He was going to give her something to enjoyter and she started to feel suspicious. "What do you want to do?" She asked with a sharp voice.

    "Me? Do what?" Yao Ying pretended to be innocent and acted like he was confused. "I just want to sleep together with you."

    "Really?" Yao Ling asked once again.

    "Really." Yao Ying smiled softly. "Ah... I told you that I want to give you something to enjoy!" He pretended that he had just remembered about it.

    Yao Ling, who had just let her guard down, was in defense mode once again. "What thing? Are you going to take advantage of me?" Yao Ling asked suspiciously.

    "Come here first!"

    "No!"

    "Come here first and I will tell you!"

    "No!"

    Yao Ying pouted. "Why don¡¯t you trust me?" He sighed in disappointment. "I just want to give you a full-body massage after a day full of work! I¡¯m pretty sure that your whole body must be very stiff."

    Yao Ling perked up after hearing what Yao Ying offered. "Full-body massage?" She asked, started to feel interested. She was dead tired, so of course, she would wee a massage session.

    "Yes." Yao Ying nodded while inside his mind... he wasughing heartily. His little wifey was so naive. Didn¡¯t she know that massage could lead to something else?

    Yao Ling skipped to the bed and quickly lying prone on the bed. She looked at Yao Ying with expectant eyes which made her look like a sweet puppy. "I want! I want! Please give me a massage!" Yao Ling waited eagerly for her massage session. She could imagine how she would fall into a deep sleep after the massage session, so she would feel refreshed the next day and ready to work on the Empress¡¯ robe once again.

    Yao Yingughed at her childishness and stared at her with pampering look. "Okay then! I will start now." He could see how tired Yao Ling was, so he made the decision to really massage her... at first and then he would see where the massage session would lead them to.

    He started to massage her shoulder and he could felt how stiff her shoulder was. Yao Ying kneaded her shoulder softly, but Yao Ling groaned, "Can you massage me a little bit harder?" After hearing her request, he added a little bit power which earned a moan from Yao Ling.

    "Hmm... yess... that¡¯s it!" She really enjoyed the massage. A bit painful at first, but after adjusting for a little while, she felt better and it removed the knot on her muscles.

    After her shoulder, his hands moved to her back and that was the part she felt tired the most. Every time Yao Ying massaged him, she moaned in bliss. Her sore back became much lighter.

    Yao Ying, who heard her alluring moan, couldn¡¯t help but smile and feel satisfied. A certain part of his body started to twitch, the meaning was clear... he started to get aroused. He shook his head because of how easy she could affect him. She didn¡¯t even do anything and he was already this hard. He smiled dotingly at the source of his hardness whom oblivious to his predicament.

    "How do you feel? Is itfortable?" Yao Ying asked softly.

    "Hmm... much better. My body feels lighter. Can you move a bit to the right?" Yao Ling begged softly.

    Yao Ying followed her lead and moved his hands a bit to the right, allowing her to guide him on which part of her body that she wanted him to massage.

    "Yes... yes... right there..." Yao Ling saidzily while yawning. She started to feel sleepy after she enjoyed the massage. In the blink of an eye, she slept soundly.

    Yao Ying¡¯s face was a bit darkened in disappointment. After he became her good masseur, Yao Ling was going to sleep without paying him back for his service?! He wasn¡¯t going to let her sleep easily. Yao Ying smirked to himself.

    Yao Ling started to feel something roaming freely on her body in her sleep. It was a different feeling from the kneading moves that she felt from Yao Ying¡¯s massage --- it was softer and lighter. The massage made her feelfortable, but these roaming hands made her feel tingling all over her body.

 Chapter 128 Learning From The sYellow Books

    Yao Ling opened her sleepy eyes and felt how Yao Ying softly touched her back with the tips of his fingers in a sensual way. "What are you doing?" Yao Ling asked in annoyance. She was almost falling asleep blissfully! He woke her up and it made her mood turn sour.

    "Just touching my precious wife¡¯s body," Yao Ying grinned mischievously. He ignored her little tantrum.

    "Ying... I¡¯m tired," Yao Ling whined. "Stop messing around!"

    "I¡¯m not messing around with you!" Yao Ying pouted. "After enjoying my service, you want to sleep soundly, huh? Then... what about me?"

    "I¡¯ll give you a massage too tomorrow," Yao Ling negotiated.

    "No... I don¡¯t want that!" Yao Ying rejected his offer.

    "Then, what do you want?" Yao Ling asked exasperatedly.

    "I just want to give you pleasure," Yao Ying grinned wolfishly.

    Yao Ling frowned. "But... I¡¯m tired..." She repeated her reasoning once again. Actually, her whole body was better because of the massage, but she was just too shy.

    Yao Yingughed. "Don¡¯t worry! You don¡¯t have to do anything!" Yao Ying wiggled his eyebrows, teasing her.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. She didn¡¯t believe that she would do nothing for him, at least... he would need her hands to satisfy him. "I don¡¯t believe you!" Yao Ling bit her lower lips in desperation. ¡¯Tomorrow, she still needs her hands for making the Empress¡¯ robe ah~¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    "I swear. You can just lie down there and do nothing. I will be the one who does all the works!" Yao Ying grinned wickedly. He didn¡¯t tell Yao Ling that he took a peek at the ¡¯yellow book¡¯ that Grandmother gave them. Yao Ying knew that he didn¡¯t have the experience in doing intimate things, but Yao Ling was always the one who gave him pleasure. This time, he really wanted to make her feel the same pleasure as him.

    The ¡¯yellow book¡¯ taught him so much about the bird and bees. There was a certain part where it described in details how to pleasure a woman -- even the pictures were attached. When he thought about those pictures and then imagined doing those things with Yao Ying, he could feel a surge of need and lust came to him in a sh. His little Yao Ying certainly didn¡¯t feel shy to stand up. How could he not? He was imagining his lovely wife with all of those sexy details.

    "I promise! I won¡¯t let you use your hands. I can pleasure myself, so you don¡¯t have to worry about that matter. Tonight... I just want to give the same pleasure to you," Yao Ling said truthfully.

    "What kind of pleasure?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She could help but feel tempted by his offer.

    "Just like how you give mine. So do you want to try it?" Yao Ying asked excitedly. He could see the curiosity on Yao Ling¡¯s eyes and he should strike the iron is still hot! How could he let go of this chance?

    "Where do you learn about it?" Yao Ling asked suspiciously.

    "Do you remember the book that Grandmother gave us?"

    Yao Ling remembered that book very well! Her face was beet red in embarrassment because she knew the content of that book. She thought she had already hidden it perfectly but it seemed like Yao Ying was able to find it. "From... from that book?"

    Yao Ying nodded eagerly. "It¡¯s a gift from Grandmother. If we don¡¯t properly use it, won¡¯t we be unfilial grandchildren? We will hurt her tender feeling," Yao Ying said righteously to justify his own behavior.

    "Ahhh... then do you want to see it together with me?" Yao Ying¡¯s eyes were twinkling with excitement.

    Yao Lingughed bitterly. ¡¯Grandmother ah~ you really corrupt your grandson!¡¯ Yao Ling sighed and answer him, "No need... no need..." She was too shy to read the book together with him.

    "So... can we try?" Yao Ying asked for her permission with puppy dog eyes. How could she resist his charm?

    She said nothing but slightly nodded. Yao Ling gave him her permission. Yao Ying almost thought that he was dreaming. She agreed?! Agreed?! He looked at Yao Ling in disbelief. He was just thinking that he would seduce her if she didn¡¯t agree to his request. Contrary to his expectation, she agreed!

    When she agreed, he became stiff and forgot about what he should do. After all, he was inexperienced himself. The atmosphere became a bit awkward. Yao Ling was looking down and feeling shy. Yao Ying¡¯s body was frozen at a loss what to do to get into the mood.

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes fluttered and she peeked at him, looking at his frozen state. She knew that he was in disbelief and she wanted tough out loud because of it. Yao Ying seemed to aware that Yao Ling was looking at him, so he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. He was a bit confused where should he start?

    Yao Ling decided to be brave for once. She had a sudden urge to show him her feeling with her body. Yao Ling turned around and sat down. She touched Yao Ying¡¯s face and caressed it softly. Her sleepiness was gone, but instead... she was in a trance while looking at her husband¡¯s face. She could see the surprised look on his face, sometimes... having the upper hand was quite pleasant.

    "Ying..." She called him softly.

    Yao Ying who couldn¡¯t hold himself anymore decided to jump on her. He kissed her lips without any restraint, while he touched the back of her neck and brought her closer to him. Yao Ying only released her when she was almost fainted due to out of breath. The lust had made Yao Ying¡¯s mind cloudy and his gaze was slightly hazy.

    His free hand started moving and roaming on Yao Ling¡¯s body based on his instinct. He decided to forget about the ¡¯yellow book¡¯ and only focused himself on pleasuring her --- he would only take the book as a reference. After all, experiencing the intimate act together and learning about it together was more exciting.

    Yao Ying¡¯s roaming handnded on her thigh and he caressed the silky white skin softly. He felt that the fabric of Yao Ling¡¯s robe was a hindrance and he almost... almost... tear it off once again. Fortunately, he remembered that the fabric had been used for the Empress¡¯ robe. Yao Ying let her go and slowly opened her robe, making Yao Ling shy and feel conscious of her body.

    "Beautiful..." That¡¯s the only thing that Yao Ying could see, after seeing her in her dudou with a blushing cheek. Hearing Yao Ying¡¯s praise, Yao Ling was happy but also embarrassed, so she tried to cover herself. Yao Ying stopped both of her hands and pried them open. "Don¡¯t cover yourself! You are so beautiful, Wife!" Yao Ying didn¡¯t praise because he wanted to curry favor, but that was his true feeling.

    Yao Ling looked down and she exposed her slender neck. After knowing that she wouldn¡¯t cover herself anymore, he let go one of her hands and caressed her neck which made Yao Ling shiver. Yao Ying threw Yao Ling¡¯s precious robe to the floor and his hand was back to her neck. He touched the edge of her dudou¡¯s knotted string. He hesitated for a little bit, before asking, "May I?"

    Yao Ling shyly nodded and Yao Ying opened her dudou¡¯s string that tied around her neck with one swift movement. Yao Ling held the dudou, trying not to reveal herself. Yao Ying wasn¡¯t in a hurry, so he let her be. His hand moved to her back and opened the dudou¡¯s knot that tied around her back. Yao Ling could feel that the only things that prevented her dudou from falling down were her hands.

    Yao Ying smiled and slowly pried open her arms. "Ling-er... just rx," Yao Ying softly whispered to her ears, making her go weak and she let go of her dudou.

    The dudou fell down and Yao Ling felt slightly cold, however... her body gradually started to feel hot. Yao Ling quickly shut her eyes --- too embarrassed to see Yao Ying¡¯s reaction while he was looking at her private parts. Yao Ying kept holding her arms, not giving her a chance to cover herself up.

 Chapter 129 Giving Her Pleasure

    Please note: This chapter contains the mature part. If you want to skip it, you can directly read after these symbols ***. If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.<

    ---------

    !MATURE PART!

    Yao Ying watched her perky b.r.e.a.s.ts intensely. They were very beautiful and her alluring flower buds proudly stood out --- probably due to the slightly cold temperature. For him, they were the most beautiful things that he had ever seen and they were begging to be touched. "Ling-er... so beautiful," Yao Ying said truthfully. He truly admired them, besides... it was also the first time he saw woman''s b.r.e.a.s.ts.

    "Don''t... don''t tease me!" Yao Ling stuttered due to her embarrassment. She felt vulnerable because she was practically n.a.k.e.d in front of him.

    Yao Ying knew how nervous Yao Ling was, so he decided to ask onest time before he s.u.mbed himself to his own l.u.s.t, "Can I touch them?" Yao Ying asked with eyes full of anticipation. He knew that she had probably already agreed to his advance, but he just needed to make sure that she also wanted this.

    Yao Ling berated him inwardly, ''You already touched them!! Is there a need to keep asking my permission?! I already feel like dying due to embarrassment, so how does he want me to answer his question?!''

    Yao Ling made a firm decision and with a sudden burst of power, she released herself from his grasp and she gripped both of her hands tightly. Without another word, she guided both of his hands to her plump twin peaks. While doing that, she actually shut both of her eyes tightly and her whole body was stiff. She was awkwardly giving him her permission while her whole body was trembling because of slight fear. She thought to herself, ''Is this good enough? Actions speak louder than words...''

    When Yao Ying felt her b.r.e.a.s.ts through his hands, his whole body was frozen due to the shock of her sudden brave movement. Soon... he came to his senses and crashed his mouth on hers --- hard. Yao Ying started to knead her b.r.e.a.s.ts softly. Yao Ling gasped as his palm grazed her bare b.r.e.a.s.t and the sensation awoke her flower buds, making them harder than before. Yao Ying could feel how soft and warm her b.r.e.a.s.ts were and they were in contrast with how hard her flower buds were. He gulped because of how responsive they were to his touch.

    Their hot breath mingled with each other along with their tangling tongues. His hands made her lost his mind as he kept kneading -- sometimes hard, sometimes soft. When his fingers started to caress the budding flower buds and twirling them, Yao Ling could feel the electricity and it made her m.o.a.n in pleasure. "Hmmm...."

    Yao Ling was feeling bewildered because of the foreign feeling. "Ying..." Yao Ling m.o.a.ned her husband''s name desperately. Desperate of what? She didn''t really understand, but she just wanted to get closer to him. She somehow needed him for something.

    She clenched her tights, trying to relieve the burning sensation down there. The electricity that she felt due to his hands'' movement flowed through her whole body and down to her sweetness down there. She m.o.a.ned once again. What did he do to her? The electricity made her feel intense pleasure.

    Yao Ling rested her head on the crook of Yao Ying''s neck, trying to hold back her desire. Both of Yao Ying''s hands didn''t stop kneading, but once in a while, he brushed his fingers on the flower buds. Yao Ying could see the l.u.s.t in her eyes and he couldn''t help but praise the ''yellow book'' in his mind. Without the knowledge from the ''yellow book'', he wouldn''t know what to do to pleasure her.

    ''Grandmother... I have to thank you!'' Yao Ying thought excitedly. He didn''t forget about the matriarch''s merit.

    Yao Ling gripped both of Yao Ying''s upper arms tightly and her nails dug into his skin, but Yao Ying just ignored the pain. His focus was trying to give Yao Ling a pleasurable night. Yao Ying saw how her pinkish flower buds started to get more sensitive and look oh-so-delicious.

    He pushed her back a little bit because he wanted to taste her. Yao Ying wanted to know how sweet her taut twin peaks were. He dipped his head down and took the sweet temptation into his mouth. Yao Ling shuddered when she felt Yao Ying''s wet tongue slowly licked her flower buds.

    "Hmmm..." Yao Ling m.o.a.ned a bit louder. "Ying..." She breathlessly called his name. The electrifying movement made Yao Ling lose her mind. Everything seemed so hazy --- only the pleasure was real.

    The more he twirled his tongue on her flower buds and made her whole body tingling, the wetter her sweetness down there. Something was aching down there and she could only tighten her thighs, trying to ease her pain. Yao Ling could feel that her sweetness down there was truly soaked. She groaned when she felt the way Yao Ying tortured her with pleasure.

    Yao Ying really enjoyed his feast... one moment he was sucking her left flower bud and his other hand worked wonder by twisting and sometimes pinching the other flower bud softly. Yao Ling could only grip his arms and in the midst of the passion and pleasure... she bit his right shoulder while holding back her m.o.a.n. She did it out of instinct and Yao Ling didn''t even realize she had bitten Yao Ying. She just needed to vent on something and his shoulder was the only thing avable in front of her.

    Yao Ying didn''t dodge her bite, but instead... he kept attacking her flower buds more ruthlessly. "Ling-er... you taste so sweet..." Yao Ying praised. "Look at how rosy and swollen they are." Although he was talking, he didn''t stop doing what he had been doing all along.

    Listening to his sweet nothing, she could only blush and she stopped biting him. She turned away, feeling shy. Yao Ying didn''t allow her to be embarrassed and said, "Don''t be shy..."

    Yao Ling didn''t know whether tough or cry. How could she not shy? He... he touched and even licked her b.r.e.a.s.ts. It was an amazing experience but she still couldn''t get past the embarrassment. She hid her face on the crook of his shoulder, but she yelped when Yao Ling pushed her so she could lie down on the bed. Shended in a thud and Yao Ling saw how Yao Ying looked at her body with intense l.u.s.t.

    Yao Ling blushed and it made her snowy white cheeks tinted with a hint of red, so alluring to Yao Ying who saw it. She once again tried to cover herself, but Yao Ying stubbornly didn''t allow her to. "We are already husband and wife. You should learn to get over your embarrassment..." Yao Ying still had the mood to joke, making Yao Ling pouted.

    Yao Ying grinned at her pouty face and quickly kissed her lips once again. He knew she was going to retort him back, so before she made out any sounds... he decided to shut her mouth and enjoyed her lips. Yao Ling huffed inside her mind because he kept shutting her mouth this way. However, she knew that this method was quite effective.

    ''Well... she might as well enjoying this then...'' Yao Ling thought inwardly.

    While kissing her, Yao Ying kept thinking whether he could go further and roam his hand to her sweetness down there. Some of the ''yellow book'' pictures came into his mind, but he didn''t think that it was suitable for this time. He should just make her satisfied with ying with her upper part of her body. He recalled that they still had around seventy days left to their promised day. So, it would be wise of him if he enjoyed her bits by bits. A bit painful for him, but he was enjoying it.

    After finally deciding that he would restraint himself, he started to concentrate on the task at hand. He started to find her neck and bit her soft spot, but he still had the decency to not leave any marks on her neck. Yao Ying knew that she would be embarrassed to death and probably wouldn''t allow him to go near her once again. He shuddered at the thought of not touching her. She was simply his sweet addiction. Once he tasted her, he could never get enough of her.

    His one hand was used to support his body, so he wouldn''t crush her. His other hand? It was back to his conquest of touching her. His hand traced her neck, her corbone, her upper b.r.e.a.s.t in a circr motion and it all heightened Yao Ling''s sense to his touch. He decided to use only one finger and with that chosen finger... he traced the outline of her flower bud with a circr motion and the pleasure was unbearable to Yao Ling. It made the tingling heightened and her sweetness down there became wetter -- she probably already soaked down there, but Yao Ling didn''t even realize that herself. Her focus was solely on his finger and her own sensitive flower bud.

    Yao Ying smiled when he saw her tortured expression. Yao Ying saw the other free flower bud and his throat was parched. He couldn''t help but bit it once and sucked it deep into his mouth. "Aaaahhhh~" Yao Ling m.o.a.n louder than before after she felt his mouth on her peak.

    Yao Ling wriggled under his torture, trying to free herself from his mouth. "Ying... Ying... stopppp please..." She could feel the cold sensation when he sucked and also the ticklish feeling, she couldn''t help but m.o.a.n and giggle at the same time.

    Out of nowhere, Yao Ying suddenly hit her weak spot on both flower buds and the pleasure was unimaginable. She shuddered and felt something burst out down there. She couldn''t stop herself from m.o.a.ning loudly, "Aaaahhh~" Yao Ling bit Yao Ying''s shoulder once again and this bite was more intense than before. Yao Ying groaned, "Ouch..."

    Yao Ying didn''t do anything to Yao Ling and just let her be, but he was a bit surprised by her overboard reaction. ''What happened?'' He thought to himself. He let go of her flowers bud, because of the surprise.

    ********

    !The End of The Mature Part!

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling didn''t know that it actually meant that Yao Ling finally found her release. Yao Ling, who had just gotten her first mind-blown orgasm, didn''t know how to describe her experience. She justid there, staring nkly at Yao Ying. She never knew that such a pleasurable could exist. She could feel that something came out of her sweetness down there and the tingling was still there. She curiously touched her sweetness and shuddered when she identally touched the sensitive part. Yao Ling found the sticky transparent wetness. Yao Ling looked at the foreign substance and blinked her eyes innocently. ''What happened?'' She thought to herself. She looked at her hand and asked herself softly, "What is this?" She questioned herself about that sticky wetness and the experience that she had just gotten.

    Yao Ying was afraid of her abnormal behavior. "Ling-er... are you okay?" He could see the confusion in her eyes and it mirrored his.

    Yao Ling just answered her by nodding numbly. She turned her gaze from her hand to Yao Ling, "Do you know what is it?"

    Yao Ying nced at her wetness and nodded. "Umph... it came out from your sweet little thing, right?" Yao Ying had a bit understanding but also didn''t know what he should call that wetness.

    Yao Ling nodded. "Er... how do you feel when your sticky white thing came out from your little Yao Ying?" She asked curiously. Maybe they felt the same way when the white thing came out?

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. "It''s an unimaginable pleasure. Why?" He didn''t how to exin what he felt -- but it was true, he felt intense pleasure when the white thing shot out of little Yao Ying.

    Yao Ling blinked at him. "I think I just got that experience too?" Yao Ling felt a bit unsure.

    "Er... orgasm?" Yao Ying asked softly. ''Did she just find a release? Only by ying with her flower buds?'' Yao Ying thought to himself and he was in awe because of her sensitivity. The ''yellow book'' mentioned that it wasn''t easy for a woman to find a release... it seemed like his wifey was extraordinary! Her body was very sensitive and responsive to his touch.

    "Yes... I think I just felt my first orgasm!" Yao Ling boldly dered.

    Yao Ying started to realized that she was shuddering and m.o.a.ning with such a loud voice because of her first orgasm. He grinned at Yao Ling and asked, "What do you think about it?" He felt curious and proud of himself that she experienced her first orgasm because of him.

    Yao Ling looked at him with twinkling eyes. "I love it!" She honestly answered him.

    Yao Ling never knew that making love could have such an effect on women. Ahh... no wonder... she thought to herself. She remembered one of the vigers that loved seducing the handsome woodcutter by acting coquettishly and that time, she was feeling a bit irked with the way that woman behavior. Yao Ling now understood that she probably also experienced the same earth-shattering orgasm just like her --- that''s why that vige girl loved making love. [If you remember back at their wedding day, Yao Ling copied this vige girl''s movement to make herself look seductive on their wedding night].

    Yao Ling tried to clear her mind. Why did she suddenly think about that vige girl? Did she think that she would act coquettishly to her husband just to feel that unimaginable pleasure once again? Yao Ling shook her head and knew that she wouldn''t have the gut to imitate that vige girl. Even though she could probably seduce him or act coquettishly around him it in private, however, she was actually too shy to execute the n!

    Yao Ying grinned at her when he knew that Yao Ling was honestly loving it. He felt that he had won and it meant... she would do intimate things with him willingly, right? When he thought about that conclusion, he felt proud of himself.

    "I''m d that you love it!" Yao Ying grinned widely. Her pleasure was also his. In the midst of his happiness, he even forgot about his little Yao Ying who also needed his attention. His little Yao Ying hardness became soft and what once was a tent on his pants... now became t... He didn''t need to take a cold shower that night and he sighed in relief.

    Yao Ying started to think to himself... since when that Yao Ling kept upying his mind? He found himself love indulging and pampering her. Yao Ying even went to the length to keep wanting to satisfy her first. The emptiness that he felt because of his unknown past... was fully upied by her. His heart is full of her. Her smile, her cry, her pout, her expression --- everything is etched deep within his heart.

    When he looked at her twinkling eyes, he almost blurted the word love to her! He started to understand that he loves her as a man loves a woman. He gulped back down the word, thinking that it wasn''t a good time to tell her the love word. She probably would think he only said sweet-nothing just to get into her pants more often and he didn''t want that to happen. he wanted it to be special.

    Yao Ling is special to him and she deserves to be treated like his queen. Yao Ying didn''t even realize that he looked at Yao Ling with eyes full of love and warmth. Yao Ling saw the different expression on his face and curiously asked, "What are you thinking about?" She saw his eyes turned from a predatory look into a warm gaze in a sh. His new gaze made her heart skip a beat.

    Yao Ying just smiled secretly at her, nning something in his mind. "Nothing..." He patted her head softly and said sweetly, "I''m happy when you are happy." He wouldn''t let her know about his n --- it was supposed to be a surprise.

    Yao Ling''s cheeks turned crimson once again. Then she remembered that she was practically still n.a.k.e.d and quickly buried herself inside the quilt. She tilted her head to the left and asked, "Are we done?" Because of the orgasm, she felt a little bit tired.

    Yao Yingughed. "Yes... yes... we are done for the day."

 Chapter 130 Where Did Her Innocence Go?

    Yao Ling actually wanted to take a bath, but after listening to what Yao Ying said.. she changed her mind. She preferred to buried herself in the quilt then slept, rather than unting her naked body in front of him. She knew what the result would be... Yao Ying would certainly turn into a wolf once again! He promised that it would end for the day and she calcted that it was almost midnight and almost the time to change into the next day, so she would be better to just turn her back on him and tried to sleep.

    If he said that it was already a new day and wanted to do more, she couldn¡¯t refute his logic. Better be safe than sorryter...

    "Ling-er... Ling-er..." Yao Ying kept calling her, but she didn¡¯t answer him and still pretended to be asleep. He sighed and shook his head. Did she think that he was a beast and would attack her again? He grinned then found the answer... oh yeah... he¡¯s her beast. Who told her to be such an alluring and seductive woman?

    "I just want to remind you to wear you dudou and outer robe again... or you prefer me to hug your naked body?" Yao Ying teased her because he knew that she wasn¡¯t asleep yet. "If I touch your naked body especially your lovely breasts once again... I won¡¯t guarantee what I will do..." He singsonged thest part merrily.

    "I¡¯m up... I¡¯m up..." Yao Ying said hurriedly and quickly got up. She looked at him, pouting. After that, she looked around and tried to find her clothes. "Where¡¯s my dudou and outer robe?" She would certainly choke Yao Ying if he dared to ruin her clothing once again!

    Yao Ying already took the outer robe that he threw on the floor and found the dudou almost fell out of the bed too. He took the dudou and then he gave her both of her clothes. "See? I¡¯m a gentleman. I didn¡¯t tear your robe today." Yao Ying teased her.

    Yao Ling saw that her outer robe was still intact and she nodded in satisfaction. After that, she just red at him and wore her dudou and outer robe quickly. She felt safer after she was fully clothed. "It¡¯s because you know I will pummel you to death if you wreck my robe again!" Yao Ling harrumphed.

    Yao Ying justughed at her and tried to appease her, "Yes... yes... this husband knows."

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes and her sleepiness started toe back once again. "Come on... let¡¯s sleep," Yao Ling ordered him. She still had a lot of things to do tomorrow and she didn¡¯t want to entertain him anymore.

    "Okay..." Yao Ying happily answered. He also buried himself inside the quilt too and hugged her from behind. Yao Ling was a bit tense --- afraid that he would do something naughty to her, but after knowing he didn¡¯t do anything to her, she rxed.

    Yao Ying kissed the top of her head and smiled, "Wifey... I will let you go tonight. I should be feeling sad that you only used me, but it¡¯s fine for today."

    "Using you?! Howe?" Yao Ling turned to look at him and furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

    "After I gave you orgasm, you cast me away and chose to sleep!" Yao Ying whined like a little kid.

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes but smiling to herself. "I¡¯m not casting you away. I¡¯m just tired. I promise you I will pay you back," Yao Ling said.

    "Okay... then I will hold you on your promise. Next time... it will be my turn!" Yao Ying cheerfully said. ¡¯Ah... he can¡¯t wait for that day!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself and he knew he would get a good night sleep after getting such a good promise.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t bother to reply to him anymore because she already fell asleep. Yao Ying saw her peacefully sleep and started to feel sleepy too. He closed his eyes and slept while hugging her tightly. It turned out... making his beloved wife happy also made him feel peaceful and happy.

    Both of them slept blissfully that night. Both of them realized their own feelings and that... made them feel thankful that they chose to fulfill Jiu Lan¡¯sst wish by getting married.

    They found love because of it.

    -------

    The next day, they woke up and took the time to prepare themselves for the day. They didn¡¯t feel any awkwardness despitest night amorous night, but Yao Ling would still blush whenever she remembered the previous day¡¯s event or when she identally made eye contact with Yao Ying.

    Yao Ling was shy but she already made a decision that she wanted to experience the orgasm again some other time, but she wouldn¡¯t let Yao Ying know her decision. It would be too embarrassing. She groaned inwardly and berated Yao Ying for making her know such a pleasurable thing exist and turned her into a pervert along with him. Where did her innocence go ah~?

    Yao Ying saw the cheerful look at Yao Ling¡¯s face and grinned to himself. Yao Ling didn¡¯t even realize that her happiness made Yao Ying understood a bit of her thought. It seemed like his little wife really enjoyed her first orgasm, hence the good mood. He decided to learn more about it from the ¡¯yellow book¡¯. He should also prepare a gift for Grandmother. Because of her, he would have a great night time activity with his wife.

    After breakfast, they greeted the elders. When Yao Ling was telling the matriarch that she would be absent for a few days from the lesson, she readily agreed and said that Wang Luo Hai had already exined the reason to her. The matriarch knew about the real reason, so Yao Ling didn¡¯t need to say much.

    When she identally met Madam Wang after paying respect to the matriarch, Yao Ling only exined that there were massive orders at Fu Rong that needed her attention so she couldn¡¯t stay long. Madam Wang only nodded and told her to go quickly. Although the matriarch told her to get closer to Madam Wang, her hectic schedule didn¡¯t really allow her to. So her rtionship with Madam Wang was still okay, but not best. Yao Ling didn¡¯t think too much about it, but after finishing the Empress¡¯ robe, she should probably build a better rtionship with Madam Wang.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling went to Fu Rong together. Xiu and Xiao Yu always followed them, while Feng was given the task to teach the children at Ning jie¡¯s house martial arts. When they arrived, they did they work as usual as not to make people suspicious that they received a secret order.

    After finishing the usual inspection, they went to the second floor together. Wang Luo Hai, Yao Ying, and Yao Ling had a deep discussion regarding the order. The robe was almost finished and they soon would work on the intricate embroidery pattern. Wang Luo Hai had already received the pattern and also the permission to finish the Empress¡¯ robe. When Yao Ling looked at the pattern, she sighed in relief because it was on the scope of her capabilities. She could do it!

    "How about the matter sending it to the pce?" Yao Ying asked curiously. Their background was more of a merchant, so they didn¡¯t really have a lot of high-skilled guards --- only a few that stayed as hidden guards. If they were the one who sent it to the pce, the same thing as before would truly happen again.

    "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. The organization will certainly arrange the matter. There¡¯s a probability that the task will fall at Lin Zheng or Lin Jian¡¯s hands," Wang Luo Hai exined.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling nodded in understanding. They only needed to work on the robe, other matters... they didn¡¯t need really to care about it. But Lin¡¯s family was a great choice for bing the bodyguards, after all... they had a lot of resources for high-skilled martial arts people.

    "Father, how many days should I finish this embroidery?" Yao Ling asked cautiously. She hoped it was still under a reasonable frame of time. If she calcted the time, she would need at least a month to make this robe under her usual pace of working.

    "The organization had a way to change the date of the party and it will be postponed for two weeks," Wang Luo Hai exined.

    "Is it the princes¡¯ work?" Yao Ying asked curiously. He was quite surprised because they were able to change the date in the span of one night. How big was this organization¡¯swork?

    Wang Luo Hai nodded.

    Yao Ling asked him curiously, "How did they do that, Father?"

    Wang Luo Haiughed. "It was only a simple matter. A famous monk who could read divination said the actual date of the party would bring cmity to the nation and the party should be postponed to the new auspicious date. The current Emperor is a full-believer of divination because he¡¯s a religious person. How they managed to convince the Emperor further, I don¡¯t really know because it must have done by someone in the pce. I only heard the summary."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other in awe. The Princes were very smart... no wonder there were a lot of people willing to be their subordinates. They just used a simple method to convince the Emperor.

 Chapter 131 How Can I Leave You?

    "I can see the admiration in both of your eyes," Wang Luo Hai smiled. They should have known that he wasn¡¯t going to put his life and his family¡¯s life to ipetent princes and he was just lucky that they were both his nephew. The bond was deeper than a master and an ordinary subordinate.

    "They are able to prolong our time to make the robe in one night. Not everyone can do that. Who won¡¯t admire them?" Yao Ling gave him her honest opinion, smiling.

    Wang Luo Haiughed. "True that..."

    "So... how many days that I have?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She hoped that she at least got more than one week, otherwise, even with her ability... she would have to work crazily to finish it in time.

    "One week. Can you do that?" Wang Luo Hai asked her back.

    Yao Ling sucked in a deep breath, knowing that they were actually asking a bit too much to her. Her premonition came true! She should finish it less than half the time of her usual pace. She knew that she should pull an all-nighter for one whole week. She looked at Yao Ying and knew that she should do this for him. Sighing, Yao Ling nodded. "I can, but I will not be able to do anything else except doing the embroidery for one whole week." The meaning was clear... she would stay in this room and would not be able to pay respect to the elders just like usual.

    Wang Luo Hai understood. "I will arrange everything. Don¡¯t worry about your lesson, home matter, and Fu Rong matter. Your focus should be fully in finishing the robe. Do you need someone else to have you?"

    "I can only trust Ning-jie, Father," Yao Ling answered. She realized that Wang Luo Hai probably already knew about Ning-jie. She wasn¡¯t too naive to believe that Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t know what Yao Ying and Yao Ling did behind his back. Wang Luo Hai probably did nothing, because he wanted them to learn too.

    Wang Luo Hai nodded, acknowledging her decision. "Go ahead!"

    Yao Ling turned to Yao Ying and said, "You can go to General Lin¡¯s house. Isn¡¯t it time for you to have Shi Fu to teach you? You don¡¯t want to bete. I already prepare the wine beforehand."

    Yao Ying nodded. He already saw that Xiu held a jug of wine and brought it along to Fu Rong. If she didn¡¯t prepare it for him, he would have forgotten about it. Having a caring wife was truly the best!

    That one whole week both of them were working really hard. Yao Lin was focusing herself in finishing the embroidery, while Yao Ying took care of all Fu Rong¡¯s matter and learned martial arts skills from Shi Fu along with Lin Jian. His martial arts skills improved a lot because of Shi Fu¡¯s special training, but he still wasn¡¯t on par with Xiu and Feng¡¯s skill. Everything took time... he consoled himself. Besides, based on what Shi Fu said... Yao Ying was talented and he was able to learn everything at a fast rate.

    Lin Jian invited him a few times to have a drink together, but Yao Ying rejected and promised him that he would only be able to go with him after Yao Ling finished her embroidery. Yao Ying felt that it didn¡¯t seem right for him to go for a drink and have fun when Yao Ling was very busy. He saw with his own eyes how diligent she worked and she only slept for half to two shichen at most every day. He could even see her eyebags were darker than usual and it pained him.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling didn¡¯t have the time to spend together, except when he went to Fu Rong and watched her work. Intimate moment? Don¡¯t even think about it! He couldn¡¯t even steal a kiss from his dedicated wife and it made him a bit lonely. That¡¯s why he kept loitering around Yao Ling with a dejected face.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. Yao Ying looked like an abandoned puppy --- even Ning-jie noticed his weird behavior but didn¡¯t dare tough at his face. Yao Ling decided to ask him, "Husband... why don¡¯t you go out with Lin Jian? I heard from Xiu that he had been asking you a few times to have a drink together? Don¡¯t worry about me! The robe is almost finished anyway." Yao Ling hoped that he would listen to her encouragement.

    If Yao Ying kept loitering around her with a forlorn look, she also couldn¡¯t fully concentrate on doing the embroidery. Her eyes kept darting around him and well... she also wanted tough out loud. Yao Ling also knew that he also waited for her promise to give him pleasure, but too bad... she didn¡¯t have any time to entertain him until the robe was finished. She was very busy ah~

    "How can I leave you just like this?" Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows, feeling dissatisfied with the way she indirectly chased him away. He was just worried about her ah~

    Yao Ling felt a headacheing. She understood how he felt responsible about this, but they were husband and wife ah~ She also helped him willingly, why did he have to feel guilty all the time? She did this not for gaining any merit in his eyes, but for sharing the burden together.

    Yao Ling sighed and said, "It¡¯s really okay, Husband. You can go and tell me what kind of stories Lin Jian will tell you. He usually has a lot of interesting stories, right? You can use his stories to entertain me when I¡¯m feeling bored while doing this." Yao Ling tried to coax him while pointing at the robe. If she could, she would just kick him out of the room and sigh in relief.

    Yao Ying saw the stern look on Yao Ling¡¯s face and knew that he had no choice but to follow her wish. Yao Ling could be really stubborn sometimes and he could also see the pleading look. "Fine..." He pouted but still went out, following her order. Before he reached the stairs, he turned back and asked, "I¡¯m going now..." He still felt unwilling and hoped that Yao Ling would call him to go back.

    However, it was just wishful thinking. Yao Ling only nodded and grinned at him, then made a gesture to shoo him away. "Just go..." So, he could only go and bring Xiu along with him.

    After he was gone, Yao Ling was finally able to sigh in relief. She heard a burst ofughter from behind her and she knew it was Ning-jie. She turned around and asked in annoyance, "What?"

    Ning-jie tried to stifle herugh but fail. "I never know that your husband is henpecked by you. He doesn¡¯t even want to leave you even for a second." Ning-jie still remembered Yao Ying¡¯s expression and it made her want to tease Yao Ling more.

    "He¡¯s not henpecked! He¡¯s just feeling guilty because I have to do all the work for him and he can¡¯t help me at all," Yao Ling shyly exined.

    "Still a very rare man... For example, my father. If you were his wife, he would let you do all the work and he would probably stay with the concubines," Ning-jie said bitterly. That was what had happened to her mother, so she knew all about man¡¯s cruelty in the first hand. Yao Ying was indeed a rare breed of man.

    Yao Ling just sympathetically looked at Ning-jie and said, "There are a lot of types of men. You just met the bad one. Who knows? You will probably have a kind and loyal man. Why bother with the past?"

    Ning-jie nodded at Yao Ling¡¯s suggestion. "I wish what you said wille true. But for now, I will focus on the children first. I¡¯m not in a hurry to find a man."

    Yao Ling sighed. It wasn¡¯t that she wasn¡¯t in a hurry... it was more like she didn¡¯t trust that men were capable to love a woman wholeheartedly. Yao Ling admitted that she was lucky to meet such a good husband.

    Before they could say anything else, Xiao Yu rushed into the room in a hurry. Yao Ling always told Xiao Yu to go back to Wang Fu after she apanied Yao Ling walking to Fu Rong in the morning because she needed someone to be her eyes at Wang Fu. Yao Ling couldn¡¯t stay long at home for one week and she didn¡¯t feel good not knowing the matter inside Wang Fu. She could only trust Xiao Yu, so she needed her to be her eyes and ears inside Wang Fu.

    Yao Ling asked, "Why are you in a hurry? Has something happened at Wang Fu?"

    Xiao Yu quickly greeted and ryed the news. "Young Mistress, Liu Li has recovered for a little bit and she is finally able to get out of bed."

    "And?" Yao Ling smiled.

    "Just like what Young Mistress has predicted before... she starts to work on her revenge," Xiao Yu grinned. She never thought that Young Mistress could correctly predict Liu Li¡¯s next step.

    "This kind of person... she¡¯s too restless. I know that she won¡¯ty low for long and she is good at harboring a grudge," Yao Ling said. She already paid special attention to Liu Li and she knew her like the back of her hand.

 Chapter 132 Lin Jians Past 1

    Xiao Yu nodded in agreement. "This girl¡¯s mind is really a bit twisted, so the way she seeks revenge so soon doesn¡¯t really surprising." She just wondered how Young Mistress could foresee these things clearly.

    Yao Ling smiled. "We can just watch her do it and it will certainly bring us some benefits. Just update me with everything she does so I know that she¡¯s still under our control. I will even let you personally help her with everything that she needs." Thest part was her order to Xiao Yu to assist Liu Li for now.

    "Yes, Young Mistress," Xiao Yu answered.

    "How is her reaction when you sent her the medicine?" Yao Ling asked curiously. Because of her busy scheduletely, she almost forgot about Liu Li¡¯s matter and didn¡¯t ask for Xiao Yu¡¯s update regarding Liu Li for a few days.

    "She bes warmer and nicer to me, but this servant doesn¡¯t really sure whether she is truly grateful or not. After all, her personalities aren¡¯t good. There is a probability that she was only faking her gratefulness. Young Mistress, are you sure that you want to use her?" Xiao Yu was a bit worried because she naturally how scary and crazy that Liu Li was. This kind of chess piece was actually a double-edged sword.

    Yao Lingughed at her question, but Yao Lin understood that Xiao Yu was just worried about her. "Don¡¯t worry! I have my own calction. As long as you are good to her, she will certainly be good to us too." Yao Ling was actually pitying the girl for a little bit. She must have a painful past to be twisted just like this. Once people gave her a little bit of kindness, she would do anything for that person. That¡¯s why Yao Ling knew, once Liu Li was feeling abandoned, she would certainly seek revenge.

    "Just go back and pay attention to her. Tomorrow... good things will happen in our courtyard," Yao Ling smiled mysteriously and didn¡¯t say anything more.

    Xiao Yu knew that once Young Mistress didn¡¯t want to say something, no matter what she did to get it out of her... she wouldn¡¯t budge and tell her anything at all. Xiao Yu could only nod and ask, "Young Mistress, should I go back to or stay here to serve you?" Xiao Yu was a bit worried when she wasn¡¯t by Young Mistress¡¯ side.

    "Just go back. Don¡¯t worry about my lunch and dinner. I can tell Li Huan to prepare foods for us, so you don¡¯t have to worry about me. You just need to do your job properly, okay?" Yao Ling said.

    Xiao Yu obeyed her order and quickly went back to Wang Fu, while Yao Ling continued doing her embroidery. "Ning-jie... how are the kids¡¯ progress?"

    "They are doing really well. It seems like they are really working hard and trying their best to learn everything in a short time. For the martial arts aspect, some of them don¡¯t really have the talent, but they are still learning diligently," Ning-jie said.

    Yao Ling nodded and smiled. "They don¡¯t have to be outstanding at martial arts skills because I just want them to have a knowledge how to protect themselves --- just in case, they are in dangerous situation. Just prepare them for me, because I will take some of them with me after this."

    Ning-jie wanted to ask Yao Ling which kids that she wanted to take along, but swallowed her words down. She decided to trust Yao Ling, so she should just do what Yao Ling told her too. Until now, Yao Ling never did anything that disappointed her. "I will prepare them for you," Ning-jie answered obediently. After that, they continued working in silence and tried to finish the robe as soon as possible, so they could rest.

    -------

    Yao Ying went out to find Lin Jian at Lin Fu. Thetter was quite surprised by his sudden appearance. "Didn¡¯t you say that you want to stay by your lovely wife¡¯s side? Why are you here now?" Lin Jian mocked him and it made Yao Ying frowned in annoyance.

    "If she didn¡¯t tell me to, I wouldn¡¯t be here!" Yao Ying sighed in defeat.

    Lin Jian could onlyugh bitterly. "What do you think of me? Your second choice whenever Yao Ling isn¡¯t avable?"

    Yao Yingughed. "You can say that. My wife is always number one. You already good enough for bing my number two. At least, you have a special ce in my heart too!" Yao Ying exaggerated thest part.

    Lin Jian rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Who wants to be your number two? Tsk!"

    "I¡¯m not a cut-sleeve, so why should you be my number one?" Yao Ying taunted Lin Jian. After all, he was in a bit of a bad mood and Lin Jian was there for him to tease. He thought for a bit and realized that whenever he was in a bad mood, Lin Jian¡¯s presence would make him feel a bit better by teasing him. En... That was a friend are for, right? If Lin Jian knew what Yao Ying was thinking about, he probably would vomit blood due to anger. This simple-minded bastard only thought of him as his punching bag to alleviate his bad mood!

    "Enough! Enough! I¡¯m tired of arguing with you," Lin Jian gave up talking to this man. After that, he asked, "Where do you want to go?"

    "Didn¡¯t you say you want to drink wine?" Yao Ying asked while raising one of his eyebrows.

    "Hua lou?"

    "Sure," Yao Ying agreed. He already had a tacit understanding with Yao Ling that he was allowed to go to the hua lou as he wished because sooner orter he had to take care of Mi Hui. If he didn¡¯t go there, how could he handle all the Mi Hui matter? As long as he didn¡¯t sumb to any temptation, he should be fine. Even a man with a yboy image like Lin Jian was able to preserve his virginity, why couldn¡¯t he do that? He already had a beautiful wife at home, besides he wasn¡¯t really that lustful --- well... except for Yao Ling. She was his weakness.

    Both of them went to the hua lou just like usual, but they didn¡¯t want to be apanied by any women. Their purpose was solely for drinking and talking --- not for Mi Hui the courtesans and Mi Hui the organization. They just wanted to rx.

    "Yao Ying... are you still curious about the woman in the painting?" Lin Jian suddenly asked, while twirling the cup of wine that he held.

    Yao Ying was surprised because Lin Jian was actually taking the initiative to talk to him about that matter. He nodded and admitted, "Yes... I¡¯m curious, but why? Why do you suddenly want to talk about it?"

    Lin Jian smiled. "I need a wine to give me the courage to talk, besides... I really need someone to talk to. It¡¯s impossible for me to talk about it with my father." Lin Jian sighed, feeling mncholic after thinking about his mother once again.

    "Then talk..." Yao Ying said. He knew that Lin Jian just wanted to vent out the things that had been locked deep within his heart. Lin Jian didn¡¯t need a noisy friend, but he needed a listener. Yao Ying knew he just had to sit there and listen.

    Lin Jian was grateful that Yao Ying was able to see his mood and willing to listen. "My real birth mother was only a lowly servant at Lin Fu. She took advantage of my father¡¯s trust and gave him an aphrodisiac, so she could climb into his bed. In his muddle-headed state, Father did it with her once and the result? She got pregnant with me. My birth mother thought that her scheme worked perfectly. But who is Father? He isn¡¯t someone that easy to deceive."

    Yao Ying shook his head. Sometimes... women used a nasty tactic just for the sake of climbing up thedder. It was quite scary.

    "Father only let her stay inside the house until the end of her pregnancy, but at that time, he didn¡¯t give her any freedom. She was guarded heavily within the courtyard. After having me, she was being chased out and the woman went crazy because of it. Luckily, my father still loves me despite my birth mother¡¯s slyness. However, you know my father¡¯s personality... he is neither hot nor cold. He was just there for me..." Lin Jian exined.

    Yao Ying also knew General Lin¡¯s characters after a few brief interactions. He could see that Lin Jian was grateful because his father epted him, but he also didn¡¯t have a warm love while growing up.

    Yao Ying asked curiously, "Have you ever med your father?"

    "What? For chasing that woman away and make her crazy?" Lin Jian asked sarcastically.

    "Yes..." Yao Ying nodded. He was a bit curious with what Lin Jian thought about that matter. At that time, he was only a baby and didn¡¯t have a way to choose his fate. Did he feel happy without his birth mother or not?

    "Honestly? No. She was able to do a dirty trick like that, and I believe... if I grew up under her care, she would certainly make my life hell. She would use me as a pawn and a bargaining chip to gain footing in Lin Fu. In a way, I¡¯m grateful to Father for being decisive and chase her away," Lin Jian said honestly.

 Chapter 133 Lin Jians Past 2

    Although he was saying all that without emotion, Yao Ying still noticed the pain in his eyes. Yao Ying knew that it was Lin Jian¡¯s family matter and he had no say in it, therefore... he could only sigh. Remembering a painful past just like Lin Jian wasn¡¯t always good, while he, who didn¡¯t remember his past, would probably more blissful.

    "What about your second mother? The Han Princess¡¯ mother?" Yao Ying asked. He had a gut feeling that Lin Jian found a hint of love from his second mother and her leave had asting effect on him. It must have been painful to him to lose someone so precious --- someone, who loved him dearly.

    Lin Jian¡¯s gazed became hazy and it seemed like he was reminiscing his past with a soft smile on his face. A tender look that Yao Ying had never seen before appeared on Lin Jian¡¯s face --- probably it would only appear when he thought about his mother. "As I said before... to me, she¡¯s a mother, a sister, a friend --- everything. She is actually Father¡¯s childhood sweetheart. When she knew how Father fell into the woman trap, she didn¡¯t get angry at Father or behave unreasonably by throwing tantrum just like what an ordinary woman would do. She was elegant and had the best temperament ever. Other than that, it was probably because she knew that Father didn¡¯t have any feelings for my wicked birth mother and she also knew how stupid Father in term of a rtionship was. He¡¯s a bit dense in that regard, so he fell into the trap easily."

    Yao Ying seemed to see Yao Ling in that woman¡¯s temperament. Yao Ling also didn¡¯t behave unreasonably when she found out that he went to the hua lou. But this woman seemed like a saint, for forgiving General Lin when he got another woman pregnant. Well... he fell into a trap, that was probably why. If he was the one who fell into the trap, he wasn¡¯t really sure whether Yao Ling would forgive him or not.

    "The funny thing is... the one who saved me was her. Father wanted to kill that woman on the spot without caring about her pregnancy. Mother was the one who stepped in front of my birth mother and stopped him without fear. I still remember until now what Father told me about what she had said at that moment..." Lin Jian trailed off at thest moment, trying topose his disarray emotion.

    Yao Ying sighed and patted his shoulder. "You can just let it all out. Everything that you said won¡¯t leave this room. Well... the only one that I will probably identally tell is Yao Ling." Yao Ying never tried to keep a secret from Yao Ling and Lin Jian should have known about it too, thus he told him straightforwardly.

    Thest part made Lin Jianugh, but he liked how Yao Ying was straightforwardly telling him about that. He knew that this man wouldn¡¯t be able to keep any secrets from his wife, but this way... was also good. That was how his father and mother rtionship was. They trust each other, hence the strong rtionship. When he mocked Yao Ying for being a henpecked husband, he was only joking. In fact, he was jealous of him and at the same time... admired him.

    "So... what did she say?" Yao Ying asked.

    Lin Jian told him exactly what happened that day --- of course, it was all based on what his father had told him.

    ----

    *shback*

    Young Lin Zheng was holding a sword and he was going to stab the servant who drugged him. The servant was kowtowing until her forehead was bleeding and she kept asking for his forgiveness. "Please... please... Young Master... forgive this servant. This servant had apse in judgment and made a big mistake by drugging Young Master. Please... please pardon this servant... on the ount of the baby inside my womb. This is still Young Master¡¯s baby -- Young Master¡¯s flesh and blood. Young Master also knew that this servant was a virgin when ¡¯it¡¯ happened. Young Master saw the blood too!"

    At that moment, the servant felt regret for being too arrogant and thinking too highly of herself. She was so confident of herself because of her beauty and she just wanted to be the young general¡¯s concubine, hoping for a better life. She didn¡¯t even care that the young general already had a childhood sweetheart. In her mind, as long as she sessfully climbed into his bed, he would certainly take her in as his concubine. She didn¡¯t expect to be kicked away while naked from the room when Young Master woke up and she became theughing stock in the household. All the servants and maidservants looked at her in disdain because of it. The glory that she thought she would get... never happened.

    When she got pregnant, she was so happy and thought that the young general would care about his own flesh and blood. On the ount of his baby, he would at least take her in as a concubine and give her a good life. Even if he didn¡¯t touch her again, she didn¡¯t care. However... she didn¡¯t expect that the young general wasn¡¯t only angry but also wanted to kill her. She almost peed because she was finally understood the meaning of being scared. She shouldn¡¯t have provoked Young Master in front of his childhood sweetheart.

    Young Lin Zheng almost vomited blood after listening to what that maidservant had just said. Drugging him should be punished by death and yet she was unting her virginity?! He was being drugged! How could he know that she was indeed a virgin or not? She could pretend that she was a virgin by dropping a few drops of any blood! He was dense, but not naive!

    Was she threatening him with the baby? It made him hate the maidservant even more! How could he want a baby who had such an evil person as a mother?! Pei! He wouldn¡¯t ept the baby!

    He was on the verge of going crazy until he heard the sweet voice of his beloved. She yelled at him loudly, "Stop!"

    Only her... the one who could make young Lin Zheng calm down. Young Lin Zheng froze and stopped at thest second before the sword pierced through the woman¡¯s heart. The maidservant couldn¡¯t stop trembling and finally fainted out of fear. She peed herself and it made young Lin Zheng felt disgusted even more. The matter of him doing the deed with this servant had been blown up by this evil woman and put a strain on his rtionship with the love of his life! How could he spare her?!

    "Why? Why do you stop me?" Young Lin Zheng felt at a loss. Why did she stop him? Shouldn¡¯t she feel happy if he got rid of this maidservant? If this maidservant wasn¡¯t his wet nurse¡¯s daughter, he would already kill her after they were doing the deed. But now... she still has the gut to provoke him! What Lin Zheng disdained the most was a wicked and calctive woman.

    The anger in him was faded when he saw the worried look on his beloved face. When he started to calm down, the woman patted his hand softly and tried to talk some sense into him. She knew Lin Zheng was stubborn but not unreasonable. He was just too angry to think at the moment.

    "Zheng-ge... I know you are angry right now. I don¡¯t care about this woman at all, but I care about the baby inside her womb. The baby is your own flesh and blood. I can¡¯t let you abandon him... I don¡¯t want you to be blinded by rage and then regret it for the rest of your life!" The woman tried to appease him and she hoped that he would understand her feelings.

    Yes... she was hurt, but it was out of his control when he was doing that. Even if Zheng-ge decided to kill the woman, she wouldn¡¯t bat eyshes. She would just let him be, but this woman had Zheng-ge¡¯s unborn baby inside her womb. She didn¡¯t have the heart to kill the innocent baby.

    Young Lin Zheng was still a hot-blooded youngster at that time, so he didn¡¯t think ahead and didn¡¯t understand her reasoning. He asked, "Why? I won¡¯t regret it! I don¡¯t even want the baby!"

    The woman pped him on his face, making young Lin Zheng stun. This woman, who was always so calm and delicate, just hit him?! He was more surprised than angry.

    "Zheng-ge! Pull yourself together! I didn¡¯t tell you to forgive and receive her as a concubine! I just want you to protect the baby... your baby!" The usually soft-spoken woman yelled at Lin Zheng.

    "But... Won¡¯t you hate this baby? Won¡¯t the baby remind you of this painful moment? I don¡¯t want to hurt you." Young Lin Zheng asked sadly because he knew he couldn¡¯t erase this guilt for the rest of his life. Then he asked weakly, "Don¡¯t you feel jealous at all?"

    The woman red at young Lin Zheng. "Are you really dense? Of course, I¡¯m really really jealous! I¡¯m so jealous and it makes me want to kill her with my own hands! But... the baby is innocent! I also do this for you... you... Stupid Man!" The woman said a bit loud due to anger.

    "For me?" Young Lin Zheng furrowed his eyebrows and hesitantly asked, "Why?"

 Chapter 134 Lin Jians Past 3

    *shback*

    "Because I love you!" The woman said softly. She wouldn¡¯t deny her own feelings just because he made a mistake, but of course, it was because he fell into a trap and he didn¡¯t deliberately do it.

    "If you abandon the kid, I will hate you! Because you kill an innocent baby..." Then she softened her voice, "I will love him even on your behalf when I get married into Lin Fu. The kid is the most innocent one here." The woman already made the decision so young Lin Zheng wouldn¡¯t be able to refuse and her reasoning was also reasonable.

    Young Lin Zheng sighed and could only promise that he would take care of the baby as she wished. The woman would take care of him after she got married to Lin Fu, after all, it was inappropriate for her to keep visiting Lin Fu when she was still a maiden. "What about the woman?" Young Lin Zheng wanted to know what she wanted him to do about the servant girl.

    The woman¡¯s gaze hardened. If she loved someone, she would love him/her to death. However, when she hated someone, she would also hate him/her to death. This kind of calctive woman... she didn¡¯t want her to stay at Lin Fu and make trouble. She didn¡¯t care if other people called her cruel, because this woman had crossed her bottom line. This maidservant dared to covet her man and even drugged him. "Get rid of her after she gives birth to the baby! I don¡¯t care what you do to her, but I don¡¯t want to find her staying at Lin Fu after the baby is born."

    She wanted to protect her man and also protect her own dignity. Young Lin Zheng didn¡¯t find it too cruel and so he agreed with her arrangement. If it was up to him, he would kill the woman already. The maidservant was imprisoned inside a courtyard, but they did pay attention to her nutrition and gave her the best food. All of it was only for the sake of the baby. After the woman sessfully gave birth to Lin Jian, she was kicked out of Lin Fu and went crazy because of it. Young Lin Zheng didn¡¯t kill her because of his son... After all, she was still his son¡¯s birth mother.

    Since the first time heid his eyes on the boy, he fell in love. He was really grateful to his sweetheart for protecting this baby.

    *end of shback*

    -----

    Yao Ying was quite surprised and admired the woman even more. If she didn¡¯t protect Lin Jian, then he wouldn¡¯t be here today.

    Yao Ying thought to himself. No wonder Lin Jian was really attached to the woman. Yao Ying asked curiously, "Did she really dote on you?"

    Lin Jian grinned and nodded. "She indeed did as she promised..."

    Lin Jian told him that she only came every now and then just to hug and y with him when he was under three years old --- after all, she wasn¡¯t married yet. This story was told by his wet nurse, so he truly believed in it. After he was three years old, she married into the household and really treated Lin Jian as her own son. Her presence even made his aloof father smile more and dote on him more. It was the happiest moment of his life.

    "Was it until she was taken away by the Han Emperor?" Yao Ying asked.

    Lin Jian nodded.

    Yao Ying hesitantly asked, "How...?"

    "If I didn¡¯t force her to go to the Lantern Festival, then no one would kidnap her!" Lin Jian knew that he would feel this guilt for the rest of his life.

    "Kidnapped?" Yao Ying asked in surprise. "Didn¡¯t you bring along guards with you?"

    "At that time... I was only five... I got lost and Mother was trying to find me. She was too worried about me and separated from the guards. I was found by the guards but when we tried to find Mother... she was already gone. Her personal maids were killed so there was no trace how to find Mother at that time. The guards could only take me home and report to Father," Lin Jian said sadly.

    "But why did the Han Emperor kidnap her?" Yao Ying asked curiously. Was the woman a great beauty and she bewitched the Han Emperor?

    Lin Jianughed. "It would be fine if it was the Han Emperor who took her."

    Yao Ying looked at Lin Jian in surprise. "But... then... who?" Yao Ying started to feel at a loss. He thought that it was the Han Emperor¡¯s doing!

    "At that time, we weren¡¯t in a peaceful era just like this. We were in the brink of war. During a banquet for peaceful treaty talk, a Han Prince --- who is the Han Emperor now -- took a fancy at my mother. Even when he knew that Mother was married to Father, he couldn¡¯t stop his admiration," Lin Jian said that whileughing bitterly. "It was said that Mother wasn¡¯t really a beauty that would bring cmity. She was more of an ethereal beauty who would bring peaceful feelings to the ones who saw her. The more you looked at her... the more you would feel enchanted, even your father wasn¡¯t immune to her charm." Lin Jian tried to lighten up the mood by saying thest part. It was true so Yao Yingughed at that.

    Yao Ying was really curious about how the woman looked like in real life. He hoped that someday he could see the painting of that woman. Yao Ying said, "What did the Han Emperor do?"

    "At that time, he didn¡¯t dare to do anything, but his gaze never left my mother and even every person who was at the banquet noticed it. It became a public secret how the Han Emperor coveted my mother," Lin Jian said bitterly.

    "It was disgusting of him! Coveting another man¡¯s wife is a sin! Besides, judging from his rank, he could get himself a lot of women that willingly served him!" Yao Ying said a piece of his mind.

    Lin Jian nodded. "He didn¡¯t actually do something to Mother. He just admired her, but someone personally delivered her to him."

    Yao Ying wondered who the mastermind behind the kidnapping was. An enemy, perhaps? Yao Ying said, "Even if he didn¡¯t do anything, but when he got her, he didn¡¯t give her back to your father. He brought your mother back to his country, right?"

    Lin Jian nodded once again. "If only we didn¡¯t go out that day, there would be no chance for him to obtain my mother!" Lin Jian¡¯s veins popped out on his forehead, showing how angry he was. He didn¡¯t only me the mastermind, but also med himself too. Why... why was he so stubborn back then?! Not going to a festival for once wouldn¡¯t actually make a difference to him. He just wanted to act spoiled to his mother and he hated his own childishness.

    Lin Jian continued to exin, "By the time we found out some clues about the mastermind, my mother was already under the Han Emperor¡¯s custody. They had no chance to save her or the result would be war. As a general who loves his own country, how could his father sacrifice the life of themon people just to save his love? He also knew that she wouldn¡¯t want to be saved by sacrificing a lot of people. She wouldn¡¯t be able to live peacefully knowing that the happiness that she got was built on top of other people¡¯s blood."

    Yao Ying admired the general¡¯s moral and conduct, but he also felt sad for him. He had to make a choice between the person that he loves the most and his country. It was a difficult decision to make! Whatever he chose wouldn¡¯t bring happiness to him...

    "But... didn¡¯t you say it wasn¡¯t the Han Emperor¡¯s work? So... did you find out about the mastermind¡¯s identity?" Yao Ying asked in confusion. "Is it your father¡¯s enemy? Probably because he saw a chance, he made a n using your mother to hurt your father?" Yao Ying made a guess about the mastermind.

 Chapter 135 Back Then, It Was More Simple

    "You know what? In order to gain merit to the neighboring country... can you make a guess who is the one behind the kidnapping and that one person is the only person we can¡¯t afford to offend. Not only that, when Father asked him directly... he threw all the dirty water to the Han Emperor," Lin Jian gritted his teeth while talking.

    Yao Ying gasped in surprise. "Don¡¯t tell me that it was under..." Yao Ying couldn¡¯t say the rest of the words because he really couldn¡¯t believe it. He knew that Lin Jian wouldn¡¯t lie to him and it was very unbelievable for that person to be able to do something so low! Yao Ying was also pretty sure that General Lin must have done all he could to investigate the matter and wouldn¡¯t dare to spout nonsense. But this... This person¡¯s conduct really made him feel disgusted!

    "At that time, Father also couldn¡¯t believe it himself. However, all the proofs were there! That was why Father decided to stay in this city despite his ability to climb higher in rank. He feels too disgusted to stay in the capital and meet that person again," Lin Jian exined. "If Father didn¡¯t love this kingdom, he probably would have left this kingdom."

    Yao Ying started to get a rough understanding of General Lin. He always thought to himself, why such a great general stayed in this city. At first... he thought probably it was because of Wang Luo Hai, but it seemed like that wasn¡¯t the case. This... was the real reason. He was betrayed by the person he served.

    "Is it... the current Emperor?!" Yao Ying just wanted to make sure that his guess was right.

    Lin Jian took a deep breath, trying to calm himself --- probably from cursing the current Emperor. Finally, he answered, "Yes!"

    "But how could he? He betrayed his general¡¯s trust and even sacrificed his woman!" Yao Ying was beyond disgusted. The Emperor wasn¡¯t only pushing away Wang fu, but he also betrayed Lin Fu. How could their Emperor this selfish?

    "Ha! I was speechless too, but I also will not trust that man ever again!" Lin Jian really felt disgusted with the Emperor too!

    "Ssst... Walls have ears! Someone can use you of rebellion!" Yao Ying started to get panicked to where this conversation headed. He also didn¡¯t like the Emperor, but they still needed to be careful with their words!

    Lin Jian knew that Yao Ying was talking for his own good, but he just needed to vent out. He had been bottling up this matter for a long time! He sighed in defeat and said, "I know..."

    "Is this why you agree to join the organization?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Yes... I prefer that one of the princes be the new Emperor. The current one iscking in conduct, selfish, and only thinking about his own personal gain!" Lin Jian scrunched his face in disgust.

    Yao Ying understood that Lin Jian didn¡¯t only talk out of his unveiled dislike of the Emperor, but the Emperor indeed wasn¡¯t a good ruler. He never trusted other people --- even his own son and loyal subordinates. He was too vicious and didn¡¯t care whether he hurt his subordinates by serving Lin Jian¡¯s mother on a tter to the Han Emperor. He talked about the greater good, but it was all only an empty talk! He¡¯s actually really a disappointing ruler...

    Yao Ying asked curiously, "Are you sure that there was no one that influenced the Emperor¡¯s decision?"

    Lin Jian shrugged his shoulder. "There¡¯s a possibility that it was Father¡¯s enemies in the court did. They saw a chance and they put it into good use. However, if the Emperor wasn¡¯t easy to coerce then none of those things would happen. Besides, previously he also wanted to take Mother as her concubines. Luckily, Mother already had an engagement with Father, so he couldn¡¯t openly take her because it would make him lose a great deal of face. But who knew that he would be capable of doing those vile things in the end..."

    What Lin Jian said was indeed true! This ruler¡¯s mind was truly weak and it already made a lot of his subordinates dissatisfied with him. Just because he couldn¡¯t have the woman, he kidnapped the woman and gave it to another person. It was solely for boosting his own ego from losing to a mere general. Yao Ying shook his head in disbelief. He didn¡¯t know what really went through on the Emperor¡¯s mind. Yao Ying asked curiously, "What the others think about this?"

    "Other officials felt chill to their bones. Since that time, everyone reluctantly brought their spouses to the pce --- especially the ones who have beautiful wives. It made the Emperor lose quite a lot of respects back then. However, he is the dragon. Who dared to say something in front of him?"

    "And now?"

    "Still the same... He doesn¡¯t have what it takes to be a good ruler and even father. So, what do you expect from that kind of Emperor?" Lin Jian threw a heavy question to Yao Ying.

    "Ha~ Very disappointing... Back at the vige, I also didn¡¯t hear a lot of good things about the Emperor, but at that time, we had nothing to do with politics. In our mind, as long as the country is peaceful, we don¡¯t mind who the ruler is. It seems like we were too oblivious," Yao Ying said.

    Lin Jianughed at that. "Sometimes oblivious is also a good thing. You don¡¯t have to think too much... calcte things every day... just blissfully working to earn money and foods for the family. That kind of life isn¡¯t too bad."

    Yao Ying nodded. "That¡¯s true. If I didn¡¯t have to find out about my past, I would be staying in that vige for the rest of my life and spend every second with Yao Ling." Back then... everything was more simple.

    Yao Ying saw that Lin Jian was going to scold the Emperor once again, but he was worried that someone would overhear their conversations. Thus, he decided to change the subject. He already understood a great deal about that matter, so they should probably stop talking about it--- just to avoid troubles.

    "Drink your wine!" Yao Ying warned him to stop talking with his eyes while pointing at the cup of wine that he held. Yao Ying hissed at him, "Even though this is our turf, but it doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s truly safe. After all, this is still a public ce. The room beside can be someone who is connected and loyal to the Emperor!"

    Lin Jian only grinned at him. Yao Ying started to feel suspicious. Was he drunk? When he told the story, Yao Ying recalled that he was talking and from time to time he indeed drank a few cups of the wine in one go. However, if Yao Ying counted properly, Lin Jian probably only drank five cups at most and yet... he was already drunk? No way!

    "Lin Jian... do you know who I am?" Yao Ying asked curiously, trying to gauge his reaction --- whether he was still sober or not.

    Lin Jian squinted his eyes at him and giggled for a bit --- yes... he giggled! Yao Ying looked at Lin Jian, feeling bewildered because of his ¡¯giggle¡¯. Lin Jian was still able to answer him, "Of course, I know you ah~ You are my best friend in the whole kingdom, Yao Ying. Hmmm... let me try to remember something about you..."

    "Something? What kind of things?" Yao Ying asked while raising one of his eyebrows. He calmly drank a cup of tea, waiting for Lin Jian¡¯s answer. It seemed like Lin Jian was quite amusing when he was drunk.

    "Er... let me see... he¡¯s a bit handsome but too arrogant for my opinion! He acts like a big shot with his aloof appearance at first. Pssttt... A little bit like my father." After saying that he red at Yao Ying and said, "Don¡¯t you dare tell this secret conversation between me and you to Yao Ying and my father, okay? This is top secret!"

    Yao Ying¡¯s face darkened after listening to his nonsense and he almost choked while drinking his tea. Did he always talk about him on the back? However, he was still ying around with drunk Lin Jian and asked, "Oh... What else? Tell me more about your best friend, Yao Ying."

    "His appearance is a bit feminine in my opinion --- pretty boy style, but because he undergoes training... he bes a bit more manly. Hmm... Oh yeah... Sstt... don¡¯t tell anyone... I think he¡¯s a bit masochist... because he¡¯s a henpecked husband. Ha-ha-ha! I bet if he knows that I tell you this, he will kill me." After saying that, Lin Jian roared in a burst of merryughter.

    ¡¯You are right on thest part. I¡¯m going to kill you after you sober up,¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself.

 Chapter 136 Stop Teasing Me Youtiao!

    "Then, why are you be best friend with him, huh?" Yao Ying asked in a fit of anger, because of Lin Jian¡¯s nonsense. Did he really think of him that way?!

    Lin Jian huped for a while, before continued talking but more sincerely than before, "Hmmm... He... he has the same loneliness just like me. I can see it in his eyes... Our lonelinesses from different reason... He¡¯s because of his nk past, while me... because I will always remember my past and feel guilty for the rest of my life." After saying that, heughed ironically. "The idiom birds of the same feather flock together is really true! We are drawn to each other because of loneliness. But you know... his life is a bit better than me..."

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Better than you? How?" Yao Ying¡¯s anger started to fade because he knew that although Lin Jian was drunk, he found a hint of jokes when Lin Jian talked about him. Not only that... his previous sentences were correct. Yao Ying was also drawn to him because of that matter. Lin Jian was actually a very perspective person despite his joker appearance. Yao Ying started to think that it was a way for him to mask his real feeling.

    "Of course better ah~ Yao Ying already has Yao Ling... In my opinion, he already finds himself a gem. And from their behavior, even a blind man could see that they love each other!" Lin Jian talked cheerily and what he said made the tips of Yao Ying¡¯s ears became red.

    Yao Ying thought to himself, ¡¯Do their feelings that obvious? Does Yao Ling also love him?¡¯ Yao Ying wasn¡¯t really sure at thest part. He knew that she cared about him, but... love? If she indeed loved him, he would be the happiest man alive! Yao Ying¡¯s mood became better after listening to Lin Jian.

    Yao Ying who felt very happy patted Lin Jian¡¯s shoulder and said, "Don¡¯t worry! You will also find your own happiness someday! Who knows? Maybe your true love is actually near you." Yao Ying just wanted to cheer him up.

    Lin Jian also seemed to like what Yao Ying just said. The big man giggled once again, making Yao Ying shudder. How can such a masculine man giggling when he was drunk?!

    "En~ I will also find my own happiness!" Lin Jian dered. Then, he gripped her cup and made a gesture asking Yao Ying to apany him to drink wine again, "Toast!"

    Yao Ying followed his lead and also yelled, "Toast!" Yao Ying decided to apany Lin Jian so he could forget his pain for a while. They should just drink without a care!

    The two of them kept drinking without restraint until they were fully drunk. Xiu and Lin Jian¡¯s servant looked at their masters helplessly. Judging from the way they drunk, their masters wouldn¡¯t be able to walk by themselves. Well... scratch that! They probably couldn¡¯t even stand up straight, let alone walk... It seemed like they needed to carry them home and it would take a lot of energies. The life of a servant ah~ They felt like crying but no tears coulde out...

    ---------

    Yao Ling finally finished the Empress robe and after double-checking everything, they confirmed that everything was done perfectly. Wang Luo Hai praised her and Ning-jie happily, even went as far by giving them holiday and bonus. Yao Ling and Ning-jie happily received their bonuses. Yao Ling could use it for personal use and giving incentives for the servants inside Wang Fu, while Ning -jie would use it to give a better environment and foods for the kids.

    But, before doing anything, they would probably need to sleep right away. They were dead tired because of working one week straight without proper rest, even opening their eyes were quite hard to do. Probably after the adrenaline rush was gone, the tiredness hit them pretty hard.

    When Yao Ling arrived at Wang Fu, Yao Ying hadn¡¯t gone home yet. She didn¡¯t think much about it and decided to take a hot bath for the sake of letting her knotted muscle to rx. Besides, she felt that her body was quite sweaty from today¡¯s hard work. At this time, Yao Ling was grateful that she had Xiao Yu by her side. If she had to prepare the hot bath on her own, she would probably couldn¡¯t sleep until midnight.

    After finishing her bath, Yao Ling lied down on her bed. Xiao Yu offered to give her a massage which Yao Ling gratefully epted. Because of the massage, Yao Ling felt sofortable and she quickly fell into deep sleep. She had no energy left to wait for her husband. Yao Ling was pretty sure that Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t really mind about this matter, knowing that she worked hard for his sake. Xiao Yu who saw Yao Ling already fell asleep, quietly covered up Yao Ling in a nket and went out of the room.

    Yao Ling was dreaming about a lot of things that she didn¡¯t really remember --- except herst dream. She saw a lot of desserts and she was chasing them around excitedly. She happily ate them until she felt that something kept bothering her from catching her precious desserts. When she was going to run, she felt her waist was being held tightly. She could only swing her hands in despair because her desserts were flying away and out of her reach. She wanted to cry, but no tears came out.

    She could only yell sadly, "My foods..."

    Yao Ling felt too annoyed and she looked down, trying to find the culprit who prevented her from eating. Then she saw that she was being held by big youtiao [a long golden-brown deep-fried strip of dough eaten in China]. Yao Ling¡¯s eyes lit up in happiness... so not all of her foods were running away. Yao Ling happily pulled the youtiao from her waist and without a second thought chomping down excitedly.

    "Ouch..." Why did it feel so hard? It was supposed to be soft! Yao Ling felt like this youtiao was trying to tease her, so she quickly held it tightly before it ran away with the other foods. She quickly bit it once again --- harder than before. She scolded the youtiao, "Stop teasing me, Youtiao!"

    But the youtiao was pretty strong and it pushed her away, making her feel surprised. Funnily, the surprise felt so real and it made her wake up from her dream. Because of the hectic dreams, she felt her body more tired than before!

    After yawning and stretching her body, Yao Ling looked down at her waist. She finally realized why the youtiao suddenly pushed her away. Judging from the bite mark on Yao Ying¡¯s hand... it seemed like that she mistakenly took Yao Ying¡¯s hand as the youtiao in her dream. The amazing thing was Yao Ying didn¡¯t even wake up.

    Yao Ling saw that Yao Ying already changed his clothes, but judging from his condition, it seemed like Xiu helped him because he was too drunk to notice anything. He didn¡¯t even wake up after she bit him that hard. The strong smell of alcohol attacked her nostrils, making her scrunch her face in disgust!

    ¡¯Ugh... Did he go to the hua lou again?¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. Something must have happened for him to drink until he was in this state. Yao Ling shook her head in annoyance. She tried to get away from him but failed because of his strong grip. She wanted to punch him because he ruined her perfect dream, but she decided to calm herself and back to sleep.

    She almost fell asleep when she felt his hand started to roam around slowly. From her waist, his hand started to go up and touched her breast. It stopped there... he was just cupping it without doing anything. Yao Ling thought that it was just an ident. However, reality proved otherwise.

    When she started to rx and close her eyes, Yao Ying¡¯s hand moved once again. It was only a subtle movement, but she was able to feel it. Yao Ling¡¯s body stiffened, but when he didn¡¯t move again, Yao Ling decided to let him be --- probably it was just a part of her imagination. Cupping her breast wouldn¡¯t make a difference as long as he didn¡¯t move his hand randomly. If he dared to pretend to sleep and take advantage of her, she would bite his hand again and harder than before.

    When she was almost fell asleep, she heard Yao Ying mumbling something. She tried to listen to what he said. "Lin Jian... wine... tofu... en... give me the noodle... what? No noodle... but... I¡¯m hungry..." Yao Ling rolled her eyes, after knowing that Yao Ying was actually talking about food! They really thought alike... even having the same dream --- foods!

    After that, Yao Ying mumbled again, "Oh... why is there nothing left?"

    Suddenly, Yao Ying¡¯s hand that cupped Yao Ling¡¯s breast started to move --- the man dared to knead her breast!

 Chapter 137 The Tale of Meat Buns 1

    Yao Ling turned around and red at him, but Yao Ying¡¯s eyes were closed and it seemed like he was really in the middle of a dream! She was going to push him away until she heard what he said next, "Ohoo... what is this? I actually find a meaty soft steam bun in the middle of nothing!" Yao Ying¡¯s mumble was getting louder.

    Yao Ling looked down at his hand and gritted her teeth in annoyance. He didn¡¯t stop kneading her breast, but instead chirping beside her. "Hmmm... why is the bun so bouncy? It seems like it¡¯s really delicious." Did he really take her breast as a delicious meat bun?!

    Yao Ling started to feel aroused because of the continuous stimtion under Yao Ying¡¯s hand. She bit her lower lips to hold back her moan, "Hmmm..." This man... ugh... Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but want to scold him, even in the midst of his dream, he was still doing perverted things toward her!

    "Wow... the bun can also moan?! But I¡¯m sorry lovely bun... I¡¯m really hungry... It¡¯s time for me to eat. My little bun... please don¡¯t run ah~" Yao Ying quickly dipped his head down and almost bit Yao Ling¡¯s breast that he thought as a bun, but he failed.

    Yao Ling tried to prevent his bite by holding his head with both hands. She pushed his head away with all of her strength. Breasts are sensitive parts of women¡¯s body. If he bit her breast hard because of his hunger, she would cry to death! She couldn¡¯t imagine the excruciating pain! She really shuddered in fear!

    However, she forgot that man was always stronger than a woman. Her struggle didn¡¯t hold a candle to Yao Ying¡¯s strength. The man kept insisting on dipping his head down. Yao Ying was actually already sobered up once she bit his hand. If he didn¡¯t wake up because of that hard bite, then he must be a corpse! He just felt a bit angry, so he teased her by cupping her breast.

    However, her soft meat bun really felt so soft in his hand and his anger vanished after touching it. It was reced by a warm andfortable feeling. His wife was really well-endowed in this area. If Yao Ling wasn¡¯t kept moving, he would probably only cup her breast and do nothing. But hey... don¡¯t me him! She¡¯s the one who keeps moving!

    He suddenly got an idea. If Yao Ling could dream about youtiao, then he could also dream about meat bun. He apuded himself in his head for cooking up such a good idea. When he wanted to take her flower bud deep into his mouth, he found her resistance. He frowned at that, but it didn¡¯t deter him to move once again. Why did she resist? He wanted to ask her, but it would rm her that he had actually woken up all of this time. Ah... his wife probably was just being shy.

    "Ying... Ying..." Yao Ling tried to wake him up from his dream. "Don¡¯t bite my breast! This is not meat bun! Or else, you will hurt me..." Yao Ling started to get panicked.

    ¡¯Ah...¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. She was afraid that he would truly bite it and treat her breast like a real meat bun. Well... her worry was justified, after all... she thought that he was truly in the middle of a dream. He racked his brain, trying to find a way to smooth things over. How to pretend that he hadn¡¯t woken up yet and at the same time, telling her that he wouldn¡¯t bite her breast very hard?

    "Uhmm... meat bun... why are you pushing me away? Don¡¯t worry... I won¡¯t torture you... I will taste you tenderly bit by bit... Don¡¯t move please..." He pretended to coax the meat bun.

    Yao Ling was quite surprised with the way he talked to the meat bun in her dream. Was he crazy? Was he that hungry? Why did he talk to a mere meat bun so tenderly? It made her shudder, but her surprise made Yao Ying see an opening. He took a peek at her with one of his eyes and after seeing a good chance, he quickly closed his eyes and jumped on it.

    Yao Ying was only using a little bit of his strength and easily broke away from her hold. Yao Ying quickly bit the enchanting meat bun. Yao Ling closed her eyes, waiting for the pain toe... However, she got a different kind of pain. It was painfully pleasurable. Yao Ying didn¡¯t try to pry open her clothing, just in case, she would feel suspicious. He directly enjoyed his feast through her robe and dudou. They were thin enough anyway, so he would still able to feel her hardened bud. Oh... How he loves it!

    Yao Ling moaned softly, "Hmmm..." Although her mind was confused as to why he treated a meat bun like a treasure, she thoroughly enjoyed his mouth. If Yao Ling knew the roguish thought inside Yao Ying¡¯s mind, she would certainly kick him out of the bed. What a pervert husband!

    When Yao Ying heard her alluring moan, he started to get aroused too. Damn! If he woke up, Yao Ling would scold him. If he didn¡¯t wake up, he couldn¡¯t ask her to fulfill her promise to satisfy him. Such a difficult choice! However, he didn¡¯t want to be scolded in the middle of the night. Besides, by pretending to be asleep, he could y around with his wife, so actually, he didn¡¯t lose anything at all! He already made his decision to continue enjoying his meat bun.

    Yao Ying counted the days and he realized that it was sixty-three days left! Ah... getting closer.

    Yao Ying stopped thinking inside his head and chose to enjoy his feast once again. His lovely wife didn¡¯t stop moaning. She wiggled herself trying to flee from his attack, but a part of her also reluctantly didn¡¯t want to stop enjoying his care. Yao Ying held her waist a bit tighter so she couldn¡¯t move away from him. Their body was sticking to each other and there was no gap left in between them.

    Yao Ying bit the flower bud softly and then he murmured, "Wow... what a soft bun! I don¡¯t have the heart to eat you for real." Yao Ling who heard what he had just said, couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. Her face was beet red and she softly said, "Ying... Ying... wake up! My breast isn¡¯t a meat bun! Can¡¯t you please let my breast go?"

    Yao Ying who didn¡¯t want to hear her rejection quickly teased her flower bud by licking it in a circr movement. It made Yao Ling jerk up because of the electricity and she lost her mind due to the sudden increase in pleasure. Yao Ying grinned to himself, understanding his wife¡¯s body was really a good thing. He knew perfectly well her soft spot and it was so easy to distract her by giving her pleasure. He knew that sooner orter she would surrender herself to him.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t stop teasing her flower bud and when she stopped resisting, he let go of her waist and moved his hand to her other free flower bud. Yao Ling was in a haze, but she noticed that his other hand was moving fluidly. Was he finally awake?

    "Ying... Ying..." She called him, trying to get him to stop torturing her.

    Yao Ying cleverly said another thing to remove her thought that he already woke up, "Oh... what is it? I find another meat bun... Ah... it¡¯s a bit different from the other one. The previous one is softer, while this one has a hard topping on top of it..."

    Yao Ling almost fainted due to embarrassment. How could he dream of a meat bun, but urately described her breasts just like that?! Yao Ling felt how Yao Ying biting and licking her left breast, while his hand twisting and twirling her other breast. When he sucked her left breast, she moaned and desperately tried to push him away. It was an unimaginable pleasure but at the same time... full torture. She felt her sweetness down there drench just like usual and the tingling kept haunting her. If she didn¡¯t find her release, she knew that she was going to be crazy!

 Chapter 138 The Tale of Meat Buns 2

    If Yao Ling was in her clear mind, she would already find out from the start that Yao Ying was only pretending to be dreaming. But all of her thought was already focused on her breasts, Yao Ying¡¯s mouth, and Yao Ying¡¯s hand. She loved the way he touched her, making her feel more aroused. When did she have the time to think and make such a conclusion?

    Yao Ying loves her responsive body. Despite his lust, he was still able to think clearly --- mainly because he felt the painful hardness down there. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t get any fulfillment just like thest time they were being intimate. Well... he should just suck it up! Although he was giving Yao Ling pleasure, he was actually enjoying himself too, so he wasn¡¯t going toin.

    Everyone would think that he would be bored just because he could only y with her breasts without going all the way, but he didn¡¯t think so. He wanted to enjoy each of their intimate moment. He didn¡¯t want to count how many times he gave her pleasure and then demanded her to give him the exact same amount of pleasure. There was no need for that. They could just enjoy the pleasure together.

    "Ying..." Yao Ling moaned because not once he stopped attacking her poor breasts. "Ying... I¡¯m not a meat bun. Don¡¯t... stop..." In Yao Ling¡¯s mind, she wanted him to stop, but once the words werebined... they held a different meaning altogether. Knowing Yao Ying¡¯s personality, he wouldn¡¯t let go of this advantage. True enough, the wolfish husband opened his mouth to twist her words around happily.

    "Ahhh... meat buns... don¡¯t stop, huh? This is the first time that meat buns begged to be eaten! I will do as you wish, my lovely meat buns," Yao Ying said happily. He had been opening his eyes a long time ago, but it seemed like his wife didn¡¯t notice this at all so he continued opening his eyes and shed any pretenses that he was sleeping. His wife apparently enjoyed herself too much, thus she wouldn¡¯t notice anyway!

    Yao Ying wanted to tease her more, so he talked once again, "Huh? Why is it so weird? Even though I eat a lot, the meat bun never dwindles at all! On the other hand... the meat bun bes so hard!" Yao Ying enjoyed the dirty talk, but Yao Ling who heard that couldn¡¯t help but grimace. It made her feel... weird...

    Yao Ling who closed her eyes all of this time decided to open her eyes. She started to feel suspicious because of his lewd talks. The more she was listening to his words, the more she felt that he was actually conscious! True enough! She saw him already opened his eyes and she could even see the twinkling in his eyes! ¡¯This man! Did he wake up all of this time? What a tease!¡¯ She thought to herself begrudgingly.

    Her pleasure turned into a rage and she yelled, "Ying..." But before she could something else, Yao Ying grinned and bit her earlobes and asked, "Yes, wifey?" Yao Ling moaned because he bit her soft spot but she still couldn¡¯t ease her angerpletely. However, what he did indeed ignite the fire inside her and distract her mind for a little bit. She tried to stay calm and threw a question at him, "Did you wake up from the start?!" Yao Ling questioned him with a slightly raised voice.

    Yao Ying pouted and released her earlobes, feeling wronged. "How could you say so?" He pretended to be sad and said, "If you didn¡¯t bite my hand and treated it like a food, I would have been sleeping soundly by now!" In other words, he wanted her to take responsibilities for waking him up.

    "..."

    Yao Ling was speechless. This shameless man! How could it suddenly became her fault?! He was the one who took advantage of her in the first ce. Although Yao Ying was talking to her, both of his hands didn¡¯t stop twisting and twirling both of her breasts. She bit her lips to prevent herself from moaning. Even though she loved the feeling, but her anger overcame the pleasure. She just wanted to kick him out of the bed. If he didn¡¯t teach him a lesson, he would certainly behave like a rouge all of the time!

    An angry woman was a force to be reckoned with. Out of nowhere, she had a sudden burst of strength and she kicked Yao Ying for real. She used all of her strength because she didn¡¯t think that she would actually be able to kick him sessfully. Yao Ying who didn¡¯t think that she would really kick him didn¡¯t hold onto her tightly, hence he was easily kicked out of the bed.

    Hended on the floor with a thud and afterward, he groaned in pain. Yao Ying pouted. "Ling-er... howe you are so vicious and have the heart to kick me out of the bed?" He could feel the pain on his back and bottom because hended on his back.

    Yao Ling felt a bit guilty inside her heart, but she hardened her heart. She could feel her clothing was wet because of his saliva, while her pants were drenched in her own wetness. She just took a bath for God¡¯s sake! Yao Ling was a bit hygienic freak in this area and knew that she had to change her clothes. She wasn¡¯t unreasonable and demanded Xiao Yu to prepare her a bath in the middle of the night. Ugh... It was... so ew!

    "You ruin my clothes! Look! There are wet patches on my dudou, robe, and pants!" Yao Lingined.

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows and said innocently, "Honey... you can just sleep without clothing on then. I will also be happier."

    Yao Ling, "..." Her husband became more and more shameless. She wondered what would happen to her when it was their promised day. Would he devour herpletely without any restraint? She heard that sometimes the woman couldn¡¯t get out of bed for three days... Was that the truth or an exaggeration?!

    Yao Ling could only mutter, "Shameless!"

    Yao Yingughed and got up, even though he felt a little bit dizzy because of the hangover, he didn¡¯t let it show on his face. He didn¡¯t want to make the silly girl worry. Yao Ying answered her, "I¡¯m shameless only to you, Wifey... so it should be fine, right?"

    Yao Ling pouted and muttered to herself, "It matters to me! I¡¯m not as shameless as you are!"

    Yao Ying heard what she said and answered seriously, "It¡¯s okay... It¡¯s good if I¡¯m shameless enough for both of us." He proudly said that.

    Yao Ling once again speechless and felt toozy to talk to him again. "I¡¯m going to change my clothes!"

    Yao Ying looked disappointed. "But... don¡¯t you need a release?" He asked with a hopeful expression. Yao Ying really hoped that she would change her mind and say yes, but his hope was crushed by Yao Ling¡¯s answer.

    "No... not today... I just want to sleep! I¡¯m so tired..." Yao Ling told him the truth. If she didn¡¯t feel tired, she wouldn¡¯t refuse him.

    Yao Ying sighed in disappointment. "Okay then... we can do it next time," Yao Ying smiled, even though he felt disappointed. He knew that she was indeed really tired and he shouldn¡¯t be selfish just to satisfy himself. He sat on the bed, waiting for Yao Ling who changed her clothes with the clean ones.

    "Are you finished?" Yao Ying asked Yao Ling who came back to the bed.

    "Yes..."

    "Then, why do you look so hesitant?"

    "You won¡¯t try to do anything, right?" Yao Ling asked.

    "No... I promise!" Yao Yingughed at how she resembled a scared rabbit.

    "If you dare to do something, I will wrap myself again!" Yao Ling threatened him.

    Yao Ying helplessly looked at her. "I know..."He couldn¡¯t believe that she still threatened him with that. Didn¡¯t she the one who felt suffocated in the end? How could he bear to see her wrapped like that again?

    "I will hold you on that!" After ring and saying that, Yao Ling climbed into the bed and slept on her side.

    "Can I hold you? Just a hug is sufficient enough!" Yao Ying begged. He missed her so much because it had been a week since thest time they were able to cuddle and talk to each other.

    "As long as you don¡¯t do something pervert," Yao Ling gave him her permission.

    Yao Ying happily hugged her from behind. Yao Ling admitted to herself that she also missed Yao Ying¡¯s warmth. Yao Ling kissed his cheek sweetly and said, "I promise you that I will be the one who gives you pleasure, okay?"

    Yao Ying nodded happily. "I know... Just sleep... you look so tired."

    Yao Ying felt satisfied because of Yao Ling¡¯s promise while Yao Ling was also feeling satisfied that Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t touch her that night. Because of that, they were able to sleep in each other¡¯s embrace peacefully.

 Chapter 139 Clean Up Her Courtyard!

    The next day, Yao Ling felt refreshed and ready for a new day. When she was going to go to the matriarch¡¯s courtyard for her morning greet, Xiao Yu gave her a piece of good news. Liu Li already did her revenge and she helped Yao Ling clean up her courtyard by removing two maidservants at once.

    "How did she did it? Yao Ling asked curiously. Although she knew that Liu Li would give her a benefit, she didn¡¯t know exactly how she did that. That¡¯s why she felt curious about what Liu Li had done to the maidservants.

    Xiao Yu grinned. "Young Mistress, she¡¯s indeed ruthless. However, because this move is for our benefit... I really apud her." What Xiao Yu said was correct... As long as her foul tactics weren¡¯t used against them, Yao Ling actually should praise her because of her wit.

    Yao Ling yawnedzily and once again asked Xiao Yu, "So... what did she do?"

    "This morning... I found out that two of our maidservants were gone. I guessed that that was the move that Young Mistress kept saying before. That¡¯s why I asked around to find out about what¡¯s going on when they didn¡¯t show up for duty this morning," Xiao Yu said.

    "Are they Qiu Qiu and Qiu Ling?" Yao Ling asked while smiling.

    "Young Mistress guessed correctly! They were the one who answered the matriarch¡¯s questions back then!" Xiao Yu said excitedly, but she suddenly frowned, "But Liu Li is indeed vicious. They had no choice but to answer with the truth. After all, the one who asked the questions was the matriarch herself. If they lied, the consequences were also dire if a servant lied to the master. They could be beaten along with Liu Li!"

    "Yeah, but as I told you before, she isn¡¯t in the right state of mind. My mother once told me about a person with this type of condition. This kind of person has lived through so many bad experiences, thus they had a weakness toward kindness and happiness. Once she feels that someone gives him/her care and affectionateness, she will definitely feel indebted. I bet once she felt that way towards Concubine Wan, however, in reality, Concubine Wan didn¡¯t treat all of her servants nicely. That¡¯s probably the reason why Liu Li got her second master and changed her loyalty, but now... she is also abandoned by them," Yao Ling exined. "She probably will seek a new master."

    Xiao Yu¡¯s face lit up. "Ah... no wonder! By showing her kindness around her downfall time, Liu Li will feel indebted to Young Mistress!" Xiao Yu eximed.

    "En... sooner orter... she wille to our side," Yao Ling said. "However, you also need to be careful. Once she is triggered or she feels that she was being abandoned or treated badly, she would retaliate with the same vengeance." Liu Li had a type of mental illness and even though she could be used, they still needed to be careful around her. She was in luck because Mother used to tell her a thing or two about mental illness in order to let her be careful when she met a person like Liu Li. She used toin that it was a useless thing to learn, but Yao Ling never knew until now that it was a really helpful knowledge.

    In this type of household, she needed to have a strong mental ability to see through people¡¯s intention and calmly judge a situation. She already paid attention to Liu Li since the first time she met her. In a nce, she knew that Liu Li was the mastermind behind Concubine Wan¡¯s behavior. If she didn¡¯t pay her any attention, she probably wouldn¡¯t realize her current state of mind.

    "Yes, Young Mistress. Qiu Qiu somehow was found in bed with a man and she¡¯s currently outside with that man, waiting for Young Mistress¡¯ judgment. She¡¯s still in disarray state at the moment. Fortunately, Young Master has gone to Lin Fu --- or else, he will see a disgusting sight," Xiao Yu said. In her mind, Young Master and Young Mistress is the perfect couple. She didn¡¯t want Young Master to see another woman¡¯s body other than her Young Mistress!

    "Let her be... I will deal with herter after you finish your report," Yao Ling leisurely said. She had no good feelings toward Qiu Qiu since she knew that she was a spy, so why should she bother to be kind to her? Even if others said that she was cruel, she didn¡¯t care at all. "How about Qiu Ling?"

    "Qiu Ling also had a mishap. Qiu Ling loves wearing make-up the most, so usually, she put on light make-up while working. However, when she put on her eye-shadows, it seems like she had an allergic reaction. Her eyes be swollen now and this servant doesn¡¯t think that she will be able to work on that condition," Xiao Yu exined. She felt pity toward Qiu Ling, but she realized that they had to be ruthless or else they would be an easy target.

    A few days inside Wang Fu, she found out that a few of the maidservants behaved weirdly --- including Qiu Ling. She had a hunch that Qiu Ling was also a spy but she didn¡¯t know who the master was. The best way to deal with them was to change all of the maidservants inside their courtyard, at least... the ones who served Young Mistress directly in the inner courtyard.

    "Have you called a physician for her?" Yao Ling shook her head inwardly. She knew that Liu Li would take revenge, but the woman ah~ her method was quite vicious. Liu Li was able to move and walk yesterday and in one day... she was able to remove her enemies.

    "Yes, Young Mistress. He¡¯s currently checking up on her," Xiao Yu said.

    "Good... Then let us handle Qiu Qiu¡¯s matter first." Yao Ling walked slowly to the outside. Xiao Yu put Qiu Qiu and her lover in the outer courtyard because she didn¡¯t want them to taint her Young Mistress¡¯ courtyard.

    When Yao Ling saw the couple, she was quite surprised by the man¡¯s appearance. He was... really fat and ugly. He had a dark-skinned face with a big mole on his face. She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to rack her brain and find out who this man was from her memory. Xiao Yu knew her young mistress¡¯ confusion and whispered, "That man is a lowly servant who is in charge of thevatory."

    Yao Ling shook her head inwardly. Liu Li indeed got her revenge to the extreme! He could find any man for Qiu Qiu, but she chose the worst of all. She sighed and asked, "What happened?"

    "Young Mistress... this lowly one was set up! This servant didn¡¯t know how this servant could end up in that room! Please give me justice, Young Mistress!" Qiu Qiu begged loudly while kept kowtowing.

    The man who finally found a wife for himself sneered and said, "How could you? You are the one who jumped on me, but you dare to deny it?" The man quickly kowtowed in front of Yao Ling and also pleaded, "Young Mistress, please give this servant justice too!" How could he let go of this chance? No one wanted to be his wife because of his appearance. Even though Qiu Qiu wasn¡¯t a beauty, but she at least possessed a nice face to look at! It was his luck for listening to Liu Li¡¯s coerce. At first, he didn¡¯t know what she wanted him to do. He just needed to appear at a certain ce. Who knew that Qiu Qiu would jump on him --- so, in this part, he didn¡¯t really lie.

    The man realized that judging from Qiu Qiu¡¯s state, someone must have drugged her. However, he wouldn¡¯t admit that matter or even let them know that it was Liu Li¡¯s idea. He could marry her if he insisted to say that Qiu Qiu was indeed a willing participant. He wouldn¡¯t betray Liu Li, but instead... he would thank her and give her something in return.

    "This..." Yao Ling wanted to say something, but she also astounded by the man¡¯s shamelessness. She could see a glint in his eyes and the man seemed to be a bit lecherous. She wanted to get rid of Qiu Qiu, but giving her to this man... wouldn¡¯t it too cruel? Somehow, she was at a loss. This was the first time she needed to punish a person and she was too soft to make a cruel judgment.

 Chapter 140 Qiu Qius Ending

    Yao Ling thought that she could be cruel if she kept going to choose this path, but she felt an ache in her heart also guilt... But she also remembered how they became an easy target by these people. If she gave Qiu Qiu a way out and let her stay by her side, would she be loyal to her? She didn¡¯t think so. Qiu Qiu was different from Liu Li who had a twisted mind, so there was no guarantee that she wouldn¡¯t betray her once again. Yao Ling decided to harden her heart and in her heart, she already made an important decision.

    She chose to protect herself and the people that she loved. Even if Heaven punished her, she didn¡¯t mind. Besides, there was no way out for Qiu Qiu --- her reputation was ruined and a lot of people already saw her disheveled state.

    "Qiu Qiu ah~ How do you exin the fact that several servants saw you jump on him?" Yao Ling asked. A few servants already told Xiao Yu that they witnessed everything and what the man said was the truth. Yao Ling knew that all of this was prepared by Liu Li --- even the witnesses, seeing how the witnesses appear at the same time and they had a detailed exnation of everything.

    "This... this servant..." Qiu Qiu couldn¡¯t refute anything when there were a lot of eyewitnesses! She really couldn¡¯t remember anything aboutst night matter. She thought back... but nothing seemed to be wrongst night, besides, she also didn¡¯t do anything out of her character. So, where did it go wrong?

    How could she behave so wantonly? Then something came up inside her mind. Did someone drug her? Her eyes lit up because she found an exnation. "Young Mistress, someone must have been ying trick. Someone... someone... must have drugged me!"

    "Oh... who do you think that someone is? Do you have an enemy?" Yao Ling asked.

    Qiu Qiu couldn¡¯t answer this. Who would target her? In this courtyard, even though she wasn¡¯t the most trusted person but at least she was serving in the inner courtyard. It meant that she held a quite high rank. She believed no one would dare to mess with her. Her eyes nced at Xiao Yu, but she also knewst night Xiao Yu was busy attending Young Mistress and giving her massage. She also didn¡¯t have any grudge with Xiao Yu.

    Xiao Yu furrowed her eyebrows and raised one of her eyebrows. ¡¯What?¡¯ She wanted to ask that. Did Qiu Qiu want to throw the me at her? When Qiu Qiu retracted her gaze, Xiao Yu sneered for a little bit. She would throttle her if she dared to frame her.

    Then, who? Liu... Li? Her thought went to that girl. However, she was crippled and it seemed she wasn¡¯t able to get out of bed. However, she was pretty sure it was her. This vicious method --- it was only her who would be able to do it without batting eyshes. Her heart turned cold when she came to this realization. They served the same master, but she even dared toy a hand on her!

    "Liu Li! It must be her! No one else will be bold enough to do this," Qiu Qiu quickly said her spection. She had nothing to lose, so she bravely said Liu Li¡¯s name.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. "Isn¡¯t she crippled now? Why does she have the time to frame you?"

    Qiu Qiu couldn¡¯t refute that statement. If Liu Li pretended that she couldn¡¯t get out of bed, then she could do nothing. "Then... then what should this servant do?" Qiu Qiu asked weakly. Every evidence pointed at her and she knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to survive this problem.

    Yao Ling gave her a suggestion, "Why don¡¯t you marry him? After all, both of you have done it." What Yao Ling suggested was the best result for Qiu Qiu. She had been tainted by the man and a lot of people already knew about that! It was hard for her to get married.

    Qiu Qiu looked at the ugly man beside her and she felt like vomiting each time she saw him. How could Young Mistress suggest her to marry him? But she also knew that the suggestion for her own good. If the man was at least good enough to look at, she would be fine with it. However, he wasn¡¯t only ugly. But the way he looked at her... it was full of lust and it disgusted her!

    "Young Mistress... this servant doesn¡¯t need to get married. This servant will wholeheartedly serve Young Mistress until death," Qiu Qiu gritted her teeth and decided to pledge her life. At least, she could avoid the cmity for now. She could just go back to her real master and stay there.

    Suddenly, the matriarch appeared in the courtyard along with Madam Wang and the concubines. "What happened here? Who dares to make a ruckus this early in the morning?" The matriarch asked. She had heard about what happened and she came here because of her curiosity. After all, she was pretty bored because there were not many things happened in the household that could spark her amusement.

    Yao Ling stood up to greet the matriarch and Madam Wang, while the concubines paid her respect to her. "Grandmother, why are you here?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "I heard something happened in your courtyard, so Ie," The matriarch said. "What happened?"

    Yao Ling gave a signal to Xiao Yu and Xiao Yu quickly exined everything to the matriarch and Madam Wang. "So... what¡¯s your solution?" The matriarch asked Yao Ling curiously. She wanted to see how Yao Ling dealt with Qiu Qiu.

    Yao Ling told the matriarch that she at least wanted to give Qiu Qiu the chance to get married --- to save her reputation. "Good!" The matriarch smiled. That was the best oue that could happen. If Yao Ling was softhearted and let her stay to serve her, it would affect Yao Ling¡¯s reputation too. Whether Qiu Qiu fell into a trap or not, it was another matter altogether.

    After listening to how the matriarch agreed to Yao Ling¡¯s suggestion, Qiu Qiu felt despair. Her eyes flickered to her real master who stood behind the matriarch, asking for help. However, she could only see the disdain in her master¡¯s eyes and she even turned her head away. The meaning was clear... her master had abandoned her. She wasn¡¯t going to help her! Qiu Qiu felt her heart turn cold, however, she could only look down sadly.

    Qiu Qiu¡¯s real master pretty much knew that she couldn¡¯t interfere in this matter. Qiu Qiu made a big mistake. How stupid of her to get into a trap so easily? She also didn¡¯t feel like this Qiu Qiu worth that much anyway. Losing a pawn like her wouldn¡¯t make a big difference to her. Haiyah~ However, she felt a bit sad for losing two pawns at once --- Liu Li and Qiu Qiu. She should think of a way to nt another spy near Yao Ling, after all, she needed to know whether Yao Ling would be a danger to her position in Wang Fu or not. She knew that the four women who stood behind the matriarch were afraid of the same thing.

    When Qiu Qiu looked at the man beside her, she once again tried her luck and begged the matriarch. Zhang Mo Mo said on the behalf of the matriarch, "Without a pure body and conduct, how do you want to serve Young Mistress?" It killed all the arguments that Qiu Qiu had.

    The man smiled happily when he heard that and knew that he definitely could marry her. Qiu Qiu didn¡¯t say anything because as a maidservant, her life was on her master¡¯s hand. Would her life be different if she gave her loyalty to Yao Ling? She knew that if it was Young Mistress, she at least would try to find a way to maintain her dignity. At this moment, she isn¡¯t in a good rtionship with Young Mistress -- unlike Xiao Yu, so she doesn¡¯t have enough face to ask for her help. Besides, she had a gut feeling that Young Mistress was actually feeling suspicious of her.

    "What are you waiting for?" Zhang Mo Mo asked.

    Qiu Qiu shivered in fear when she saw Zhang Mo Mo¡¯s gaze. She could only kowtow and said, "Thank you for Young Mistress¡¯ grace." The man beside her smiled happily, then he kowtowed said the same thing.

    "You will be given money and you should live with your husband from now on. We will help you arrange your marriage. You can still work at Wang Fu by helping your husband, but you are not allowed to serve Young Mistress again." Zhang Mo Mo took charge of punishing Qiu Qiu when she saw the matriarch¡¯s signal. Yao Ling saw the matriarch¡¯s signal too, so she could only stay quiet.

    And just like that, Qiu Qiu¡¯s life had been decided. She wasn¡¯t allowed to serve Yao Ling anymore and should live outside of Wang Fu with her new husband. Yao Ling heard that she refused to get married and decided to kill herself. Yao Ling¡¯s heart ached because she felt that she was also partly responsible for Qiu Qiu¡¯s ending, but in the end... she could only harden herself more. She knew that sooner orter there would be a lot of things to do that needed her to be cruel.

 Chapter 141 How is Your Progress?

    After Qiu Qiu was dragged away, the matriarch smiled at her. "You ah~ It seems like that you are getting better at making a decision. However, it seems like your servant needs to learn more about how to assist you. Xiao Yu, you need to learn from Zhang Mo Mo and listen more to her experience, okay? Just one or two sentences from Zhang Mo Mo, everything has been solved, right? Your Young Mistress and I didn¡¯t need to say anything."

    "Yes, Old Madam," Xiao Yu politely answered.

    Xiao Yu who felt like crying inside her heart could only agree and thank the matriarch for her grace. In her heart, she muttered, ¡¯Grace? What kind of grace?!¡¯ She was afraid of Zhang Mo Mo¡¯s strictness, but she also knew that she had to learn how to assist Young Mistress better. She could only ept her fate!

    The Matriarch turned to her back and dispersed the concubines. "All of you can go now. I want to spend more time with my granddaughter." The concubines looked at each other but they also didn¡¯t want to stick around the matriarch any longer, so they readily agreed and went out of the courtyard. Madam Wang stayed with them because the matriarch didn¡¯t ask her to go along with the concubines.

    After the concubines left, the matriarch asked Yao Ling softly, "Do you want my help to find new maidservants?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "Thank you for Grandmother¡¯s grace, but I don¡¯t want to bother Grandmother." Yao Ling paused for a little while, before continuing, "Grandmother, when I went out to look around, I saw pitiful sisters and I would like to take them under my wings."

    "Oh?" The matriarch asked, feeling interested. "Where did you meet them and what do you want them to be?"

    "I met them on the West Street. They... were actually beggars. I want to take them in and let them be my maidservants. However, I need to ask them first. I never meet them again after I gave them a little bit of money. Can I do that?" Yao Ling asked politely.

    "Hmmm... Of course. You can do what you want... but you need to make a ve contract with them --- to avoid any troubles in the future," The matriarch gave her agreement. She tried to train Yao Ling in managing the household, so she let her take care of this matter. If something happened, it would be Yao Ling¡¯s lesson. As long as she lived, the matriarch could help Yao Ling deal with the aftermath if something went wrong because of those new maidservants. However, her consent was given mainly because she trusted Yao Ling¡¯s judgment.

    In actual fact, what Yao Ling did usually wasn¡¯t allowed at another household. The servants usually distributed by the person that was in-charge of the household. In Wang Fu, it was Madam Wang¡¯s job, but the main power was still held by the matriarch. Once the matriarch decided something, even Madam Wang had to give her some face and didn¡¯t dare to go against the matriarch¡¯s words.

    Madam Wang who usually didn¡¯t talk much suddenly talked, "Mother, is it wise?"

    "Hmmm...?" The matriarch asked. "Is there something that you don¡¯t agree with?"

    "Mother, that¡¯s not what I meant. I¡¯m just worried because the background of those girls are unknown and they live as beggars. We didn¡¯t know who they are, so how could we let them in into our household easily? I will also feel worried if they serve Yao Ling directly..." Madam Wang exined her concern.

    Yao Ling knew that Madam Wang¡¯s concern was reasonable, but it made her heart slightly disappointed. What if the matriarch really listened to Madam Wang¡¯s advice? Then, she wouldn¡¯t be able to take the kids directly. There was another way --- of course. However, it would take too much time and more troublesome.

    The matriarch smiled at Madam Wang and patted her hand. "Don¡¯t worry! I will trust Yao Ling¡¯s judgment. If something happens, I will take full responsibilities."

    "Why?" Madam Wang furrowed her eyebrows, feeling a bit discontent with the matriarch¡¯s tant favoritism. She felt that somehow the matriarch had prepared Yao Ling as her sessor. Even though they wanted her to treat Yao Ling as her real daughter, but there was no blood connection between them. Would Yao Ling still treat her kindly when she was the one who held the powerter?

    "You ah~ Do I still need to tell you all of this?" The matriarch asked. Even though she said with a voice full of affections, she didn¡¯t really like when her decision was being questioned by Madam Wang. This daughter-inw was usually obedient, then why did she suddenly show her displeasure?

    Madam Wang knew that she had offended the matriarch. She quickly smiled to ease the tension. "Naturally, I know about Mother¡¯s love toward Yao Ling. I¡¯m just worried that this girl will bring trouble to Mother because of some unknown people." She praised the matriarch, but she actually reprimanded Yao Ling with soft words for being unreasonable.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to make the situation worse by forcing her opinion, so she could only bitterly bite her lips. The matriarch already agreed with her demand, why did Madam Wang suddenly against her? Although what Madam Wang said was reasonable, Yao Ling still felt a bit resentful inside. She didn¡¯t let her emotion show on the surface and slightly smiled. "I will listen to Grandmother and Mother¡¯s arrangement then." By taking a step back, she knew that the matriarch would take her side.

    The matriarch smiled at how kind Yao Ling was. She waved her hand and said, "It¡¯s okay. You can just do as you wish. After all, it¡¯s your own people. You should learn to manage them. I give you full reign to take care of your own courtyard."

    The matriarch already opened her mouth, so Madam Wang couldn¡¯t do anything but agree to her decision. She forced a smile and said, "Grandmother already gave you her permission, so you should thank her."

    Yao Ling nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Grandmother." Yao Ling understood that Madam Wang probably felt that her power was being challenged. She could only sigh inwardly. It seemed like being pampered by the matriarch wasn¡¯t always a good thing. It made other people jealous. It was different if she was the real daughter of Madam Wang, she probably would be happy for her. After all, blood is thicker than water!

    Probably because she felt a bit resentful, Madam Wang asked for permission to leave. The matriarch patted Yao Ling¡¯s hands andfort her, "Yao Ling, sooner orter she will ept you. Please don¡¯t mind her! Ruo An is a kind soul..."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Grandmother! I understand," Yao Ling answered while giving the matriarchforting smile.

    "Good girl! Liu Li really did a good job of cleaning up your courtyard!" The matriarch smiled knowingly.

    Yao Ling looked up in surprise. "You know about it too, Grandmother?"

    The matriarchughed out loud. "I live longer than you, Child. What kind of tricks that I haven¡¯t seen before? Why do you think I especially chose Qiu Qiu and Qiu Ling to be questioned?"

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t believe how up-to-date the matriarch¡¯s information was! She already knew about everything a long time ago! She shuddered when she thought... what if the matriarch didn¡¯t like her? She would have been kicked out from the start! They wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to retaliate if that really happened. Yao Ling reminded herself not to think too highly of herself.

    "Then... do you know who are their masters, Grandmother?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "I know... but I can¡¯t reveal it to you," The matriarch said. She needed to maintain the bnce of this family. She couldn¡¯t favor one and ruined the other one.

    Yao Ling partially understood the matriarch¡¯s thought, so she didn¡¯t force an answer. As long as she had the matriarch as a backer, she should be fine. "Thank you for helping me, Grandmother!"

    "As long as you are filial to me and your father, then it¡¯s enough," The matriarch smiled.

    "I will, Grandmother," Yao Ling promised her. She was really grateful to Wang Luo Hai and the matriarch for taking them in and showing them kindness. How could she bite the hands that fed them?

    "Anyway... how is your progress?" The matriarch asked Yao Ling with a mischievous look.

    "The progress of what?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. Yao Ling didn¡¯t have any project that needed her immediate attention at Fu Rong, so she was slightly confused about what the matriarch inquired about.

    The matriarchughed heartily. "You don¡¯t have to be shy! Yao Ying is so happy that he even gave a present to this old woman!"

    Yao Ling looked taken aback. Present? What present? Why didn¡¯t she know that Yao Ying gave the matriarch a present? "Er... what present, Grandmother?"

    The matriarch asked, "Didn¡¯t he tell you before?He gave me the present because he feels so satisfied! It¡¯s his way of thanking me for my gift to both of you."

    Yao Ling tried to think back and the only possible thing was that... Yao Ling looked up in surprise. Don¡¯t tell her it was about that! Yao Ling asked softly, "Grandmother... is it because of the yellow book?!" While asking, Yao Ling¡¯s face was beet red! Why did he go as far as to give a present to the matriarch?! Did Yao Ying want to embarrass her to death?!

    "Yes!" The matriarch grinned happily.

 Chapter 142 Heart-to-heart Talk

    "It seems like the yellow book really gives benefits to the both of you! Have you tried some of the positions?" The matriarch asked curiously. She knew firsthand what kind of drawing inside the book and she really wanted to know whether Yao Ling was so flexible or not.

    Yao Ling¡¯s jaw dropped so wide because of the matriarch¡¯s question. She opened and closed her mouth for a few times, but she couldn¡¯t answer her question. "I... I..."

    Zhang Mo Mo smiled softly and saved her from the embarrassment by talking to the matriarch, "Old Madam, it seems like Young Mistress is too shy to say anything. Why should you worry about their process? At least, from Young Master¡¯s present, it means that they are working hard for giving Old Madam a cute and healthy grandchild."

    Yao Ling sighed in relief and sent a thankful gaze to Zhang Mo Mo. Did the matriarch seriously want her to tell everything in details? She would rather bury herself inside a hole than telling her! Too embarrassing! She would really scold Yao Ying when she met himter!

    "But this old one really wants to listen to their amorous night! So, I can also reminiscence my lovely night with Old Master. Besides... it must have been a fun night! It will take my mind out of the boredom," The matriarch shamelessly said. Why should she feel ashamed? At least, she was only asking... not peeking into their room and watch their night activities live.

    Yao Ling closed her eyes and cover her face with both of her hands. "Grandmother!" She groaned while saying that, making the matriarchugh along with Zhang Mo Mo. "This is so embarrassing!" She muttered to herself, but the matriarch was able to hear her through herughter. The matriarch was known to be mischievous since childhood, so Zhang Mo Mo didn¡¯t feel so surprised. However, Yao Ling rarely saw this side of her, so she was quite shocked that the stern matriarch could be so naughty.

    The matriarch wiped the tears on the corner of her eyes due to her heartyugh. Teasing Yao Ling was quite fun because of her shyness. If she kept pestering her to tell about their night activity, Yao Ling probably would faint due to embarrassment. "Okay... okay... I¡¯m just kidding. At least, I know that both of you are really happy with your marriage. Enjoying sexual activity is also a recipe for a happy marriage," the matriarch said seriously.

    Yao Ling nodded hesitantly. Was it really?

    "I will give you a little bit of advice. Do you know why a man is looking for concubines or going to a brothel? Sometimes the wife is even more beautiful than the concubine, but they choose an ordinary looking woman as a concubine... Why?" The matriarch gave her difficult questions to ponder over.

    Back in the vige, people rarely had concubines because they didn¡¯t have a lot to spend on maintaining arge family --- the vigers were mostly poor. Thus, she didn¡¯t really know the exact answer.

    "Why, Grandmother? Please enlighten this granddaughter," Yao Ling said.

    "It¡¯s not simply because of the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but the main wife also needs to introspect herself and think of a way to hold onto the husband¡¯s love and attention. I¡¯m not saying that it¡¯s all about sexual activity -- it¡¯s just one of the many factors. A man doesn¡¯t only need physical satisfaction, but also inner satisfaction. Sometimes they need someone to talk to, so you should also learn to be a good listener. I¡¯m sure you understand what I mean even though I don¡¯t give you all the details, right?" The matriarch asked whether Yao Ling understood her main point or not.

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. "Thank you for Grandmother¡¯s teaching. This granddaughter understands."

    "Good... you need to learn how to satisfy all of his needs. If one day... someone from his pastes, you have the power to fight back and hold onto him," The matriarch hesitantly added. She wanted the couple to be happy.

    Yao Ling nodded with slightly teary eyes. "Thank you for Grandmother¡¯s concern. Yes... that¡¯s the fear that keeps bothering my heart." Yao Ling admitted that she was afraid of the woman in Yao Ying¡¯s past the most --- if there was one.

    The matriarch patted Yao Ling¡¯s head softly. "Don¡¯t give up without fighting!"

    Yao Ling could only nod and didn¡¯t dare to tell the matriarch about her promise to let go if Yao Ying had a lover in the past. However, remembering this thing... she felt the numbness inside her heart. She wanted to p her own mouth for making such a promise!

    The matriarch tried to lighten up the mood by joking. "Of course, you are not the only one that has to satisfy his needs! He needs to do the same things and appreciate you! Even in the bed, he needs to make you feel a release!"

    Yao Ling chuckled at the matriarch¡¯s attempt to cheer her up and it made her mood slightly better. "Yes, Grandmother. I will make sure to do that!" Yao Ling said confidently with a slightly blushing face.

    "Good! This old woman already said what needs to be said. It¡¯s time for me to go back to my ce and rest," The matriarch said.

    Yao Ling smiled and saw off the matriarch. She knew the matriarch¡¯s advice was for her own good, but when someone talked about the possibility of a woman in Yao Ying¡¯s past. It really hurt her heart! She tried not to think about, but instead, she chose to deal with the maidservant¡¯s matter.

    Yao Ling went to check on Qiu Ling and her condition was pretty bad. The physician said that it would take a long time for her eyes to be fully healed and there might be a little bit problem with her eyes --- however, the physician couldn¡¯t determine exactly what kind of effect that could happen. Qiu Ling had no choice but to recuperate. Yao Ling could only promise her that she would be received to work on her courtyard again once she was fully healed. Yao Ling gave her money and let her go back to her family for the time being.

    After finished dealing with Qiu Ling¡¯s matter, Yao Ling quickly arranged Xiao Yu to take Xiao Xia, Xiao Er, and Xiao Ai as her first rank maidservants. They would serve her directly while she let the other servants and maidservants stay, but she let them do odd jobs and clean the outer courtyard. She didn¡¯t hesitate to clear up her courtyard because she already had the matriarch¡¯s agreement to let her do want she wanted. Madam Wang also didn¡¯t say much even though she was slightly disappointed with the matriarch¡¯s decision.

    Yao Ling took charge of teaching the girls how to read and write, but they weren¡¯t able to learn martial arts. However, they were good enough at defending themselves, so Yao Ling felt slightly in relief. The girls were quite clever so they adapted quite fast. Yao Ling prepared ve contracts between her and the girls. Ning-jie and the girls didn¡¯t mind about it, after all, they already trusted Yao Ling with their life.

    Yao Ying went back and forth between Wang Fu, Lin Fu, and Fu Rong just like usual. They went back to their daily life. They had nothing to do until they heard the news about the organization from Wang Luo Hai. Both Yao Ying and Yao Ling were called to the study room. Wang Luo Hai greeted them with a full-of-smile face. It seemed like he had a piece of good news to announce.

    "Do you have good news, Father?" Yao Ying asked, feeling curious why Wang Luo Hai looked so happy.

    "The Empress really loves the robe! Yao Ling, you really did a great job! She even praised the embroiderer --- which is you and bestow you with a few gifts. I will send them to your courtyardter!" Wang Luo Hai grinned.

    Yao Ling smiled happily. "Thank you, Father!" She kept wondering what her gifts were. Then, she had a question in mind, "But... how the gifts stillnd on me, Father? Didn¡¯t you say that you will keep me as a secret?"

    "The organization is fair about who to punish and who to give a reward. They won¡¯t take your merit. I¡¯m still protecting your identity, so the gifts are actually given to me and Yao Ying. But we know who the real deal is, right?" Wang Luo Hai smiled and patted Yao Ling¡¯s shoulder lovingly.

    Yao Ling blushed shyly and once again thanked Wang Luo Hai. She never thought that she would get something from this. "You praise me too much, Father! I was just trying to do my best!" Yao Ling shyly said.

    "Haiyah~ You are too humble!" Wang Luo Hai grinned. "It affects positively to Yao Ying and you will get a mission from the organization soon," Wang Luo Hai said excitedly. He was so proud of his stepchildren. They achieved something that none of them could achieve in such a short time.

    Yao Ying asked, "What kind of mission, Father?"

    "It¡¯s an important one, so you should do your best to seed. You will do the mission with Lin Jian, so you don¡¯t have to be nervous. The mission is about the Han Princess," Wang Luo Hai exined.

 Chapter 143 Han Xiang

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were interested in this so-called mission when they heard it was about the Han Princess. They knew that this person was the daughter of General Lin¡¯s beloved wife. They felt curious about the mission. What would Yao Ying and Lin Jian do in this mission? Yao Ying also wondered what would Lin Jian feel about this mission? After all, this was his beloved mother¡¯s daughter they were talking about.

    "Father, what kind of mission is it?" Yao Ling was the one who asked the question. Her curiosity was really piqued! She really wanted to meet the Han Princess.

    "The princes want you to ruin the wedding alliance between the Han Princess and the Qin Emperor," Wang Luo Hai said. Although the Han Princess would only be a concubine, she would be granted a high position only one rank below the Empress. She would also receive a grand wedding to give the Han Emperor a face. They needed to ruin their connection in marriage just in case they would work together to attack their Shu Kingdom and... the jobnded on Yao Ying and Lin Jian. It would be a good experience for Yao Ying to learn something new. Wang Luo Hai was also surprised that Yao Ying was able to get such an important mission for his first time, but hey... he became a proud father because of it.

    "Can I go with them, Father?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She really wanted to see the Han Princess! However, she knew her boundary... If Wang Luo Hai said that she wasn¡¯t allowed to go, then she wouldn¡¯t go. After all, this was the organization¡¯s arrangement -- not Wang Luo Hai¡¯s.

    Wang Luo Hai pondered over it. "This..." Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a part of the organization, so he was a bit hesitant to let her go with them. He wasn¡¯t scared that Yao Ling would ruin the mission. He knew that she wouldn¡¯t but he didn¡¯t want her to attract the organization¡¯s attention. Even if he didn¡¯t want to admit it, each organization had a dangerous presence inside that was best to avoid.

    Yao Ying knew why Yao Ling was so interested in joining them and with hering along, he thought that it was actually a good idea. "Father, I think bringing along Yao Ling is a good idea." He decided to speak up for Yao Ling too.

    "Tell me your reason," Wang Luo Hai asked, feeling interested. Oh? The protective Yao Ying also wanted to take along his wife?

    "If we want to get closer to the Han Princess, it¡¯s easier for Yao Ling to do that. A woman tends to lower her guard with a person with the same gender. If I suddenly get closer to her, I bet she will feel wary about my intention," Yao Ying exined.

    "I indeed have the same thought," Wang Luo Hai admitted hesitantly, then he asked, "What if it will bring danger to Yao Ling?" Wang Luo Hai was still a bit biased with preferring son than a daughter to do the hardbor job or big mission like this. A daughter should be pampered at home. He believed in Yao Ling¡¯s ability, but he was really concerned about her safety. Yao Ying¡¯s martial arts were quite good now, but Yao Ling didn¡¯t have any martial arts basic. A mission... even if it seemed to be an easy one, there was always a hidden danger in it. He was worried because Yao Ling probably couldn¡¯t defend herself if there was a mishap.

    "I can handle myself, Father. I believe Yao Ying will be able to protect me," Yao Ling smiled sweetly.

    "Ha...~ You can¡¯t always be with him..." Wang Luo Hai sighed, but he also saw the pleading look in Yao Ling¡¯s eyes. His heart softened and said, "Never mind! You, young people just do what you want to do. I will assign several shadow guards for Yao Ling. Don¡¯t worry! You can trust them. I personally select my shadow guard, so you can trust their loyalty," Wang Luo Hai said. He was helpless toward their determination.

    Yao Ling was quite happy with the arrangement. "Thank you, Father." She epted his kindness gratefully. Even though Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t interact or talk too much with her, she knew that in a way he was spoiling her. When he saw that Yao Ling was tired, he would let her go home earlier from Fu Rong. From the start, if she made a mistake, Wang Luo Hai would patiently teach her. If she thought back, there were really a lot of things that he had done for her.

    Yao Ying asked, "Father, when will we start the mission?"

    "You have one week to prepare yourself. I also got a quite detailed report about the Han Princess," Wang Luo Hai revealed. He opened the report and read them to Yao Ying and Yao Ling in details.

    Just like what they knew previously, the princess looked like a Shu woman. Han woman loves outdoor activities so naturally their skin was slightly darker, however, the princess has wless white skin. No one had ever seen her face, but it was said that she was a beauty.

    Yao Ling asked, "Father, do you have any information about the woman¡¯s hobbies, likes, and dislikes?"

    Wang Luo Hai nodded. "Probably because of the Shu¡¯s genes are stronger, the Han Princess seems to prefer indoor activities, for example --- ying qujin and calligraphy. However, that¡¯s the only information that we got. It seems like the Han Emperor really protects this princess well or... there¡¯s a second probability... she¡¯s not his favorite. After all, the Han Emperor has so many princes and princess." Favoritism among the princes and princess wasn¡¯t a secret, but he didn¡¯t really know whether this Han Princess was favored or not. Their spies in the Han Kingdom weren¡¯t able to gain more information about this princess¡¯s situation because there were a lot of contradictories words between the pce maids.

    They said that the Han Princess¡¯ ce was the most humble one, but no one was allowed to touch and bully her. She was allowed to learn indoor activities, unlike the other princess who had to learn outdoor activities --- because she didn¡¯t like doing thetter. Her clothing was always so humble, but the kitchen had to prepare the best food for her. Thus, her existence there was quite intriguing.

    These traits piqued the couple¡¯s interest more and more. It seemed like this Han Princess was an extraordinary one. To survive without powerful mother in the pce was already an amazing thing to achieve and it seemed like her life there also wasn¡¯t so bad.

    Yao Ling nodded in acknowledgment. "How do we know whether it¡¯s the princess or not if we don¡¯t have her painting?" She asked curiously. If no one had ever seen the princess, then how could they prevent the big wedding? What if they got the wrong bride?

    "There¡¯s a special trait that she has," Wang Luo Hai said after he read the whole report.

    "Because of the famous butterfly dance, the Han Emperor blessed her with a special tattoo on her back. The Emperor especially called an expert for this. A blue butterfly tattoo..." Wang Luo Hai exined. "However no one knew the exact shape of the butterfly and how big it is."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were interested in the butterfly dance. Was she really able to call butterflies when she danced? They believed that she must have had a trick to do that and they really wanted to find out about it!

    "Father, what¡¯s the Princess¡¯ name?" Yao Ling asked. Until now, they realized that they only referred the princess as Han Princess.

    "The report said that it¡¯s Han Xiang," Wang Luo Hai said.

    ¡¯Han Xiang...¡¯ Yao Ling kept her name in her mind.

    ------

    Xiang can be tranted as fragrant. There¡¯s a legend about this concubine. If you want to know more, here is the link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fragrant_Concubine. I just used this as a part of my story because this concubine really piqued my interest >.

 Chapter 144 Delectable...

    "Does the organization know the route that the Han Princess will take?" Yao Ying asked curiously. From their vastwork, it should be easy for the organization to know this much.

    "Yes... they will pass by Lin Zhou. Yao Ling, if you want to go with them, you have to learn riding horse. I can¡¯t prepare a carriage for you, because it will slow down the others," Wang Luo Hai said with a strict voice. He wanted Yao Ling to know that they were going on a mission, not for a sightseeing trip.

    "Rest assured, Father! I know. I will learn to ride a horse from Yao Ying." After saying that, Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying with twinkling eyes. She was pleading for Yao Ying to agree.

    With that cute pleading eyes, how could Yao Ying resist? "Yes, Father. I will teach her how."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded in agreement. "Good! From here to Lin Zhou, it would probably take around four to five days. Prepare well for the journey. I will also give you enough money to spend on the journey."

    "Thank you, Father!" Yao Ying thanked Wang Luo Hai for his generosity.

    "Yao Ling, you should learn how to y qujin too. Your calligraphy is already quite good, so you have to pay more attention to learn to y qujin," Wang Luo Hai said. "I will call a master to teach you."

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes lit up! She always loves learning new things. She had nned to beg the matriarch to let her learn music when she had finished all of Zhang Mo Mo¡¯s lesson. Who knew that she would get the chance sooner? The great thing was she also got to learn from a master! "Thank you, Father!" Yao Ling couldn¡¯t count how many times she was thanking Wang Luo Hai, but he really deserved it. He was probably the kindest stepfather ever.

    Wang Luo Hai looked at her helplessly. "You are indeed weird. I saw my friends¡¯ daughters were whining when they needed to attend lessons, but you seem to love it!"

    Yao Ling grinned and exined how much she liked learning, making Wang Luo Hai shake his head weakly. He was nning to call an ordinary master, but because he saw her enthusiasm, he decided to find the best master for her. After the mission, if she wanted to continue learning, then she could. For the mission, he just wanted her to learn about the basic and make use of it when she met the Han Princess. He was pretty sure Yao Ling would be able to adjust to the situation and smartly use her new knowledge to befriend the Han Princess.

    "Fine... Fine... you can go now. I still have a lot of things to do," Wang Luo Hai chased them away with a smile. He needed to help them prepare the shadow guards, money, and find the best qujin master.

    When they were out of the Wang Luo Hai¡¯s study room, Yao Ling said excitedly to Yao Ying, "I can¡¯t wait to go with you. It will be a great adventure!" She always wanted to see new ces and yed around. Yao Ying grinned when he looked at his wife¡¯s happiness. "Yes... Yes... I know that you are so excited and want to go right away! Don¡¯t forget that this is not a sightseeing trip!" Yao Ying teased.

    "I know!" Yao Ling pouted. "Don¡¯t put a damper on my spirit!"

    Yao Yingughed at her pouting face. "Okay... okay..." Suddenly, Yao Ying had an idea, "Do you want to follow me and meet with Lin Jian? So, we can discuss this matter?" He had a lot to talk about with Lin Jian and thought that it was probably a good idea to bring Yao Ling along. He didn¡¯t need to talk back and forth about this matter.

    Yao Ling¡¯s pout turned into a smile. "Good idea! Where will we go? Hua lou?" Yao Ling asked excitedly.

    "You are a woman. What do you want to do in a hua lou?!" Yao Ying asked skeptically. At first, he thought that Yao Ling was joking, but her excitement showed how much she was serious about it. Yao Ying started to feel a headache, knowing that he might not be able to hold his wife back.

    "What? So, only you can go to the hua lou?" Yao Ling raised one of his eyebrows, challenging him whether he dared to say yes or not.

    If she put it that way, how could he stop her from going? She could say that he must have something to hide, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t allow her to go. Yao Ying could only helplessly said, "Of course not! But if you go there, it will ruin your reputation! You are a woman, Ling-er..."

    "I can always use my male disguise along with Xiao Yu!" Yao Ling said excitedly. If she used male disguise, then no one would be able to recognize her! ¡¯En... This is such a good idea!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    "But..." Yao Ying really felt that it wasn¡¯t appropriate!

    Yao Ling red at him and he could only give up. He knew how stubborn Yao Ling was! Probably if he brought her there, she would understand Mi Hui better. Of course, the Mi Hui in his mind was Mi Hui the organization. "Fine... Fine..." He could onlypromise. "Feng, go and tell Lin Jian that I ask him out for a drink at the hua lou to discuss something important."

    "Yes, Young Master," Feng quickly went out and did Yao Ying¡¯s order.

    "Are you happy now?" Yao Ying asked dotingly.

    "Of course!" Yao Ling quickly kissed Yao Ying¡¯s cheek. "Thank you, Husband." After thanking him, she pulled Xiao Yu to go with her and prepare themselves in their male get-up. Yao Ying who was left behind could only touch his cheek in surprise. "This little minx!" He muttered to himself, but he could not erase the smile on his lips.

    Yao Ling indeed knew how to tame her husband! One kiss and he already smiled like a fool. Yao Ying sighed and shook his head in defeat. He went to their courtyard and wait for her while drinking a cup of tea. After Yao ling finished changing her clothes, they could go together.

    What did take the woman so long? Yao Ying thought to himself. Even Feng had already gone back from Lin Fu for a little while and she wasn¡¯t ready yet. Feng told him that Lin Jian already gave him his agreement to go, so they could meet up at the hua lou right away. However, the woman still hadn¡¯te out of the room yet. When Yao Ying started to get impatient and stand up to call her, he heard Yao Ling called him from behind.

    "Ying... let¡¯s go!" Yao Ying turned around when he heard Yao Ling¡¯s voice. He was stunned at what he saw! Yao Ling wore one of his clothes leisurely, however this time... she had already altered the size previously so it fitted her perfectly. She chose light blue robe and somehow it made her look so feminine --- a flower boy, to be precise. Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry because even in her disguise, she still looked so beautiful and he could also feel his little Yao Ying start to get excited.

    When he looked at her breasts, the meat buns were gone -- it seemed like she wrapped her own breasts to suppress her meat buns. She wore a belt around her waist and it entuated her slimness. With this kind of get-up, would people believe that she was a man? Seeing Yao Ling in different get-up made him feel his throat dry. Did he have to endure this until night time? Damn! He cursed inside his mind. Why did she look so alluring even in male clothing? He never thought that there would be a day he became such a pervert!

    Yao Ling who didn¡¯t know about her husband¡¯s perverted thought quickly ran to him and twirled her body around, showing off her disguise proudly. "What do you think?" She asked. It took her a long time to finish her disguise, so it should be fine, right? She should be looking manly enough!

    "Delectable..." Yao Ying unconsciously said.

    "Huh?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

 Chapter 145 Let Their Love Blooms on Its Own...

    If he showed his wolfish side at the moment, Yao Ling would guard herself up and he would have no chance to devour herter. Yao Ying quickly sobered up and said, "You look great!" He gave her his sweetest smile.

    Yao Ling thought that what Yao Ying meant was her disguise was great. After all, she was dressing up as a man, what kind of temptation she could offer with this look? The little rabbit didn¡¯t know that she was being eyed by the big bad wolf.

    Yao Ying kept in his mind that he would eat her tonight, so he calmed himself down. He felt so lucky that this beauty was his wife! When he turned around, he looked at Xiu¡¯s expression when he looked at Xiao Yu. Judging from his drool, it seemed like he also thought of the same thing toward Xiao Yu. Yao Yingughed inwardly and he patted Xiu¡¯s shoulder in pity. At least, Yao Ling is his rightful wife so he could devour her anytime he wanted, but what about Xiu?

    He probably needed to take a cold shower to relieve his tension down there. Poor Xiu!

    Xiu saw Yao Ying¡¯s gloating face andughed bitterly inside his mind. Why did Young Master taunting him? He knew that look. It seemed like Young Master was mocking him because he couldn¡¯t do anything toward Xiao Yu and also until now... he made no progress because of his own nervousness. Ha...~ he could only sigh in defeat. Xiu wanted to re back at Yao Ying, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t, so he just cursed Yao Ying inside his mind.

    Servants were loyal to their chosen masters, but it didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t get angry or annoyed at their masters. Of course, they couldn¡¯t curse openly. Xiu was no different. He could only curse inwardly. Yao Ying knew that Xiu probably cursed him inside his mind, but he didn¡¯t care about it. It made Yao Ying want tough harder at him.

    Xiu took a peek at Xiao Yu and identally their eyes met, both of them quickly looked away and blushed at the same time. Two people, like each other, but they seemed to be oblivious of the other¡¯s feelings. Yao Ying and Yao Ling as bystanders could perfectly see their feelings. They could only shake their head because knowing these two people, without another push, their rtionship would still take a long time to bloom.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling walked in front, while Xiu and Xiao Yu followed behind them. Yao Ying and Yao Ling could see how they took a peek at each other but didn¡¯t dare to talk. When Xiu looked at Xiao Yu, the other nervously looked down. When Xiao Yu took a peek at Xiu, the other looked away. They looked so cute, making Yao Ying and Yao Ling want tough.

    Yao Ling whispered to Yao Ying, "Ying... do we need to do something about them?" Yao Ling nced at Xiu and Xiao Yu from the corner of her eyes.

    Yao Ying rolled his eyes. "Why are you so concerned about them? Let their love blooms on its own." Yao Ying didn¡¯t really like to meddle with other people¡¯s business.

    Yao Ling whined. "But they are both so slow... When will it bloom? Another thousand years?" Yao Ling exaggerated thest part and she couldn¡¯t help but giggle.

    "You ah~ Why do you suddenly be such a busybody? Even their matter you also want to interfere," Yao Ying softly chided her.

    "But they are so suitable to each other, besides... they like each other too! What¡¯s wrong in pushing them together? It will be fun!" Yao Ling tried to coax Yao Ling to join her in bing their matchmaker.

    Yao Ying helplessly looked at his wife. It seemed like the matriarch¡¯s personalities already rubbed into her. They were both too idle! "Fine... Fine... but it can wait after we finish the mission, okay?" Yao Ying decided to make apromise. They had to focus on their mission, so he reminded Yao Ling not to y around. Besides, Xiu and Xiao Yu had plenty of chances to spend time together, because they served the same couple. Probably, this trip could also help them get closer.

    Yao Ling pouted but she knew that Yao Ying was right. "Okay," she readily agreed. She wasn¡¯t in a hurry anyway.

    They met Lin Jian halfway to the hua lou. He cheerfully greeted Yao Ying but then his eyesnded on her. Lin Jian looked at Yao Ling in confusion and asked Yao Ying, "Yao Ying, who is this?" Didn¡¯t Yao Ying say that he wanted to talk about an important thing? He guessed it was about the mission. If it was about the mission, why did he take this flower boy along with him? It was supposed to be a secret mission!

    Lin Jian looked at Yao Ying, gasped. "Do you betray Yao Ling with a man?" Lin Jian was half-joking and half-serious. He tried to find out about this flower boy¡¯s identity.

    Yao Ying red at him and felt like choking the man in front of him. What kind of nonsense that he was talking about?! Did Lin Jian use him as a cut-sleeve?

    "Do you want me to punch you?" Yao Ying asked while gritting his teeth in annoyance. This guy seriously needed a beating!

    On the other hand, Yao Ling was trying to hold back herughter. She always knew that Lin Jian sometimes had a crazy sense of jokes, however, looking at the angry look on her husband¡¯s face... she couldn¡¯t help but want tough! Did they usually interact like this? Unlike women, they behaved more openly and also talked honestly what¡¯s inside their mind. It was refreshing for Yao Ling who had to talk with her brain all the time, instead of sincerity. She always needed to think and arrange her words carefully before talking. It was more tiring.

    Yao Ling rarely saw this kind of expressions on his husband¡¯s face --- a mixture of anger and annoyance. He was usually calm around her --- well, except at night. His lusty face was one of the expressions that she would never forget! When she remembered his lusty face, she couldn¡¯t help but blush.

    Lin Jian saw that expression and felt bewildered. The flower boy looked at Yao Ying and blushed. He started to believe that both of them had an improper rtionship and it made him feel more curious!

    "Yao Ying... are you really having an inappropriate rtionship with him? Look at the way he¡¯s blushing!" Lin Jian asked in disbelief. Why did this guy look so feminine? He even blushed like a girl!

    Yao Ying wanted to open Lin Jian¡¯s head and see what¡¯s inside his stupid brain. "Don¡¯t you feel that he¡¯s a little familiar?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to uncover Yao Ling¡¯s disguise, so he could only subtly ask. How could he use him a cut-sleeve in front of his wife?! It was so embarrassing and he could also see theughter in Yao Ling¡¯s eyes.

    "No... I don¡¯t think so!" The thought that this man was Yao Ling never crossed Lin Jian¡¯s mind. After all, their destination was hua lou. A nobledy wouldn¡¯t want to step her foot into this kind of ce. No wonder that thought never crossed Lin Jian¡¯s mind.

    However... when the more he saw this man, the more he felt that somehow she looked familiar. "Wait... wait... are you...?" He trailed off. Looking at the way this man behaved... was this man actually a woman? "Yao Ling?" He asked in bewilderment.

    Yao Lingughed and said, "Greeting to you, Lin Jian gong zi. Indeed... this one is Yao Ling. Finally, you can recognize me!" Yao Ling grinned mischievously.

    "Why... why are you looking like this?! Why are you disguising yourself as a man?!" Lin Jian whisper-yelled at Yao Ling. He knew that Yao Ling didn¡¯t want people to know her real identity and he respected her wish.

    Yao Ling felt that Lin Jian¡¯s reaction somehow was a bit funny. She felt that he was overreacted, even Yao Ying didn¡¯t act that way. However, she knew that he reacted that way out of concern anyway.

    "Because I¡¯ming with you," Yao Ling answered leisurely with a smiling face.

 Chapter 146 Are you sure you are coming with us?

    "Oh... so... you areing with us." Lin Jian nodded for a while and then he froze for a moment. After realizing something, he asked in a loud voice. "With us?!" After seeing the people around them looked at him weirdly, Lin Jian turned down his volume.He whisper-yelled once again. "We are going to the hua lou, Yao Ling! Hua lou... Are you sure you areing with us?" Lin Jian couldn¡¯t help but ask --- just to make sure that Yao Ling knew about their destination. If she knew about their destination, then she would probably not going with them.

    Yao Ying muttered softly, "I already told her about that. But, she¡¯s so stubborn..."

    Even though he talked in a low voice, Yao Ling was still able to hear his mutter. Sheughed cheerfully and answered Lin Jian¡¯s question, "I know..."

    "But why?" Lin Jian couldn¡¯tprehend what¡¯s inside Yao Ling¡¯s mind. Why didn¡¯t she behave like other normal women? And Yao Ying just let her be?! If somehow other people knew about this, it wouldn¡¯t end well and her reputation would be affected. Not only that, it would also implicate Wang Fu ah~!

    "I want to have fun with both of you!" Yao Ling really liked teasing Lin Jian because of his exaggerated expression. She was pretty sure that no one would be able to recognize her. Lin Jian also didn¡¯t recognize her at first, right?

    Lin Jian looked at her in bewilderment. "What kind of fun that we can have? In the hua lou, there are only wine, music, and women. Do you even want to y with women too?" Lin Jian asked without censoring his mouth.

    Yao Ying really wanted to gag Lin Jian¡¯s mouth! Did he trying to get him into trouble?! y with women? When did he y with women? If Yao Ling was jealous or angry, he was so... going to kill Lin Jian!

    True enough, Yao Ling raised one of her eyebrows. "Huh? y with women? What kind of y that both of you enjoyed with them? Please let me know too!" She threw the questions at Yao Ying and thetter could feel the sweat on his back.

    Lin Jian seemed to understand his mistake and he grinned at Yao Ying sheepishly. He mouthed sorry, but when he saw Yao Ying¡¯s murderous re, he quickly erased his smile. He didn¡¯t dare to taunt him more.

    Yao Ying tried to appease Yao Ling by saying, "What y? I never y with women. Lin Jian is just talking nonsense. Why should you listen to his rubbish?"

    "Really?" Yao Ling squinted her eyes, feeling in disbelief. If he dared to lie, then he didn¡¯t need to sleep inside their room tonight.

    "I swear!" Yao Ying quickly said. "Just ask Lin Jian! He was just joking. Right... Lin Jian?" Yao Ying turned his gaze at Lin Jian while emphasizing thest part. He warned him with his piercing gaze --- just in case, he was talking nonsense once again.

    Lin Jian noticed his re, so he smiled and fawningly said, "Of course, I am just joking. We went there purely for business." Then, he forced an uglyugh, making Yao Ying and Yao Ling cringe. They could see how fake it was. "Only for Mi Hui..."

    A man passed by and heard thest part of their conversation. Heughed out loud and mocked Lin Jian, "Isn¡¯t Mi Hui the name of that popr courtesan? What kind of business that you have with her other than that kind of ¡¯y¡¯?"

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian, "..."

    Where did that mane from?! When they red at the man, the man raised both of his hands in defeat. However, he didn¡¯t feel that he said something wrong, so he went away with a burst of crispyughter.

    Yao Ying quickly pacified Yao Ling and said, "Ling-er... don¡¯t listen to that man! You should understand what Lin Jian tried to say, right?" He started to get panicked and afraid that she would misunderstand him.

    Yao Ling saw how panicked Yao Ying was and decided not to tease him anymore. She naturally knew what Lin Jian was talking about. "I know."

    Yao Ying sighed in relief, along with Lin Jian. "Good!" They both said at the same time.

    Yao Ling nodded in satisfaction. If both men dared to lie to her, she would pay them back tenfolds. When Yao Ying and Lin Jian knew that Yao Ling had been sessfully appeased, they could finally breathe at ease. Lin Jian nudged Yao Ying and asked, "Why do you choose the hua lou to meet up when you bring your wife?!"

    Yao Yingughed bitterly, "Do you think I want to? She¡¯s the one who chooses the ce!"

    Lin Jian was quite surprised. "Why?"

    "I guess she wants to y around in the hua lou. She has never been there before! Yao Ling probably just feels curious and wants to find out more about the hua lou," Yao Ying said.

    "What are both of you whispering about?" Yao Ling asked behind them, feeling suspicious of their behavior.

    They quickly looked at Yao Ling and smiled sweetly, "Nothing!" After that, they didn¡¯t dare to whisper at each other. Xiu and Xiao Yu who followed behind them could only hold back theirughter. Their Young Mistress is really powerful and able to tame the two young masters ah~ Xiu was the happiest among them, after all, Young Master had just mocked him regarding Xiao Yu. Young Mistress really helped him with his payback ah~

    Yao Ling were brought to the hua lou and they stayed at their usual room. Yao Ling really admired the hua lou¡¯s decoration. It was decoratedvishly, probably because their floor was for VIP customers. Yao Ying had told her the basic outline of the hua lou and Mi Hui, so she didn¡¯t feel surprised at all.

    She was in awe when the servants served them with various foods and wines. "Wow...! That¡¯s a lot of foods!" Her eyes were twinkling with happiness and she couldn¡¯t wait to taste them all!

    "This is prepared especially for you, Yao Ling! You should try it!" Lin Jian said. He already told the shopkeepers to give them the best foods because this was the first time Yao Ling came to the hua lou. He also told them to prepare fruit wine just in case Yao Ling couldn¡¯t hold on her liquor. Better be safe than sorry!

    Yao Ying really appreciated Lin Jian¡¯s gesture.

    "I reckon that both of you already heard about the mission?" Lin Jian asked. They talked while enjoying their food.

    Yao Ying nodded. "Yes. How do you feel about it?" Yao Ying asked hesitantly.

    Lin Jian knew that Yao Ling had already been told about her mother¡¯s matter by Yao Ying, so he felt it was okay for Yao Ling to listen to what he was going to say. "I¡¯m excited and at the same time, I¡¯m also curious about my half-sister -- even though we are not connected by blood, but her mother is mine too. So, I will treat her as my half-sister." Lin Jian already made this decision a long time ago.

    Yao Ling looked at Lin Jian while eating a small piece of kung pao chicken, then she asked, "After you meet her, what do you n to do?"

    "This... I¡¯m not so sure myself. I want to ask a lot of things about my mother to her, but... I also know that my mother ran away from the Han Emperor¡¯s clutch a long time ago. She was supposed to be a baby around that time, so... I wonder if my half-sister still remembers anything about her? I¡¯m also wondering why... I already try so hard to find mother with all of the resources that I have, but it seemed like mother has vanished from this world and she also left no trail at all!" Lin Jian said sadly. He felt frustrated because of his own ipetence.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling also wondered the same things. If Lin Jian¡¯s mother was able to run away, why didn¡¯t he run back to General Lin? It didn¡¯t make any sense at all! They really pitied Lin Jian, after all, he wouldn¡¯t be able to feel at peace without knowing whether his mother lived a good life or not.

 Chapter 147 The Truth Behind Qin Emperor

    Yao Ling said, "Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m sure that someday you will be able to find her!" She tried to console the dejected man. Yao Ling knew that Lin Jian could only hold onto this hope, otherwise, he would feel broken because of his own guilt. It was actually not his fault, who would have thought that the Emperor would be able to n and do such a disgusting thing toward his own loyal subordinate? Besides, he was only a little boy at that time.

    Yao Ling was pretty sure that General Lin understood those reasonings, that¡¯s why he never med Lin Jian for what happened to his beloved wife.

    Lin Jian nodded at Yao Ling¡¯s encouragement but said nothing. He understood the logic, but it didn¡¯t lessen his guilt at all.

    Yao Ying tried to change the conversation to make Lin Jian forget about his guilt. He asked about their n to ruin the wedding alliance. "There are a lot of ways to prevent the wedding --- the subtle way and the hard way. I wonder if you already have a n in mind? We will follow along with your choice, after all, you are still rted to the Han Princess. As long as it¡¯s a good and reasonable n, of course."

    Yao Ying respected Lin Jian by saying that he would follow along with his n. He understood that Lin Jian wouldn¡¯t jeopardize the mission because of personal feelings, hence the trust.

    Lin Jian sighed. "My father also knew about our mission. He already told me to choose the subtle way, after all, she¡¯s still my mother¡¯s precious daughter. If possible, we should save her from this marriage alliance. Nothing good will happen to her if she gets married to the Qin Emperor."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other. "Why? Is there something that we don¡¯t know about the Qin Emperor?"

    Lin Jian nodded. "Yes, the Qin Emperor doesn¡¯t have many women who stay beside him. Only the Empress and a few high-rank concubines," Lin Jian answered with a voice full of hatred and disgust.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. For Lin Jian to make such an expression, it seemed like there was something wrong with the Qin Emperor. It seemed that there¡¯s more to this than meets the eye[1]. However, she didn¡¯t understand why was it such a bad thing for having only a few women in the harem? Didn¡¯t it mean that the Qin Emperor wasn¡¯t a lecherous man?

    "Isn¡¯t that supposed to be a good sign?" Yao Ling asked the question that kept bothering her.

    Lin Jian shook his head. "No. The Qin Kingdom covers up their own Emperor¡¯s track record about that matter perfectly. It isn¡¯t that he respects women, so he has only a few women. However, there are countless women who had died under his cruelty. Only a few are able to survive and stay inside his harem."

    "What? How?" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    "In private, he loves torturing women as a pleasure when having sex and sometimes... it gets out of hands. The women that survive beside him... it¡¯s only because they have a powerful background and the Emperor doesn¡¯t dare to touch or torture them. Otherwise, they would be dead a long time ago," Lin Jian exined. He got this information from the organization¡¯s vastwork and what he had read in the report was more gruesome than this.

    Lin Jian already made a vow --- even without the organization¡¯s order, he would save his half-sister! He couldn¡¯t bear to let his half-sister have the same pitiful fate as those other women.

    "Huai Yi Princess... No... No... She is Huai Yi Empress now... She should have known about the Emperor¡¯s behavior, right?" Yao Ling asked. After all, Huai Yi Empress was said to be able to gain the Emperor¡¯s love. How could a woman able to love such a cruel man? The amazing thing was she got his love too!

    "How do you think she is able to gain the Emperor¡¯s love, huh?" Lin Jian asked mockingly.

    Yao Ling thought about it and started to realize something. "Don¡¯t tell me..."

    Lin Jian nodded his head and reaffirmed her thought. "She¡¯s the one who supplies the Qin Emperor with a lot of women. As long as she isn¡¯t the one who is at the receiving end of the cruelty, Huai Yi Empress doesn¡¯t mind to dirty her hands. She lives peacefully by offering a lot of women to the Qin Emperor."

    Yao Ling gasped in surprise. Living in that kind of environment was quite scary. She never thought that Huai Yi Empress was that scary and selfish. She didn¡¯t mind to kill a lot of women as long as her position in the harem was unshakeable.

    Yao Ying said, "To be able to survive and still has the Qin Emperor¡¯s love. It seems like Huai Yi Empress isn¡¯t a simple person at all." She must have been a smart and calctive woman, to begin with.

    "Of course!" Lin Jian said. "Why do you think the Emperor sent her there? She¡¯s popr to be a smart woman, but at the same time... cruel. She always gets what she wants --- with every possible means. The Emperor has a headache trying to clean up after her, that¡¯s why he¡¯s happy when Huai Yi Princess agreed to marry the Qin Emperor. He¡¯s killing two birds in one stone[2] with that move!"

    "Your half-sister... if she isn¡¯t a strong and smart woman, I don¡¯t think she can survive in that harem. Either she¡¯s tortured under the Emperor¡¯s hands or she¡¯s suppressed by the Empress --- she would live in hell every day!" Yao Ying shook his head in pity.

    "That¡¯s a really pitiful way to live!" Yao Ling eximed. "Even if she has a powerful background, I don¡¯t think she can avoid the way the Qin Emperor enjoys that type of pleasure! After all, as a woman... she needs to serve the Qin Emperor¡¯s needs --- sooner orter! Besides, the Han Kingdom isn¡¯t as powerful as the Qin Kingdom, so they don¡¯t need to give the Han Kingdom that much face."

    Yao Ling sighed. "No wonder you want to save her this much! She won¡¯t end up well in that harem." Yao Ling couldn¡¯t imagine how the women live on that hellish ce!

    "Is it okay for us to save and bring the Han Princess to our Shu Kingdom?" Yao Ying asked. After all, it would risk a war, if the other two countries found out about the princess¡¯ whereabouts.

    Lin Jian nodded. "Yes. That¡¯s why I will obtain her by any means, even if I have to risk war! I¡¯m not going to sacrifice her --- just like how the Emperor sacrificed my mother!" Lin Jian said full of determination.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other. It seemed like Lin Jian felt that he could redeem himself by saving Han Xiang. This kind of thought... it actually wasn¡¯t good to keep. They realized that they also needed to control Lin Jian in this mission. His recklessness might jeopardize the overall mission and endanger their lives.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t want Lin Jian to ruin his bright future or have a fall-out with the organization because of one Han Xiang. After all, they didn¡¯t really know anything about this princess. Everything that they knew was based on rumor. Whether she was kind or evil --- they didn¡¯t know for sure. It was rumored that the Shu woman was her mother, however... was that really the truth? Yao Ying knew that this wasn¡¯t the right time to ask those questions to Lin Jian. He was too emotional to analyze this mission with a clear mind. His emotions clouded his judgment.

    "Don¡¯t be too impulsive!" Yao Ying decided to warn him in advance. "We have to n everything ahead of time. If there¡¯s a sudden change of event there, you have to talk with us! Do you understand? You don¡¯t have to do this all alone. Please remember that you still have us!"

    Lin Jian was stunned by what Yao Ying said. Was he really that impulsive?

    ---------

    [1]. There¡¯s more to this than meets the eye: a situation is not as simple as it seems to be.

    [2]. Killing two birds in one stone: to seed in achieving two things in a single action.

 Chapter 148 Wipe Your Drool!

    Lin Jian decided to ask, "Impulsive?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "Yes. I saw how this mission affects your emotions. You can¡¯t make a good judgment without a cool head. We also want to save her, but we don¡¯t want to risk war between the countries. Do you understand me?" Yao Ying decided to say what¡¯s on his mind in advance. He needed to make Lin Jian see his shorings.

    War involved a lot of parties and the one who would be sacrificed was themoners. Yao Ying and Yao Ling knew how they didn¡¯t care about political matters --- they just wanted to live in peace, just like how they used to be. They didn¡¯t want Lin Jian to be blinded by his feeling and ruined the current peaceful era.

    What Yao Ying said really pped Lin Jian¡¯s face. He realized that he was being too hot-headed and too selfish. He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. Once Lin Jian opened his eyes, Yao Ying asked him, "Do you feel better now?"

    Lin Jian answered softly. "I have... I¡¯m sorry for being impulsive." He looked down guiltily.

    "It¡¯s okay. We can handle this together, but remember! You have to tell us what you want to do when we are in the mission, okay?" Yao Ying asked. He still felt a bit worried about Lin Jian, so he reminded Lin Jian once again.

    Lin Jian nodded stiffly because he still felt ashamed of his emotional outburst. Then he seemed to realize something and asked in confusion, "Tell ¡¯us¡¯? What do you mean by telling ¡¯us¡¯?" Wasn¡¯t he supposed to tell Yao Ying only? Only the two of them received this mission, after all.

    "Yao Ling ising with us!" Yao Ying grinned sheepishly and smacked his forehead softly. "I almost forget to tell you."

    Lin Jian was surprised. "Uncle Wang also allowed you to go?" Lin Jian asked Yao Ling. Why did she go along with them?

    "Yes..." Yao Ling smiled. "Han Xiang is a woman. It will be easier for me to get closer to her rather than both of you. She¡¯s going to get married, so I don¡¯t think that she will let herself get closer to a man. It will ruin her reputation and I¡¯m pretty sure that she doesn¡¯t want to be involved inplicated things at that time." Yao Ling already analyzed everything from women¡¯s perception.

    Lin Jian couldn¡¯t refute what Yao Ling said. It sounded reasonable. Han Xiang went as the representative of her kingdom, she must have been told to behave carefully. He also believed that both kingdoms would also know that the Shu Kingdom would find a way to jeopardize the marriage alliance. They must havee prepared too.

    "It¡¯s a good idea," Lin Jian finally relented. Uncle Wang Luo Hai already agreed to it and he also didn¡¯t have any reasons to go against his decision. They talked more about their n and finally able to find solutions. After that, they enjoyed talking aboutmon things.

    Yao Ling pped her hands after they finished eating and started to feel bored. "What should we do now? We already ate and now... I¡¯m bored!"

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked at each other. "Er... what else? There are only women here," Lin Jian said hesitantly.

    "Then... order the women for me!" Yao Ling said excitedly. She wanted to see what kind of women this hua lou had and why a lot of men loved to go here. Yao Ling couldn¡¯t hold back her eagerness, making both men feel helpless.

    Lin Jian looked at Yao Ying hesitantly and mouthed, "What should we do?"

    Yao Ying helplessly shook his head and mouthed back, "Just call them!" He saw Yao Ling¡¯s excited face and decided to indulge her, he couldn¡¯t bear to reject her request. However, he would soon regret his decision.

    Lin Jian called the best women there and Mi Hui was included. Yao Ling was stunned when she saw the beautiful Mi Hui --- she was so breathtaking. Even a woman like her felt that this woman was so alluring and she couldn¡¯t stop looking at her. Yao Ying who sat in front of Yao Ling couldn¡¯t believe at what he saw. Did his wife almost drool while looking at Mi Hui?

    What kind of crazy thing was this? Did she turn into a male just because of her disguise?! She looked like a lecherous man who wanted to jump into Mi Hui! He was beyond speechless. Yao Ying nudged Yao Ling with his foot under the table. Yao Ling jumped up because of it and somehow it removed her from her entranced state. She almost wanted to look at what was down there, but she saw Yao Ying¡¯s darkened expression and grinned sheepishly. She scratched the back of her head, feeling guilty.

    Yao Ying mouthed to her, "Wipe your drool!"

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes widened and she quickly wiped her mouth, but she found no drool there. Yao Ying was too exaggerated, making Yao Ling scowl at him. Yao Ying shook his head, trying to hold back hisughter. Who told her to look at Mi Hui like that?!

    Lin Jian who looked at both of them could only shake his head. A bunch of weirdos! When the man met Mi Hui, he didn¡¯t have any reaction. But when the woman looked at Mi Hui, she almost drooled. What kind of logic was that?! It seemed like they switched out their genders!

    The three women who came in was like the usual --- Qing Lu, Qing Su, and Mi Hui. Yao Ling leisurely asked them, "What¡¯s your talents?" She put one of her hand on the table and use that hand to support her chin, looking intently at the three women. Yao Ling was quite surprised by their elegant behavior and it was unlike what she had imagined before. No wonder they were able to attract men¡¯s attention with their bearing.

    The three women looked at each other. Because Young Master Lin didn¡¯t introduce the man to them formally, they assumed that Yao Ling didn¡¯t know about Mi Hui, so they smiled flirtatiously toward Yao Ling --- in contrast of their usual respectful behavior to Young Master Lin and Young Master Wang.

    Yao Ying noticed that the two women were also the women who served them thest time they talked about business here.

    "Young Master, Mi Hui will introduce us," Mi Hui said with a sweet smile. She pointed at the girl on her left who was also beautiful but wasn¡¯t as striking as Mi Hui and the other girl. She had an attractive mole under her eyes. "This one is Qing Su. She¡¯s good at ying qujin," Mi Hui said. Yao Ling nodded, so Mi Hui continued to introduce to the other girl who had the most voluptuous body from the rest, "This one is Qing Lu. She¡¯s good at singing and dancing."

    Yao Ling nodded once again. Then she asked Mi Hui, "How about you, Mi Hui? What are you good at?" Yao Ling didn¡¯t realize that she had lowered her voice and looked at Mi Hui with a seductive look, making Mi Hui fell shy all of a sudden. In Mi Hui¡¯s mind, this young master looked like a flower boy, but he had a seductive charm and even her... wasn¡¯t immune to him. She was quite surprised by her own finding.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian who kept quiet when Yao Ling talked, were dumbstruck. Why did Yao Ling behave like a true young master who was experienced in seducing women and she looked like a loyal patron of a hua lou? She even made Mi Hui blush with herst question.

    They never thought that Yao Ling¡¯s charm was this amazing!

    Lin Jian sat beside Yao Ying and he elbowed him softly to gain Yao Ying¡¯s attention. He whispered softly and asked him with doubtful eyes, "What¡¯s wrong with your wife? Why is she being flirtatious with the girls? Aren¡¯t you going to stop her?" Lin Jian was afraid that Yao Ling¡¯s behavior would get out of hand. He wondered why Yao Ying continued looking, but he didn¡¯t make any moves to stop his outrageous wife¡¯s behavior.

    "Did you give her strong liquor?" Yao Ying asked, feeling conflicted. He never saw Yao Ling behave like this before. He was also feeling dumbfounded!

 Chapter 149 Pervert Yao Ling

    "No! I gave her the lightest fruit wine. It shouldn¡¯t be able to make someone drunk!" Lin Jian¡¯s eyes widened when he came to a realization. "Huh? Is she drunk?!"

    "Errr... I also never saw her drunk before, so I¡¯m not really sure," Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling with a flicker in his eyes. Was she really drunk? Her cheeks were slightly red but other than that, it seemed like she behaved pretty normal.

    Qing Su answered Yao Ling¡¯s question about Mi Hui¡¯s talents. "Young Master, Mi Hui is the best from all of us. She can do anything!" Qing Su didn¡¯t exaggerate Mi Hui¡¯s talents, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to be their leader at such a young age.

    "Oh... really?" Yao Ling asked, feeling interested. "Why don¡¯t you do something to make me feel satisfied? The more I¡¯m satisfied, the more money I will spend." Yao Ling bragged without a second thought. The young woman behaved like a true rogue.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian were bbergasted --- especially Lin Jian. ¡¯Sister-inw ah~ it¡¯s my money that you are going to spend!¡¯ Lin Jian whined inwardly. He already told shopkeeper He that he would be the one who covered the bills. Lin Jian wanted to treat Yao Ling because it was her first time here... somehow, he felt that he would regret it. He never thought that just by drinking fruity wine, she would behave... udylike like this...

    "Mi Hui will perform for Young Master then..." Mi Hui shyly said.

    Yao Ling pped her hands excitedly. She couldn¡¯t wait to know what kind of surprise Mi Hui would give her. Mi Hui gave a signal to Qing Su and Qing Lu, they understood what they were supposed to do. They knew that their presence shouldn¡¯t outshine Mi Hui, because their hua lou needed to make Mi Hui¡¯s name shining. After all, her name was the cover-up for Mi Hui the organization. The more well-known her name was, the better cover-up it was for their organization.

    Qing Su sat and got ready to y the qujin, while Qing Lu was sitting beside her --- preparing herself to sing along the qujin. Mi Hui stood in the middle of the massive room confidently. Yao Ling guessed that they wouldbine their talents together --- qujin, singing, and dancing.

    Qing Su started to y the qujin fluidly. She started with a slow tempo and Qing Lu started to sing along with her. Mi Hui wore an extra robe and the sleeves were called ¡¯water sleeves¡¯ -- They were extensions of the 1-inch cuff in regr dresses, which protected the sleeves from wear and tear. It seemed like Mi Hui was going to perform Long Sleeve Dance.

    Yao Ling had heard about this dance. The long sleeves were used to express elegance and emotions, whose techniques will require years of rigorous training to master. Mi Hui started to move her slender figure. Her dance steps were lithe --- so light that she appeared to be quivering like a flower in the hand. The water sleeves emphasized the movement of Mi Hui¡¯s arms and hands. She was so skillful that she was able to fold the water sleeves in ordion pleats on the forearms with a few flicks of the wrists without failing.

    Qing Su fluidly yed the slow and fast tempo without missing a beat and Qing Lu effortlesslybined the high and low pitch --- not once she was out of tune. Mi Hui danced along with the tempo easily and her body was very flexible, twisting and turning gracefully. Yao Ling kept wondering where her bone was and didn¡¯t it feel painful to do that kind of acrobatic movements?

    Their talents made Yao Ling drool. She wanted to learn everything! However, she knew that she shouldn¡¯t be greedy and also needed to understand her own talents and limits.

    Lin Jian who already knew Mi Hui¡¯s skills and he didn¡¯t seem to be surprised at all, while Yao Ying and Yao Ling were in awe watching her amazing dance performance. When the dance ended, Yao Ling pped her hands excitedly. "Amazing!" She praised happily."No wonder you are given the title of the most beautiful and talented woman in An Yang. You deserve the title!"

    "Let me give you a toast!" Yao Ling showed her praise by drinking a cup of wine in one gulp. Her head was slightly dizzy, but she felt that she was still fine, so she didn¡¯t hesitate to drink the wine in one gulp. The fruity taste made her feel that this wasn¡¯t a strong liquor and she was confident with her drinking skill --- except, she had never drunk liquor before, so Yao Ling also didn¡¯t know her own drinking limit. She only thought that with Yao Ying around, he should be able to protect her.

    Mi Hui giggled at the flower young master¡¯s sudden toast and sheughed while saying, "Thank you for Young Master¡¯s praise. To show this one¡¯s gratitude, Mi Hui will apany Young Master to drink."

    Lin Jian¡¯s jaw almost dropped! Mi Hui... was willing to apany Yao Ling to drink? Mi Hui selected her customers carefully and she usually refused the customers that she didn¡¯t like. The only people she was willing to drink with were the ones who were targetted by the organization. This was the first time Lin Jian saw she offered herself to a customer! He took a peek at Yao Ling. What kind of charm that this woman had?! Wasn¡¯t she only drinking a cup of wine? He could also do that! But... Mi Hui never willingly apanied him to drink!

    Yao Ying felt like throttling his wife. He could see from her reddening cheek and her silly smile that she started to get drunk, however, the woman still dared to drink a few more cups with Mi Hui. Yao Ying hadn¡¯t thought a male name for Yao Ling and he tried toe up with some random name to call her, "Er... Ah Guang... stop drinking!"

    Yao Ling was surprised by Yao Ying¡¯s sudden loud voice and she almost choked because of it. She stopped drinking and looked at him, feeling bewildered. She heard the words ¡¯Ah Guang¡¯ and pointed herself, asking whether he called her with that ugly name?!

    Yao Ying nodded sheepishly. He indeed called her with that name.

    Yao Ling thought to herself, ¡¯There were a lot of beautiful names and he chose what? Ah Guang?¡¯ Yao Ling pursed her lips in dissatisfaction but it was already toote.

    The ugly name ignited Yao Ling¡¯s desire to rebel. She mocked him through her eyes and drank one more cup, making Yao Ying¡¯s face darkened. Was she trying to anger him to death?!

    "Ahhh... Young Master... Mi Hui almost forgets to ask your name. Should I call you Young Master Guang then?" Miu Hui asked softly with an endearing tone.

    "Ah... when my name is called by a lovely beauty, it sounds so pleasing --- unlike a certain someone," Yao Ling quipped Yao Ying while sneering.

    "You can call me that," Yao Ling said while looking at Mi Hui seductively. Even Qing Su and Qing Lu were quite surprised by Mi Hui¡¯s unusual behavior.

    Mi Hui giggled and suddenly Yao Ling touched her chin, then lifted up Mi Hui¡¯s face. She scrutinized her face and poked her cheek, "Mi Hui ah~ Howe your face is so tender and smooth? Can you tell me your beauty recipe?" Yao Ling asked seriously. She was in the state of blurry mind and currently, she talked as a woman who really curious about Mi Hui¡¯s secret when she saw Mi Hi¡¯s face closely.

    Mi Hui didn¡¯t notice Yao Ling¡¯s weirdness, she assumed Yao Ling was only teasing her. "Young Master Guang is so funny! Even if I tell you, what will you do with the recipe?" Mi Huiughed while covering her mouth with her sleeves.

    "Ah..." Yao Ling looked down dejectedly. What Mi Hui said put a damper on her spirit, she started to remember that she was in a male disguise. "I want to give the recipe to my little sister, so she can be as pretty as you," Yao Ling quickly found a random reason.

    "I can tell you, but..." Mi Hui trailed off. "Young Master Guang has to kiss me first..." Mi Hui taunted Yao Ling with a request. She trailed off thest part, feeling shy all of the sudden.

    Qing Su and Qing Lu who were trained to cover up their reactions perfectly... couldn¡¯t even stop the twitch of their lips. Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked up in surprise by the sudden turn of event.

    KISS?!

 Chapter 150 Shitty Qing Gong

    Yao Ling listened carefully... Mi Hui wanted a kiss?

    If Yao Ling was a man, she probably would jump on the chance to kiss her and quickly pounced on her. If Yao Ling was sober, she would reject it. However, she was a little bit drunk and her mind was in a little bit of disarray. Yao Ling felt that she¡¯s a man now, kissing Mi Hui on the cheek... should be okay, right? She forgot that her husband was in front of her.

    "Okay..." Without another thought, Yao Ling quickly pushed her lips forward and closed her eyes. Her face was getting closer to Mi Hui¡¯s cheek. Yao Ling didn¡¯t know when she closed her eyes, Mi Hui changed her position for a little bit. If her kissnded, it wouldnd on her lips!

    Yao Ying saw Mi Hui¡¯s little trick and he really wanted to flip the table out of anger, however, he was able to hold himself back. Was she really going to kiss Mi Hui?! Without a second thought, he roared in anger, "Stop right there!"

    All the people in the room looked up in surprise because of Yao Ying¡¯s sudden outburst. Yao Ling also opened her eyes while her lips still were still pushing forward and it made her lookically adorable.

    Lin Jian who saw their interaction tried to hold back hisughter. This was too hrious! His dampened mood became slightly better because of the amusing scene.

    Yao Ying quickly jumped over the table and grabbed Yao Ling¡¯s cor roughly. "You already have enough fun!" Yao Ying scolded the drunk girl. He looked at Mi Hui and said, "I¡¯m sorry, but I need to take him with me." He didn¡¯t forget to nce at theughing Lin Jian and bade his goodbye, "I will go home first. I will meet you tomorrow!"

    He gritted his teeth and decided to quickly go home. He gave a signal to Xiu and thetter quickly caught up with him.

    If Yao Ying looked back, he would be able to see Mi Hui¡¯s smirk and the twinkling in her eyes. She had a hunch that Young Master Guang was actually a woman, however, she wasn¡¯t really sure whether it was the famous new stepdaughter of Wang Fu. Judging from Yao Ying¡¯s reaction, it seemed like her guess wasn¡¯t wrong. Mi Hui really wanted tough out loud when watching the couple¡¯s interaction.

    Without caring about other people¡¯s reaction, he quickly used his qing gong and put Yao Ling on his shoulder like she was a sack of grain. She seemed to realize the anger that emitted from Yao Ying¡¯s body and didn¡¯t dare to move an inch. Despite her drunk, she was able to feel Yao Ying¡¯s irritation and it made her a little panic. Why was he so angry? She just wanted to have fun! Yao Ling pouted.

    Xiu nced at Xiao Yu because he was pretty sure that she didn¡¯t have any martial arts skills. "Young Master uses his qing gong and I need to follow his pace. Why don¡¯t I carry you too?" Xiu offered.

    Xiao Yu looked down, blushing. She shyly nodded, because she also couldn¡¯t leave Young Mistress all alone. After all, Young Mistress was quite drunk. Opposite of Yao Ying¡¯s careless manner when carrying Yao Ling, Xiu shyly pulled Xiao Yu closer to him and princess-carry her. Xiao Yu yelped in surprise and quickly hold onto Xiu¡¯s neck. Both shyly blushed and didn¡¯t dare to look at each other, but both of them actually felt happy inside their heart. Xiu smoothly used his qing gong and followed their masters.

    The situation between the two couples couldn¡¯t be more different. Lin Jian could only shake his head in amusement. At first, he regretted bringing Yao Ling after seeing her behavior, however now... he felt that it was so entertaining. He probably should bring her out to y in the hua lou again! Just to spite Yao Ying. He grinned inwardly. Lin Jian was left behind to settle the bill all alone.

    Yao Ling felt she couldn¡¯t control her own behavior. She giggled while tickling Yao Ying¡¯s back by making a circr motion with her finger, making Yao Ying almost throw her down because he felt ticklish. However, Yao Ying was able to control himself and kept his own face stoic.

    Yao Ling pouted because she got no reaction from Yao Ying. Her face was on Yao Ying¡¯s back and suddenly she felt ufortable, because of that she started to wriggle. Yao Ying felt annoyed by her move, so he spanked her bottom and warned, "Don¡¯t move or I¡¯ll drop you!"

    Yao Ling felt resentful because of Yao Ying¡¯s warn and she started to feel dizzier because of the fast movement. She even started to feel the bile was piling up. "Stop... stop... stop... I want to puke!" Yao Ling yelled.

    Yao Ying took a nce at her and saw her pale face. She indeed didn¡¯t lie and really tried to hold back the rising bile. He quickly stopped at a small quiet alley and put her down. Yao Ling chose a corner to run and puke. She felt like dying because of the mixture of wine and Yao Ying¡¯s shitty qing gong. She indeed cursed his qing gong --- it was the most unenjoyable ride she had ever tried!

    Well... Yao Ying indeed moved fast because of his anger and also he positioned Yao Ling in the worst way --- upside down. No wonder she felt really ufortable. When Yao Ying saw that Yao Ling was still pale, he started to feel guilty. "Do you feel better?" Yao Ying asked softly.

    Yao Ling red at him. "I¡¯m not!" She gritted her teeth in anger. "Can you slow down and carry me nicely?"

    Yao Ling nced at Xiu who just arrived with Xiao Yu and he was able to princess-carry Xiao Yu lovingly. Then she red once again at Yao Ying. Xiu could princess-carry Xiao Yu tenderly, then why did he carry her like a sack of potatoes?!

    Yao Ying nodded, knowing that Yao Ling felt resentful. He didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. Shouldn¡¯t he the one who felt angry at her? Howe she threw a tantrum?

    Yao Ling tried to stand up and hold the wall in front of her, but she clumsily did that and almost fall. Luckily, Yao Ying was able to catch her in time. "Let¡¯s go home! You are still drunk," Yao Ying said.

    "Wait for a little bit. I¡¯m still not feeling well." Yao Ling nched at the thought of moving that fast once again. She... wasn¡¯t ready yet.

    Yao Ying turned to Xiu and Xiao Yu, then ordered them, "Both of you go back first. When you arrive at Wang Fu, prepare a bowl of sober soup for Young Mistress." Both servants nodded and quickly went back first.

    Yao Ling was still standing in the corner, trying to calm herself. Yao Ying started to get impatient and asked, "Are you going to stay there for good? Don¡¯t you feel nauseous smelling your own bile?"

    "But I¡¯m scared..." Yao Ling looked at him with a pitiful expression.

    "Scared of what?"

    "Feeling worse due to your fast speed!"

    Yao Ying sighed. "Don¡¯t worry! I will go slower this time?"

    "Do you promise me?"

    "En... I promise!"

    After getting his promise, Yao Ling quickly hugged his neck and smelt his familiar smell. "Princess-carry me!" She demanded. When the wife demanded something, the husband could only yield to hermand. This time he scooped her up into his embrace softly and said, "I¡¯m going to start moving now."

    Yao Ling nodded while resting her head on the crook of his neck. This time she could feel that Yao Ying truly abided his promise and she could feel the soft breeze of the cold wind, making her feel sleepy. "Why are you so angry?" Yao Ling asked in between her yawn.

    Was she joking?! Yao Ying thought to himself. Howe she didn¡¯t realize her mistake? Yao Ying asked her back, "Hmpf! Can you guess why?"

    "Er... because I drank too much?" Yao Ling looked down guiltily. In this matter, she was indeed in the wrong.

    "Then?" Yao Ying asked once again.

    "For behaving like a yboy?" Yao Ling guessed.

 Chapter 151 I Pity Your Little Yao Ying If It Goes In I

    Yao Ling felt that she only made these two mistakes, but she actually didn¡¯t really regret it. Yao Ling just pretended to be guilty for the sake of appeasing this angry man. It was only Mi Hui - a woman. She wasn¡¯t going to betray him with a woman! Yao Ling bit her lower lips indignantly.

    "And then?"He nced at her with dark solemn eyes.

    Yao Ling¡¯s breath slightly hitched when she looked into his eyes. And then? Did she make another mistake? But... she didn¡¯t seem to recall she did anything wrong. "Er... I don¡¯t know?" She answered, feeling unsure of herself. Did she forget about something that she did?

    Yao Ying gritted his teeth and asked in displeasure, "Do you remember what you did right before I pulled you out of that room?" Yao Ying decided to remind her of her naughty deeds.

    Er... Yao Ling tried to rack her brain, but at that time, her mind was indeed a bit fuzzy. She just went along with whatever happened back then. It seemed like she was talking animatedly with Mi Hui, so... what went wrong? "I only asked about her beauty recipe and then... she asked me... oh!" Yao Ling remembered about it when she said ¡¯oh¡¯. Then she asked meekly, "Is it about... that?"

    "That... what kind of that? Let me listen to your exnation!" Yao Ying nced at her with a flicker in his eyes. He wanted to see how she could get out of this.

    "Er... Kiss? Yao Ling didn¡¯t dare to look into his face when she threw the question. She imagined herself seeing Yao Ying was going to kiss Lin Jian and she almost cried. Now... she understands his feelings. "Are you jealous?" Yao Ling asked with twinkling eyes. His jealousy definitely made her feel happy.

    ¡¯This brat!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. "Hmpf! Do you still need to ask? Do you still remember that you are a woman? If someone asks you to kiss her or him, will you always agree to kiss them all?" Yao Ying¡¯s rant didn¡¯t stop until they arrived in front of their courtyard, making Yao Ling feel dizzier.

    She clutched her head bitterly. He sure could talk for a long time! Yao Ling didn¡¯t answer all of his questions because she just wanted him to cool down by letting out everything. Jealous Yao Ying is pretty cute and annoying at the same time. Well... it was because she also understood her mistakes and put herself in his shoes. If not for feeling guilty, she would probably refute him due to her own stubborn nature.

    Xiao Yu already prepared a hot bath with Xiao Er¡¯s help. Yao Ling quickly took a bath to remove the liquor¡¯s smell from her body. After she felt that she was already fresh and clean, Yao Ling went back to her room and drank her sober soup, then she also washed her mouth with mint tea that had been prepared beforehand. She felt ufortable because of the smell of her own puke inside her mouth.

    Yao Ying already sat on their bed, waiting for her. His expression was still tense, the frown on his face was still prominent. He crossed both of his arms in front of his chest and asked her, "So... what are you going to do to appease my anger?" Yao Ling could see from the glint in his eyes that he was up to something. What did he want from her? Yao Ling had a bad feeling about that but she prayed that it was wrong.

    "Husband... why don¡¯t you forgive me? This wife is stupidly blinded by Mi Hui¡¯s beauty." Yao Ling asked for his forgiveness meekly and admitted her mistake wholeheartedly.

    "Oh... so you will be also easily blinded by handsome men too, huh?" Yao Ying asked, finding fault on Yao Ling¡¯s words. He felt scared that Yao Ling would be easily taken away by other men, thus he felt a bit resentful. Why did she get easily blinded by a beauty? Wasn¡¯t he good enough for her?

    If Yao Ling knew his real thought, she wouldn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He was jealous of a woman!

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but frown when she heard Yao Ying¡¯s question. Why did he twist her words like that? "Of course not! It was because Mi Hui is a woman, so I dare to do that!" Yao Ling argued.

    "Oh... so now... you like women?" Yao Ying sneered at his wife, not giving her a way out.

    Yao Ling felt a headacheing. She really couldn¡¯t talk to this man. He was being so unreasonable! Should she coax him more? She smiled sweetly at Yao Ying, "Of course not! I prefer man... and my man is only you!"

    Yao Ling cleverly fluttered her eyshes, making her look more alluring. Her face was still pinkish because of the hot bath and the after-effect of drinking wine. Probably due to her nervousness, Yao Ling kept biting her lower lips and made it slightly swollen, making her look like a blooming flower --- ready to be plucked.

    Yao Ying who was angry at her couldn¡¯t restrain her desire. The more he looked at his little wife, the more he felt that she was more and more beautiful. He decided to relent for a little bit. "So... what will you do to appease me?"

    Yao Ling asked meekly, "What do you want me to do?" She stood up beside their bed with her head bowing down and both of her hands were fiddling with each other. She was like a little child who was being punished by their teacher --- in this case, her husband.

    "Remember your promise?" Yao Ying asked withughing eyes. He started to feel better when he knew that he would get something out of her. Yao Ying wanted to see how did she want to run away from her promise once again.

    "Which promise?" Yao Ling looked taken aback. She got a really bad feeling about it.

    "It has only been a few days, but it seems like someone has already forgotten her own promise. It really makes this husband sad," Yao Ying said monotonously with a dangerous glint in his eyes. How dare she asked him which promise? He was pretty sure that she remembered that promise perfectly.

    When she saw his dangerous expression, Yao Ling gulped and knew that she couldn¡¯t pretend any longer. Yao Ling grinned sheepishly. "He-he... Can¡¯t it wait? We can do it another day..."

    "Why?" Yao Ying asked.

    "I just puked! So... I pity your little Yao Ying if it goes in it," Yao Ling tried to reason with him with a weak excuse. She was still a bit dizzy and also toozy to do it for now, thus she tried to avoid it once again.

    "Hah! What a sweet mouth! Thest time you also found a reason to reject me too. You said it was a punishment because I embarrassed you for giving the matriarch presents, but you promised me what? Next time for sure. But now? Hmpf!" Yao Ying threw a tantrum.

    Yao Ling tried to hold back herughter, seeing his childish side. However, Yao Ling also knew that he had been holding back for several days because her period wasing and she didn¡¯t allow him to touch her due to the sensitivity of her breasts. Every time he touched her flower bids, she would giggle endlessly! So she couldn¡¯t really me him. Her mischievous side came once again and she decided to tease him before she relented and fulfilled her promise to him.

    "But... are you really okay with my mouth?" Yao Ling asked cheerfully. "It¡¯s a bit smelly..." Yao Ling grinned, showing her white teeth.

    "You already took a bath, so I¡¯m pretty sure that you already washed your mouth too!" Yao Ying guessed. After all, he also knew that his wife was a bit obsessed with cleanliness --- even after doing the intimacy thing, she always cleaned herself up after that or else she would feel ufortable.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t believe for a second that Yao Ling would let the puke smell linger on her. Hah! What a joke! Yao Ying red at her, trying to see what other things she woulde up with to run away from her own promise.

 Chapter 152 Just Be Creative

    Well... Yao Ying certainly knew her really well. Yao Ling saw his cold gaze look at her indifferently and it made her feel a pang of guilt. Her shoulders slumped down and pouted, "Okay..." She sighed in defeat. She was the one who promised him, besides she loved pleasuring him as well. When she thought about the new mission, they probably wouldn¡¯t have time to indulge in their intimacy after they started their journey. They certainly didn¡¯t want Lin Jian to listen to their amorous voices.

    Yao Ying motioned her toe to him with his finger and she obediently went to him. Yao Ying wickedly said, "I¡¯m not going to tell you how to do it..." Then Yao Ying gave her a book and leisurely said, "You learn from this, okay? Be a good girl!" While saying that, he also patted her head at the same time.

    Yao Ling looked at the book on her hand and she realized that it was the oh-so-famous yellow book! Her face was beet red. Indeed she only saw a bit about the part where the woman pleasured the man with her mouth, but... but... she was too embarrassed to look at the book in front of him! She preferred for Yao Ying to guide her, after all... when they were in the mood, her shyness would also be gone! But... he only dumped the book at her! Did he deliberately try to make her feel embarrassed?!

    Was this her punishment?! She felt like crying and found a creak to bury herself inside.

    ¡¯This shameless man!¡¯ Yao Ling scolded Yao Ying inwardly.

    With slight teary eyes, she dared herself to open the yellow book. Her eyes were blinded by the sensual pictures. She asked Yao Ying, "Which page is it?" She flipped the page over a few times and Yao Ling wasn¡¯t able to find the exact page.

    Yao Ying looked at her with azy smile, but his smoldering eyes became more intense. "Do you think I¡¯m a pervert schr? How can I remember each page of the yellow book?" He teased her. He liked reading it once in a while but not to the point memorized everything! He isn¡¯t a sex maniac!

    Yao Ling grinned awkwardly. Well... that made sense! She felt like she was stupid for asking such a question. "Er... then this might take a while. I have to search for the correct page first," Yao Ling said in slightly hitched voice. Her hands were trembling when she opened the yellow book¡¯s page one by one. She shuddered at the few positions that needed high-degree of flexibleness. Please don¡¯t let Yao Ying want to try those moves! She felt like her body would be broken into pieces if she really did try. She wondered if the writer of this yellow book really tried all those crazy positions.

    For example... this one picture... the womanid on the edge of the bed with both her legs hanging off. She would need a great deal of strength on both of her hands! The man... positioned himself between her legs and lifted the woman¡¯s hips and thighs to allow his thing came into the woman¡¯s cave, while the woman supported herself on her elbows. She could only imagine how much strength and flexibility that Yao Ling would need to spend in this position. Yao Ling once again wondered... how the heck they could move in that position?!

    Yao Ling was entranced on that page and didn¡¯t realize that Yao Ying also took a peek on that page. He wondered why his wife stopped at a certain page with face full-of-interest and he quicklymented when he saw the position, "Oh... so you like this position. Fifty-five more days and we can try this position if you want." Yao Ying offered with a smile pasted on his lips, making Yao Ling blush -- especially because he whispered right on her ears with his low attractive voice, making her feel ticklish.

    "What..?! No... I¡¯m just daydreaming!" Yao Ling denied and quickly rejected his offer to try that certain position.

    "Oh? You are daydreaming... or imagining us in that position?" Yao Ying asked with a roguish grin.

    Yao Ling quickly flipped the page over while blushing. "What are you talking about? I¡¯m... I¡¯m just daydreaming. Who wants to imagine we are doing that kind of tricky position?!" She scowled, trying to cover up her embarrassment.

    "Ho..." Yao Ying only said that, but he took note of that position. If Yao Ling knew what¡¯s inside his mind, she would probably rip the paper into pieces so that he would forget about it.

    It took a little while for Yao Ling to find the page and what she saw almost made her faint. Why did she promise him to do it willingly? She took a peek at Yao Ying and found that her little Yao Ying already stood up proudly, making her sweat on her back. She knew that she couldn¡¯t run away anymore.

    Yao Ling closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down. Yao Ling marched down to Yao Ying like a brave soldier went to war and sacrifice herself for the greater good. Yao Ying who saw her unwilling expression really wanted tough out loud. Serve her right for making him angry earlier!

    Yao Ling hesitantly opened his pants, but Yao Ying stopped her hand midway. "Open it with your mouth!" Yao Ying said with a stern voice.

    "What?" Yao Ling was dumbfounded by his request.

    Yao Ying said his order once again, making Yao Ling almost choke in surprise. She indeed didn¡¯t hear him wrongly. Yao Ling whined, "But it¡¯s too much of a hassle!"

    Yao Ying only nced at her indifferently, making Yao Ling finally relent. If he dared to made her angry once again, see if she didn¡¯t bite his thing out of anger! Yao Ling mocked him inside her mind. However, she was still obediently following his order.

    Yao Ling bit the edge of his pants and slowly let it slide down with Yao Ying¡¯s help of course. If not, she would probably lose all of her teeth and she still couldn¡¯t sessfully remove it. The way Yao Ling alluringly used her mouth made Yao Ying clenched his fists, trying to maintain hisposure. However, his shudder didn¡¯t escape Yao Ling¡¯s keen eyes. She knew that her husband was aroused by the sight of her and it made the edge of her lips curl up for a little bit.

    When she was finally able to remove all of his pants, her face was weed by his hardness. It pointed arrogantly to the north, making her squirm in shyness. It was so big and she wondered how it would fit into her small mouth. Yao Ying waited for her to move but it seemed like she was frozen on the spot.

    "Why are you stop moving?" He asked with a low hoarse voice. The arousal was evident; it could be heard through his voice.

    "Er... I wonder whether it would fit into my mouth," Yao Ling honestly said.

    "Well... for a start, you can try... I also don¡¯t know how, but from the yellow book¡¯s picture, I¡¯m sure it will fit," Yao Ying said encouragingly. God! He just wished that she would quickly devour his little Yao Ying and stop talking useless things. It only prolonged his agony! His gaze couldn¡¯t stop looking at her lips, especially when she was licking her lips in nervousness. Yao Ying wanted to kiss her hard, but he knew that he had to hold back to achieve his intention.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know what she should do first --- licking it like a sweet tanghulu or touch it with her hand first. It was so confusing to her. She nced at the book and it didn¡¯t mention any step-by-step details. "Er... what should I do first?" Yao Ling asked for Yao Ying¡¯s help, but her gaze never left his hardness. She was quite entranced by it.

    "I told you to learn from the book yourself," Yao Ying answered while looking at her confused face. He knew that she felt at a loss, however, no one ever did this to him before. So... how could he give her a pointer?

    "But... the yellow book doesn¡¯t specify whether I should use my hand or mouth first?!" Yao Ling said in real confusion.

    Yao Ying felt stupefied by what she said. All of this time... she was confused about whether to use her hand or mouth? He didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. "Just be creative," Yao Ying could only suggest that. He would enjoy everything that she did for him --- either through her hand or her mouth.

 Chapter 153 Be Careful of Your Teeth!

    Please note: This chapter contains FULL mature part :D Enjoy~

    --------------------------

    [MATURE CONTENT] ONLY FOR 18+

    YOU¡¯VE BEEN WARNED! XD

    ---------------------------

    "Well... okay..." Yao Ling said hesitantly. She decided to use her mouth first. Before she licked him, she remembered something, "Did you wash it when you took a bath?" She wasn¡¯t going to put a smelly thing into her mouth!

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. "Wash what?" He asked in confusion.

    "Your thing, of course!" Yao Ling pointed at his little Yao Ying which stood proudly in front of her.

    Yao Ying rolled his eyes. "Of course! I also took a bath just now, so don¡¯t worry! My little Yao Ying is very very fragrant," Yao Ying boasted. "You can smell it if you want." The man wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

    Yao Ling decided to sniff it first because she was afraid that he only teased her and actually lied about already washing it. Better be safe than sorryter! It indeed smelt good --- a mixture of magnolia smell and his masculinity. Knowing that Yao Ying didn¡¯t lie, she sighed in relief. Yao Ying who felt offended scowled. "I told you already and you don¡¯t believe me! I also take care of myself!"

    Yao Ling grinned sheepishly. "Just trying to make sure before I eat it," Yao Ling said leisurely. "Okay... I¡¯m going to start now!" She licked her lips in anticipation.

    Yao Ling stared at Yao Ying while her sweet tongue licked the tips of his Little Yao Ying, making thetter twitch because of the wonderful feeling that Yao Ying felt. He could feel her warm tongue met his own hardness and it sent electricity through his whole body.

    Yao Ling looked at the twitch and curiously poked at the tip, feeling amused by the way it moved --- just like a tree that swaying because of the wind, back and forth, back and forth until it stopped by itself. She giggled for a little bit and poked it for a few times until she felt satisfied. It was really fun to y with.

    Yao Ying looked at her with three back lines in between his eyebrows and grumbled, "Hey! Do you think this is a toy?!" Even though she looked so adorable, he didn¡¯t want her to y around with his hardness when he was in dire need of instant pleasure.

    Yao Ling who saw his darkened face couldn¡¯t help butugh. She tried to appease him with her sweet mouth, "Of course not! It¡¯s not a toy! I will do it seriously this time." She looked solemn enough to prove that she told him the truth, making Yao Ying roll his eyes because he knew she was faking it. The woman starts to get more and more mischievous in bed.

    Yao Ling once again licked the top of his hardness and once she got the hang of it, she started to lick it in a circr motion. Yao Ying who felt the immense pleasure bit his lower lips, trying to hold back his sudden need to moan. At the same time, he needed to hold himself back froming so fast. He had never felt this kind of amazing pleasure before and somehow her warm tongue beat the pleasure that he had gotten from his own right hand and also... Yao Ling¡¯s hand. It felt so surreal to him.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of deadlybination he would feel when she used both of her mouth and hand together.

    Yao Ling put her hands on both of Yao Ying¡¯s thighs, thinking that she should probably use her mouth and switched her mouth to her hand once she felt tired. After all, it usually took him a long time to find a release and she couldn¡¯t be more wrong. If she just took a peek and looked at her husband¡¯s face, she would know he was trying so hard to restrain himself foring too soon. This was the first time he got an oral!

    Once Yao Ling felt more confident, the licking turned into something else --- she decided to put it deep inside her small mouth. She almost gagged when she tried to put it all inside her mouth and Yao Ling didn¡¯t like that feeling at all. She released Yao Ying¡¯s hardness and coughed for a few times, trying to catch her breath at the same time. Her eyes burned a little and she knew that tears were gathering on the rim of her eyes.

    Yao Ling took a peek at Yao Ying and she saw that there was a little bit of regret on his face, probably because she released his hardness a little bit too fast. Yao Ying indeed felt regret, because when he started to feel an incredible feeling... Yao Ling released his shaft. However, he didn¡¯t say anything.

    Yao Ying just waited for her, seeing what she was going to do next. Yao Ying just wanted her to explore it herself. Yao Ling seemed to understand his mind and she decided to continue doing where she had left before. Yao Ling decided to just put it in as far as she could without gagging to avoid that hateful feeling.

    Yao Ling was too excited and she identally used too much strength... her teeth grazed Yao Ying¡¯s little thing and made the man yelp. "Ouch! Yao Ling! Be careful of your teeth!" Yao Ying hissed in pain. This is his precious little thing!

    Yao Ling quickly released Little Yao Ying and grinned sheepishly. "Ooppss... Sorry. I¡¯ll be careful next time!" She scratched the back of her head, feeling guilty. It was really an ident!

    Yao Ling decided to continue with teasing him with her mouth. Without a second thought, she put it in once again. She could feel something leaking from Little Yao Ying and Yao Ling saw that it was the same sticky transparent substance --- just like hers. It had no taste --- just in sticky, however still a little bit weird in her honest opinion. Because of the in taste, she didn¡¯t mind it and continued licking him with all her might.

    Yao Ying moaned softly and closed his eyes to heighten his sense, doubling the pleasurable feeling. He only felt her wet mouth against his hot shaft and the sensation that it brought to him. Amazing... he thought to himself.

    Still putting his hardness inside her mouth, Yao Ling started to suck it slowly and when she heard Yao Ying¡¯s pleasure moan, she felt like she was doing the right thing and it made her feel more excited to explore his whole hardness. She took a peek at the yellow book beside her and slightly saw the pictures... she wanted to know what kind of things she should do to make him feel more pleasure.

    She squinted her eyes, trying to read it. Yao Ying who only felt the pleasure missed how she tried so hard to learn from the yellow book. If he saw it, he probably wouldugh out loud. Why was she studying so hard about this kind of thing? In his opinion, exploring by themselves slowly was also good enough. They would be able to find each other¡¯s liking that way. He only teased her by giving her the yellow book, but somehow she really took it seriously and tried to learn from it.

    Yao Ling saw the picture which contained the movement of the tongue and she chose to follow the guidance. Yao Ling moved her tongue softly from left to right, from up to down, covering every part of Little Yao Ying. Yao Ying needed to hold onto something and he found her hair... he gripped her ck long hair tightly -- but not hard enough to make her feel any pain -- when she started to suck on the tip of his hardness. He groaned and his breath was slightly hitched.

    "Damn!" Yao Ying cursed. He could feel that he almost came, but he still wanted to enjoy the pleasant sensation longer. Because of that, Yao Ying quickly pushed her head away softly, trying to gain hisposure once more. Yao Ling was quite surprised with the sudden movement and she was frozen for a moment. She looked at him in surprise.

    Yao Ling tilted her head a little to the side, while blinked once or twice. She asked innocently, "Did I do something wrong?"

 Chapter 154 Ism Only Shameless Toward You

    Please note: This chapter contains FULL mature part. Enjoy!>.<

    --------------------------

    [MATURE CONTENT] ONLY FOR 18+

    YOU''VE BEEN WARNED! XD

    ---------------------------

    Yao Yingughed when he saw her lovely expression. "No... You are not doing anything wrong. It''s just the opposite. You are doing it perfectly!" Yao Ying exined.

    "Then why do you stop me?" Yao Ling scrunched her nose in confusion. If he enjoyed it, then he should not be stopping her at all. She pouted, feeling a bit hurt. After all, she tried her hardest to give him pleasure. His sudden push was quite a surprise to her.

    Yao Ying decided to admit a part of his real feelings, "I... I almoste, but I don''t want toe inside your mouth. I feel that it''s a bit disrespectful." Yao Ying didn''t want her to feel disgusted the first time she did this and besides... he indeed respected her. There was also another selfish reason, Yao Ying also wanted Yao Ling to pleasure him a tad bit longer. However, he didn''t dare to tell her that.

    Yao Ling was quite touched by his thoughtfulness. Why did he feel that it was disrespectful? She looked at him in confusion. Probably because of his nice words, Yao Ling felt that it wouldn''t so bad to let hime inside her mouth. "Don''t worry! I''m willing!" Yao Ling grinned innocently at her husband. It wouldn''t be that bad, right?

    "But..." Before Yao Ying could finish his sentence, she already put his hardness inside her mouth once again. His unfinished words changed into a m.o.a.n. He intended to exin something to her, but his mind became muddleheaded due to the pleasureable feeling.

    "Hmmm..." Yao Ying m.o.a.ned. All of his previous thought was gone in a heartbeat.

    She moved her tongue around his shaft more eagerly than before and in between her licking movement, she sucked the tips of it while looking at Yao Ying''s expression through her thick eyshes. Her suck movement was varied -- sometimes hard, sometimes soft. Although everything had been done sloppily without any experience whatsoever, it still made Yao Ying''s mind be fuzzy. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but her mouth was fully upied.

    "Almost... almost..." Yao Ying said while his body started to get more tense, knowing that his release was almost there. He tried to find something to hold on to. Afraid of hurting her, he released her hair and chose to grip the edge of the bed with both of his hands. Yao Ling knew by the way he gritted his teeth and said the ''almost'' word, it meant that her job was almost done.

    Yao Ling, who started to feel her jaw was going to break, was feeling more excited when she saw his l.u.s.tful expression and the way he bit his lower lips. Her mouth and tongue devoured him with all her might, waiting for him to finally find his release. Judging from his body movement, it would be soon. Real soon. Yao Ling was pretty sure of that because it reminded her of her own behavior before she found a release. True enough, it happened so fast that she had no time to prepare.

    "Ahhh~ I''ming!" Yao Ying said in a loud voice and then he shot his load inside her mouth. He already tried to pry off her mouth from his hardness by pushing her head so she would move away from his hardness, just to avoiding inside her mouth. However, Yao Ling held him tightly and he couldn''t move her! Yao Ying even wondered where did she get the sudden burst of energy! In her mind, she just wanted to fulfill her promise to him.

    Yao Ling almost choked when she tasted his release. She almost gagged because his release actually tasted so nasty! Ew~ It was a mixture of salt and fishy taste. Ugh! No wonder he said something about disrespectful! He probably knew that it tasted so nasty, that''s why he kept trying to push away her head.

    She felt like the yellow book was a bit too exaggerated. Why was there someone who wanted to let this kind of fishy taste into her mouth?!

    ******

    Yao Ling could feel the burning in her eyes, the tears started to gather there and it was all because of the fishy taste. Her eyes darted inside the room, trying to find something to spit Yao Ying''s release out. Luckily there was an empty cup and she quickly spat it out. She would never use this cup again and probably told Xiao Yu to throw it out tomorrow. It was so ew~

    Beside the empty cup, she saw a cup of mint tea and her eyes lit up. ''What a coincidence!'' She thought to herself. She quickly used it to rinse her mouth and spat the tea to the empty cup where she spat Yao Ying''s release before. After that, she was finally able to sigh in relief.

    She nced at Yao Ying who grinned happily at her. "Thank you!" He thanked her.

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes at him, but still smiling at him. "Do you feel satisfied?" Yao Ling asked.

    Yao Ying answered wholeheartedly, "Yes. Very very satisfied." He has the best wife ever!

    Yao Ling nodded at him. "Good. Because this is thest time I will let you release that nasty thing inside my mouth," She dered loudly.

    Yao Ying looked him, bewildered. "Why?" He asked in a sad tone.

    "Just now... my head must have been not in a good state for offering myself to let youe inside my mouth. It tastes so disgusting!" Yao Ling decided to answer with the truth.

    "You will get used to it!" Yao Ying tried to coax her.

    "No," Yao Ling said adamantly. She was not going to put herself through that hell once again.

    "Someone said that if you swallow it, you can look younger," Yao Ying teased her. He was spouting nonsense. Who knew... maybe his gullible wife would trust him?

    "Really?" Yao Ling asked unconvincingly. What kind of magic was that?

    "Really." The man''s face looked so serious and people would think that he told her the truth when they saw him. He nodded solemnly, but Yao Ling wouldn''t fall for his trick.

    "I will do my research. I''m going to kick you if you lie to me!" Yao Ling said.

    "I only heard about it. If you find out whether it''s true or not, just let me know. I''m ready to give it to you all the time," Yao Ying said mischievously.

    Yao Ling, "..." She really wanted to open his brain and saw what''s inside! How did she end up with such a shameless husband?!

    Yao Ling was just curious about that matter. Even it was true, she would still think twice to let that happen again. Then, she sighed, "Luckily, there''s a cup of mint tea on the table. Otherwise, I can''t erase the fishy taste!"

    "Of course, it''s there. I told Xiao Yu to prepare it for you beforehand and then I put it there," Yao Ying grinned proudly.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    She was beyond speechless. That man! Didn''t he say something about disrespectful?! But this cup of mint tea was proof that he had already prepared everything beforehand! Yao Ling red at Yao Ying, "Man is a despicable creature! Shameless!"

    Yao Ying onlyughed and said innocently, "You will get used to it! Don''t worry! I''m only this shameless toward you."

    He still dared to mock her! Yao Ling gritted her teeth in anger. She felt like bashing his head with a pillow!

    It took a few days for Yao Ying to finally appease his angry wife.

 Chapter 155 The Preparation 1

    They already prepared everything beforehand for their journey. They needed to be efficient due to the time limit for the journey so Yao Ling would only bring Xiao Yu along with her, while Yao Ying would only bring Xiu. Xiao Er was given the task to take care of her courtyard, along with Xiao Xia and Xiao Ai. They were told to pay attention to the movement inside the household and Xiao Yu¡¯s job to take care of Liu Li would be Xiao Er¡¯s jobs. They needed to maintain their rtionship with Liu Li, however, they couldn¡¯t openly take her from Concubine Wan so this was the only thing that they could do.

    Yao Ying could only trust Feng, so he was also left to handle matters in Wang Fu. Wang Luo Hai also already prepared a few shadow guards for Yao Ling, making Yao Ying feel better. After all, he also worried about Yao Ling¡¯s wellbeing. If there were some brewing troubles in the mission, at least he wouldn¡¯t be in a panic and knew that the shadow guards would protect her too. Feng was also reminded not to forget about the kids¡¯ martial arts training.

    True to his words, Wang Luo Hai called a qujin master and surprisingly Yao Ling has raw talent in ying qujin. She was able to y some simple songs although her hands were still a bit stiff and a few mistakes here and there. However, it was already a miracle for her to be able to achieve such things when only learning for a few days. The qujin master even willingly waited for her toe back and continued teaching her, despite his busy schedule. This was the first time he found a genius prodigy, so he wouldn¡¯t let this talented girl go.

    Yao Ying and Wang Luo Hai were in awe because of her newfound talents. They didn¡¯t understand why she was always so easily learning every thing. Her lesson with Zhang Mo Mo had been stopped because she was already good enough and her manner was more elegant than before. She was able to achieve the goal in such a short time, besides they didn¡¯t aim to send her to the pce, so there was no need for her to learn in details. Now, she¡¯s also learning to y qujin in such a short time. However, they soon found out that Yao Ling was actually not-so-perfect.

    Because Yao Ling was actually really bad at riding a horse. It seems like her talent is only on the art side, for sports... she has no talent whatsoever. When they started their journey from the vige to An Yang City, they were not in a hurry, so they didn¡¯t ride a horse. Thus, they didn¡¯t know that her riding horse skill was that bad! Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel afraid when she went near the horse, but somehow she didn¡¯t have an affiliation with the horse. Whenever she got close to the stupid horse, he would scoff at her or stomped its foot at Yao Ling in disdain.

    Yao Ying who tried to teach her didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. He could even see the electric gaze between Yao Ling and the horse. He already chose the most obedient horse and the smallest one, but somehow it also didn¡¯t want to be ridden by Yao Ling. Even Wang Luo Hai was in awe with Yao Ling¡¯s bad talent at riding horse.

    Wang Luo Hai evenughed out loud and said, "It seems like you are actually a pretty normal girl. I always thought that you are too perfect and you have too many talents, however... it¡¯s actually because we haven¡¯t tried to look for what you are bad at."

    Yao Ling pouted at Wang Luo Hai. "Father... I¡¯m also speechless. Why do the horses seem to hate me?!" She looked at the most obedient horse in Wang Fu -- Bao Bao and she felt like crying. Even now... the horse looked at her in a hostile manner. Yao Ling thought to herself, ¡¯I never offend you, Bao Bao. Why are you being like this?!¡¯ The horse only scoffed at her and turned his head away.

    "How do you n to go if you aren¡¯t able to ride a horse?" Wang Luo Hai asked helplessly.

    "There¡¯s still a few days left. Besides ying qujin, I will spend the rest of my time to bond with Bao Bao," Yao Ling said full of determination. She indeed followed her words wholeheartedly. Every day she would follow Bao Bao everywhere. The white horse sometimes felt annoyed and ran away from the clingy human by leaving her behind with a speck of dust.

    Yao Ling tried every means possible -- enticing Bao Bao with food, giving him a bath but the result was she was wet from head to toe because the stupid horse kicked the bucket and the water fell directly on her. Xiao Yu was really helpless toward Young Mistress¡¯ determination. Xiao Yu learned the skill from Xiu and it was so easy, she was also clueless what enmity that Young Mistress had with horses.

    Yao Ling¡¯s recent behavior even made the whole householdughed when looking at her. The first time it happened they were so shocked and felt worried about her, however, soon it became a part of their daily life. They only shook their head at her whenever she came out of Bao Bao¡¯s barn -- either she¡¯s wet or dirty. Madam Wang and the concubines even felt awe when looking at her funny determination. In their eyes, she¡¯s a woman... why is there a need to learn riding horse? At this moment, they didn¡¯t feel any hatred toward Yao Ling, instead only amusement. Besides, they would be able to take breathing because the couple would go away for quite some time. Hence, the lively atmosphere at Wang Fu.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling would go under the pretext that they were going on a honeymoon trip under Wang Luo Hai and the matriarch¡¯s orders. Yao Ling once asked the matriarch, "Is it a believable excuse? After all, we¡¯ve been married for quite some times."

    The matriarchughed heartily. "Of course. I already told the others it¡¯s because I want to have grandchildren soon. This trip¡¯s main point is that. Don¡¯t only think about the Han Princess matter, but you also need to think about your stomach."

    "My stomach?" Yao Ling asked gullibly.

    The matriarch massaged the spot between her eyebrows. She already talked clearly about grandchildren and yet this girl still asked this kind of innocent question. "Of course, about my grandchildren! The road is pretty far. There are a lot of ces to do a quick session of making babies," The matriarch answered bluntly. She decided to talk more clearly without restraint, so Yao Ling would understand better what she meant.

    "Qu... quick session?" Yao Ling couldn¡¯t stop her imagination and she shuddered at the thought. With Lin Jian around? No way! However, it seemed like the matriarch noticed her predicament.

    "Don¡¯t worry! I will have a pep talk with Lin Jian. As a single dog, he should know his own position and not bothering newlyweds!" The matriarch said leisurely.

    What?! Yao Ling quickly appeased the old madam, "No need... no need... Grandmother! Yao Ying and I will find a way! No need to trouble Lin Jian!" She would die in embarrassment if the matriarch really had those kinds of talk with Lin Jian.

    "Good!" The matriarch wasn¡¯t going to really have a ¡¯talk¡¯ with Lin Jian, but she just wanted to push the young couple for a little bit. "Then, I will wait for the good news at home."

    Yao Ling wanted to die in embarrassment when she saw the snicker on Zhang Mo Mo and Xiao Yu¡¯s faces. However, probably her face was already thicker due to the matriarch¡¯s constant sexual talk, so her face wasn¡¯t as red as before. "Oh..." Yao Ling grinned sheepishly. She didn¡¯t want to make the matriarch sad and appeased her, "We¡¯ll try." But in her heart, she was kowtowing and apologizing for a thousand times. ¡¯Grandmother... you still have to wait for a long time!¡¯

    Back to Bao Bao¡¯s matter, because of her full service to the horse every day, she would be deadly tired at night. A certain husband was pouting because he felt neglected. "Ling-er... why bother with Bao Bao every day? We can just ride one horse --- you and me, together," He coaxed Yao Ling.

    "No... Bao Bao really ignites my fighting spirit!" Yao Ling said with fire in her eyes.

    Yao Ying could only shake his head. "You choose a weird way to show your fighting spirit. Why don¡¯t you show your fighting spirit in bed too?" The man started his shameless behavior, making Yao Ling re at him.

 Chapter 156 The Preparation 2

    "No... I¡¯m too tired," Yao Ling smiled mischievously while rejecting Yao Ying¡¯s plea. It had been for a few days after the whole oral fiasco. He hadn¡¯t done enough things to appease her, so she also didn¡¯t make it easy for him.

    "But you are not tired when you are with Bao Bao!" Yao Ying whined childishly. He started to realize that in front of Yao Ling he never had to appear aloof like how he used to be. He could just be himself.

    "Don¡¯t make it sound so dirty!" Yao Ling chided him. "Bao Bao is different. He¡¯s cuter than you!" Yao Ling teased.

    "Well... who¡¯s more important?! Me or Bao Bao?" Yao Ying asked in desperation.

    "Ugh..." Yao Ling was bewildered. Did he eat the wrong medicine? "Don¡¯t tell me you are jealous of Bao Bao?" Yao Ling questioned him in a half-joking manner. Bao Bao is a horse! Why would he jealous of a horse?! She started to think that her husband started to be muddleheaded.

    Yao Ying pouted. "Hah?! Why should I get jealous over a mere horse?" Yao Ying turned his head away, but Yao Ling was able to see the tips of his ears turned red. It seemed like she guessed it right.

    Yao Ling tried to hold back herughter because of her cute husband. "Of course... I prefer..." Yao Ling said the words slowly. Although Yao Ying wore a disinterested expression, she could see the way his ears perked up, seemingly waiting for her answer.

    "I prefer Bao Bao..." Yao Ling answered with a crispyugh.

    "You!" Yao Ying yelled. Without another thought, he tackled Yao Ling and both fell onto the bed together. Yao Ying kissed her lips and then decided to tickle her which earned a burst of full-blownughter from Yao Ling.

    "Fine... fine... I¡¯m just joking... I prefer you..." Yao Lingughed. Then she kissed him back, "Only you." She wholeheartedly poured her heart. She knew that there would be no one else for her, but him. Even if he left her, her heart would always belong to him.

    They didn¡¯t do anything that night. Yao Ying naturally knew that she was tired because of the preparation, so they only blissfully slept in each other¡¯s embrace.

    ------------------------------------------

    On the day of their departure, Wang Luo Hai gave them a lecture about their safety and the mission once again. The matriarch gave Yao Ling a pouch of medicine and she told him to make it for Yao Ying every night before sleep. When she asked what it was, the matriarch answered with a secretive smile, "It¡¯s a supplement for Yao Ying."

    Yao Ling nodded happily, thanking the matriarch for her care. She teased the matriarch, "Grandmother, you are being biased. Why only Yao Ying? What about me?"

    The matriarchughed, "When Yao Ying is healthy, you are also happy, right? Besides, this medicine will also give a good effect on you. I¡¯m mostly worried about Yao Ying because he will do all the hard work, right?"

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t refute that reasoning and didn¡¯t feel suspicious of the medicine. "I know." Yao Ling pouted childishly while hugging the matriarch¡¯s arm. They were getting closer each day and Yao Ling truly thought of her as her real grandmother.

    Before leaving, Yao Ling didn¡¯t forget to remind Xiao Er to pay attention to every little detail in Wang Fu. She wanted her to be vignt just in case someone tried to wreak havoc when she was away. She believed in Xiao Er¡¯s capabilities because she had proved it to her how clever she was. Only then, she was able to go in relief.

    Yao Ying looked at Bao Bao and the horse still didn¡¯t want to look at her. Yao Ying asked her worriedly, "Do you think you can ride Bao Bao? If not, you can just ride my horse with me."

    "I can," Yao Ling stubbornly said. She smiled evilly at Bao Bao and said, "I found a way to tame him." She muttered something near Bao Bao¡¯s ears and somehow the horse seemed like to understand her words. The arrogant horse suddenly fawned over Yao Ling by licking her face and then obediently let Yao Ling ride him. His arrogance was gone in a heartbeat.

    Yao Ying looked at her in awe and asked, "What did you say to him?" He knew that Bao Bao was clever, that¡¯s why he chose him for Yao Ling, but never knew that he could be so clever to this extend.

    "I won¡¯t let any female horse goes near him if he keeps doing that. Let¡¯s see how does he want to release his urge with no female horse around," Yao Ling told Yao Ying honestly.

    Yao Ying, "..."

    Yao Ying looked at her, sweating. Why did he suddenly feel that his wife became so scary? She was really good at threatening people --- or... horse, to be exact.

    Lin Jian identally heard about what Yao Ling said. They had nned to go together, so he had been waiting at Wang Fu to go together. They only said that they would only travel together until Lin Jian arrived at his destination, so no one would know that they were actually in a mission together. "Your wife¡¯s threat is really scary," Lin Jian whispered to Yao Ling in a low voice.

    Yao Ying whispered back, "It¡¯s not wise to offend your wife when you get marriedter. You better keep that in mind."

    Lin Jian nodded in agreement. When Yao Ling took a nce at both men, they quickly shut their mouth and followed her obediently. Xiao Yu and Xiu couldn¡¯t help but snicker at two men who scared of a mere woman. It seemed like this would be a fun journey.

    After the threat, Bao Bao indeed became an obedient horse. They had a pretty smooth journey on the first day because they only passed through the main street. It took them a few shichen before they finally arrived at the next main city -- WenFeng. The city was quite big, so they were able to find a decent inn.

    "This will be thest ce where we enjoy sleeping in afortable inn. After that, we have to sleep in the wilderness. However, it¡¯s still rtively safe so you don¡¯t have to worry about it," Lin Jian exined. He had been gone to Lin Zhou for a few times, so he knew the way perfectly clear.

    Yao Ling nodded, "We can only find a good inn after we arrive at Lin Zhou, right?"

    "Yes... Lin Zhou is a big city on the border of our kingdom. That¡¯s why the Han Princess has to pass by there. Lin Zhou is the only big city that connects Han Kingdom and Qin Kingdom. We can only meet her there. That¡¯s our only chance to prevent the marriage," Lin Jian answered.

    Yao Ling decided to take a look around the bustling street after putting their things inside the inn, looking for delicious local foods. She also wanted to hear whether there was any news about the Han Princess that spread around among themoners. Who knew that it might be helpful to their mission?

    "Ying... I want to go out and take a look around. Do you want toe with me?" Yao Ling asked her husband with twinkling eyes. She was too excited only to stay inside the inn; she wanted to go sightseeing!

    Yao Yingughed. "Sure. Go ahead! You can go first, I will catch up with youter," Yao Ying said. "I still need to discuss some things with Lin Jian." Yao Ling nodded, knowing that they needed to talk about their route. Yao Ying felt it was okay to let her go by herself, due to the shadow guards¡¯ presence but he still told Xiu to follow them around.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t wait for him and she walked around the bustling street. When they were in An Yang, people already knew that she was the infamous daughter-inw of Wang Fu. So, even though she¡¯s s beauty, no one really dared to take a peek at her. Who dared to admire her with that kind of background? Wang Fu was one of the top families there, so they didn¡¯t dare to provoke them. However, it was different at WenFeng. No one knew who she was.

    Yao Ling learned from Jiu Lan how to preserve her looks and skin well, without too much powder, her face was soft and smooth. It enhanced her beauty and when it wasbined her current sparkling eyes and cherry red lips, she looked enchantingly beautiful. Yao Ling wore a pink light plum skirt and chose tobine it with white muslin jacket.

    Wang Fu didn¡¯t really emphasize the importance of hairdo, so she didn¡¯t really put care on her hairdo too. She just randomly arranged a double bun on the side of her head and let her ck hair loose --- it added to her charm.

    She didn¡¯t realize that her beauty and her movements were being followed by a certain handsome young man.

 Chapter 157 Wen Feng: The Gossip About Han Xiang

    On the second floor of a popr restaurant in WenFeng, a young man looked at Yao Ling who was excitedly looking around just like a little child. The man had a handsome face with a pointed nose and a prominent jaw. His phoenix eyes were clear, but there was a glint of ruthlessness in it. When it wasbined with his current sly smile, everyone could see that he was a dangerous person. He fanned himself and covered his conniving smile, then asked softly to the person beside him, "Do you know that woman?"

    The man pointed at Yao Ling who was oblivious to the attention that she got because of her beautiful face. He was interested in the way she behaved so freely and happily without any restraint. She bought a few types of local foods and didn¡¯t hesitantly eat them, unlike nobledies who ate with caution --- she was refreshing to his eyes.

    ¡¯What a glutton,¡¯ he thought to himself.

    The person beside him was the prefect of Wen Feng. The man was a sly old fox which had a clever mouth and loved fawning to his superior --- including the young man beside him. The prefect was around the fifties, probably due to living a good life, he was to the heavy side with a big potbelly. He looked at the woman that the young man interested in and he shook his head. "This subordinate never sees that Young Lady before. She¡¯s probably from another city," The prefect exined.

    "Hmmm..." The young man didn¡¯t say much, but he made a gesture to the man behind him, his most trusted servant. The servant had been following his master for a long time, he naturally knew what his master wanted him to do --- investigate the woman¡¯s background.

    He sighed, knowing that his master¡¯s sickness once again red up --- he always loves beautiful girls judging from how many concubines that he had, and yet... he never felt satisfied and kept adding them to his numerous collections. The servant felt a little bit pity to his master¡¯s new target. He wondered which household this Young Miss belonged to. Without the need to be told once again, the servant quickly went out and investigated Yao Ling¡¯s background.

    Yao Ling kept walking around excitedly until she felt her sore legs and decided to rest. She looked around and chose a random teahouse to sit down and drink tea. Her feet were killing her!

    "Miss, what do you want to order?" Xiao Yu asked.

    "Tea and pastries. You can choose them for me," Yao Ling said. Xiao Yu nodded, knowing that Young Mistress wasn¡¯t picky about foods, so she left her on the table alone. Xiu didn¡¯t eat with them, because it wasn¡¯t appropriate. Yao Ling already called him and not to treat them too formally, but the stubborn Xiu kept rejecting her good intention, so she could only give up. He waited outside but didn¡¯t rx his guard. Once in a while, he would look into the restaurant to check on them.

    Yao Ling felt a bit sleepy, but then she heard the women behind her talking about the Han Princess and it made her ear perk up, trying to listen to their whole conversation.

    "Have you heard about the recent news about Han Princess that¡¯s going to marry into the Qin Kingdom?" A woman talked to her friends in a quite loud voice, judging from her shrieking voice and the way she smugly said her sentence... it seemed like her hobby was gossiping other people.

    ¡¯Interesting,¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. She wondered what kind of news this woman had.

    "Yes... yes... why? Do you have any news about that?"

    "I heard the princess a real beauty," she said confidently.

    "How do you know? No one ever sees her!" The others looked at her with a look of disbelief.

    "My auntie used to work in the pce before she retired and moved here to follow me," the woman exined. She seemed proud that she had a juicy gossip and able to attract her friends¡¯ attention. Yao Ling rolled her eyes because she hated this type of people the most and she saw a lot of them back at their vige.

    "Too bad... the Han Emperor doesn¡¯t love her, so her position in the pce is quite awkward," The woman said in a dramatic tone.

    "Really?" The other gasped at what she had revealed. "Why?"

    "Yeah... It¡¯s probably because of her mother. She was kidnapped and sent to the Han Emperor as a concubine, after giving birth, the woman ran away!" The woman dramatically said.

    "What? Why? Isn¡¯t it a glorious thing?"

    "Is that woman crazy?"

    "Who would let go such a luxurious life?"

    "She¡¯s so cruel for leaving her baby there all alone!"

    The other women kept throwing their own opinions which made the main source of the gossip felt proud of herself. She felt lucky that her auntie brought such a piece of great news to be shared and she could be the source of attention in her friend circle, not realizing that she was actually gossipping about the royal family. If someone from the Han Kingdom identally heard her, it would end up badly for her. Luckily, they were quite far from the Han Kingdom.

    Yao Ling felt like flipping her table. After all, they were talking about Lin Jian¡¯s mother in such an indecent way. She¡¯s another man¡¯s wife and she was kidnapped, so of course, she wouldn¡¯t want to stay there! But she was also confused, why did she leave the baby there and not bringing her along? Something must have happened around that time...

    The woman started to talk once again, "Hmm... I¡¯m not too sure about the reason too because no one is allowed to talk about that matter. It¡¯s a taboo thing to say in the pce, so the truth must have been distorted. My auntie didn¡¯t dare to say anything about that matter." She was a bit disappointed in this part. If her aunt was willing to talk, it meant she would have shared bigger news to them.

    "After that?" One of the women asked because of her curiosity.

    "When the Emperor knew that the concubine ran away, he almost killed the princess on the spot," The woman said.

    The other women gasped in surprise. "That bad?" One of them asked.

    "Yes. Luckily, someone saved the princess... although her reasoning isn¡¯t really for the princess¡¯ wellbeing..." She paused for dramatic effect once again.

    "What¡¯s the reason?"

    "Keep her alive and let her be their sacrifice for a marriage alliance," The woman said.

    Yao Ling could only shake her head. The royal family was indeed ruthless. They had nned Han Xiang¡¯s life from the start and she was condemned to have a lonely life. She really pitied this princess.

    "I heard someone said that she has a natural fragrant scent, is it the truth?" One of the women asked once again. When hearing this, Yao Ling¡¯s ears perk up. Ah? The natural scent? Finally, someone talked about this.

    "That fragrance is the thing that saved her life!" The woman eximed. "Without that amazing scent, what kind of advantage that she has? The Emperor already has a lot of princesses and if she doesn¡¯t have any unique trait, then she isn¡¯t really useful for the Emperor. But it¡¯s really the truth... she has a natural fragrant scent."

    Yao Ling became more interested. The truth, huh? She really wanted to sniff Han Xiang and see the magic of her butterfly dance to herself. Yao Ling looked around and it seemed like no one paid attention to what the women was gossiping about --- only her. She felt lucky that she was able to hear these information by chance. If she didn¡¯t choose her spot here, she wouldn¡¯t be able to hear clearly. However, she wasn¡¯t really sure whether the woman was only spouting nonsense or it was the truth. She noted these conversations in mind and would share it with Yao Ying and Lin Jianter.

    "Hah! I don¡¯t believe you!" One of the women said.

    "True... true... What¡¯s the proof?"

    The woman was bbergasted. "Proof? How can I prove it? I never meet the princess before. I¡¯m sure of it because my aunt won¡¯t lie to me!" The woman insisted. How did they want her to prove it?

 Chapter 158 Wen Feng: Meeting a Mysterious Man 1

    "Hah... You always love talking big, so we are not sure whether you are telling the truth or not!" One of the listeners said in a mocking tone. After all, the woman who said the gossip didn¡¯t have a great reputation, to begin with.

    A pathological liar --- thus, when she told the truth, no one would believe her.

    The woman stomped her feet in anger. "This news is the truth! My aunt never lies! She really worked there!" She really said the truth, but no one believed her and it made her angry. However, she couldn¡¯t me her friends. The woman indeed loved to boast, hence her current predicament.

    "Really? Unless you give us proof, we won¡¯t believe you."

    "True... true..."

    Where could she get any proofs? What she told them was a secret of the royal family. If her aunt didn¡¯t work there, how could she know about it too?

    Because everyone was mocking her, the woman left in anger. The others onlyughed at her. Even if what she said was the truth, they didn¡¯t care. Even if the one who was being gossiped was the princess, they got no benefits from it. So, why should they care?

    Yao Ling shook her head, knowing that this news probably wasn¡¯t reliable. However, she nced at the woman¡¯s eyes. She saw excitement and truth in her eyes, so she wondered about it. Well... at least she had a piece of news about Han Xiang.

    "Young Mistress... Young Mistress!" Xiao Yu tried to gain Yao Ling¡¯s attention. She was deep in thought for a little while and didn¡¯t even realize that Xiao Yu had been beside her for a long time.

    Yao Ling snapped out of her thought and grinned sheepishly at Xiao Yu. "Sorry..."

    "What happened?" Xiao Yu asked in concern. Yao Ling didn¡¯t allow her to call her Young Mistress in this trip, after all, they needed toy low.

    "I will tell youter," Yao Ling answered. She didn¡¯t think that this was the right ce to discuss Han Xiang because she thought the women must have been able to hear her too if she could hear them. However, when she looked around, all of the women had been gone. She was thinking too deeply and didn¡¯t notice their departure. The table behind her had changed into other customers.

    Xiao Yu poured a cup of tea for Yao Ling and gave her the pastries. "Young Mistress..."

    When Yao Ling red at her, Xiao Yu grinned sheepishly. She almost forgot that she wasn¡¯t supposed to call her Young Mistress. Xiao Yu awkwardly called her, "Er... Ling-jie... please drink..."

    Yao Ling nodded in satisfaction and mouthed ¡¯good¡¯ to Xiao Yu. She needed to adapt soon, otherwise, other people would also notice Xiao Yu¡¯s awkwardness. Yao Ling drank leisurely and waited for Yao Ying toe and enjoy their time together.

    When she was nibbling one of the pastries, she saw a movement in front of her. She thought it was Yao Ying, so she already prepared her sweetest smile. However, when she looked up, it wasn¡¯t Yao Ying but a handsome man in a bright red robe. The color of his robe really blinded her eyes for a little while due to its brightness. ¡¯What kind of man dares to wear such a scandalized color?¡¯ She thought to herself. Her bright smile faltered halfway and it became a forced smile.

    What surprised her more was the fact that the handsome man suddenly sat in front of her. "Gu niang, can this one sit here?" The handsome man asked her while smiling brightly and fanning his face leisurely.

    Yao Ling, "..." Wasn¡¯t he supposed to ask her permission first before directly sitting in front of her? What kind of mannerism was this? Yao Ling wanted to directly reject him, but if the matter escted, it would only bring more attention to them.

    "But... gong zi... I don¡¯t know you, so I think it¡¯s inappropriate," Yao Ling politely said. She evaded his request by telling him that they were practically stranger and it was inappropriate for them to sit together. If she could, she would just kick the man out of the seat in front of her.

    Yao Ling looked at the man and he was indeed a beauty. His piercing eyes had a hint of craftiness and although he was smilingzily, his smile was a bit sly. All in all, Yao Ling knew that this man wasn¡¯t a simple man and not only that, he screamed a dangerous vibe all around him. The man probably thought he had masked his real self perfectly, but Yao Ling was also not a simple and oblivious woman. It wasn¡¯t that easy to deceive her.

    People who were smart in business had learned to read people and Yao Ying also already taught her about this. In this regard, she knew that she wouldn¡¯t make a mistake. This man is dangerous.

    The man smirked inwardly. ¡¯Oh... ying hard to get, huh?¡¯ No women were able to reject his charm and he believed the woman in front of him would also be the same. He decided to change the tactic and appeared to be a bit pitiful, "But... the teahouse is currently full. I see that this table is the only ce that¡¯s vacant."

    Yao Ling looked around and true enough, the teahouse was currently full. Yao Ling frowned because it wasn¡¯t that full when she came here. If she rejected him, it would look like that she was petty. Yao Ling could only sigh, "Fine. Gong zi, you can sit here. But once there¡¯s a vacant table, you should probably change your table."

    Yao Ling already made apromise, but she really didn¡¯t want to talk or get closer to this dangerous man. Yao Ling could see from the corner of her eyes that Xiu was going toe to them, probably to chase away this unknown man. Yao Ling made a gesture for Xiu, telling him not toe. Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to attract any attention.

    Xiu felt a little bit discontented, but he couldn¡¯t do anything. Yao Ling already gave her his order and he needed to follow his young mistress¡¯ order. The only thing that made him afraid was his young master¡¯s reaction. He was pretty sure that the man would eat vinegar if he saw this scene. A handsome man coveted his wife in a broad daylight, for God¡¯s sake! If he coveted Xiao Yu, he would choke that man to death! What more... his master?

    Yao Ling sighed in relief when Xiu followed her order and the man didn¡¯t miss Yao Ling¡¯s move. It seemed like this woman wasn¡¯t so simple and it made him feel more intrigued. The handsome manzily sat in front of Yao Ling and smiled, "Thank you, Gu Niang."

    Yao Ling really wanted to scold the man. Thank you? He was basically forcing her to let him sit there!

    Yao Ling only nodded but didn¡¯t really talk to the man. The handsome man silently watched Yao Ling but also didn¡¯t make a move. He wanted to gauge the woman¡¯s reaction, but the woman only drank her tea, ate the pastries, and talked with the woman beside her --- without giving him any attention.

    The handsome man started to feel agitated because usually women tended to fall into his beauty and they were the ones who kept chasing him around, but clearly... the woman in front of him didn¡¯t seem to be interested in him. Interesting! At first, he was only entranced by her beauty and cuteness, but now... she piques his interest more and more.

    He decided to lower himself first and talk to the woman. "Gu Niang, it seems like I never see you around before," He started to ask a question while sipping his own tea, disregarding the fact that Yao Ling was ignoring him.

    "Hmmm..." Yao Ling answered neutrally --- she didn¡¯t say yes and didn¡¯t say no.

    "Where are youe from?" The man asked curiously. ¡¯Still ying hard to get, huh?¡¯ He thought inwardly. ¡¯Let¡¯s this man y around with you!¡¯ The manughed inwardly, but his outer appearance was still smiling softly. The more he looked at Yao Ling, the more he felt entranced by her.

 Chapter 159 Wen Feng: Meeting a Mysterious Man 2

    The handsome man scrutinized her movement and from the way she elegantly drank her tea, it seemed like she had a noble background. Whose daughter was she? The man curiously guessed Yao Ling¡¯s background.

    Her movement was sophisticated. He could see the stubborn streak from her eyes, but at the same time cleverness. What a fox! He was so itchy and wanted to get his hands on her as soon as possible.

    "This gu niang is only a simple peasant andes to this town for a visit," Yao Ling answered politely. She didn¡¯t want to divulge any information about herself and her entourage. She didn¡¯t trust this man and she felt like this man wanted something from her. She didn¡¯t realize that the man was targetting her --- to be precise.

    "Oh... I never know that a simple peasant can have a maidservant by her side," The man asked craftily. He could see the way the woman beside her kept trying to serve her, but it was stopped by the woman in front of her with a simple eye gesture.

    "Gong zi is wrong. Xiao Yu is my sworn-sister, not my maidservant," Yao Ling quickly came up with an exnation.

    The man didn¡¯t uncover her lie. He could see from their clothing that it was made from high-quality silk and the embroidery also wasn¡¯t simple. No peasant would be able to afford these kinds of luxurious clothing. He liked her cautiousness and it proved to him that she wasn¡¯t an easy woman.

    "Gu Niang, can I ask for your name?" The handsome man asked with an innocent face. He really wanted to know the woman¡¯s name.

    Yao Ling was quite surprised by the man¡¯s question and it showed up on her face which made the manughed inwardly. ¡¯Is this woman really innocent?¡¯ He thought to himself.

    Yao Ling decided not to tell him her name. "Gong zi, we are not close enough for this gu niang to share this gu niang¡¯s name." Yao Ling wanted him to know that she didn¡¯t want to be acquainted with him. With this kind of polite rejection, he should have understood, right?

    However, she underestimated this man¡¯s shamelessness. "Oh... then, I would like to get to know you better, Gu Niang. May I?"

    Yao Ling was bbergasted by the man¡¯s shamelessness. ¡¯Does... does he try to court her?¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. However, she put that thought on the back of her mind. After all, she¡¯s a married woman and she¡¯s not interested in another man --- other than Yao Ying, of course. She didn¡¯t realize that in this city, no one knew that she was already married.

    The man could see the real surprise in her eyes and he was able to make sure that the woman in front of him was indeed innocent. Her widened eyes looked so cute and it reminded him of a cute little kitten. When he knew that she wasn¡¯t going to answer him, he didn¡¯t push for an answer. Instead, he changed the direction of the conversation.

    "How long will Gu Niang be staying here?" The man asked once again while tilting his head to the side.

    "Gong zi, I don¡¯t think we are close enough to share those details," Yao Ling tactfully said. She answered him with the same answer as before. What else could she say? If Yao Ying knew about this and he ate vinegar, she was pretty sure that she would receive a punishmentter that night. No... no... no... she didn¡¯t want that to happen.

    "Ah... but meeting with Gu Niang here, it must have been fate," The man shamelessly said.

    Yao Ling was quite irked by this man¡¯s brazen talk, but she needed to maintain her calmness. After all, this isn¡¯t An Yang and they are in the middle of an important mission.

    The man could see that Yao Ling started to get annoyed from the way she clenched the cup tightly and it amused him. He was good at waiting too and he also knew when to retreat. He merely said, "This one is just kidding, Gu Niang. Please don¡¯t feel offended! If it¡¯s indeed fate, we will surely meet againter." After that, the man bade his goodbye and in his mind, he knew that they would certainly meet again for sure.

    "This is the token of my gratefulness to you for sharing the table, Gu Niang," The man said while smiling, not forgetting to fan himself elegantly. Before Yao Ling could reject him, the man quickly went out of the teahouse and was gone in a sh.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows and her eyesnded on the thing that he left on the table. ¡¯Who is that man?¡¯ She thought to herself. Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she should take the token or not. She contemted for a little while before she finally decided to take a look at that thing. Maybe she could have a clue about this man¡¯s identity.

    Before she could look at the token, it was snatched from her hand. She looked up in surprise and found Yao Ying and Lin Jian standing in front of her. Yao Ling smiled at Yao Ying, feeling happy that he finally came to meet her. However, her smile faltered when she saw Yao Ying¡¯s expression.

    Yao Ying was angry, beyond angry. He frowned and his whole face was darkened after seeing Yao Ling talked to a handsome stranger. He furrowed her eyebrows while looking at the thing on his hand, it was a gold token with a word carved on it -¡¯Wu¡¯. Lin Jian took a peek at the token and saw the word. "Huh? Wu?" Lin Jian muttered to himself. It seemed a bit familiar but he didn¡¯t remember where he had seen this token before.

    "Do you know anyone with this kind of token?" Yao Ying asked him, ignoring Yao Ling¡¯s gaze which made thetter pouted. She didn¡¯t do anything wrong and yet... the man was ignoring her!!

    Lin Jian tried to remember, but he couldn¡¯t, so he just shook his head. "I don¡¯t know. I might have seen it somewhere, but I don¡¯t remember. It¡¯s probably not an important thing," Lin Jian answered.

    Yao Ying believed in Lin Jian. If he didn¡¯t know, then he didn¡¯t know. Lin Jian¡¯s circle of friends in the nobility was quite vast, so if this was an important token, Lin Jian should have known or at least seen this ¡¯wu¡¯ character.

    "Who is that man?" Yao Ying asked Yao Ling in a stern voice.

    Yao Ling could helplessly answer his question, "I don¡¯t know. I never ask his name."

    "Really?"

    "Really!" Yao Ling nodded confidently.

    "Then why did he give you this token?" Yao Ying asked, feeling suspicious.

    "I also don¡¯t know," Yao Ling shrugged it off. She knew if she got angry, it would only lead to a big fight. She might as well take it easy, otherwise, she would really throttle this unreasonable man! She didn¡¯t do anything wrong and yet... his questions made her look so guilty! Yao Ling decided to tell Yao Ying the whole story about the handsome man¡¯s sudden appearance. The man was only sitting with her because there was no vacant seat other than hers!

    What else could she do?!

    Yao Ying felt calmer when he heard that Yao Ling rejected the man¡¯s advance, although he still felt a little bit sour in his heart. He noticed that Yao Ling was indeed getting prettier each day and he understood his mistake, he wouldn¡¯t let her go out of his sight anymore this whole trip! He needed to guard her and it seemed like he had to hasten his n to confess his feelings. Otherwise, when she was taken by another man, it would be toote!!

    "I will keep this token for you," Yao Ying said and without waiting for Yao Ling¡¯s answer, he quickly put the token inside his robe. He was indeed petty, he didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to touch other man¡¯s thing! "We will gove this token back once we meet that man again."

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. She didn¡¯t really need that token anyway. She didn¡¯t know what it was for, so she also thought that that token was useless. Both of them didn¡¯t understand the importance of that token and once they knew about it, they would be in for a big surprise!

    "Suit yourself. I was nning to throw it away anyway," Yao Ling grinned, making Yao Ying feel embarrassed because of his childish attitude. He realized that Yao Ling indeed didn¡¯t care about that man for a little bit.

    Yao Ling sighed in relief. At least, she was able to appease her jealous husband!

 Chapter 160 Wen Feng : A Jealous Husband

    After that, Yao Ling told them about the gossip that she had heard in details. Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked at each other, pondering over the matter. Can they trust the woman¡¯s gossip? After all, this city was quite far from the Han Kingdom, but why did they move here? However, why should the woman lie? If she wanted to attract Yao Ling¡¯s attention, then that would be weird. Not many people knew about their mission, so there was no way someone tried to feed them with a false story.

    "From the way you see that woman... do you believe in her story?" Lin Jian asked, feeling sad and shocked at the same time about Han Xiang¡¯s fate.

    Yao Ling honestly answered, "I believe her because I saw her expression and she indeed believed in what she had said." Yao Ling meant that even if the woman believed in what she said, there was a probability that the aunt could have boasting about it -- even though the chance was pretty low. Some of the things that the woman said was an insider story and it added up with the result of the organization¡¯s result of the investigation, so the probability that it was true was higher.

    Lin Jian nodded and could only sigh. ¡¯Mother... what¡¯s actually happened to you? Where are you?¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡¯What happened back then?¡¯ The more he got closer to the truth, the more afraid he became. What if... his mother was really gone? Was there really no hope that she was alive?

    Because of the heavy conversation, all of them were deep in thought and the atmosphere became somber. Lin Jian was too busy thinking about his sister, while Yao Ying was still jealous of that weird man. Yao Ling didn¡¯t have the heart to continue sightseeing because there would be no joy when she was around these men. She sighed in disappointment, but there was nothing else that she could do!

    They decided to go back to their inn and they were still in that heavy atmosphere. It made Yao Ling me the handsome man¡¯s appearance! He ruined the joyful atmosphere! At least, even without Lin Jian, Yao Ying was able to apany her go sightseeing. Now... it¡¯s only wishful thinking on her part. She wanted to cry when she saw the joyful atmosphere at the night market.

    By the time they arrived at the inn, it was already night time and each of them went inside their own respective room. Yao Ling didn¡¯t forget to prepare Yao Ying¡¯s medicine from the matriarch. After he saw Yao Ying drinking it, she asked him, "How do you feel?"

    Yao Ying answered, "I¡¯m fine... why?" He looked at Yao Ling in confusion. "Is there something special about this medicine?"

    "Ah... not really... I¡¯m just asking," Yao Ling smiled. Knowing the matriarch¡¯s mischievous side, she was afraid that there would be something in this medicine. When Yao Ling knew that Yao Ying didn¡¯t feel any significant difference, she sighed in relief. Then, it was safe for her to keep giving Yao Ying this supplement. She felt guilty for not believing her own grandmother.

    After the yellow book facade, she was afraid that this medicine would make Yao Ying do something weird.

    "Why is it so hot here?" Yao Ying suddenly asked.

    Yao Ling looked around and felt confused. "Hot?" She felt a bit cold because the chilly night wind and yet, Yao Ying felt hot. Was he really okay?

    "Are you sick?" Yao Ling asked him in confusion. Yao Ling started to feel suspicious once again. ¡¯Is it because of the medicine?¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    "No... ah... probably because the medicine is still hot, so I sweat for a little bit," Yao Ying said. He felt a bit ufortable, but that was it, so he didn¡¯t feel that something was wrong with himself and just brushed it off.

    "Ahh... probably," Yao Ling said. However, she started to behave cautiously around Yao Ying.

    "Come on, let¡¯s go to sleep! We have to wake up early tomorrow," Yao Ying said. Then, he nced at his wife who stood meekly on the side of the bed. He asked in confusion, "Why are you standing there like a scared rabbit?"

    Yao Ling grinned sheepishly. She didn¡¯t dare to say that she was afraid to be eaten, instead, she said, "I¡¯m afraid that you are still angry because of a stranger!" She wanted to clear up every misunderstanding before they went to sleep.

    Yao Ying sighed, knowing that he was actually in the wrong. His jealousy got the better of him. "I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have doubted you. I just don¡¯t like you to get closer to another man," he exined.

    "I know... I also don¡¯t like it when you get closer to another woman, but you have to trust me too!" Yao Ling said with a soft smile. ¡¯Silly husband!¡¯ She thought to herself.

    Yao Ying nodded. "Come here," he ordered her. When Yao Ling was standing in front of him, he hugged her and put his head on her breasts. He smelt her usual fragrance and somehow felt that his body was getting hotter. ¡¯Weird,¡¯ he thought to himself. It seemed like something was really wrong with him --- probably due to his unstable emotion or to be exact, his jealousy.

    Nuzzling in her embrace really calmed him. He pulled her up andy her down on the bed after that Yao Ying continued hugging her. He wasn¡¯t willing to release her from his embrace like he was afraid that his precious wife would be gone once he released her. Sometimes when they were joking around, they indeed said the word ¡¯love¡¯ but it wasn¡¯t specifically directed to the others. He wasn¡¯t sure about Yao Ling¡¯s feeling, hence his fear of losing her.

    "Didn¡¯t you say that you are feeling hot? Why are you keep hugging me so closely?" Yao Ling shyly asked.

    "En... it¡¯s okay. Let me stay hugging you for a little while," Yao Ying said. He didn¡¯t want to exin the knot in his heart. He wanted to calm himself and stay like this forever. He hoped that he didn¡¯t agree with her requirement back then. He was feeling selfish, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. If he already ate her up, it made her fully belong to him and no one could take her away from him!

    Yao Ling sighed in relief, knowing that the hotness didn¡¯t have anything to do with the medicine. She was probably only overthinking things. Yao Ling hugged Yao Ying back and she felt the safety feeling that he always brought to her. "En..." Yao Ling answered him softly.

    Both of them felt really tired and despite their previous trouble, they felt content after telling each other their feelings. Probably because of the lovely hug, they fell asleep peacefully.

    The next day, they woke up early --- even before the sunrise. They needed to move fast, so they didn¡¯t intend to stay in WenFeng any longer. They needed to pass through Long¡¯an. There were two ways to reach Lin Zhou. The first one is through the safe path but it would take longer. The other one was the second path, it was more dangerous but they would arrive faster.

    They needed to arrive at Lin Zhou in three days, so they didn¡¯t hesitate to choose Long¡¯an. Lin Jian told them, "We need to be careful when we pass through the path that we choose. It¡¯s basically a dense forest, so there will be a lot of wild animals. Not only that, I have a feeling that we have been followed, so you need to pay attention to your surroundings."

    Yao Ying and Xiu looked at each other. "Yes, we also feel it. There are a group of people that keep following us from An Yang and it seems like they don¡¯t have a good intention."

    Lin Jian nodded. "Yes... I guess they only wait for the right time to attack us."

    Yao Ling was quite surprised by the fact that they were being followed. Why didn¡¯t Yao Ying tell her anything about this? Yao Ling decided to ask Lin Jian, "So... the best ce to attack us is in the forest, right?"

    Lin Jian answered her while nodding his head, "Yes. We have to prepare ourselves."

    Yao Ling nodded, then she looked at Yao Ying with a questioning gaze. Yao Ying seemed to understand what he meant. "I didn¡¯t tell you because I don¡¯t want you to worry about useless things. Besides, if you didn¡¯t enjoy yourself just like yesterday, I¡¯m pretty sure that our followers would feel suspicious. We go out with a honeymoon trip as the reason, right?"

    ¡¯Ah... that makes sense,¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. Then, she answered Yao Ying, "Okay."

    Lin Jian gave them a bit of advice. "Yao Ling and Xiao Yu, both of you need to act too. Pretend to be happy so they don¡¯t feel suspicious. Yao Ying and I n to trap them. Judging from the way they follow us, their martial arts skills aren¡¯t that good. The three of us should be able to handle them," Lin Jian confidently said.

    Yao Ling and Xiao Yu nodded in agreement. After making sure that the women understood about their n, they decided to set out, leaving WenFeng behind.

 Chapter 161 LongsAn: Assasins 1

    They didn¡¯t know that once they left WenFeng, the handsome man from the previous day was wreaking havoc back at WenFeng. He was trying to find Yao Ling¡¯s whereabouts, but couldn¡¯t find her. It resulted in his anger toward his ipetent subordinates. A normal man would have let go of a woman that he just met, especially when the woman was gone without any trace. However, that handsome man indeed wasn¡¯t a normal man.

    "Find her!" The man yelled. "I don¡¯t want to know what kind of method you want to use, but you have to find her!" The subordinates didn¡¯t dare to raise their head and quickly murmured their agreement. They felt helpless when they knew that their master was being obsessed by that woman.

    He gritted his teeth and promised to himself that he would find his woman no matter where she was. It was only a brief meeting and Yao Ling already forgot about the man, but too bad... the man wasn¡¯t able to forget about her.

    When they started to get into the dense forest, Yao Ling and Xiao Yu started to feel the hard journey. They weren¡¯t really adept at riding a horse and sometimes it was hard for them to control the horse, because of the hard terrain. Once or twice they almost slipped and fell down, fortunately, the men were quite patient with them and Bao Bao started to follow her wish obediently. It made her quite satisfied with Bao Bao and she knew that she must reward himter.

    Yao Ling asked in a low voice, "Do they still following us?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "They are."

    "When will we start trapping them?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Lin Jian answered her, "Almost. When it¡¯s the right time, I will give all of you a signal and you should do as what we have nned before."

    They needed to follow Lin Jian¡¯s direction, after all, he was the one who was most familiar with the forest terrain. They felt lucky that for their first mission they had Lin Jian to guide them.

    A few miles after that, Lin Jian gave them a hand signal and the others quickly followed the n. Yao Ling and Xiao Yu hid themselves inside thick bushes along. Their horses were led by Xiu, so the horse¡¯s footprints wouldn¡¯t lead the assassins to their hiding ce. Yao Ying let Wang Luo Hai¡¯s shadow guards protect Yao Ling, so he could fight the assassins with ease.

    Yao Ying scanned the surroundings and he could clearly sense the shadow guards¡¯ presence. Then he sighed in relief. "Don¡¯t move, okay?"

    Yao Ling nodded. "Be careful!" She could only bite her lower lips, worried about his safety.

    Yao Ling and Xiao Yu quickly hid their presence and tried their best not to make any sounds.

    Yao Ying, Lin Jian, and Xiu continued moving and just like what they had predicted... a few moments after their departure, Yao Ling and Xiao Yu saw several ck masked men followed their footsteps with their own horses. Yao Ling and Xiao Yu looked at each other.

    When all of them had passed by them, they were finally able to release their breath that had been held the entire time. They were afraid that they would find out their whereabouts, it would only hinder Yao Ying and Lin Jian¡¯s n.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Who are they? They just went out for a day and someone already sent these people to kill them. They cleverly chose this dense forest that people rarely chose to go, it seemed like they had nned everything carefully.

    While Yao Ling was deep in thought and didn¡¯t dare to move, the men slowed down their pace and waited for the assassins toe at them. They didn¡¯t go too far from Yao Ling¡¯s hiding ce and thetter was able to see the fight clearly.

    Lin Jian came up with this n because they would be able to fight with full strength when they weren¡¯t busy protecting the women. This method wouldn¡¯t have been sessful if they didn¡¯t know beforehand that they were being followed. Fortunately, the enemies seemed to underestimate them or else, they would hire more skilled assassins.

    When the assassins reached them, they were quite surprised because it seemed like the other party had been waiting for them leisurely. They looked at each other and then decisively attacked Yao Ying, Lin Jian, and Xiu.

    Yao Ying could see in a nce that these assassins indeed didn¡¯t really have high martial arts skills. They attacked Yao Ying and Lin Jian without a nned move and they worked individually, showing that they weren¡¯t hired in a group. Instead, they were randomly selected. It seemed like their master wasn¡¯t really experienced in this area.

    Lin Jianughed. "I thought they are some kinds of trained assassins, but their movements are too slow and not coordinated with each other at all." While moving his swords seamlessly, Lin Jian was still able to talk without feeling out-of-breath.

    Yao Ying shook her head. "Of course. We could hear them following us from miles away. It seems like their master is underestimating us and hires some random thugs."

    They deliberately talked in mocking tone just to spite the assassins. The more they felt emotional, the more they would easily make a mistake. Indeed, after listening to Yao Ying and Lin Jian¡¯s talk, the assassins felt the anger surge within them and moved more aggressive than before. If they were more skilled assassins, their emotion wouldn¡¯t be easily affected by this.

    Xiu could only shake his head, knowing that both young masters were only toying with the assassins. ¡¯How savage!¡¯ He thought to himself. It was best not to offend both of them or he would end up vomiting blood.

    If they counted, there were ten assassins and there were only three of them. Yao Ying handled three of them, Lin Jian handled four, and the rest of them went to Xiu. Yao Ying tried out his new martial arts skills and he was able to move lighter than before. Probably because the assassins¡¯ skills were lower than him, he was able to see their movements clearly.

    When one of the assassins pierced his sword to him, he dodged him with little effort. He did a backflip and his swordnded on the other assassins¡¯ chest. The blood splurted and the man died without a sound --- only two people left for him. While the sword was still piercing through the assassins¡¯ chest, the other assassins were angry because one of theirrades died and they quickly tried to kill Yao Ying by attacking him together.

    Yao Ying saw that and he used his right leg to kick one of them. He caught the other assassins¡¯ sword with his own hand and he didn¡¯t feel the pain probably due to his high adrenaline level. While holding onto the swords, he pulled back his sword and attacked the assassin without any mercy. He pierced the assassin¡¯s stomach and pulled back his sword.

    One left.

    The assassin saw the blood on Yao Ying¡¯s face and he felt like that he was seeing Asura. He trembled and felt that he was stupidly agreeing to such a dangerous job. Their employer indicated that they would only attack a couple who went for a honeymoon trip and they thought it was only an easy job. They would go kill them and received a lot of money.

    What honeymoon trip? They fell under their trap!

    The assassin gritted his teeth and decided to run away. His life was far more important than this job. He quickly turned around and used his qing gong to give some distances between them. Yao Ying took in his surroundings and saw that the others had killed the other assassins without any injuries.

    It seemed like he had to hone his skills and he was currently in a trance because when he fought... the scene ovepped with something from his memories, making him unable to focus.

    ¡¯What was that?¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡¯Was that scene... his past?¡¯

    Lin Jian saw that something was wrong with Yao Ying and he saw the running assassin. He thought in confusion, ¡¯Why didn¡¯t Yao Ying chase after him?¡¯ They needed that man to tell them who was his master!

 Chapter 162 LongsAn: Assasins 2

    Lin Jian ordered Xiu when he saw Yao Ying¡¯s dazed appearance, "Xiu... chase after that assassin and capture him, but keep him alive!"

    Xiu quickly nodded and chased after the assassin.

    From the corner of his eyes, Lin Jian still saw Yao Ying¡¯s stupefied look. If Lin Jian saw the abnormality of Yao Ying¡¯s state, then the others also noticed it as well --- including Yao Ling. At first, she was in awe with Yao Ying¡¯s fighting skills. It could be seen that it had improved a lot and the way he moved fluidly was no less than Lin Jian and Xiu.

    Probably due to her keen eyes, she was able to see a slight falter in Yao Ying¡¯s movement and somehow he was in a trance. He even only dumbly looked at the running assassin. When she felt that it was already safe, Yao Ling quickly ran to Yao Ying and asked him in concern, "Are you okay?"

    Yao Ling¡¯s voice forced him out of his trance. Just now... he could distinctly see himself saw the scene where he also fought with assassins -- but he was more skilled than his current self and his skills were actually on par with them. His expression... was cold and he didn¡¯t even flinch when he killed or disposed of the bodies. He could even see himself as a cruel person in that scene and he shuddered because of that.

    ¡¯Was that really him? Who was he?¡¯ He thought to himself.

    After he disposed of the bodies, in a split second... he could hear a woman¡¯s voice calling him softly, "Big brother..." When he was going to turn around and tried to see the woman¡¯s face, he was woken up by Yao Ling¡¯s concerned voice.

    Yao Ying blinked his eyes and his sight was blurry for a moment before he could finally make out Yao Ling¡¯s face clearly. He sighed, trying topose himself, "I¡¯m fine."

    Yao Ling saw his bloody hand and startled --- her previous thought of asking him what¡¯s wrong was gone with the wind. His back was facing her when he grabbed onto the enemy¡¯s sword, so she didn¡¯t know that he was injured. She quickly took a look at Yao Ying¡¯s hand which made the man¡¯s heart became warm. He closed his eyes and decided to just ponder over that scer.

    He looked at the way Yao Ling worried about his hand and smiled dotingly toward the oblivious woman. Yao Ling quickly told Xiao Yu to bring their gourd and pour the water over the wound to clean it. She pulled out a medicine bottle from her backpack and sprinkled the powder on his wound before wrapping it with the fabric that she tore from her own gown. She worked efficiently and it made Lin Jian look at her in a different light.

    "Is it painful?" Yao Ling asked the obvious due to her worry.

    "It¡¯s not anymore," Yao Ying grinned at her.

    Lin Jian murmured, "Oh please... the wound isn¡¯t that deep!" Why did they give him dog food in broad daylight?

    Yao Ling red at Lin Jian. "Deep or not, it¡¯s still painful!"

    Yao Ying who was behind Yao Ling grinned at Lin Jian and stuck out his tongue, making thetter¡¯s face darkened. ¡¯This brat!¡¯ He thought to himself. He cursed Yao Ying inwardly for being so arrogant!

    Before Lin Jian could scold him, Xiu was back with the assassin. Xiao Yu looked at Xiu and when she saw that Xiu was okay, she sighed in relief. Too bad... Xiu didn¡¯t see her worried expression because he was too focused on the assassin. Or else, he would be ttered and happy!

    Yao Ying looked at the assassin with cold eyes. He had a gut feeling that their master was someone that only knew that they were going on a honeymoon. The master probably guessed that with only the four of them, they couldn¡¯t handle these assassins. Yao Ying gritted his teeth in anger. It was probably someone from Wang Fu. They really couldn¡¯t wait to get rid of them, huh? It seemed like when he came back from Lin Zhou, he needed to work on their n without dy.

    "Who hires you?" Lin Jian asked in a stern voice. If the assassin didn¡¯t give him a satisfactory answer, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to torture him after letting the women go first. He wouldn¡¯t let them see a gory sight.

    The assassin looked at them in hatred and answered, "I won¡¯t tell you!"

    Yao Ling was angry because Yao Ying was hurt. She asked in an arrogant tone, "Are you sure?"

    The assassinughed crazily and taunted them. "Kill me... kill me ah~ I won¡¯t tell you anything!" He had nothing to lose, so why should he tell them about his employer? One of the assassins that they killed was his brother -- the only family that he had left!

    Yao Ling smiled evilly at him. "Oh... kill you? That will be too easy for you. I usually never want to involve myself in a mess, but too bad... today you cross my bottom line! So, I will not let you die..."

    "Bottom line? What bottom line?" After asking that, the assassin looked up mockingly but his previousugh faltered when he saw Yao Ling¡¯s expression. "What... what do you want to do to me?!" He asked, feeling scared because the woman looked at him with piercing cold eyes and silent anger that was able to create havoc. She had an imposing and overbearing manner that made an adult man like him feel scared.

    "You hurt my husband!" She answered with haughty tone and her answer made Yao Ying¡¯s heart feel warm. Yao Ling pulled out something from her sleeve andughed softly --- seemingly innocent but also dangerous at the same time. It was a different bottle from the previous medicine. This bottle was blue-colored with intricate design, it seemed like the thing inside was more precious than the previous medicine.

    Yao Ling waved the bottle in front of the assassin and asked him, "Do you know what¡¯s in this bottle?"

    "Wh --- what?" The man gulped in fear, after all, he was indeed only an ordinary thug.

    "This is a poison. Maybe I should tell you what this poison will do to your fragile body. At first, you will feel numb, so numb that you will lose all your strength. After that, very slowly... a pain will appear and it will get more painful when time goes by. The pain will start to spread in your body. In a few shichen, your nose will start to bleed and of course... it¡¯s not only from your nose but from every part of your body..." Yao Ling exined. The meaning was clear, he would die a painful death.

    Everyone looked dumbfounded at Yao Ling -- except the scared assassin who almost peed on his pants. They never saw Yao Ling¡¯s bloodthirsty side and it made them shudder in between awe and fear.

    "You lie!" The assassin snarled. "I don¡¯t believe a weak woman like you will be able to do that!"

    "Oh... so your employer doesn¡¯t tell you anything about me, huh?" Yao Ling bluffed.

    "Tell me what?" The assassin asked hesitantly.

    "I may look weak, but I¡¯m actually a poison master," She dropped the bomb to the man. "So... do you want to tell me or not? I will count to three... If you still don¡¯t tell me who your master is, then wee to hell!" Yao Ling pretended to look at her nails leisurely while waiting for the man to make up his mind. "Ah... I will also tell you. This is mytest creation, so I haven¡¯t made the antidote yet..." She singsonged thest partzily.

    "One... Two..." Yao Ling counted. She saw that this man¡¯s mind was a bit weak and she knew that he would surrender sooner orter. In a nce, she could see that this man didn¡¯t have a solid mind. He appeared to be ready to die, but if he really wanted to die, why would he run away to save himself in the first ce? What a joke!

    True enough, what she had predicted came true. The man broke down due to his fear and he quickly said, "I will tell you... I will tell you... Please don¡¯t torture me..." He preferred a quick death than a painful one that the woman told him about.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian were surprised. ¡¯That easy?!¡¯ They thought to themselves. She was able to tame the man without even torturing him with physical pain.

    "It¡¯s... it¡¯s... someone from Wang Fu..." The man started to exin.

    Everyone¡¯s face started to change with various expressions -- shock, angry, disgust mixed into one. It was indeed someone from the Wang Fu.

    "Who?" Yao Ying asked with a cold glint in her eyes. Both she and Yao Ying never tried to hurt anyone in the first ce, but they decided to take them as a mere joke. Probably... it was time for them to retaliate and let them see that both of them weren¡¯t so easy to bully.

 Chapter 163 LongsAn: A Glimpse of His Pas

    "I don¡¯t know the real master, but I can tell you about our contact¡¯s appearance because we also didn¡¯t ask her name..." The assassin only met with the maidservant and they only cared about the money. They didn¡¯t need to know the real master as long as they received half of the payment in advance, the rest would be paid after the mission waspleted.

    The man gave them a detailed description of the maidservant and they knew who the mastermind was. It was one of the concubines. When they finished their mission, they would be back and pay her back.

    "What will you do after this?" Yao Ling asked the man.

    "Er... I don¡¯t know?" The man was taken aback by Yao Ling¡¯s question. He didn¡¯t think that they would let them go. How could he know what he would do after this? Was this woman joking with him?! He thought that he would be dead for sure.

    "If I pay you, would you do something for me? That way... you will also survive today..." Yao Ling asked with a glint in her eyes however her expression couldn¡¯t be deciphered. "I want to make a deal with you."

    "What?" The assassin asked in confusion. He was taken aback by the sudden turn of event.

    Before the man could answer her, Yao Ling gave a signal for Xiu to open the man¡¯s mouth. She quickly threw something onto the man¡¯s mouth. "I just gave you another poison. This one will torture you slowly and you need an antidote. You can only live for about..." Yao Ling counted with her hands and then grinned, "One week."

    "If you are able to finish the mission and find me, I will not only give you an antidote but also give you the payment. What do you think?" Yao Ling asked with a soft smile and her appearance didn¡¯t look like someone who was ckmailing someone else.

    The manughed bitterly. "What choice do I have? Tell me the mission!" He didn¡¯t have the gut to ask how much the payment was.

    "I want to give a warning to the real master behind your mission. It¡¯s easy. Just kill the maidservant who gave you the mission. How is that sound?" Yao Ling told him with a glint of ruthless in her eyes. She was tired of being scared, besides this concubine was ruthless to them. Why should they be lenient to her? They didn¡¯t want to wait and then to be ughtered.

    The assassin was taken aback but he quite admired this woman¡¯s smart mind. He could only nod and answer her positively, "I¡¯ll do it!" Then, after pondering for a little while, he asked, "Where should I find you after I aplish the mission?"

    "Er... I¡¯m on a honeymoon trip..." Yao Ling pretended not to know their next destination and she turned to Yao Ying and asked, "Husband... where will be one week from now?"

    Yao Ying had a tacit understanding and answered on her behalf, "We probably will go sightseeing at Lin Zhou. I heard there are a lot of fun things to do there."

    Yao Ling nodded and told the assassin, "You heard him... My husband chooses Lin Zhou as our next destination and we will stay there for a little while. The faster you finish the job, the better. You still need time to search for our whereabouts," Yao Ling said with an angelic and deadly smile.

    The assassin nodded. After he said that, Xiu released the man. The assassin bade goodbye and quickly left, trying to do his mission as fast as possible. He didn¡¯t have the time to think about revenge and he was also sensible, they indeed tried to kill them first and they only retaliated. He sighed. No wonder his brother always said that he was a coward and too kind to be an assassin.

    Yao Ling sighed in relief and when she looked around, she was taken aback by the others¡¯ expression. They looked so shocked and there was a hint of fear in their eyes --- only Yao Ying, the one who looked at her dotingly. She didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. This was also the first time she behaved like a viin ah~ Somehow... it was quite fun!

    After the tension was gone, Yao Ling could feel her leg weaken. She almost fell but luckily, Yao Ying caught her in time. "Are you okay?" He asked in worry.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I¡¯m fine... It¡¯s just after the tense event, I feel weak all of a sudden. Probably because of fear," She answered coquettishly.

    The others looked at her in disbelief. ¡¯Big Sister ah~ When did you feel scared? You look so savage just now ah~¡¯

    Then, she asked hesitantly to Yao Ying, "Do you think I¡¯m too cruel?"

    Yao Ying shook his head back. "No... you are just protecting us. If I were you, I¡¯d do the same thing."

    Lin Jian quickly said, "Whoaaa... Yao Ling... You were so cool just now! What kind of poison was that?" Lin Jian was excited to know that Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a meek and stupid woman. This woman was more and more interesting ah~ His brother indeed caught an amazing and unique woman as wife.

    Yao Lingughed. "What poison? Just now I only gave him a random pill. I was only bluffing!"

    The others were dumbfounded. Her act looked so real! They thought that it was a poison for sure! Xiu and Xiao Yu started to admire their young mistress more and more.

    Lin Jian asked, "So... even the first poison that you mentioned is also a bluff?" He sighed in relief. If she was in possession of such a dangerous poison, that would be so scary!

    "No... that one is real... I always bring it along with me," Yao Ling answered while dangling the blue bottle with her hand proudly. This was her baby --- her own creation, thus she treated the poison like a precious thing. Yao Ling felt that she was better at making poison than medicine, but she didn¡¯t tell anyone about that, because she only did this on spare time.

    She almost found out Mei Li Gu Niang¡¯s poisonposition and she admitted that that woman was quite a genius. However, she wondered what medicine the matriarch gave Yao Ying because the ingredients seemed a bit foreign to her. Did she actually get it from another kingdom?

    Lin Jian, "..." He looked at the woman who lost in thought in front of him. It was best not to offend her in the future. He looked at Yao Ying in pity and awe at the same time. Lin Jian just hoped that Yao Ying would never make this Big Buddha angry or he would be poisoned to death.

    With this thought in mind, he quickly ttered Yao Ling, "Sis-inw, you are the best!"

    Yao Ling who was called by her new nickname blushed, feeling shy all of a sudden. Lin Jian was satisfied because his ttery worked.

    Yao Ying raised one of his eyebrows, "Sis-inw?!"

    Lin Jian grinned. "You are my brother, so of course Yao Ling automatically bes my Sis-in-Law!"

    Yao Ying nodded in satisfaction. "Good thinking!"

    His reply made Lin Jian rolled his eyes in annoyance. Then he remembered something, "Why did you stop at thest minute?" Lin Jian referred to the part where he let the assassin go. He knew that based on Yao Ying¡¯s skills, he should be able to subdue the assassin without killing him easily.

    Yao Ying¡¯s body was slightly stiffened. He was hoping that they would forget about this matter because he hadn¡¯t sorted out his mind yet. Yao Ying sighed and felt at a loss on how to answer his question.

    He, himself, also didn¡¯t understand about it too!

    However, he knew that an exnation was needed. He could see the curious expression that everyone had and he couldn¡¯t evade the questions with all of them staring at him --- waiting for his exnation.

 Chapter 164 LongsAn: Mysterious Girl 1

    Yao Ying closed his eyes and decided to tell the overall scene in his mind, "The scene of me fighting was ovepping with another fighting scene..." He trailed off at thest part. He wasn¡¯t really sure whether it was indeed his real past or not.

    What he said seemed to dawn on them. Yao Ling hesitantly asked, "Is it a glimpse of your past?"

    Yao Ying shook his head in defeat and said, "Maybe... I don¡¯t know...I¡¯m not sure."

    Lin Jian decided not to pursue this matter anymore. It was probably about his past and there was nothing he could do about it. He would just let the couple deal with this by themselves. He sighed and decided to gain their attention, "It would be best if we start to move once again. We need to reach a safe ce to stay for the night. I know a cave near here that¡¯s rtively safe."

    The others murmured their agreement and quickly set out once again. They only rested once when they saw a river. The water was so clear and they wanted to clean themselves for a little bit. Yao Ling let the cool water clean the dirt on her face and drank to her content. When the cool water touched her face, she felt refreshed.

    On the other hand, Yao Ying was looking at her with an unexinable expression. He didn¡¯t know what to think. If... if he was that cruel person, would she still want to stay by his side? Even he, himself, was scared of the way Yao Ying in that scene looked at him --- the piercing cold eyes were devoid of any emotions. It was as if... he didn¡¯t have the will to live.

    He also asked himself... about the woman¡¯s voice. Who was that? He remembered the way his eyes lit up for a little bit after hearing the woman¡¯s voice. There were too many possibilities. When he thought too much about his past. The headache started to attack him once again. He tried to maintain hisposure despite the headache. He didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to worry about him.

    It was probably best if he kept this to himself --- for now.

    They decided to eat there. The men were hunting foods and in the end, they grilled the rabbits that they caught. After finished eating, they continued their journey without any dy. They wanted to arrive at the cave as soon as possible, so they could rest their tired body.

    By the time they arrived at the cave, it was already night time. The cave wasn¡¯t too big, but it was enough for the five of them. Probably because it was the usual ce for people to seek shelter, the condition was quite nice and clean. They just needed to make fire and everything would be fine.

    Yao Ling quickly told Xiao Yu to brew Yao Ying¡¯s medicine, while she was changing the bandage on Yao Ying¡¯s hand into a new one. Xiao Yu knew about the matriarch¡¯s order to give the medicine to Young Master every night, so she was obediently following her young mistress¡¯ order.

    Xiao Yu felt a bit confused... why did Young Master need to drink medicine? He wasn¡¯t sick at all and also... it wasn¡¯t inconvenient for them to keep preparing for the medicine --- especially when they were in the wilderness just like this.

    If Yao Ling knew about Xiao Yu¡¯s thought, she would definitely agree! They were in the middle of a mission, however, Yao Ling was also helpless ah~ She didn¡¯t want to hurt the matriarch¡¯s feelings!

    When the medicine was ready, Yao Ling brought it over to Yao Ying who sat beside Lin Jian and chatted softly about their next n. "Ying... your medicine..." Yao Ling softly called him.

    Yao Ying¡¯s face was slightly crumpled because truthfully, the medicine¡¯s taste was a bit nasty but he couldn¡¯t reject Yao Ling¡¯s effort. He received the cup and drank in one go.

    Lin Jian asked curiously, "What is this?" It seemed like the smell of this medicine was quite familiar to him. Where did he smell this medicine before?

    "A medicine from our Grandmother. She said that it¡¯s good for Yao Ying¡¯s body," Yao Ling exined briefly.

    Lin Jian nodded but didn¡¯t pay any attention to it. He thought that it was just an ordinary medicine. "Huh? Why did she give such a bothersome order?" He asked in confusion. Did the matriarch get older and be muddleheaded?!

    It wasn¡¯t until midnight that he realized what kind of medicine it was. He quickly sat up and gaped at the realization. The reason why the matriarch gave them that kind of medicine was beyond hisprehension. They were in the middle of a mission, for God¡¯s sake!

    This was a special medicine that could only be found in the Han Kingdom and it was also very rare, somon people wouldn¡¯t be able to even take a nce at it. It was sold at a high price! Only noble people knew that this medicine existed and he wondered how the matriarch was able to get a hand on it. However, judging from Wang Luo Hai¡¯s vast connection and capabilities, it should be possible.

    He was going to tell Yao Ying and Yao Ling about that certain medications, but a sudden thought urred in his mind and he discarded his previous idea. He chose toy his body back down. Lin Jian grinned to himself... He deemed himself as a good friend... so might as well let them enjoy the full effect! The effect could be seen in a few days --- unless they found out that something was wrong about it.

    Meh~ Judging from their obliviousness, they wouldn¡¯t realize about it until the full effect came out.

    The second night ended without any mishap and they continued their journey the next day. Lin Jian thought that Yao Ling and Xiao Yu would beining about their condition, but contrary to his expectation, they didn¡¯t mutter a word ofint.

    Their path was moreplicated on the third day. The terrain was quite steep and it seemed like they passed through a mountain trail. They needed to walk up and down the hills several times and they couldn¡¯t ride their horses because the trail was quite dangerous --- they were walking on a path along the top of rugged cliffs.Yao Ling¡¯s body felt so tired that she didn¡¯t even have the mood to chat with the others.

    When they found the cave that night, she almost cried in happiness. By the time her buttnded on the floor, she fell asleep in a heartbeat. It made Yao Ying pity her and at the same time, felt helpless. He prepared a morefortable ce for her to sleep and transferred her there. Yao Ling didn¡¯t even wake up through the whole process.

    The one who prepared the medicine for Yao Ying was Xiao Yu under her young mistress¡¯ order. Yao Ying could only drink it bitterly under Lin Jian¡¯s unobvious sneering. Yao Ying nudged Yao Ling¡¯s forehead dotingly, ¡¯Even though she¡¯s tired, but she still didn¡¯t forget worrying about me.¡¯

    Yao Ying kissed her forehead without caring about the single dogs around him and slept along with his wife before it was time for him to be the night guard.

    Lin Jian told them to keep an eye on the fire and under no circumstances to let it be put out. There were wolves in the vicinity and the fire would be able to keep them safe. The men took a turn in guarding the fire. The third day ended without any big event or mishap.

    However, on the fourth day... troubles wereing to find them even though they weren¡¯t the actual target. When they arrived at the resting ce that Lin Jian rmended, they met with an entourage of a woman with her personal maidservants and a few strong guards. Judging from the clothes that they worn, they didn¡¯t seem like an ordinary person. Indeed, they were only wearing simple clothes, but the quality of the fabric was high and it couldn¡¯t deceive Yao Ling¡¯s eyes.

    It seemed like the woman was also going incognito just like them.

    To avoid unnecessary trouble, they decided to greet the other entourage politely. They asked for permission to stay together with them even though they didn¡¯t have to. After all, it was a public ce.

 Chapter 165 LongsAn: Mysterious Girl 2

    Xiu talked to one of the guards to let them stay together for a little while. They did that because the other entourage took too much space and they needed them to share some space for them. They could find some other ce to rest, but their horses were already in bad condition and they didn¡¯t want to push them any harder.

    The guard passed the question to one of the maidservants and she whispered to the woman who wore a with veil and covered her lower face. Yao Ling assumed that the woman was their leader. When the woman gave her agreement, her subordinates efficiently moved and quickly gave way to them.

    Yao Ling identally met the woman¡¯s eyes and she was mesmerized by the beauty of them. The color of her eyes was mystique grey and it was a quite rare color. Yao Ling was startled for a few moments beforeposing herself, but she couldn¡¯t stop staring at the woman¡¯s beautiful eyes. The eyes... seemed familiar to her, but she couldn¡¯t recall where she had seen them.

    Yao Ling snapped out of her thought after a few moments when Yao Ying nudged him and whispered. "What are you doing? It¡¯s impolite to keep staring at the woman!" He reminded her. Yao Ying indeed found the woman beautiful, but why was his wife seemed to be mesmerized by her? He shook his head in defeat. It was hard to decipher a woman¡¯s mind.

    Yao Ling blushed in embarrassment. She looked at the woman once again and nodded her head while smiling and greeting her. Yao Ling couldn¡¯t really see the woman¡¯s mouth, but guessing from her big round eyes that turned into a delighted crescent moon shape, it seemed like she was smiling back at her.

    After that, they didn¡¯t converse with each other. They were practically only strangers who identally met. They did their own business --- both parties were eating and resting, but they didn¡¯t mix themselves with each other and only talked among themselves. They would continue to stay that way if it wasn¡¯t because of the appearance of another group of assassins.

    The number of assassins was more than before, but the body posture of the assassins was different from theirs. It seemed like they weren¡¯t Shu people. They were bigger, taller, and burlier. It seemed like... they were Han people? Yao Ling never saw them personally, but she read a few books about them and it matched the descriptions.

    She furrowed her eyebrows. Why would the Han peoplee this far? Her eyesnded on the woman in the white veil and felt curious about her identity.

    "Not again," Yao Ling murmured to herself. They didn¡¯t even take a nce at them, their eyes were solely on the woman in the white veil. It seemed like the assassins¡¯ target wasn¡¯t them this time and Yao Ling¡¯s guess was right --- they targetted the other party.

    One of the assassins talked in a loud voice, "Gu Niang... if you follow us quietly, there won¡¯t be any fight and bloodshed. If you are resisting, then we have no choice but to kill everyone present." His words were directed at the woman who still sitting leisurely --- undisturbed by the assassins¡¯ appearance. Yao Ling quite admired her bravery.

    The woman didn¡¯t talk, but the maidservant beside her answered on her behalf. "Our Gu Niang won¡¯t be going with you! If you want to take her, it will be over our dead bodies!" The maidservant said in a decisive tone.

    Yao Ling squinted her eyes. It seemed like this maidservant wasn¡¯t an ordinary one. Under such pressure, she didn¡¯t even flinch and calmly talk on behalf of her master. If theypared the maidservant to Xiao Yu, they could see the difference. In the normal household, the maidservants tended to maintain their innocence and their gut wasn¡¯t big --- just like Xiao Yu. It seemed like the other Gu Niang¡¯s household was a big andplicated one --- probably bigger and messier than Wang Fu.

    The assassin seemed to dislike talking to a mere maidservant. "I¡¯m talking to your master!" He said in an angry voice. "In what position should I talk to you?"

    "In what position... my master should talk to you?" The maidservant retorted back. "A mere useless assassin?" The maidservant asked mockingly, then added one more thing, "My master is too majestic to talk to you!" The maidservant talked back to the assassin mercilessly. Hmph! Only a mere assassin but his arrogance made her angry.

    "Han Yi, there¡¯s no need to be angry." A melodious voice was heard from the woman¡¯s direction. From the movement of the veil, it seemed like she was the one who was talking in a calm voice. "No need to talk some sense to them. Just finish them quickly." Despite the melodious voice, it didn¡¯t cover up the resolute and firm tone behind the soft voice.

    Once she said that their guards quickly drew out their swords and they made a barrier, preparing themselves to counterattack the assassins and protect the woman in veil.

    The woman looked apologetically at Yao Ling, "I¡¯m sorry, Gu Niang. It seems like we brought trouble to you too. But rest assured, our guards would be able to handle them."

    Yao Ling could only nod and smile. What else could she do? They identally entangled themselves with this woman.

    "Then don¡¯t me me for being heartless!" The assassin said angrily because of the way the woman looked down on them. "Kill them all, except the woman in a veil! We need to capture her alive!" Hemanded the other assassins.

    Lin Jian and Yao Ying knew that they needed to fight once again. Fortunately, Yao Ying only got a minor injury so it wouldn¡¯t really affect his performance. Even if the woman¡¯s guards would be able to handle the assassins, but they couldn¡¯t risk their own party. They also prepared themselves and pulled out their swords --- just to be safe.

    The guards moved fluidly and each of them had high skills -- probably on par with Xiu. They indeed didn¡¯t have to give a hand to them. The assassins were strong, but the only one who was the same caliber as the guards was the leader. The others were quite a hopeless bunch. They were easily ughtered by the guards.

    Lin Jian¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw their weird way of fighting and he didn¡¯t find their martial arts skills familiar. This entourage indeed wasn¡¯t from the Shu Kingdom and he was amazed by the way the guards moved precisely without any useless moves. They were always able to kill the enemies with one clean movement. Lin Jian was a martial arts maniac, so seeing those amazing talents, he was greedily watching and learning a little bit from there.

    He paid attention to every little detail and it was lucky for the woman in a white veil that he did just that. Lin Jian was able to see a slight opening and it was the chance that the assasin leader had been waiting for. The assassin leader sessfully subdued one of the guards and he ran to the woman¡¯s direction. His previous intent to kidnap her alive seemed to be discarded, he had a murderous aura surrounding him and he was going for the kill.

    "Be careful," Lin Jian yelled.

    Lin Jian used his qing gong and he was faster than the assassin leader. He already arrived in front of the woman before the assassin leader did. Lin Jian¡¯s movement surprised the woman and the surrounding guards because he easily broke through their barrier. The woman had a hidden short sword inside her sleeve and she quickly held onto it --- she was afraid that this man would hurt her.

    The woman didn¡¯t have martial arts skills, so she didn¡¯t see that the assassin was breaking through the barrier and going to kill her. Her view was blocked by Lin Jian¡¯s back -- the one who was actually trying to protect her!

    The woman looked at Lin Jian while biting her lower lips. She had never hurt people before, but if the man dared to hurt her, she would stab him on the stomach. However, she was able to think rationally and didn¡¯t dare to act rashly in front of such a skilled person.

    She waited for the right time.

 Chapter 166 LongsAn: Xiao Fang

    The assassin leader tried to pierce his sword to the woman¡¯s direction, but Lin Jian deflected it easily. However, the tip of the sword managed to fling the woman¡¯s veil away. The woman¡¯s eyes widened in surprise when she saw what happened in front of her. Her grip on her short sword tightened.

    Did this man actually try to save her? She blinked her eyes in disbelief.

    They just met but even a stranger was better than her own family. Her eyes slightly teared up in gratitude. She rxed her hand and put the short sword back to its hiding ce. She felt relieved because she didn¡¯t have to hurt other people.

    The maidservant beside the woman frantically caught the fallen veil and quickly helped the woman put the veil back on. This time, she ties the veil tighter than before, so it wouldn¡¯t easily fall. The woman looked at the maidservant in gratitude. In her surprised state, she almost forgot about covering her face with her veil.

    Lin Jian was too busy dealing with the assassin leader to notice what happened behind his back. By the time he already killed the assassin leader and turned his body around to face the woman, the woman had finished tidying up her veil and her beautiful face was hidden from the world once again.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling only saw the woman¡¯s face for a split second, but they could only make out the outline. The sunlight hid the woman¡¯s face and from Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s position, they could only see the outline of her face because her face was ovee by shadow. From the outline, they could see that the woman had a small oval face with lovely pouty cherry-red lips. That¡¯s all! However, they knew that this woman was quite a beauty.

    Lin Jian asked the woman in concern, "Are you okay?"

    The woman nodded despite her slightly pale face. She looked at Lin Jian in admiration but in a sh, the subtle hint of admiration was gone. "Thank you, Gong zi for saving this lowly one¡¯s life."

    Lin Jian¡¯s mouth slightly twitched. What lowly woman? He¡¯s pretty sure that this woman is an important person --- at least, in her n or household. Otherwise, how could Jiang Hu people willingly guard her with their life? He noticed a certain symbol in each of the guard¡¯s¡¯ inner wrist -- the yin and yang symbol that was designed specifically for a certain famous sect.

    ¡¯Who is this woman¡¯s identity?¡¯ Lin Jian asked himself. This sect wouldn¡¯t easily let themselves be coerced to guard a mere woman easily -- unless she¡¯s someone important. Not only that, this sect was famous for hating to entangle themselves with the political or personal matter ofmon people.

    Lin Jian decided to follow along with the woman¡¯s decision to hide her identity. It wasn¡¯t his problem anyway and his hands were already full with the two newbies behind him. "No need to thank me, Gu Niang. It¡¯s merely a simple help," Lin Jian humbly said.

    This time, Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s mouths that twitched. They never saw such a humbly Lin Jian --- indeed the hero would always lose to a beauty¡¯s charm.

    Lin Jian was no better than Yao Ling when he looked into the woman¡¯s eyes. He lost in that mystique gray eyes but his demeanor was far calmer than Yao Ling previously. He decided to nod and let the woman be. Before he could turn around and left her there, the woman stopped him with a question, "Gong zi, may I ask where is your next destination?"

    Lin Jian furrowed his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t feelfortable in telling her their next destination and he took a peek at Yao Ying and Yao Ling. They both shrugged their shoulders, telling him that it was all up to him whether he wanted to tell her or not.

    He looked at the woman¡¯s pleading eyes and his heart softened for a bit. He decided to ask, "Lin Zhou. Is there something that Gu Niang need from me?" This much... Lin Jian was able to guess. She probably needed help with something.

    The woman¡¯s eyes lit up. "Gong zi, I¡¯m also heading to the same direction. Do you mind if we go together?" She proposed an offer shamelessly.

    Lin Jian was taken aback by the woman¡¯s bravery. She seemed to be toofortable near him --- a mere stranger. "Er... I¡¯m fine with it, but Gu Niang... how about your reputation?" Wasn¡¯t a woman usually scared about a ruined reputation?

    The womanughed with her sweet crispy voice. "What¡¯s the use of reputation if I die beforehand?" The woman seemed to joke around but there was a slightly mocking tone in her voice -- it seemed like she was mocking her own fate. Lin Jian was able to perceive the sadness in her eyes.

    "Young Miss..." Han Yi looked at her young miss in distress. She knew how hard it was for her young miss, but she was too weak... she wasn¡¯t able to help her at all.

    Lin Jian furrowed his eyebrows. The woman had a lot of guards --probably around twelve, but even with their high skills, three of them were killed by the assassins. He asked bluntly, "So... in other words, you need my protection?" Then he corrected himself, "Our protection?" He didn¡¯t forget to include Yao Ying and Xiu.

    The woman nodded. "Coincidentally, I will meet up with my family at Lin Zhou. I will give you a hefty payment there. Don¡¯t worry... I won¡¯t make you eat a loss," The woman said softly.

    "No need for the payment. Our destination is coincidentally the same. It¡¯s probably because we have a fate, so we should treat it as a new friendship," Lin Jian refused her offer ofpensation. He wasn¡¯tcking money, why should he squander the woman¡¯s money? Having a good connection was quite good. He just hoped that bringing her wouldn¡¯t affect their mission.

    "Gong zi, what¡¯s your name?" The woman once again asked. This time, it¡¯s apanied by a hint of shyness.

    "Lin Jian. Gu Niang?" Lin Jian asked the woman¡¯s name back.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling sat on the side while eating dried food. Yao Ling whispered, "Why do I feel like there are only both of them left in this world?"

    Yao Ying nodded in agreement. "Indeed. They are a bit too intimate for the first meeting." They pretended to act and replied Lin Jian and that Gu Niang¡¯s conversation words by words.

    They were both eating and drinking leisurely like they were watching a lovely performance. They talked in a low voice, but Lin Jian was a martial arts practitioner and his hearing was quite good. Did they think he couldn¡¯t hear how they mocked him? His face was slighty darkened and he would pay them backter!

    Yao Ling really wanted tough out loud, she knew that Lin Jian was listening to their conversation. Even though the man had tanned skin, but she was able to see the slightly reddened ears --- the man was actually blushing!

    "You can call me Xiao Fang [=means Little Fang]," The woman said softly.

    Han Yi looked at her young miss in surprise... Xiao Fang? Why did Young Miss use that name? Didn¡¯t Young Miss always hate to be called that? She wanted to speak up but decided against it. It was her young miss¡¯ decision so she could only abide by it.

    Lin Jian nodded and then he called Yao Ying and Yao Ling over. He introduced them to Xiao Fang. "This is my best friend and his wife, Yao Ying and Yao Ling. If we are going to go together, it will be better if we get acquainted with each other."

    Xiao Fang softly smiled, "Nice to meet you."

    Yao Ling nodded happily and then blurted out excitedly, "I always want to say... I love your mesmerizing eyes!"

    Xiao Fang giggled and said thank you. "You are also so beautiful..." Xiao Fang didn¡¯t exaggerate her response, Yao Ling was indeed beautiful in her eyes.

    They chatted for a bit and somehow Yao Ling quite liked Xiao Fang. She didn¡¯t seem to be a fake person.

    "Where are you from?" Yao Ling asked curiously. If they wanted to be real friends, she should know Xiao Fang¡¯s background a little bit.

 Chapter 167 LongsAn: Facts

    Xiao Fang hesitantly said, "I¡¯m from the Han Kingdom." In truth, there was no enmity between the Han Kingdom and the Shu Kingdom at this point in time. However, the rtionship between the country also couldn¡¯t be considered as good with the sudden marriage alliance between the Shu Kingdom and the Qin Kingdom.

    When Xiao Fang saw that Yao Ling didn¡¯t at her in disgust, she sighed in relief. "Are you not going to hate me?" She asked curiously.

    "What for?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "The marriage alliance," Xiao Fang said softly. "I know that the situation between the countries is quite tense because of it."

    Yao Lingughed at that. "It¡¯s only a political matter. I don¡¯t really care about it." What Yao Ling said was actually a half-truth. She indeed didn¡¯t care about the marriage alliance, because it would bring no difference to her. She only cared about Han Xiang. That¡¯s all.

    Yao Ling asked curiously once again, "Why do you look like this? I mean... it¡¯s different from the description of the valiant Han Kingdom woman in the book?"

    Xiao Fangughed and exined, "It¡¯s just an exaggeration. I¡¯m a mix-blood because my mother is Shu woman. Just like my maidservants -- they basically a mix-blood between Qin and Han, so they don¡¯t exactly look like Han people. The big burly one only the pure blood."

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. "No wonder..."

    "The mix-blood people usually live on the borders," Xiao Fang once again exined.

    "So, you live on the border too?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "No... I moved to the Capital when I was younger. But yes... I used to live there," Xiao Fang said with a smile.

    "What are you doing here? I mean, this is quite far from the Han Kingdom," Yao Ling asked. She was trying to probe a little bit, after all, the only ce they passed by usually Lin Zhou. What are they doing deep in this forest?

    "I originally nned to go to Lin Zhou directly, but along the way... we were chased by the assassins. We were separated from our family, so we need to reach Lin Zhou by ourselves," Xiao Fang exined. "We ended up here and took a rest before trying to find our ways. Luckily, we meet you guys."

    Yao Ling nodded, but she still felt that something was weird. Even though she was identally separated from the main entourage, but judging from her guards, they weren¡¯t ordinary people. What had happened that made them identally separated?

    After they finished resting, they started to move once again. Yao Ling looked at Xiao Fang who rode her horse easily by jumping up steadily and sat leisurely on the horseback majestically. "Xiao Fang, you are so cool when riding your horse!" Yao Ling admired her skill, after all, she needed to threaten Bao Bao in order to sessfully ride him.

    Xiao Fang answered whileughing, "Every Han woman has to learn riding horse from four years old. My skill is just so-so if youpare it to the others." She humbly said.

    The more she talked with Xiao Fang, the more she liked her. The woman is easygoing and probably because of the way they were raised full of freedom, she had a different perspective on life. They were more carefree. She might look aloof when they first met, but once Yao Ling got to know her closer, she showed Yao Ling her warm and easygoing side.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t bother Yao Ling when she was trying to bond with Xiao Fang. This was the first time she acted like this --- carefree and cheerful, probably because of Xiao Fang¡¯s influence. He sighed in happiness when he saw the smile on her face and the way she animatedly chatted with Xiao Fang, even with Ning-jie she never behaved that way.

    Yao Ling was indeed taking things seriously back at home and each time Yao Ling talked to Ning-jie, their conversation revolving around business and the kids. They were more likerades than friends.

    Yao Ying was indeed sometimes overbearing and got jealous easily, but to him, her happiness was the most important things. He might look like that he was a beast and loved to be intimate with her, but what man didn¡¯t? He just opened his eyes to the act of intimacy, so he was a bit reckless in that part and couldn¡¯t stop himself from tasting Yao Ling.

    Fortunately, Yao Ling was quite understanding and admitted that she was enjoying it too.

    Yao Ying was content to see this other side of Yao Ling and he only looked at her while smiling once in a while. Lin Jian noticed this and asked, "Why are you smiling so much while looking at them?"

    "You won¡¯t understand," Yao Ying answered with a secretive smile. What a single dog would know about his affection toward his wife?

    "What?" He furrowed his eyebrows in distaste. "Are you eyeing Xiao Fang too?"

    Yao Ying looked at Lin Jian like he saw a lunatic. "What are you talking about? Are you crazy?" He felt like kicking his stupid friend. Didn¡¯t he know that his words would make himnd into trouble?! What if Yao Ling heard his baseless usation?!

    "Then... why did you smile creepily?" Lin Jian mocked him.

    "I¡¯m looking at my wife!!" Yao Ying almost shouted out of anger. Why did Lin Jian seem to be able to tick him off? Did he do this on purpose?!

    They bantered animatedly, making the women look back at them. They shook her head in disbelief when they saw the men¡¯s childishness and ended upughing together. They didn¡¯t hear what the men were talking about but their banter was quite fun to see. The atmosphere of the trip was quite harmonious and joyful.

    They spent the night in an open space because they almost arrived at Lin Zhou and they had already passed through the dense forest. What¡¯s left was an open field and because of that, they needed to stay vignce --- it was easier to be attacked on open space and their position was more vulnerable than the attacker.

    Because of that, both parties worked together and they alternately guarded the perimeter. The women were sitting in the middle and they were warming themselves in front of the bonfire. The chilly winds really made them feel cold and they had no protection whatsoever from it, unlike back in the cave. Fortunately, the women already prepared themselves thick coats.

    Yao Ling tried to fish some news about Han Xiang from Xiao Fang. "Xiao Fang... have you heard anything about the Princess?" Yao Ling asked. "I¡¯m so curious about her."

    "Why?" Xiao Fang furrowed her eyebrows. "There¡¯s nothing special about her."

    "Really?" Yao Ling asked then she looked to her surroundings dramatically and whispered, "I heard a lot of gossips about the princess back at WenFeng. Come...e... I will tell you..."

    Yao Ling saw from the surprise in Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes that she was taken aback by Yao Ling¡¯s question. It seemed like she knew something but she didn¡¯t want to tell Yao Ling about it. Yao Ling cleverly changed her stance from curiosity and became a gossiper, just to let Xiao Fang lower her guard down.

    There was a difference between asking directly and in a roundabout way, Yao Ling was smart enough to notice that. She saw the way Xiao Fang looked a bit defensive when she asked directly about the Han Princess --- she wondered why, but she dismissed it because she might be hesitant because it was about Xiao Fang¡¯s kingdom.After all, they stood on the different kingdoms and it would always be the barriers between them.

    Yao Ling whispered to Xiao Fang what she had heard before and Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. "Really? How couldmon people also know about those facts?!" Xiao Fang asked in astonishment.

    Yao Ling raised one of her eyebrows and asked, "Facts?"

    Xiao Fang could feel her back sweat. Did she just fall into her trap?! She sighed but knew that she couldn¡¯t refute what she had just said. She tried to think so hard about what she should do.

    ¡¯Errr? Probably she should pretend that Yao Ling had misheard?¡¯ She thought to herself.

    "Did I say fact?" She tried to look dumb.

 Chapter 168 LongsAn: Han Xiang and Xiao Fang 1

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. At first, Xiao Fang looked so beautiful like a deity because of her eyes and made her feel it was hard to get closer to her. She never thought there was a cute side of her and Xiao Fang already said the ¡¯facts¡¯ word a bit louder, everyone probably heard about it. And yet, she still tried to pretend to be dumb. It made her speechless.

    Yao Ying said from behind them with a loud voice, "En... Even I clearly heard that you said facts."

    Xiao Fang felt embarrassed because of that. She felt like pping her own mouth. She knew that Yao Ling didn¡¯t have any weird intention, she was just merely gossiping about the big events that shook the bnce of the three kingdoms, so she couldn¡¯t fault her.

    She sighed and answered them, "Yes. All of those are facts. It seems like the gossiper¡¯s aunt indeed worked in the pce. It¡¯s a public secret for the people in the pce that Han Xiang is the abandoned Princess."

    "How do you know?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Xiao Fang contemted for a few moments whether she should tell them the truth or not. "She¡¯s my best friend," she admitted.

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes widened. "Huh? Howe?"

    "You mean howe an abandoned princess is able to have a friend?" Xiao Fang asked.

    Yao Ling nodded. She knew that her question was quite rude, but she couldn¡¯t stop herself in time from asking. She didn¡¯t think that an abandoned princess would have a privilege in the friend department because even the eunuchs and pce maids probably wouldn¡¯t respect the princess.

    "I identally met with her once in the pce," Xiao Fang started reminiscing. "You don¡¯t know how cruel they treated the young princess. She has no powerful maternal family to back her up and she also didn¡¯t have his father¡¯s love. Her future was bleak..."

    Yao Ling took a peek at Lin Jian and she could see how his fists were tightly clenched under his sleeves and how his whole body was tense. He tried to imagine his little sister¡¯s pain and his heart clenched in pain.

    Xiao Fang continued talking, "When I met her, her eyes were dead with no hope in life. She¡¯s the same age as me but instead ofughter... I only see pain." Xiao Fang remembered that Han Xiang had given up on her life at that time.

    She almost jumped on the pond just to let everything go and she was only five at that time. Xiao Fang¡¯s older brother was the one who saved her. A step toote and she would have stopped breathing.

    "What happened to her?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Neglected, no fresh foods for her, malnutrition, insulted by the pce maids and eunuchs --- you name it and she had been through all of those bad treatments. She became the victim of the harsh environment inside the pce," Xiao Fang said. "She was only five... what could she do? She just wanted to end her pain."

    "What happened after that?" Yao Ling really pitied the princess. She was only five and she had been through hell.

    "My father¡¯s position in the court was quite stable back then. I begged my father to save the princess and let her be mypanion..."

    "Huh? Yourpanion?!" Yao Ling asked in disbelief. "I only heard that the daughters of officials are the ones who suppose to be a princess¡¯ studypanion!" Yao Ling eximed.

    "Well... I was only five and besides, I thought that she was only a maid. Her clothes were even uglier than the pce maids and some ces were already tattered," Xiao Fang answered while blushing in embarrassment. She was indeed too rash back then and the story had been retold a few times by her brother just for the sake of mocking her... so she was able to remember this part clearly.

    Yao Lingughed out loud. Xiao Fang stared daggers at her and muttered, "No need tough. My father smacked my head because of it. After all, the other party is still a princess even though she was abandoned."

    It was said that Xiao Fang¡¯s father reported the incident to the Emperor. Even though the Emperor didn¡¯t like this princess, he wouldn¡¯t openly abandon her in front of his subordinates because he didn¡¯t want to lose his face in front of them. The Emperor shamelessly thought that no one would know about his true self, but Xiao Fang¡¯s father was able to use this to his advantage and made his shamlessness the reason that Han Xiang was saved.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s father stroke the iron while it was still hot and asked permission for Xiao Fang to be the princess¡¯panion because she pitied the princess and also he saw how much Xiao Fang liked the princess. After all, Xiao Fang was his most beloved daughter and he fully pampered her.

    The Emperor was stunned because of the sudden request. He didn¡¯t know the condition of his unfavored daughter for the past few years and how she had survived in the pce. Even if she was dead, he probably wouldn¡¯t bat an eyshes.

    Because of Xiao Fang¡¯s father¡¯s request, The Emperor started to pay attention to it and make Han Xiang¡¯s living condition improve before finally letting Xiao Fange to the pce and be Han Xiang¡¯spanion.

    "Why did he agree so easily?" Yao Ling asked curiously. "He could just reject your father¡¯s plea, right? After all, he was the mighty Emperor..."

    Xiao Fang still didn¡¯t want to divulge her real identity, so she just answered vaguely, "As I said, it was because the Emperor didn¡¯t want to portray himself of a cruel and heartless father in his subordinates¡¯ hearts. He has an image to maintain."

    What Xiao Fang said was the half-truth... if her father wasn¡¯t a powerful figure, the Emperor wouldn¡¯t give her father¡¯s any face. He was afraid offending her father, that¡¯s why it was easy for her to be the princess¡¯ newpanion.

    "Why are you so interested in Han Xiang?" The Emperor asked quietly.

    "Your Majesty, it¡¯s because my youngest daughter seems to like Little Princess and she has been crying for a few days just because she wants to see the princess. So, if I don¡¯t get your permission, then my day won¡¯t be peaceful anymore," Xiao Fang¡¯s father answered truthfully. He didn¡¯t want to go head-to-head with the Emperor, so he used his daughter as an excuse.

    The Emperor knew how mischievous, naughty, and overbearing Xiao Fang was. His suspicion toward his favorite subordinate was gone. At first, he was suspicious of his sudden interest toward Han Xiang. He was afraid that the man in front of him would use Han Xiang as a pawn, but if it was Xiao Fang¡¯s request, then there was nothing to be suspicious about.

    "Sure... let your daughtere to apany Princess Han Xiang every day. I will assign teachers for them," The Emperor gave his agreement in his dismissive tone. He didn¡¯t really care about Han Xiang, but he had to find the best teachers because he had to give a face to the man in front of him. After all, his daughter would learn along with Han Xiang.

    Forget it! The better education for Han Xiang in four arts, the better he could use her when she blossomed into a maiden. After that, the Emperor had already forgotten all about Han Xiang. In his mind, he didn¡¯t really have this daughter. If he saw her, Han Xiang would only remind him of that woman and his pride wouldn¡¯t allow him to admit that.

    Starting from that day, Han Xiang¡¯s life was getting better. She got the education that she needed, she had new friends, and because of the power of her new friend¡¯s father... the servants didn¡¯t dare to bully her. Other princes didn¡¯t really pay her any mind because a princess wasn¡¯t going to involve in the power struggle, however, her day would be eventful because of some of the princesses that envied her beauty.

    Yao Ling asked curiously, "Xiao Fang... is Han Xiang the reason you are going to Lin Zhou?"

    Xiao Fang looked at Yao Ling in distress and finally admitted, "Actually, yes..."

 Chapter 169 LongsAn: Han Xiang and Xiao Fang 2

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard Xiao Fang¡¯s answer. She really wanted to run around andugh happily. Did they finally get a decent clue? She had a gut feeling that this woman had a connection with the princess, but who knew that they were that close... She believed that Yao Ying and Lin Jian also heard what Xiao Fang said and basked in happiness too.

    Yao Ling decided to y pull and push trick, so Xiao Fang wouldn¡¯t feel suspicious about her intention. "Are the assassins chasing after you because of this matter with Han Xiang?"

    Xiao Fang shook her head. "No... This is purely my family business... it doesn¡¯t involve Han Xiang."

    "And you are still persistent in trying to find Han Xiang despite of having to face those assassins too?" Yao Ling asked in disbelief.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Yes..."

    "But why? Isn¡¯t she going to get a luxurious marriage with the Qin Emperor? He doesn¡¯t have many women in his harem, so she probably will have a happy marriage..." Then, Yao Ling added, "She also can free herself from the Han Emperor¡¯s clutch..."

    "Ha-ha-ha..." Xiao Fangughed bitterly. "I¡¯ve heard that fake news as well. The Qin Emperor is a monster and I¡¯m not going to let my best friend to get married to such a lunatic!" Xiao Fang said full of determination.

    Yao Ling looked at Lin Jian and Yao Ying who went closer to her, after listening to Xiao Fang¡¯s story. They were interested in the news too. Lin Jian asked, "How do you n to save her?"

    Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian were feeling a bit suspicious. Was this really a coincidence? Why was it so easy for them to find Han Xiang¡¯s best friend? What¡¯s the odd that this kind of coincidence could happen? Were they being too lucky? Even if they were suspicious, they needed to take this chance.

    It was easy to find out the princess when she was in the big entourage because they knew that the Han Kingdom wouldn¡¯t dare to y a trick by exchanging the bride. Beside that... what was that for? The Emperor didn¡¯t care for this daughter at all so he was probably happy that this daughter was gone.

    They just needed to get closer to Han Xiang and in order to do that, it would take a lot of time and double the effort. However, with Xiao Fang¡¯s presence, they would reduce the time and effort that they needed to waste.

    Xiao Fang looked at Lin Jian and slightly blushed, before finally answering, "I¡¯m not sure yet. First thing first... I need to find her and then drag her away from the wedding entourage. I will ask her to run away with me!"

    Yao Ling snickered when Xiao Fang was blushing. This woman was simply too simple and innocent. Every thought that she had could be read easily, it was as clear as day. How did she n to save the princess this way?

    Lin Jian asked in disbelief, "Find her and drag her away?! Have you think about what will happen if they discover that the bride has run away?" He didn¡¯t know whether Xiao Fang was too innocent or too stupid. She dared to chase her friend with this kind of simple and foolish n?!

    Lin Jian added a question once again, "There¡¯s a possibility that the two kingdoms will go to war. Have you think about that too?"

    "Er... as long as we run away safely... it should be no problem? Let the Han Emperor deal with it?" Xiao Fang answered the question with other questions.

    What she said made the three people¡¯s expression became slightly darkened. They started to believe that Xiao Fang was indeed... a special case. Was she really that simple-minded?!

    Yao Ling sighed and tried to talk some sense, "If you run away, then they will hunt you even to the end of the world... You won¡¯t have an easy life too."

    Han Yi who heard Yao Ling¡¯s question mumbled, "I already told Young Miss a few times already... and she didn¡¯t listen to me..."

    Yao Ling was able to hear despite Han Yi¡¯s low voice, she really didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. This foolish girl, Xiao Fang was also stubborn.

    "But... I can¡¯t just let her be..." Xiao Fang said. "She went out of the wolf den and send herself into a tiger den. What¡¯s the difference?"

    "Yes... but in order to save her from this marriage, you need a sound n," Yao Ying said while rolling his eyes. He felt lucky that he ended up with Yao Ling who was smart. He looked at Lin Jian pitifully, it seemed like his life would be so eventful in the future. He had a gut feeling that these two would end up with each other and their personalitiesplemented each other --- both were fools but loyal to the core.

    "I tried so hard to think of a n, but it¡¯s very hard. I even begged my father to hire people from the Jiang Hu with me," Xiao Fang admitted.

    "Why don¡¯t you ask your father¡¯s help to save Han Xiang?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Er... Father would kill me if he knew about my n. I just asked for more bodyguard and ran away from home!" Xiao Fang exined while grinning sheepishly.

    ¡¯Is she indeed seriously wanted to drag Han Xiang away just like this?! Without a n?!¡¯ The three people could only shake their head inwardly. They were rendered speechless by Xiao Fang¡¯s recklessness.

    It seemed like Xiao Fang could be their double-edged sword. In a way, she could save them some times to meet Han Xiang, but with her... foolishness, there was a possibility that she would ruin their n.

    The three of them looked at each other helplessly.

    "Xiao Fang, are you really that close with her? You are even willing to give up your life and be a fugitive along with her?" Yao Ling asked seriously.

    "Yes... we are good sisters!" Xiao Fang answered decisively while nodding her head excitedly for a few times.

    Yao Ling thought to herself, ¡¯It is indeed rare to find such a kind, loyal, innocent, and foolish person. In a way, she also admires Xiao Fang¡¯s kindness toward her friend.¡¯

    "Do you need our help?" Yao Ling decided to take her along with them. Having one more loyal friend was also good.

    Xiao Fang looked at Yao Ling and asked with hopeful eyes, "Are you really willing to help me?"

    Yao Ling sighed and nodded. "We actually don¡¯t have anything to do. I¡¯m just going out on our honeymoon trip, so we just go around sightseeing. We meet here by chance so it seems like what Lin Jian said is true... we have a fate," Yao Ling said. She used the same excuse that they had been using so far --- honeymoon trip.

    "Our honeymoon?" Xiao Fang asked while looking the three of them in surprise.

    Yao Ling nodded.

    "All of you?" Xiao Fang asked once again.

    Yao Ling nodded once again.

    "The three of you?"

    Yao Ling, "..." She felt like opening her brain and saw what¡¯s inside it. What did she mean by the three of us?! Did she look like a pervert?

    Yao Ling flicked Xiao Fang¡¯s forehead and said, "What are you thinking about? My husband is Yao Ying. Lin Jian is going for an adventure, but he ends up following us until he gets bored. Do you think I have two husbands?"

    "Oh..." Xiao Fang looked down shyly and she took a peek at Lin Jian who was currently talking to Yao Ying in a low voice --- probably about their new arrangement.

    Even blind people could see the affectionate gaze from Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes, Yao Ling could only helplessly smile at Xiao Fang. Her question was probably just to probe whether Lin Jian was single or not. She¡¯s really funny!

    Yao Ling started to feel tired and said, "Come on! Let¡¯s go to sleep for now! We can think of a n when we arrive at Lin Zhou tomorrow. We need to see the wedding entourage¡¯s security and also Han Xiang¡¯s decision before we make a sound n."

    "You don¡¯t have to ask... Han Xiang will definitely agree with me," Xiao Fang said resolutely.

 Chapter 170 Lin Zhou: Someting Isnst Right 1

    "Have you ever asked her about her opinion?" Yao Ling asked.

    "No... However, she always put on a sad smile, so I¡¯m sure that she also doesn¡¯t want this marriage to happen," Xiao Fang answered while remembering Han Xiang¡¯s lonely expression.

    "Then how do you determine whether she really wants to or not? What you see is not always the truth!"

    "Because... who... who wants to get married to such a bad guy?" Xiao Fang asked with uncertainty.

    "Does Han Xiang know about it? That the Qin Emperor is a bad guy?" Yao Ling wanted to confirm about it.

    Xiao Fang hesitantly said, "I don¡¯t know... probably... I got the news after her entourage has already gone."

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "That¡¯s why we need to ask about her decision first. You have to let her know the news about the Qin Emperor. You can¡¯t decide her life for her," Yao Ling gave her a piece of advice.

    Xiao Fang nodded in understanding. "I see what you mean, but I¡¯m sure that I will be able to convince her."

    Yao Ling only answered, "That¡¯s good then." After that, she didn¡¯t dwell on that matter anymore.

    Somehow... Yao Ling felt that it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. If she really thought of Xiao Fang as good sisters, she didn¡¯t think that Han Xiang would want to put Xiao Fang into that fugitive life. At least, that¡¯s what she would do if she was Han Xiang. She wouldn¡¯t try to put her life in other people¡¯s palm, but she would try to find a way to survive on her own.

    Yao Ling just hoped that Han Xiang was really worth it. She wasn¡¯t blinded by her own feelings just like Lin Jian who was already biased due to his own personal feeling regarding his mother.

    The women decided to prepare their sleep arrangement in the middle of the circle. Yao Ling and Xiao Fang slept side by side after chatted for a little bit, while the men were guarding them and stayed awake in turn.

    When the women sleep, Yao Ying and Lin Jian were talking in a low voice about Xiao Fang. They had their doubt toward the woman, but they had no choice but to make her as their own pawn. Fortunately, their goal was the same, so Xiao Fang probably wouldn¡¯t feel suspicious. Besides, the woman was quite dense, to begin with.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian didn¡¯t dare to talk too much because they believed the Jiang Hu guards would be able to hear them with their sensitive hearing.

    Just like that one night had passed peacefully. Fortunately, no one attacked them -- whether it was assassin or wolf. After passing through Long¡¯an, they would arrive at Lin Zhou by midnight -- if there was noplication on their journey, of course.

    Luckily, they didn¡¯t meet any mishap and everything went smoothly.

    They arrived at Lin Zhou by midnight. Some of Xiao Fang¡¯s guards separated themselves and searched for the inn that still had vacancy rooms, while the rest of them were waiting tiredly --- especially the women. They had never been a few days journey without rest so naturally, their body couldn¡¯t keep up with the men.

    By giving one of the innkeepers a few taels of silver, they got the best room and even the horses got special treatment even though it was already midnight. Let the money do the talking! The innkeeper weed them warmly and he woke up several of his subordinates and efficiently prepare a few rooms for them.

    Knowing that Lin Jian had woken up the innkeeper, he generously gave a bit more and asked the innkeeper to take care of them well because they were going to stay for a few days at Lin Zhou.

    They separated themselves and went inside their own respective rooms, after that, they quickly fell asleep. After a few days sleeping on a hard surface, thefortable bed made them feel heaven.

    All of them had already made a consensus and decision that they would talk about their n tomorrow. First thing first, they had to find out whether Han Xiang¡¯s entourage had arrived or not. Because of the loud promation of the wedding entourage, it means there were a lot of people who would attend to the princess.

    Their pace naturally would be slower than them. They didn¡¯t even have the time to rest and kept pushing their bodies to the limit so they could arrive before Han Xiang. They needed to prepare themselves beforehand and weed the princess with their n to ruin the wedding.

    After a night offortable rest, all of them woke up in a good mood and felt refreshed. They were able to think more clear-headed. Yao Ling offered herself to be the one who collected some gossips on the street. She felt confident due to her sess in finding out the facts about Han Xiang even though it was actually by luck. She dragged Xiao Fang along with her, making the two men could only shake their head helplessly.

    Yao Ying still remembered thest time a man coveted his wife, so he went along with them and dragged Lin Jian along. He had to guard her before something else happened. Xiu was also ordered to find out some clues and they would talk about the n that evening. Xiao Fang asked her guards to disperse and became shadow guards as to not make them be the center of attention. She had four maidservants but only took Han Yi with her. The others would stay in the inn.

    Xiao Yu also stayed at the inn because she was a bit feverish. A doctor had been called and it was only a mild cold and she only needed to rest for a few days. She willfully wanted to follow along but rejected by Yao Ling and she was told to get better first.

    While buying foods and whatnot, they perked up their ears but there was no mention about Han Xiang¡¯s entourage. It seemed like they hadn¡¯t arrived yet. Yao Ling casually chose a piece of a lovely hairpin and asked thedy who sold it, "Auntie... I heard there will be a wedding entourage pass by here, but howe I don¡¯t a see a joyful atmosphere here?"

    "Ah... Gu Niang... you mean about the wedding alliance?"

    Yao Ling nodded.

    "The wedding entourage hasn¡¯t passed by here yet, but I heard it will be around two or three days. About the joyful atmosphere... that won¡¯t happen..." The street vendor said sadly.

    "Why?" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    "We live in the border but we are not really that oblivious. If this marriage indeed happens, there will be war once again. Haiyah~ what¡¯s there to be celebrated about?"

    Yao Ling looked at the street vendor in surprise. She didn¡¯t think that this was a simple matter of being oblivious or not, the citizens usually never cared about these kinds of things. If there was a merry event then they would follow along and enjoy the festivities. Someone born noble would certainly not understand this, but she used to be a peasant and she knew how simpleminded country folks and the citizens were. Was this because they live in the border? So they were more perspective about this event?

    Not right.

    Even if they thought that way, they would have a certain curiosity and expectation. However, she found nothing about it. Someone must have been deliberately trying to influence people¡¯s opinions... But who? And why? For what purpose?

    Although she felt unsure, Yao Ling still smiled and bought a nice hairpin and then gave it to Xiao Fang. She chose a cute dangling hairpin with little birdies as an ornament. Each time the person moved, it would look like the birds were flying and she thought it was suitable with Xiao Fang¡¯s cute image.

    Xiao Fang happily received her new hairpin and put it on, making Yao Ling feel satisfied when she proudly moved cutely to make the hairpin move along with her.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t discuss anything right away with the others, although she knew that the two men probably also heard about it too. She tried to visit one of the other street vendors and she got the same result. They all worried about the non-existent war.

    Something was indeed not right.

 Chapter 171 Lin Zhou: Someting Isnst Right 2

    It seemed like someone didn¡¯t want Han Xiang to be weed at Lin Zhou, but the only city that they could restfortably was Lin Zhou. But why? Was there another party that wanted to prevent this marriage? Even if they wanted to stop their marriage, they couldn¡¯t let people know that it was the work of Shu people... otherwise, the consequences would be dire!

    Who did this?!

    Yao Ling decided to drag the rest of them to rest at a nearby teahouse. She felt thirsty and a teahouse was the ce where people drinking and talking at the same time. They probably would be able to hear something there.

    Lin Zhou wasn¡¯t as big as Wen Feng, there was only one big teahouse in the city so the chance to find something out was bigger. All of them had a tacit understanding not to talk about what they had heard from the street vendor. Xiao Fang was going to say something on the road, but Yao Ling stopped her with a nce and mouthed to her that it wasn¡¯t the right ce to talk. Luckily, Xiao Fang was willing to listen to her.

    They sat leisurely while enjoying their tea and pastries. Yao Ling ate hungrily because she didn¡¯t eat any snacks on the street just for the sake of finding information. There were not many people in the teahouse and they patiently waited there. Yao Ling knew that Xiu had been ordered to find out the news secretly, so they weren¡¯t in a hurry.

    They talked leisurely until a bunch of schrs went inside the teahouse. The schrs chose to sit near the window and a bit far from where Yao Ling¡¯s party sat down. However, the teahouse wasn¡¯t that big and the surroundings were also a bit quiet so they could hear clearly what the other party talked about. Besides, they talked in loud voices and seemed like afraid not to be heard by other people.

    "Haiyahhh~" One of them sighed loudly.

    "Soon, The Han Princess will pass by Lin Zhou ahh~ It will bring us cmity ah!" The other said.

    "Yes, ah~... The other two kingdoms are really looking down on our Shu Kingdom."

    "How sad..."

    "Haaaa~ should we receive the princess at Lin Zhou?"

    "What else can we do?"

    "It¡¯s a must..."

    "But... the other two kingdoms want to join hand ah!"

    "What if they will dere war and attack our Shu Kingdom together ah~?"

    All of the schrs nodded at the same time. They sat near the window and every passerby would be able to listen to their words and this teahouse was right in the middle of Lin Zhou¡¯s busy street, so what they talked about would soon be heard by all Lin Zhou¡¯s people. Yao Ling realized that these bunch of schrs were the ones who spread the rumor and incited negative feelings toward Han Xiang before she even stepped foot at Lin Zhou.

    If themoners heard and harbored a negative feeling toward Han Xiang, there was a possibility that they would create a ruckus. If something happened to Han Xiang, they couldn¡¯t avoid war!! Someone just deliberately used this opportunity to incite war. Even if The Emperor wanted to ruin the wedding, he would do it quietly just like them. On the surface, he needed to maintain the good rtionship between the three kingdoms.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows and finally decided to say something, "Are we going to let them say nonsense just like that?"

    "We can¡¯t let them say something outrageous. We need toe up with something..." Xiao Fang said, she gritted her teeth in anger.

    "Wait for a little bit. We need to hear more, so we will know for certain what they are up to..." Lin Jian held Xiao Fang back. This woman was simply too rash --- she always wanted to do right away what¡¯s inside her mind without thinking.

    They continued to listen to the schrs¡¯ provocation words.

    "We need to show our disgust to them when the entourage passes by..."

    "Yes! We should not let theme step inside Lin Zhou!"

    "We should embarrass the princess!!"

    "Throw something at their entourage!"

    They indeed tried to stir up the crowd and let them do the dirty work of attacking the wedding entourage.

    The louder they talked, the more people they were attracted. They listened to what the schrs said and if they heard these kinds of things every day, they definitely would be brainwashed. Themoners tended to believe the words of smart schrs. After all, they were respected by the illiterate people.

    Their goal was to make the people angry and ruined the wedding using people¡¯s rage. What a trick!

    "I will handle this," Yao Ying said leisurely. Battle of words, huh? He was the best choice for this.

    Yao Ying walked to the schrs¡¯ table while the three of them looked at him, feeling curious about what he would do next. Yao Ying cut them off in the middle of the schrs¡¯ boisterous talk, "Brothers, may I know what is this all about?"

    The crowd had gathered around the window, so when Yao Ying suddenly appeared, their focusnded on Yao Ying and felt curious about the young man¡¯s sudden appearance.

    One of them answered confidently, "What else? About the uing royal marriage between the Qin and Han Kingdoms." The schr was able to see from Yao Ying¡¯s clothing and aura that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary man, so even though he was arrogant, he didn¡¯t dare to be impolite. There were a lot of people from different backgrounds at Lin Zhou and because of the marriage, Lin Zhou attracted a lot of people from the other parts of the Shu Kingdom. He was afraid that somehow he identally offended someone that shouldn¡¯t be offended, so he held back his attitude a little.

    "Oh? Let me hear about it more clearly..." Yao Ying pretended that he hadn¡¯t heard a thing before this.

    The schrs excitedly repeated what they had said.

    Yao Ying nodded, pretending to agree to them. "Ah I see... how do all of you n to stop them froming into Lin Zhou? As far as I know, the Shu Kingdom never puts on a ban for them to stay at Lin Zhou."

    The crowd listened to Yao Ying and thought that what he had said was indeed true. They realized that The Emperor never made an announcement about that. Did it mean that the Emperor agree with this marriage?

    The schrs started to sweat. Indeed, there was no move from the government and they were doing this because of the money and official position that had been offered to them.

    One of them smoothly said, "Yes, they never put on a ban. However, we are Shu people so we should uphold justice for our kingdom! I¡¯m sure that The Emperor will feel happy if we work for the better of the kingdom! We can¡¯t let the other kingdoms join hands!"

    Yao Ying could see the way the crowd started to sway to the other party once again. Yao Ying shook his head and pretended to ask curiously, "Have you ever thought about the consequences if the Emperor actually allows them to enter and all of you tried to prevent the entourage?"

    The schrs startled because no one had asked them that way. They just blindly believed in their words. If they were against the Emperor¡¯s decree, they would be rebels.

    "I¡¯m sure The Emperor will support us!" They insisted, trying to maintain their calmness.

    "I¡¯m sure... I¡¯m sure... I¡¯m just asking. The announcement board has no such order from The Emperor... I¡¯m afraid... it will only implicate too many people if we let the people do it," Yao Ying said in a clear voice and loud enough for the crowd to hear his words.

    Someone from the crowd asked, "What would happen?" And the question was supported by the murmur of the mass. They started to think about how they almost went into trouble for nothing. In reality, the wedding didn¡¯t affect their life that much.

    It made the schrs¡¯ face started to get paler. They were schrs but they hadn¡¯t passed the test so they couldn¡¯t hold a post in the officialdom. It meant that they weren¡¯t as smart as of how they looked like on the surface.

 Chapter 172 Lin Zhou: Someting Isnst Right 3

    "Nothing will happen!" One of the schrs said. "This is only a simple matter so why would The Emperor care about it?"

    "Brother ah~ if it¡¯s that simple... why should you care and want to stop the wedding ah~?" Yao Ying asked, making the crowd¡¯s opinion swayed once more. "Doesn¡¯t it mean you are looking trouble for yourself?"

    "True ah~"

    "They have been talking about this matter on a few different spots every day..."

    "Do they have another purpose?"

    "It bes so fishy..."

    "Yes ah... it¡¯s weird!"

    The crowd started to talk among themselves and they became suspicious of the schrs¡¯ motive. They were in deep discussion and it was quite loud. The schrs were able to hear what they said clearly. One of the schrs who was a bit hotheaded yelled, "We are schrs! Why do we have another purpose except for our kingdom¡¯s wellbeing?" He talked with a righteous manner arrogantly.

    Yao Ying looked at them doubtfully, "All of you are schrs, but all of you... really don¡¯t know what would happen if the people stop the wedding by force?"

    The crowd was quite agitated because they were indeed nning to sabotage the wedding and even nned to throw eggs, vegetables, and whatnot to the entourage because of their anger. They already decided to this because of the schrs¡¯ subtle persuasion. The way they looked at the schrs started to change. Their trust became distrust in a heartbeat.

    Yao Ying looked up in surprise and asked, "I heard from my teacher. If you offend another kingdom¡¯s royal family --- including the princess, wouldn¡¯t it akin to dere war? I don¡¯t think my teacher would lie to me about such an important matter..."

    The crowd¡¯s face became pale and unsightly.

    "War?!"

    "Then, why those schrs suggested us to attack the wedding entourage?!"

    "Do they want to harm us?!"

    "Why don¡¯t they stop it themselves?"

    "Yes ah~ if they really want to stop the wedding, they should do it carefully. Why they kept bragging for the past few days?"

    The louder the crowd¡¯s voice, the paler the schrs¡¯ face were. They knew that they were at a disadvantage. The crowd started to get out of hand with their usations. The public opinion had changed the tide and it made them started to feel scared. The man in front of them was very clever and was able to find their loopholes easily. His words and questions seemed to be innocent but he was able to corner them.

    Who was this man?!

    One of them quickly refuted, trying to change the tide once again, "It¡¯s not that serious. Why do you want to scare these people?" However, his excuse was too weak.

    Yao Ying asked while tilting his head to the side, "Not that serious? But brothers... let me ask a question... What will The Emperor or the royalty do, if themon people are rude to them? We don¡¯t need to think far ahead like throwing things to them, for example, identally bump on them..."

    The crowd shuddered in fear. Why didn¡¯t they think that far ahead?! Even though the other party wasn¡¯t their favorite but they were still a part of the Han Kingdom¡¯s royal blood. If they asked for the Shu Emperor for responsibility, the punishment would certainly fell on their bodies and they couldn¡¯t even refute because it was their own wrongdoing. Even if they had ten lives, they wouldn¡¯t be able to survive the cmity!!

    Bumping on the royalty could lead them to be killed if they met cruel royal blood! So what more if they were throwing things at the princess? Beheaded?! They started to scold themselves inwardly for their stupidity.

    If the Shu Emperor refused to give responsibility, then the next step would definitely be war! They were really thankful to the handsome man that had opened their eyes and they didn¡¯t hesitate to show it to Yao Ying. They wholeheartedly murmured their gratefulness at the same time and their gaze to those bunch of schrs turned into disgust and disdain.

    "What should we do about those schrs?"

    "They are trying to get us into trouble!"

    "Yes, they want to borrow our hands to do the bad deed!"

    "Yes ah~ I bet they will hide when the timees!"

    "Not all schrs can be trusted!"

    There were more and angrier words from the mass. The schrs couldn¡¯t say anything more and they ashamedly ran away from the teahouse. However, their embarrassment became doubled when the owner stopped them and asked them to pay for their tea and pastries. They wanted to find a hole and hide inside. The sooner they vanished from this crowded street, the better.

    They were afraid that the crowd would turn their anger at them and make them pay by beating them. They were all schrs without any martial arts skills, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold up if they were beaten by those many people. It might get them killed. Their safety was the most important thing!

    At first, they thought that this was an easy job and ept it without thinking twice. They only needed to instigate the foolishmon people to create a riot when the wedding entourage stopped by and they would get a lot of benefits. Who knew that the appearance of this seemingly innocent man was able to ruin their hard work for a few days?

    Even though they felt unwilling, but what else could they do? They could only run with tails between their legs. They red at Yao Ying who still blinked at them innocently and pretended that he didn¡¯t understand what went wrong.

    Yao Ying smirked smugly when the schrs were gone. He cupped his hands and said to the crowd, "This one didn¡¯t do anything. I¡¯m just asking out of curiosity. There¡¯s no need to thank this one."

    His humbleness made the crowd praise him. Yao Ying felt that he had done enough and judging from the crowd that had dispersed, it seemed like the news about their dialogue would spread at Lin Zhou in a heartbeat because everyone was afraid to be implicated. He wouldn¡¯t worry that someone would be able to instigate themoners once again, after all, the fear of offending the royal blood had been ingrained in their mind.

    Yao Ying leisurely went back to his own table and sat down calmly. "It¡¯s easy..." He said smugly to Lin Jian and thetter rolled his eyes in response.

    "Husband! You are the best!" Yao Ling happily gave him two thumbs up. Such aplicated matter was easily solved by Yao Ying with only a few words. He indeed had a way with words.

    Xiao Fang also watched Yao Ying with starry eyes, showing her admiration without restraint. "Ying-ge! You are the best!!I can¡¯t believe you are able to tame them with a few questions!" She chatted animatedly while moving her hand around.

    Seeing Xiao Fang kept praising Yao Ying, Lin Jian scowled. Somehow, it didn¡¯t sit well with him, but he also knew that Yao Ying was the best at solving this problem. If he¡¯s the one who solved the problem, he would use brute forces... subtly, of course, and the schrs would end up ck and blue after he was done with them.

    Lin Jian was known for preferring to use his fist rather than his brain.

    When they started to talk merrily with each other, a man around forties came up to them and greeted them politely. "Dear customer, I¡¯m Qing Hui -- this teahouse¡¯s owner. I¡¯ve heard all themotion just now and learned about Young Master¡¯s smartness in handling the rebellious schrs. I¡¯d like to thank you for that and all of your expenses in my teahouse will be free."

    They were taken aback. It was only a small matter and it attracted the teahouse¡¯s owner¡¯s attention... For what? They didn¡¯t think that the schrs did anything to harm the teahouse. That¡¯s why they felt surprised by this man¡¯s sudden appearance.

    "No need... no need... we eat and drink a lot, it will be better if we pay," Yao Ying quickly stood up and cupped his hands, refusing the old man¡¯s offer. How could they take advantage of him?

    The old manughed. "It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t go bankrupt just because giving free meals to my benefactor."

    "Err... benefactor?" Yao Ying asked in confusion.

 Chapter 173 Lin Zhou: Someting Isnst Right 4

    "I don¡¯t think I did something that makes me be your benefactor?" Yao Ying asked in confusion. At most, he was just getting rid of the schrs. Shouldn¡¯t he get angry because he ruined his business?!

    "By taking care of those schrs, Young Master has indeed saved this one¡¯s son," The old man said while sighing. He felt a bit embarrassed after admitting it.

    "What happened?" Yao Ying asked in concern.

    "Not to lie to all of you. One of the stupid schrs is actually this one¡¯s son. A few days ago, he got an offer regarding this matter. If he¡¯s able to finish this mission, he will get a hefty sum of money and be a standard fourth rank officer," The old man started his exnation. "He didn¡¯t care about the money, but he wanted the easy way to be an official."

    Lin Jian looked up in surprise. "Standard fourth rank? How could they jump up so fast in the officialdom that easily? After all, it seems like those schrs haven¡¯t passed the test yet!" Was there someone who was trying to create havoc? A high-ranking person? A traitor from the Shu Kingdom itself? Or someone else?

    The old man nodded. "Indeed... I have never believed that this is only an easy matter. There must be some catches that the employer didn¡¯t mention to these bunch of schrs. How could it be that easy to be an official for schrs who haven¡¯t passed the exam yet? I already tried to talk some sense to my son and the good for nothing didn¡¯t even want to listen to this old man¡¯s advice!" He looked hurt by his son¡¯s stupidity, but he was also helpless to the point that he was already given up.

    He indeed brought him up the wrong way. He only had this one son so he spoiled him rotten, hence his current predicament. However, everything had been toote and there was no medicine for regret!

    "I already told him that it¡¯s a traitorous work that could lead to a war and he would implicate the whole families along with him. He said that I¡¯ve never believed in him. With this kind of stupid decision, how could I trust him?!" The man let out his grievance in a low voice. He felt too disappointed with his own son.

    "He even did the deed in his own family¡¯s teahouse. How stupid would that be? If somehow he is in trouble, he will lead our family to a cmity ah~!!" After that, he looked at Yao Ying with grateful eyes, "What I had failed to achieve had been achieved by Young Master in less than an incense of stick of time... That¡¯s why you be this old man¡¯s benefactor!"

    Yao Ying shook his head. "No... I also only talked and asked some random questions," Yao Ying humbly said. In reality, he didn¡¯t want to save those schrs but to embarrass them for being fools that had been used by other people. He felt guilty because what he did to embarrass them suddenly made him a benefactor out of nowhere.

    Yao Ying hesitantly asked, "Uncle... do you know who are trying to use your son as cannon fodder? I believe that this is can also be called a suicide mission because this implicates other kingdoms¡¯ matter." As schrs, they should be learning about political matter. Why didn¡¯t they understand about such a simple thing? Were they really blinded by the offer to such extent?

    The old man listened to Yao Ling seriously. "I also know that this matter is a bit weird. I already asked my son a few times, but he never revealed his employer. I wonder how that person brainwashed my son to this extent! He only said that he needs me to trust him, but I¡¯m worried about him!"

    Yao Ling suddenly asked, "Uncle... do you really not know about the employer? If the mission failed, would he try to search for your son and find some troubles? After all, your son knows a bit too much regarding this matter. Even though he doesn¡¯t fully know about the employer¡¯s aim, there¡¯s a possibility that the employer would do something to your son."

    The old man paled when he heard Yao Ling¡¯s question. The woman pointed out something that he had never think of before. The teahouse owner realized that it was the truth. Would the employer capture his son and kill him just to shut his mouth?! He started to get paler and paler. The old man almost fell down due to his weak knee. Why didn¡¯t he think of that matter?

    When Yao Ying saw the old man almost fell down, he quickly held him and told the old man to sit down and Yao Ling poured a cup of tea for the poor old man. The old man was in a daze. His heartbeat was erratic and he started to think deeply about this matter.

    The moment his son had chosen to ept the offer, his stupid son had already been in deep shit. There was no way for his son to back out the moment he stepped into the muddled water. The old man looked at Yao Ying and it seemed like he had decided on something.

    Then he looked up at Yao Ying and his friends, then asked, "Young Master... can you save this one¡¯s son?" He begged wholeheartedly.

    Yao Ying looked taken aback. "I..." He didn¡¯t know what to say. He never thought that the old man would be desperate enough to beg for his help -- a mere stranger. It was a good chance to know the mastermind, but he still needed to ask the others¡¯ consent. This matter rted to Han Xiang, so Lin Jian would probably agree too --- just to protect his new sister.

    "What do you want us to help you with?" Yao Ying asked curiously. He wanted to know the details before he decided whether to help the old man or not. Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to involve himself with something that was too risky with Yao Ling there.

    "Help me save my son from the employer¡¯s clutch!" The old man knew that what he said was ridiculous, after all, the man in front of him was a stranger. Why should he help them and endangering himself? He needed to think of something to offer to them --- this much, he understood.

    "I will give you something in return," The old man said resolutely.

    "Oh? What kind of thing?" Yao Ying asked. He currently didn¡¯tck any money so what would this old man give him? Thus, he became curious because the old man¡¯s demeanor had changed. He became more confident and her gaze was sharper. It seemed like he had be more clearheaded all of a sudden. He exudes a different aura from the previous weak teahouse owner --- he seemed to be more powerful.

    "Information," The old man said his offer. "I will exchange my son¡¯s life with information."

    "Information? What kind of information?" Yao Ying asked, feeling a little bit suspicious.

    "Any kind. I can find you a piece of information that you want easily," The old man said while gritting his teeth. This was actually his secret, even his stupid son didn¡¯t know about this --- otherwise, he would destroy everything with his big mouth. If he wasn¡¯t his only son, he probably wouldn¡¯t use this secret to save him. But... he was still a father after all... No matter how stupid his son was, in the end, he was still his son. He was hoping that his son would inherit his informationwork, but he knew that his son was a good-for-nothing and he didn¡¯t trust him.

    What angered him the most was the fact that he would divulge this secret to these strangers. If he didn¡¯t see how upright these people were, he certainly wouldn¡¯t make this risky decision. In other sense, he was gambling with his secret!

    He was gambling... Gambling on his own judgment that the people in front of him could be trusted. At the very least, they could save his son. The ability that this man had just shown him was not ordinary. Even if he lost his life, he couldn¡¯t stand by and let his son ruin his own life!

    "Do you own an informationwork?" Lin Jian asked curiously.

 Chapter 174 Lin Zhou: A Thousand Words

    "Yes," The old man answered full of confidence.

    Yao Ying asked, "What if you don¡¯t have the information that I want?" Yao Ying wanted to know how big this man¡¯swork and why did he look so confident on himself.

    "Not possible. I even have the information on the three kingdoms¡¯ deepest secret on my hands and I always sold them to the highest bidder," The old man answered easily. He always had everything under his control --- except for his son. He was identally checking the teahouse to look at his son¡¯s behavior, otherwise, he rarely visited this teahouse.

    "If you have such a good informationwork, why don¡¯t you save your son on your own?" Lin Jian asked skeptically. This sounded a bit weird to him.

    "I know who the employer is, but my ability is also limited to collecting information. My power is information, but others... I am not so good at it because I¡¯m only a schr." He shook his head and continued, "I still need to count on other organization for protecting mywork, but I can¡¯t use their help at the moment."

    The old man looked down sadly.

    "Why?" Yao Ying asked out of curiosity.

    "Because the employer is from that organization and I¡¯m pretty sure that he knows that one of the schrs is my son, but he still let my son jump into the pit!" The old man gritted his teeth in anger and his expression showed the quartet how hurt he was.

    "It seems like someone is trying to rece your position in the organization?" Yao Ling asked softly. Otherwise, why would the other organization suddenly target this man¡¯s son out of nowhere?

    The old man nodded. "The other organization wants to devour my informationwork!" He eximed sadly.

    Lin Jian suddenly recalled something. "What... What¡¯s the name of your informationwork?" Lin Jian asked, feeling excited all of a sudden. He had heard about this informationwork before, but he thought that it was only a legend. Only a handful of important people was able to buy the information from thiswork and they met with the owner by ident! Was it that organization?

    "A Thousand Words," The old man answered.

    When Lin Jian heard the organization¡¯s name, he almost choked on his tea!! He was correct!!

    It was really A Thousand Words!!

    A Thousand Words was a mysterious organization who had control over the information of the three kingdoms. There was nothing that they couldn¡¯t find out --- the old man didn¡¯t exaggerate this thing for one bit. Just like the old man said, the organization worked along with another powerful sect that had a strong martial arts background. They were the one who protected A Thousand Words and both organizations reaped mutual benefits.

    Both organizations had always worked together hand in hand. It amazed him that this organization indeed existed! A lot of people thought that this organization was only a myth!!

    Their main base was unknown and they only had a handful of customers --- including the emperor of the three kingdoms. Yes, they were that powerful. They were a neutral organization and didn¡¯t choose a specific kingdom. Thus, their reputation was always good.

    Even Mi Hui couldn¡¯t hold a candle to this organization! Mi Hui only searched information that benefited the princes, but rarely touched unimportant news. Unlike A Thousand Words which cleverly covered all kinds of news.

    They always asked for a weird payment for the information. There was a rumor that sometimes they would ask for precious herbs, another quest, another information, and sometimes money, of course. That was depended on the mood of the owner. The owner was said to be very wise, because he wasn¡¯t greedy and always kept the bnce between three kingdoms. He wouldn¡¯t sell information that could lead to the destruction of the kingdoms.

    Was this old man really the owner?!

    It seemed like there was a power struggling brewing between the two organizations, but why? Both organizations had been built for more than fifty years and their foundation had always been solid. Or was the power struggle had always been there but never escted to this level? Lin Jian couldn¡¯t help but feel curious.

    Lin Jian asked excitedly, "Are you the owner?"

    The old man nodded confidently. "Yes, I am. Have you heard about the organization?"

    "Yes... I thought your organization is only a legend!" Lin Jian eximed.

    "Oh... we are the real deal..." The man said.

    "How can we know that you are telling the truth?" Yao Ying asked. Lin Jian once told him about this organization when they chatted back at Lin Fu, so he knew the significance of this organization. Lin Jian once said that no one knew whether this organization indeed existed, but it actually really was!

    The old man pulled out an emblem from his sleeve. The emblem was made of pure gold and there was ¡¯zhi¡¯ word carved there. What made the emblem stood out was the animal symbol there --- ¡¯boy of the white crane¡¯. That symbol meant as a messenger of the gods who helped heroes. A bit over the top but it was definitely the organization¡¯s emblem.

    They saw themselves as a messenger who helped the three kingdoms to prosper and help to keep the bnce between the three kingdoms.

    Lin Jian saw the drawing once --- it was a bit look alike the emblem that the old man showed to them and in one nce, they knew that this emblem was hard to be replicated. Thus, they believed the old man¡¯s im.

    "If you are able to help me, I will give you three free information that you want to know and you don¡¯t have to use it right away," The old man offered. "I will give you a way to contact me, so don¡¯t worry! I won¡¯t run away from my part of the bargain."

    Yao Ying saw that this was a chance for him to find out about Yao Ling¡¯s background and himself too. If they used Mi Hui, it would alert too many people and be suspicious of their background too. Besides... A Thousand Words¡¯work was several times bigger than Mi Hui. Their information was more various because Mi Hui was solely focusing on the princes¡¯ benefits --- not exactly for the greater good.

    "By saving your son, is your intention to have us kill the employer?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Yes..." The old man answered hesitantly. "That¡¯s the only solution that I can think of."

    "We need to know who that person is and also his current position," Yao Ying asked. Then, he hesitantly added, "We have something to do here for the moment, so if the employer is in this city, we can eradicate him as fast as possible. But if he isn¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid that it will take a little while."

    Lin Jian murmured his agreement. "Yes, it¡¯s true. We need everything in details."

    The old man could see the determination in their eyes and feel relieved. It seemed like his bargaining chips worked --- people always needed information. That¡¯s why he had the power to control people, but he was also a man of his words and he would also fulfill his own part.

    "Fortunately, he¡¯s currently in this city," The old man sighed. That man was following his move for the past few weeks so he knew that he wouldn¡¯t stay far from him. "We need to act indifferently when we meet next time because he¡¯s spying on me. I don¡¯t want to arouse any suspicion. For now, we can just pretend that we enjoy talking to each other and I only show my gratitude to my new friends."

    "Then why are you asking for our help so openly like this?" Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. The old man kept contradicting himself.

    "If we meet in a broad daylight, there¡¯s nothing to be suspicious about. He would only think that I¡¯m thanking you for saving my son. That¡¯s all!" The old man grinned mischievously.

    "That seems pretty reasonable..." Xiao Fang finally said. She was too confused with the sudden information, but she knew that it was important for the trio. Was this organization that important? She had never heard of this organization before.

    However, judging from Lin Jian and Yao Ying¡¯s expression, it seemed like that they knew about this organization. Xiao Fang was actually a spoiled daughter and his father never let her experience any difficulties and hardship. That¡¯s the reason why she was so innocent and didn¡¯t know any political matter. Not only her father but her brother was also the same. They were too overprotective toward her.

    If this marriage alliance didn¡¯t involve Han Xiang, she wouldn¡¯t stubbornly beg his father and even ran away from home. She felt a bit guilty because it gave the second branch to send assassins to kill her, luckily... she met with the trio or else she would be killed already. Xiao Fang needed to ask her father topensate them after all of this finished.

    Yao Ling stared at Xiao Fang and saw her confusion, but she didn¡¯t see any malicious intention in Xiao Fang¡¯s expression and she felt relieved. Yao Ling only saw pure adoration toward them. She hoped that Xiao Fang could be trusted, after all, they had only known each other for two days. This deal had something to do with her best friend, so Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel too worried about it. If she wanted to save Han Xiang from the trouble with the schrs, then she would definitely join them.

 Chapter 175 Lin Zhou: Ominous Feeling

    "When I pulled out the emblem just now, the man that followed me has been gone for a while. Otherwise, I won¡¯t show all of you this emblem. Probably angry because his n was ruined by your performance and throwing a tantrum," The old man said happily. He knew that person¡¯s personalities well.

    The youngsters realized that this old man was acting like a real teahouse owner that quite timid at first, once he was sure that his spy was gone, he dared to show his confidence and his emblem. Such an old fox, but too bad... his son didn¡¯t live up to his expectation.

    "Hmmm... we only need to kill one person, right?" Yao Ying asked. If the other organization was full of martial arts expert, it would be hard for them to kill many of them and he wasn¡¯t going to gamble with their life. The other organization had high martial arts skills experts but they also didn¡¯t know how strong the opponents were. Yao Ying was just trying to be cautious because he needed to make sure that Yao Ling would be safe. If he missed killing one of them, he was afraid that they would hunt them down.

    "Yes..." The old man said.

    "Good, you can give us the details and we will work on it tonight..." Yao Ying finally said. He already got a signal that Lin Jian also agreed with him and he answered on their behalf.

    "Before that though... can you give us proof with a piece of reliable news?" Yao Ling asked. Somehow, she didn¡¯t want to trust this person that easily. She felt that everything was too easy and it didn¡¯t sit well to her. She had an ominous feeling that something bad probably would happen.

    The old man nodded calmly and he could also see the distrust in Yao Ling¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t feel offended at all. "Okay... I will let you ask one thing that you want to know about and it will not be included with the three free information in the deal. How is that sound?" The old man asked carefully.

    It was easy for him to get information, so he didn¡¯t feel a loss by doing this. When he did this business, he had also received payment or chosen the customers based on his own mood. "You can discuss what you want to know if you want... I can wait patiently. I don¡¯t have anything to do for the rest of the day."

    The four of them nodded. The old man knew that probably they needed some privacies to talk about the information that they wanted to know, so he said, "I will go to my office to handle some matters. If you are ready, you can just let one of the servants call me."

    The four of them quickly got up to send him off --- after all, he was still an elder. When the old man had been gone, Yao Ling quickly said what¡¯s inside her mind, "Do you believe him?" She decided to be blunt and didn¡¯t keep her uneasiness to herself.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked at each other and then nodded. Yao Ying knew that Yao Ling had her own doubt, hence he asked, "Why? You don¡¯t believe the old man¡¯s words?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I¡¯m not too sure, but somehow... I always have a nagging feeling at the back of my mind and it makes me feel that something is wrong," Yao Ling said truthfully.

    Lin Jian scratched his chin, thinking deeply. His father once said that he should pay attention when a woman said that she had a bad feeling. The reason was because of his mother. His mother said to his father that her heart had felt ufortable a few days before the kidnapping. His father onlyughed and said that nothing was going to happen and dismissed it by saying that it was probably because shecked sleep.

    Lin Jian knew how many times his father regretted and med himself for not trusting his mother¡¯s gut feeling at that time. If he had listened to her, he wouldn¡¯t let them go on their own to the festival or better... he would let them stay at home!

    When Lin Jian started to think back, he indeed found that something was not quite right with the old man, but he couldn¡¯t put it into words. He started to trust Yao Ling¡¯s gut feeling.

    "What do you think?" Lin Jian asked Yao Ying.

    "I believe in my wife," He simply said that. If Yao Ling felt that something was amiss, then something was indeed amiss. What Yao Ying said made Yao Ling blush shyly. She appreciated his trust, after all... it was only a gut feeling and Yao Ling didn¡¯t how to exin what she felt. She looked at Yao Ying gratefully.

    "I have the same feeling as Yao Ling and that old man... it seems like he¡¯s hiding something," Xiao Fang said. Even though his eyes were quite sincere, but she had a feeling that he wasn¡¯t that sincere when he said he wanted to help his own son. Xiao Fang told all of those to the trio.

    Yao Ling started to think back and indeed... she didn¡¯t feel the loving vibe from a father to a son. If he was indeed the real owner of A Thousand Words, then for what purpose he lied to them?

    "Should we receive this deal? I feel that this will be dangerous," Yao Ling asked doubtfully. What if something happened to Yao Ying and Lin Jian?! She was worried about their safety.

    "We get the better deal, so we should probably take this assignment. We can ask about Han Xiang¡¯s matter first," Lin Jian finally decided. The other three murmured their agreement because they could ask something about Han Xiang.

    After knowing that something might go wrong, then they would be able to act more carefully. He was confident that they would be able to finish this job by doing that. Their target was only one man, after all!

    Yao Ying was a bit doubtful because he knew that Yao Ling¡¯s gut feeling was always right. He had known this even before they got married. Once she said that she got a bad feeling and they should cancel their n to go to the mountain, they escaped a cmity. Yao Ying stubbornly wanted to go, but he was also being held back by Jiu Lan [Yao Ling¡¯s deceased mother].

    True enough... A tiger ran amok at the mountain and killed a few vigers that were busy hunting at that time. Jiu Lan also told him that since she was a little girl, her gut feeling was never wrong. He should trust Yao Ling more. Since then... he always believed in her feeling.

    He asked Lin Jian, "Are you sure that we can handle this matter?"

    "Since we realized this point beforehand, we can be more careful. We need the information that he has," Lin Jian said. "Why don¡¯t we gamble and take a risk?"

    Yao Ying knew that Lin Jian was quite serious and he pondered for a little while. Yao Ling smiled at Yao Ying and said, "It¡¯s just my gut feeling. You should also trust your own judgment. I believe in you."

    Although her heart felt painful, she knew that she couldn¡¯t stop him. His hesitation happened only because of her. What Lin Jian said also made sense. If they were careful, they would be able to avoid trouble.

    Xiao Fang said softly, "If both of you want to receive the assignment, then I will help you. I will lend you my guards so take them along with youter. Their skills are quite good."

    Yao Ling smiled to Xiao Fang and thanked her for her generosity to help them. Xiao Fang just waved her right hand shyly, "I can only do so much! No need to thank me..." She also worried about both men¡¯s safety.

    With Xiao Fang¡¯s help and reassurance, Yao Ling felt a little bit better. The more people that could help them, the better. They decided to ept the job and then they talked about the information that they wanted to ask. They talked back and forth between them for half shichen, then decided on one important question regarding Han Xiang¡¯s marriage alliance.

 Chapter 176 Lin Zhou: The Information 1

    Personally, Yao Ling wanted to ask about Han Xiang¡¯s real characters --- whether she was worth to be saved or they should only ruin the wedding for them. However, seeing the two biased people in front of her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to ask the questions without ruining the atmosphere so she didn¡¯t dare to ask that question.

    That¡¯s why she let them choose between themselves what they wanted to ask about. More or less, they would ask the same question so she didn¡¯t feel worried for one bit.

    After knowing what to ask, they called one of the servants to call the old man out. It didn¡¯t take long for him toe out. The old man sat down leisurely and asked, "Have you decided yet?" The old man was quite confident with himself. Who dared to refuse such a good bargain to obtain secret information? In his eyes, no one would be able to resist.

    "We¡¯ll do it," Yao Ying answered.

    The old man nodded. The man that he wanted them to kill was called Hei Yue and just like his name, his skin color was dark so they wouldn¡¯t mistake him from someone else. He gave him the location where Hei Yue stayed and he said that he was only apanied by four people.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked at each other. They knew that it wasn¡¯t only killing one man, but the man had his own guards too.

    "So... what kind of information do you want from me?" The old man asked.

    "About the Han Princess..."

    "Han Xiang?" The old man was surprised. Why were they so curious about this matter?

    "Yes..." Yao Ying said.

    "Are you here to do something?" The old man asked cautiously.

    Yao Lingughed. "No... we are here because we are on a honeymoon trip. Double honeymoon..." She exined, making the others dumbfounded but they didn¡¯t let it show on the surface. However, Xiao Fang blushed and looked down shyly.

    "Double honeymoon?" The old man asked once again.

    "He¡¯s my husband and that one is my best friend¡¯s husband," Yao Ling smiled while pointing at Lin Jian when she said her best friend¡¯s husband. Lin Jian could only grit his teeth and smile. What now? He only came out for a job and he suddenly had a wife?!

    However, the trio knew Yao Ling¡¯s intention. She did this in order to let the old man¡¯s guard down and besides, it would lower his suspicion because of their question about Han Xiang.

    "You are on a honeymoon trip, so why do you need to ask about Han Xiang?" The old man asked carefully. He scrutinized them... was their background not simple? He felt a bit regretful for not checking out their identity first.

    "We are only passing by, but from listening to the schrs¡¯ words... it seems like this marriage alliance isn¡¯t that simple. We actually only came here because I¡¯m forcing them to see the wedding entourage..." Yao Ling said while grinning sheepishly.

    The old manughed, but he knew that he needed to check on their backgroundter.

    "What do you want to know about her?" The man furrowed his eyebrows while asking.

    "We want to know what exactly both of the kingdoms want to suddenly have this marriage alliance? At first, we only thought that it was only a simple building good rtionship with the other kingdom, but it doesn¡¯t seem like that now." Lin Jian asked and exined at the same time.

    At this point, even Mi Hui hadn¡¯t found out the reason why. There was no use for them to be tantly having a marriage alliance that could anger the Shu Emperor --- after all, the Shu Kingdom was the strongest and the two other kingdoms could be said more like vassal kingdoms. This sudden decision was quite fishy.

    The old manughed and admitted, "You cleverly used me and asked me a good question. The Shu Emperor also asked me the same things and he had to pay a hefty amount to me and yet, you will get this for free."

    They didn¡¯t think that it was free. Did the old man forget that they needed to do something for him too? Judging from this old man¡¯s behavior, he would never eat a loss when bargaining something with the information that he acquired.

    The old man could see the silentin in their eyes andughed once again. "I know... I know... you pay me with the different thing..."

    "So... can you tell us now?" Yao Ying said, feeling a bit impatient.

    The old man nodded. "Yes..." He shook his head inwardly, the youngsters nowadaysck patience. He didn¡¯t dilly-dally any longer and quickly go into the details.

    The old man told them that the two kingdoms were working with an insider that more or less betrayed the Shu Kingdom by doing this. Hei Yue was one of that man¡¯s people. They nned this marriage to let the Shu Emperor get angry and lose his rationality, then did something to prevent the marriage. They indeed tried to find a reason to start the war. They needed a catalyst to prove that they didn¡¯t start the war and had a justified reason to appease their own people.

    "Is the one who started this n someone from our kingdom?" Lin Jian asked. He felt that that insider must have been the one who started everything.

    "Yes..." The old man nodded. He thought that there was no harm in telling them about this information so he didn¡¯t hesitate to tell them everything. He didn¡¯t think that they would be able to do anything at this point in time. "Or else... how the two kingdoms are suddenly able to talk to each other and even have a marriage alliance so smoothly?"

    It was known to many people that both kingdoms¡¯ rtionship wasn¡¯t that good, so by doing this, they would increase the Shu Emperor¡¯s distrust. The old man gave this information to the Shu Emperor because he wanted to prevent war. He still wanted to continue enjoying the peaceful era.

    The old man exined that Hei Yue¡¯s Boss was the one who started to shake the foundation of A Thousand Words and then started to be rebellious all of a sudden. He incited the distrust between Hei Yue and him.

    Hei Yue¡¯s Boss needed his position to grasp an important bargaining chip in this deal and the old man didn¡¯t want to give any information to him because he knew that the man was dangerous. He was too ambitious and because of that, the life of themoners would be affected the most.

    The two kingdoms were offered information in exchange for their bits of help because Hei Yue¡¯s Boss didn¡¯t want to give up any of Shu Kingdom¡¯s territories after he was able to be the new Shu Emperor. He had even cleverly controlled the deal and stated that he would choose the information that would be shared. He used this old man¡¯s motto --- not sharing any secrets that would lead to a war.

    "What¡¯s his purpose?" Lin Jian asked. Hei Yue¡¯s Boss must be one of the royal blood and it baffled him that this man could be so meticulous in arranging the n. Only a few people that were able to do this kind of meticulous nning --- his princes were the example. However, he was certain that this had nothing to do with the princes and he needed to let them know about this information soon.

    It seemed like they needed to tweak their n to rescue Han Xiang for a little bit. Lin Jian knew that they needed to find a scapegoat and the involvement of them as Shu persons had to remain unknown or it would be used as a reason to start a war. They had already received the order from the princes and they needed to finish this mission no matter what the consequences were.

    "Of course, he wants to be an emperor. What else? That man is too ambitious. However, what drives him mad and makes him want to rebel is revenge," The old man said while shaking his head in defeat.

    ¡¯Revenge, huh?¡¯ Lin Jian thought to himself, but couldn¡¯t find a man that fitted into that description. He became more curious...

    Xiao Fang asked out of curiosity, "Who is that man?"

 Chapter 177 Lin Zhou: The Information 2

    "I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t tell you more about him. I already said that I will only answer one question." The old man said regretfully. Not only that, he didn¡¯t want to divulge that man¡¯s identity to these youngsters because he didn¡¯t know their identities. He just randomly met him and he already gave them an important piece of news just like that.

    Xiao Fang felt a bit disappointed and only muttered, "Oh..."

    The others nodded in understanding. They knew if they pushed him to answer their questions, then the old man would certainly feel suspicious. They didn¡¯t have much to talk about after that and decided to go back to their inn. They promised the old man that they would meet up with him the next day after finishing the task at hand.

    The old man nodded and said that he was going to wait for them at the teahouse all day. They coulde in whenever they wanted.

    The ones who did the job would be the men while the women stayed at the inn and acted like usual. Yao Ling insisted that they should take Xiu because her heart still felt that something would happen, so they should be more cautious. The men had no choice but agreed with her, but in exchange two of Xiao Fang¡¯s guards should stay and guard the two women. They would not take no for an answer.

    The women wanted to reject but Yao Ying said, "If no one guards both of you, we can¡¯t do the mission peacefully. We will be worried about you." The women had no choice but to agree with the arrangement.

    Lin Jian felt fortunate that Yao Ling didn¡¯t give Yao Ying his night medicine for the past two days due to their tiring journey and probably Yao Ling was also too busy to remember. When he counted the days, tonight was supposed to be the day the medicine was taking the full effect. The old matriarch indeed cleverly calcted the time of that medicine would take effect after they arrived at Lin Zhou and they would certainly stay in afortable inn.

    He also realized that if yesterday Yao Ling gave Yao Ying that medicine, Xiao Fang would probably know what kind of medicine it was. If she alerted Yao Ling about what it was for, then he was pretty sure that Yao Ling would stop giving Yao Ying that medicine. Now... now... where was the fun if that indeed happened? Lin Jian thought to himself while grinning mischievously inwardly.

    When tonight¡¯s mission was finished, he would remind Yao Ling about that so-called medicine. Even though she forgot for two days, the effect was still there. That was the power of this medicine. If the target didn¡¯t drink it every day, it didn¡¯t matter. As long as the dosage added up, it would make him be a beast!

    It would be fun if Yao Ying was indeed under the medicine¡¯s spells. He would listen to their exchange in front of their room... That would be fun! He would be able to tease Yao Ying for the rest of his life with this knowledge. He just couldn¡¯t wait when that time arrived!

    They prepared themselves in their own respective room and the men changed into ck masked outfits so they could blend into the night and minimize their presence while doing their job. They also wanted to cover up their own identities.

    "Ying... you should be careful. Remember that my gut feeling is always right. You must always open your eyes and ears carefully," Yao Ling said in a worried voice. Then she pulled out something from her sleeve and tied it to Yao Ying¡¯s left hand.

    It was a simple red string that looked quite sturdy. "What is this?" Yao Ying asked in confusion.

    "Before going on this journey, I went to our family¡¯s temple and asked for a safety bracelet. I¡¯m afraid that something dangerous would happen so I prepared this beforehand. No matter what... don¡¯t ever remove it okay?" Yao Ling begged.

    Yao Ying was touched by her thoughtfulness and nodded happily. "En..." He answered softly while looking at the red string bracelet carefully, admiring it.

    Yao Ling blushed. "Why are you looking such a simple bracelet happily?" Even though Yao Ying didn¡¯t show it to his face, but she was able to see the twinkle in his eyes and his curling up lips.

    "This is a gift from my beloved wife! Of course, I¡¯m so happy. Even though it looks so in, but the meaning is very deep. How could I not cherish it?" Yao Ying said in a loving tone while patting Yao Ling¡¯s head dotingly.

    When Yao Ling was going to reply to him, their door was knocked from the outside. They heard Lin Jian¡¯s voice floating into their room, "Yao Ying... are you ready? It¡¯s time for us to go..."

    "Wait a minute... I¡¯m going to be there soon," Yao Ying said in a loud voice.

    Lin Jian knew that the lovers wanted to say something to each other, so he let them be. "I will wait for you downstairs." After saying that, Lin Jian left them alone and waited patiently downstairs. The inn was already deserted, everyone went back to their room to rest -- even the innkeeper. That¡¯s why Lin Jian wasn¡¯t worried that someone was going to see him in the darkness.

    Yao Ying turned to Yao Ling and kissed her lips softly. They devoured each other¡¯s mouth thoroughly just to quench their thirst. They kissed like it was thest time they were going to kiss each other. Full of passion. Full of heat. But they knew that sooner orter they had to let go.

    Yao Ling felt afraid when Yao Ying stopped kissing her because it meant that it was time for them to go. She wanted so badly to stop him, but she knew that she could never stop a man from doing his job and ambition. She almost gripped his sleeve to hold him back, but she stopped herself just in time. She gripped her own sleeve and gave him her best smile when Yao Ying turned to look at her for thest time.

    Yao Ling waved her hand and said goodbye to Yao Ying. "Be careful!"

    "En... I will see you soon. Don¡¯t worry about me!" Yao Ying nodded and in a sh, he was gone.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know how long she stayed on the same spot, just looking at the direction where Yao Ying left. She sighed and turned back. Closing her eyes, she calmed herself down. She believed in her husband. She knew that she couldn¡¯t let herself be this weak. What happened each time Yao Ying had to go for a mission?

    She was supposed to support him! She wasn¡¯t going to be a wife that held her own husband back. She believed in him!

    While Yao Ling was contemting what she should do to calm herself down, the men departed from the inn in a sh. With Xiu and the rest of the guards, there were ten people in their team. The guards¡¯ qing gong was quite good and they were able to catch up with the trio.

    They already asked one of the guards to check out the location beforehand and it wasn¡¯t that far from their inn. They only needed around one incense stick of time if they used their qing gong to go there.

    They arrived in front of an old abandoned house. The condition was quite bad. Although the house was quite big, it was sealed by the government. It seemed like it used to be an official¡¯s house... They could see dust everywhere and there was no trace that people were living there.

    The trio furrowed their eyebrows in confusion. Was Hei Yue really stay here? He was supposed to be the leader of the other organization, right? Did he choose this ce as to not make it obvious that he followed the old man?

    Yao Ying tried to remember the other organization¡¯s name... Lin Jian had told him before, but he forgot. He whispered to Lin Jian, "What¡¯s Hei Yue¡¯s organization name?"

    "A Thousand Swords," Lin Jian answered.

    "Oh yes... Do they really stay here?" Yao Ying asked.

    "The guard already checked it out so it should be true..." Lin Jian was in disbelief himself. He had heard that the leader of this organization loved to live in a luxurious ce, so what¡¯s with the sudden change of preferences?

    Yao Ying said, "Let¡¯s check it out then..."

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian closed their eyes, trying to feel how many people inside the abandoned house from their qi. They could feel that it was indeed there were five people inside the abandoned house and they were scattered all over the house.

    However, they found out that it was a bit different from the old man said.

    They indeed could feel that four of them had a powerful qi and their level was a tad bit higher than them. However, one of them... the man¡¯s qi was very low. The man¡¯s position was in the middle of the house, so they made a guess that he was the leader and the other was protecting that man.

    They felt something wasn¡¯t right. Was it really the leader of A Thousand Swords, Hei Yue who was supposed to have a high martial arts skills? Or this man was actually a decoy?

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked at each other, suddenly feeling unsure.

 Chapter 178 Lin Zhou: Hei Yue 1

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian asked for their own men to retreat for a little bit. Yao Ying asked, "Why do I feel that something is quite fishy?"

    Lin Jian nodded. "I feel the same way too... I¡¯m expecting a bloody battle because I know that the other organization leader is very strong. Howe this man is even weaker than that old man?" They sensed the old man¡¯s qi and he had a little martial arts background, but Hei Yue had nothing at all. Thus, they thought that it was weird.

    "Yes... Should we continue this mission?" Yao Ying asked, feeling unsure. What if this was a trap?

    Lin Jian said, "We have to. We need the information... and also, didn¡¯t we already receive the down payment?" Indeed... they already got one free question and they didn¡¯t want to take advantage of other people. They could only grit their teeth and do their job.

    They came up with an idea and ryed it to the others. It seemed like they only needed to handle the four people. They decided to let two people from their party handle one --- 2 versus 1. Yao Ying and Lin Jian would need to find the leader. They knew that they couldn¡¯t kill the man right away. They needed to check his identity whether he was indeed the leader.

    They didn¡¯t like being yed. If that really happened, they would search for the teahouse owner and make him take responsibilities. Even if they already received the down payment, they didn¡¯t care for one bit. It was totally a different thing if the teahouse owner lied to them.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s guards had been told to follow Lin Jian and Yao Ying¡¯s orders, so they naturally became obedient. At first, they were protesting because this wasn¡¯t part of their jobs, but the young miss gave her added benefits if they did what she told them to do. They murmured their agreement in following their n.

    It was easier for Yao Ying and Lin Jian to give those proud Jiang Hu¡¯s people an order.

    After confirming that each person truly understood their own jobs, they started to move carefully. Even if they knew the enemies¡¯ power, they needed to be cautious. If they could sense their qi, then the other party was able to do the same too. They already guessed that the people inside must have been waiting for them to arrive.

    They jumped up to the roof and carefullynded on the sturdy one. Yao Ying and Lin Jian went up from the front along with Xiu and one of the other guards with their qing gong, while the others came up from the sides and the back.

    When Yao Ying and Lin Jian were going toe down, they were attacked by a few flying daggers. They didn¡¯t seem that surprised and easily dodged by doing a flip in the air and jumped down.

    "Who are you?" A young man waited for them on the front courtyard, asking with azy aura. The man wore a dark blue outer robe. He was quite handsome with his rugged appearance. His eyes showed a menacing aura when looking at them and his hands were holding a few flying daggers. He didn¡¯t feel afraid of their sudden appearance, showing that this man was quite confident with his own skills.

    "We are here for Hei Yue, but before that, we need to make sure that we have the right person. Brother, if we can... we want to minimize the damage... Why don¡¯t we have a peaceful talk?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Coming here in the middle of the night using that get-up, I don¡¯t think that you have good intention. Whether it¡¯s Hei Yue or not, I will not tell you. If you want to reach him, you have to step over my dead body!" The young man said in a loud voice.

    Hiszy demeanor suddenly changed into a serious one and his movement suddenly became very fast. They could hardly see his movement. He attacked once with his flying dagger and Xiao Fang¡¯s guard fell down. Xiu took a nce at the fallen man and saw that he was stabbed by the enemy, but it wasn¡¯t at a lethal part of his body. It seemed like the man didn¡¯t have any intention to kill them. However, the trio didn¡¯t dare to lower their defense.

    They attacked the man at the same time. They chose different spots to hinder the man movement, but it seemed hard to do so. Their swords were moving so fast that people would only see a sliver of light but the young man moved even faster than them. He used his right hand to stop Lin Jian¡¯s sword while using only his thumb and index finger to stop Xiu¡¯s sword. To stop Yao Ying, he moved for a little bit and let the sword pass beside his waist, making a hole on his outer robe.

    He used his inner qi and easily broke Xiu¡¯s sword using only his thumb and index finger without batting eyshes. He pulled his right hand and used his palm to attack Lin Jian¡¯s chest with his own inner qi. He jumped up, not caring about his wrecked outer robe and used his foot to stomp on Yao Ying¡¯s sword, making the sword break down into several small pieces. It showed how strong his inner qi was.

    The trio was surprised by the man¡¯s high skill. Lin Jian was hurt by the man¡¯s inner qi and he spat a mouthful of blood, but it was nothing to him --- only a minor injury.

    Lin Jian looked at Yao Ying and both had a tacit understanding of what they should do next. Lin Jian and Xiu moved smoothly, trying to attack the young man together once more. They used their own inner qi instead of their swords, trying to find a loophole from the man¡¯s defense. Once Yao Ying saw an opening, he quickly passed by the man and went to the house. He wanted directly to meet this so-called Hei Yue.

    The young man thought all of them were going to attack them all at once, but instead, the two became decoys and one of them tried to stealthily pass through him. He understood that although he appeared to have the upper hand, with the three of them were attacking him together... sooner orter, his strength would be depleted. He was quite surprised by their sudden change of tactic.

    He gritted his teeth and did a back flip, trying to hold Yao Ying back. However, before the man was able to do so, Lin Jian and Xiu didn¡¯t stop attacking him for once. They didn¡¯t want to give an opening to the man and let him hold Yao Ying back from meeting Hei Yue. The man wasn¡¯t able to free himself from Xiu and Lin Jian. He thought of another strategy.

    He would finish these two people off and then quickly chased the man who had just passed by him. However, he seemed to underestimate the two men¡¯s skills. He wasn¡¯t able to release himself anytime soon.

    Yao Ying could hear the sound of fighting that surrounded the house and knew that each of them was fighting to the death. He arrived at the door and he could sense the presence of the person inside. Hei Yue... Yao Ying was somehow baffled... why did this mission look so easy? He knew that something was indeed wrong.

    He hesitated at first, but finally decided to open the door with both of his hands. The man sat silently while calmly drank a cup of tea. Just like the old man said, he was able to tell at first nce this man was Hei Yue due to his ck skin. It was slightly darker than tan and for the people in their kingdom --- it was quite rare skin color.

    "Are you Hei Yue?" Yao Ying asked.

    The man looked up and then looked at Yao Ying in the eyes, "Yes..." There was no fear in Hei Yue¡¯s eyes. It was just like he was talking to an ordinary friend who came for a visit.

    Hei Yue asked while tilting his head to the side, "Why are you barging in here and trying to kill me? Did someone tell you to do that?"

 Chapter 179 Lin Zhou: Hei Yue 2

    Yao Ying wasn¡¯t a hired assassin who thought only of finishing his assignment, he had a mind of his own and there was already a seed of doubt nted inside his mind. So, he didn¡¯t attack the man directly. Instead, he chose to calmly talk to him with a cool head.

    "Yes..." Yao Ying answered. "However, before that... I need to make sure about something with you."

    "Oh?" Hei Yue looked at Yao Ying, feeling interested all of a sudden. "What do you want to know?" He asked curiously. This was the first time an assassin doing this interesting thing. Hei Yue felt that the man in front of him wasn¡¯t an ordinary person, thus he became interested.

    "Before that... Can we stop the fighting outside first?" Yao Ying asked.

    "What a bold suggestion. You barged in here and still demanded something from me. What if you decide to kill my men after they stop fighting?" Hei Yue asked, feeling that this whole thing was incredibly funny. He was the one who attacked first and he was the one who wanted to cease the fighting. He also admitted that he wanted to make sure something first before he attacked him again. Hei Yue really wanted tough out loud.

    "I won¡¯t," Yao Ying said resolutely. "I don¡¯t want for both parties to lose people unnecessarily. I just need to talk to you, before thinking about what I should do next. It won¡¯t be toote to start fighting again after that."

    Hei Yue finally reallyughed. His guess seemed to be correct. "You are sure a weird one..."

    Yao Ying also knew that he was being ridiculous, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He was just too curious!

    Hei Yueughed. "This is the first time that I meet such a funny assassin. Fine... But we should do it at the same time."

    Yao Ying nodded. Both of them used their own method to stop the fighting outside. Hei Yue whistled a special code that only he and his own people knew what the meaning was, while Yao Ying used his inner qi to convey the message. Yao Ying already discussed this with his own people, so they were able to catch Yao Ying¡¯s meaning.

    The sound of fighting from the outside ceased in a sh. Everyone had stopped fighting.

    "They already stop fighting, so what do you want to know?" Hei Yue asked.

    Before Yao Ying could open his mouth, Lin Jian and the man who they fought with them before barged into the room.

    "Master... why did you stop our fight?!" The young man asked Hei Yue while he looked at Yao Ying in contempt. But after knowing that he didn¡¯t hurt Hei Yue, his expression became a little bit better. He was surprised because of the sudden order from his master to cease the fight.

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t talk much because he understood the reason why Yao Ying did that. He only looked at them, feeling interested in knowing what had happened between Yao Ying and Hei Yue.

    "Yu Wen, don¡¯t be rude! I need to talk to this young man first, so step aside," Hei Yue ordered in a serious voice. He knew how temperamental Yu Wen was...

    Yu Wen wanted to say something but with just one re from Hei Yue, he quickly shut his mouth and stood at Hei Yue¡¯s back while pouting like a little kid. He was ring at Yao Ying and Lin Jian as if to warn them, he would kill them if they did something to Hei Yue.

    Lin Jian only rolled her eyes at Yu Wen¡¯s childish behavior but didn¡¯t really put it into his heart. After all, the man only felt protective because they attacked them first.

    "I want to know... what¡¯s your real identity?" Yao Ying asked. He somehow didn¡¯t believe that this man was the leader of A Thousand Swords. The old man must have been lying to them. This man didn¡¯t seem to emanate a leader¡¯s aura.

    Hei Yue raised one of his eyebrows and asked, "You are here to kill me and yet you are asking about my real identity? Don¡¯t you think that it sounds so ridiculous?"

    Yao Ying knew that he sounded so ridiculous himself, but he had no choice. He didn¡¯t want to be used as a pawn and killed the wrong person because of their greediness for information. Who knew? It would probablynd him into more trouble.

    "Yes... I feel like that you are not like what the other person told me about. I don¡¯t want to taint my hands with the blood of the wrong person," Yao Ying answered honestly.

    Yu Wen snorted. "Then why you attacked before confirming first?" He really wanted to punch these two people!!

    Hei Yue waved his right hand, telling Yu Wen to stop talking. He quite admired this youngster¡¯s firm belief in his own view. He sighed and asked, "Is the man who told you to kill me... the teahouse owner?" Hei Yue wasn¡¯t sure what indentity the old man would use, but when they were in Lin Zhou, he usually used the identity as the teahouse owner. So, he made a guess.

    Yao Ying nodded. He didn¡¯t feel surprised when Hei Yue knew about that man, after all, he heard that Hei Yue sent men to spy on him. "How do you know?"

    Hei Yue sighed while shaking his head. "Who else? Only that man... would be cruel enough to do that!"

    "Don¡¯t tell me! It¡¯s that old man again!! Qing Hui..." Yu Wen said angrily. Yu Wen had a little bit of temper but he was actually a nice and loyal man. His anger would be directed only to enemies.

    "That old fox never lets you go, Master!! Why don¡¯t you let us teach him a lesson!!" Yu Wen said angrily. He didn¡¯t know why his master always so kind!

    "Yu Wen!" Hei Yue warned him once again. After knowing that Yu Wen wouldn¡¯t cut their conversation off once again, Hei Yue said politely, "I apologize on Yu Wen¡¯s behalf. This youngster doesn¡¯t have a good temper, but he¡¯s actually a kind soul."

    Yao Ying smiled and nodded in understanding. "Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s fine..."

    Hei Yue sighed and asked, "What kind of nonsense that Qing Hui told you about me?"

    Yao Ying shook his head. "I can¡¯t tell you. I need you to tell me your part --- hence I can make a decision with a clear judgment which one of you who told me the truth..."

    Hei Yue asked, "What will I gain if you think that I¡¯m the one who tells the truth?" He wanted to know what¡¯s on this youngster¡¯s mind.

    Yao Ying merely said, "I¡¯m not going to kill you, and also... I will help you." Yao Ying hesitantly added thest part.

    "Help me?" Hei Yue asked.

    Yao Ying nodded. "If my guess isn¡¯t wrong, there will be someone who will continue our job if we fail. For the time being, I will suggest all of our people to pretend to be fighting. At least, make the sound of fighting. We can talk when they are doing that. It¡¯s safer that way --- we can stall for more time."

    Hei Yue was quite surprised, but he readily agreed. This young man¡¯s idea wasn¡¯t that bad. "Sure... we can do that," Hei Yue answered.

    Yao Ying and Hei Yue gave a silent signal through their eyes to Lin Jian and Yu Wen. Thetter was clever enough to understand their meaning.

    Lin Jian quickly passed the order to Xiu who waited in front of the room all along, while Hei Yue ordered Yu Wen. Lin Jian nned to stay behind but Yu Wen didn¡¯t trust them enough to let two men stay inside the room. What if they both wanted to kill Hei Yue? There wouldn¡¯t be enough time for him to save his master. Lin Jian had no choice but to follow Yu Wen out. He didn¡¯t want to waste time bickering with this bad-tempered Yu Wen.

    They went out and started to prepare themselves. They pulled out the swords that had been put away before and started to find random partners. Because they didn¡¯t really know each other... they chose their partners based on the previous fight. Lin Jian automatically pretended to be sparring with Yu Wen.

 Chapter 180 Lin Zhou: Hei Yue 3

    Both of their team were pretending to be fighting. They hadzily yed with their swords and rammed the swords to the swords of their respective partners, making a quite exaggerated fighting sound. Both parties were sitting down because they also felt tired due to the previous real fighting between them. They felt silly for doing this but they couldn¡¯t just ignore their masters¡¯ order.

    If felt weird because they were enemies before... and now, they have to act together.

    They didn¡¯t forget to make sounds of pain once in a while. They wanted to make the fight appear to be as realistic as possible in order to deceive the enemy.

    "Arghh..."

    "Ughhh..."

    Or attacking sound...

    "Hyattt..."

    "Ciattt..."

    They started to be creative due to feeling bored. Once they started getting out of hand, Lin Jian or Yu Wen would be reminding them to behave properly!

    Lin Jian would probablyugh merrily when looking at this scene some other time, however, he couldn¡¯t do that at the moment! He was one of them... He red at Yu Wen in hatred. Without him, he would be talking with Yao Ying and Hei Yue inside that room. Now... he is reduced to doing this along with him!! Annoying... so annoying!

    Back into the room, Yao Ying was still exchanging a look with Hei Yue. After a few moments, Yao Ying decided to break the silence, "Now... can you tell me more about you?"

    "Sure... what do you want to know?" Hei Yue asked Yao Ying back.

    "Are you really the leader of A Thousand Swords?" Yao Ying finally decided to ask the most important question.

    "Yes..." Hei Yue admitted honestly.

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. Did the old man really tell the truth? But what did Yu Wen mean by saying that Qing Hui never let them go? He started to feel that all of this was indeed a big conspiracy.

    "But... why don¡¯t I feel a hint of qi from your body?" Yao Ying asked in confusion. "I heard that A Thousand Swords¡¯ leader has a very high martial arts skills but... howe you...?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t know how to finish the sentence. After all, it must be this man¡¯s sore spot.

    The calmness in Hei Yue¡¯s eyes changed into a fit of anger all at once. "I was poisoned by the one that I called my own brother!!" He said in a slightly loud voice. "The poison that he gave me was able to destroy my inner dantian without a trace. The poison was tasteless and it was mixed with my drink! Who would be suspicious of his own sworn brother?" He looked down sadly. "He ruined me!"

    Yao Ying somehow had a bad premonition. "Don¡¯t tell me... It¡¯s his doing..."

    "Yes!! This is Qing Hui¡¯s good work!" Hei Yue was vexed whenever he remembered the betrayal. "The man that I took as my sworn brother. I never thought that for his ambition... he would betray me!"

    "But... why? What ambition?" Yao Ying asked, even though he already had a gut feeling about what Hei Yue would say next.

    "What else?! He¡¯s trying to take control of A Thousand Swords. A Thousand Words would never be able to survive without us guarding them. I also don¡¯t know why!! That¡¯s what I want to ask him... the reason..." When saying thest part, Hei Yue looked defeated.

    "Whenever I tried to go near him and ask for an exnation, the man was able to dodge me or run away from me!" Hei Yue gritted his teeth in a vexed manner. "I always do my best to work along with him and cater to his interest. So, I¡¯m also wondering why..."

    Somehow, Yao Ying tended to believe this man¡¯s words. Everything added up and more reasonable. He didn¡¯t have an indescribable nagging feeling when Hei Yue talked, unlike Qing Hui.

    "Let me ask you one more question... Do you know any of the schrs who spread false news for the past few days?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Eh? About the marriage alliance? I know one of them. Why?" Hei Yue asked in confusion with the sudden out-of-the-blue question. Why did this man suddenly talk about that matter?

    "What¡¯s his rtionship with you?" Yao Ying asked carefully. He didn¡¯t want Hei Yue to know what the old man told him. He just wanted to cross-check their words.

    Hei Yue sighed. He didn¡¯t sure why Yao Ying suddenly talked about this topic, but he still answered him nheless. "You must be curious because that kid has the same skin color as me, right? He¡¯s one of my sons. However, I already kicked him out because he¡¯s so useless! He seems to be a ma for trouble and keep making everything worse!"

    Although Hei Yue seemed to be reprimanding his son, there was still a hint of love. Yao Ying suspected that he came here just for his son. Unknowingly, he once again fell into Qing Hui¡¯s trap. Even a clever person would feel agitated and lose control of himself once his beloved son was involved.

    Yao Ying tried to remember the face of the schrs and he indeed remembered that there was one schr who had dark skin, but he didn¡¯t seem to talk that much. He only stayed in the corner and didn¡¯t talk directly with Yao Ying. Yao Ying remembered him because his skin color distinguished his presence from the others at the teahouse back then.

    It was quite rare for a schr to have dark skin, after all, they were generally only studying inside the room. Unlike Lin Jian who did everything outdoor, hence his tanned skin. It was just because he didn¡¯t talk much, Yao Ying didn¡¯t pay him too much mind.

    With Hei Yue¡¯s words, Yao Ying knew that Qing Hui used Hei Yue¡¯s life story and turned the story around, trying to gain Yao Ying¡¯s sympathy. He couldn¡¯t believe a person who was once a sworn brother with Hei Yue... would be able to destroy and ruin his sworn brother just because of his greediness.

    What a cruel man!

    "Do you believe me now?" Hei Yue asked Yao Ying.

    "I believe you..." Yao Ying answered.

    "Now... tell me what he said and what his offer was... I want to know how far he would go just to destroy this useless man?" Hei Yue felt bitter inside but he wanted to know the truth. If it wasn¡¯t because the trust and loyalty that his subordinates had for him, he would have already been dead for a long time. It was also the reason why Qing Hui couldn¡¯t get ahold of A Thousand Swords. He thought by crippling him, his subordinates would not recognize him as the leader.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t hesitate to tell him all the truth. Although he knew how painful it would be for Hei Yue, he deserved to know the truth. It seemed like there was no use for him to hang onto the fact that they were once best friends. It would only lead him to his death.

    The more Hei Yue listened to what Yao Ying said, the darker his face was. He couldn¡¯t believe that the reason his son was doing this suicide mission was because of Qing Hui too! How far would he go just to ruin his life?! He... when did he suddenly be this cruel?

    Qing Hui wasn¡¯t like the man who used to go through hard times together with him. What made him change? Greediness? Vying for power?

    Yao Ying looked at Hei Yue in pity before it was gone in a sh. He knew that this proud man wouldn¡¯t ept any form of pity or he would feel insulted.

    Hei Yue was quiet for a little while after listening to the story that Qing Hui had cooked up about him. He turned ck into white and white into ck. How ruthless!

    Hei Yue asked hesitantly, "Then... What about his offer?"

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t hesitate to tell Hei Yue about the three pieces of free information that he offered after killing Hei Yue and not to forget about the one free information that had been told to them for the down-payment. Hei Yue also confirmed that the news about the wedding alliance was indeed true, but the perpetrator must be the man behind Qing Hui --- not the crippled him.

 Chapter 181 Lin Zhou: Hei Yue 4

    Yao Ying wondered to himself. If he was a hotheaded person that was easily blinded by the prize, wouldn¡¯t Hei Yue already die because of it? If Hei Yue wasn¡¯t being crippled, he wouldn¡¯t even feel suspicious by Qing Hui¡¯s instigation.

    Hei Yue asked carefully, "Are you really willing to let go of those three pieces of free information?"

    Yao Yingughed. "Of course, I¡¯m willing. I¡¯m not that greedy. Even if I¡¯m in dire need of some pieces of information, but I can find a way to find out about it myself. The difference is that it will take longer for me to find out about it. That¡¯s all!" Yao Ying answered calmly.

    Hei Yue nodded. Knowing that Yao Ying could be trusted, Hei Yue decided to tell him, "You don¡¯t need to worry about that. I can also offer the same condition as him, after all, the flow of information also goes inside my A Thousand Swords --- not only A Thousand Words. What he knows... I also know."

    Yao Ying looked up in surprise. "Really?"

    "Of course." Hei Yue nodded.

    Yao Ying suddenly stopped talking and he made a gesture to let Hei Yue stop talking too. He tried to listen to something from the outside. The sound of the fake fighting suddenly was gone. They already knew that without Yao Ying or Hei Yue¡¯s signal, they shouldn¡¯t stop.

    Yao Ying mouthed, "Something is wrong outside. I will go check it out. You should stay inside. Don¡¯t worry! We will protect you." Yao Ying gave his promise to protect Hei Yue. He made an arrangement with Hei Yue before he went out.

    Hei Yue massaged his head tiredly. "I think it¡¯s him, Qing Hui. He probably already knows that you are not going to kill him on his behalf. I believe... he will also try to kill you if you fail to kill me," Hei Yue predicted.

    Yao Ying nodded. "I know." Without being told, he already knew that a wicked person like Qing Hui --- who had no moral whatsoever would never let him go.

    After making sure that Hei Yue was hidden safely, Yao Ying went out of the roomzily. When he arrived at the front courtyard, there were two forces facing each other in hatred. One was hisrades and Hei Yue¡¯s while the other was Qing Hui¡¯s force.

    Qing Hui stood in front of his force proudly. There were only thirteen people including Yao Ying on their side, while on Qing Hui¡¯s side, there were more than twenty people. Judging from their look, it seemed like they had quite a skill.

    Yao Ying felt like this was probably the part that made Yao Ling¡¯s heart didn¡¯t feel good. A sudden attack from Qing Hui had suddenly urred. It was lucky for them that they had analyzed beforehand everything carefully. Yao Ling¡¯s nagging feeling made them be more careful. If they blindly attacked Hei Yue, then both sides would receive quite a damage. On the other hand, Qing Hui¡¯s side would be the one who received the benefits.

    Once they appeared, there would be no struggle on their side because Yao Ying¡¯s party and Hei Yue¡¯s party had been hurt badly. Qing Hui would be able to kill Hei Yue without dirtying his hands while at the same time... he would kill Yao Ying¡¯s party and throw the me at them. Once A Thousand Swords¡¯ people heard about this, the rage would be directed at them. He would only appear to be pitiful and heartbroken, then it would look like that it had nothing to do with him.

    What a great n, huh!

    "Uncle Qing Hui... what are you doing here?" Yao Ying asked calmly with fake politeness. This man had made him lose his respect toward him because of his wickedness.

    Lin Jian saw Yao Ying¡¯s tense behavior and he knew that the one who lied probably Qing Hui. He whispered to Yu Wen, "It seems like we will berades and fight at the same side after this." Yu Wen nodded his head but didn¡¯t say much.

    Although he felt dissatisfied, Yu Wen had no other choice. There were too many enemies for only four people to handle. They came here just to catch back the master¡¯s good for nothing son. Who knew that they would meet this traitor here? If he knew beforehand, he would bring a lot more people to Lin Zhou.

    Although Yu Wen didn¡¯t listen to the conversation between his master and Yao Ying, he wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to realize that Qing Hui had something to do with the master¡¯s son and this sudden attack from Yao Ying. He already told his master a few times to be careful around Qing Hui, but his master was too kind and he was too trusting toward Qing Hui. He only remembered the past Qing Hui and didn¡¯t want to admit to himself that Qing Hui had changed.

    It wasn¡¯t until he was crippled and the evidence was there that the master finally believed him, but it was already toote. The cost was his martial arts skills had gone just like that.

    Qing Hui¡¯sughter brought Yu Wen back to the present situation. "Of course... I have to observe your skill and whether you are indeed sessful in doing your job... or not." Qing Hui said leisurely with a hint of wickedness.

    Yao Yingughed back. "Don¡¯t worry, Uncle! The deed has been done... I already killed Hei Yue!" Yao Ying showed to Qing Hu the sword that had been tainted with blood.

    Yu Wen was surprised when he heard what Yao Ying said and he yelled in disbelief, "What?! You killed my master!! You coward! How could you kill an ordinary man?!"

    Yu Wen was quite puzzled. He didn¡¯t hear any sounds inside the room but why Yao Ying said that he had already killed his master. Did he really kill his master?

    Yao Ying nced at Yu Wen coldly. "I already killed him, so what are you yapping about?"

    Yu Wen was surprised by Yao Ying¡¯s sudden cold nce, but he identally saw the subtle movement on Yao Ying¡¯s eyes. An assurance? What did it mean? Master wasn¡¯t dead? Was this just an act? That must be it!

    Yu Wen¡¯s eye twinkled for a little bit before it was gone. He wasn¡¯t that stupid. If Yao Ying wanted to kill his master, there was no need for him to talk with his master for so long. He quickly went along with Yao Ying¡¯s act and started to get angrier.

    At first, Qing Hui was quite sure with the fact that Yao Ying hadn¡¯t killed Hei Yue. After all, he saw clearly that both sides only pretending to be fighting each other! He thought that this boy was smart, but he fell into his trap easily. Hah! Indeed, he was the only smartest person here.

    Qing Hui furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Do you tell me the truth?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "Of course! I was just acting to gain that stupid person¡¯s trust. After that stupid person pretended to be fighting, I killed his master." Yao Ying pointed at Yu Wen. What he meant was all of this was decoy... he just wanted to let Yu Wen lower his guard down and without his meddling, he killed Hei Yue easily just now.

    "What did you say?" Yu Wen was going to jump and stab Yao Ying, but he was being held back by Lin Jian and some of Xiao Fang¡¯s guards. On the other hand, the three people from Yu Wen¡¯s side also stopped by Xiao Fang¡¯s guards and Xiu¡¯s by pointing the sharp swords on their neck. One move and all of them would be killed.

    ¡¯That damn Yao Ying!! How could he say that I¡¯m stupid?! What kind of act is that? Why is he insulting me?!¡¯ Yu Wen scowled at Yao Ying in displeasure.

    Qing Huiughed like a maniac. "Good! Good! I¡¯m certainly not choosing the wrong person!"

    "Uncle Qing Hui, didn¡¯t you say that you need our help to kill Hei Yue? But why didn¡¯t he have any martial arts skills? Why do you look like you don¡¯t trust us?" Yao Ying pretended to ask in confusion.

    Yao Ying wanted to see what this monster would say about that. This was Hei Yue¡¯s request.

 Chapter 182 Lin Zhou: Hei Yue 5

    "Ah... I¡¯m sorry... it¡¯s not that Uncle doesn¡¯t believe you, but Uncle also has another purpose toe here..." Qing Hui grinned widely. He didn¡¯t even try topose himself or cover his evil nature. It was far too different from the image that he had built back at the teahouse.

    Yao Ying tilted his head to the side and asked, "What is Uncle¡¯s purpose then?"

    "Of course, to bring you some help," Qing Hui answered while pointing at the people behind him.

    "I think you are too exaggerated, Uncle. This is really an easy job," Yao Ying smiled. "Why do you need toe here yourself?"

    "Where is his body?" Qing Hui asked and he felt the euphoria after knowing that Hei Yue was finally dead.

    "Inside..." Yao Ying answered. "Uncle... why did you want to kill him? This man didn¡¯t have any martial arts skills at all! Are you sure that he was A Thousand Swords¡¯ leader? I¡¯m afraid that I killed the wrong person." Yao Ying continued to act and let the lunatic tell his thought loudly.

    "Don¡¯t worry! You got the right person if he was really a cripple," Qing Huiughed merrily. What Yao Ying said had proved that he indeed killed Hei Yue. He didn¡¯t kill the wrong person! Hei Yue was gone!

    "But... how?" Yao Ying pretended to be confused. "How did he lose his martial art skills?"

    Qing Hui knew that he already had the upper hand. He would kill everyone after this, so he didn¡¯t hold himself back answered Yao Ying arrogantly, "Of course, it was done by me! I gave him a poison!" Qing Huiughed. "He didn¡¯t even feel suspicious of me! The stupid man!"

    When Yao Ying heard that cruel statement, Yao Ying was able to hear a hint of sadness in his voice. It was only subtle so other people didn¡¯t pick up that sadness.

    Hei Yue heard what Qing Hui had said because of Qing Hui¡¯s loud voice. Thest hope inside him was shredded into pieces. The man had admitted his deed so there was no point in remembering their past rtionship anymore.

    Yu Wen yelled, "Why?! Master is your best friend!! Your sworn brother! How could you do that?"

    Qing Hui looked at Yao Ying with a righteous manner, "He¡¯s colluding with an outside force, trying to take my ce. I¡¯m only protecting myself. What¡¯s wrong with that?"

    Yao Ying who already knew the truth felt disgusted by this man two-faced behavior. He didn¡¯t feel remorse for hurting and killing Hei Yue at all, but he also had the gut to turn around the fact and put the me at Hei Yue¡¯s body.

    Yao Ying knew that this wasn¡¯t the right time for him to talk. He didn¡¯t want Qing Hui to feel suspicious of him, or else, he wouldn¡¯t answer his question.

    Yu Wen once again yelled in anger, "Colluding with an outside force?! You lie! My master never did that! It¡¯s you! You are framing my master!!"

    Qing Huiughed, looking at the miserable Yu Wen. "Don¡¯t worry! You are next!" Then, he turned to Yao Ying, "You already killed Hei Yue and now you have be my aplish!"

    "Aplish? Didn¡¯t you say that Hei Yue was the traitor? Aren¡¯t you trying to uphold justice? Why did you use the word ¡¯aplish¡¯?" Yao Ying squinted his eyes, asking. He didn¡¯t want to be associated with this man any longer.

    "We are on the same boat now, so I will tell you the truth!" Qing Hu didn¡¯t bother to cover his own evil nature anymore. "I used to take him as my own sworn brother, but time has changed and it could also change people¡¯s heart."

    "There¡¯s always a reason for a change. What happened to you?" Yao Ying pretended to ask in concern, showing that he cared about Qing Hui.

    "Hah! Just because he had a high martial arts skills, he became so arrogant! I asked him to join forces with me and followed a great person, he deliberately refused me and at the same time, kept nagging me and giving unnecessary advice!" Qing Hui said in resentment.

    Hei Yue couldn¡¯t believe what he just heard. It was just because of that? Because of that man whom he suddenly worshipped out of nowhere? Once he met that man, he already knew that he wasn¡¯t a good thing. He cared about Qing Hui, thus he kept pestering him not to fall into that man¡¯s trap. His care to him suddenly became arrogant in Qing Hui¡¯s eyes.

    Was their friendship reduced into this?!

    That man wanted to ruin the bnce between three kingdoms, incite war and want to sit on the dragon throne. That kind of ambitious and cruel man... how could he be so good and amazing in Qing Hui¡¯s eyes? They had been through together so much for more than a decade, but for the man that he had just met for a few times, he changed so much! Hei Yue couldn¡¯t even recognize Qing Hui anymore.

    Yao Ying asked, "A great man? Who?" Yao Ying hoped that he would be able to know the mastermind¡¯s name.

    Qing Hui had an expression of admiration on his face and his eyes were hazy, making Yao Ying shudder. "He¡¯s a great man with a great aspiration. He nned to unite the three kingdoms and bring peace to the world!" Qing Hui eximed.

    Yao Ying was beyond speechless. "Uncle, before uniting the three kingdoms, what is his first step in order to achieve that?" Yao Ying tried to steer his mind and judgment in the right direction.

    "Of course, sitting on the dragon throne and I will make sure that he will be able to do that!" Qing Hui said smugly.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "This is not a great aspiration. This is what we called as selfish! In order to be an Emperor, I believe he would kill the current Emperor, right? That¡¯s called treason! Not only that, for him to achieve that... how many lives that he wants to sacrifice?"

    Qing Hui said stiffly, "In order to do great things, sacrifice is a must!"

    Yao Ying asked something that stabbed a knife to Qing Hui¡¯s heart, "Just like you sacrifice your own sworn brother to your own blind ambition? In my eyes, you are not doing it for the greater good... but you only want to fulfill your own ambition! You have been blinded so badly by the man that you called a great person!"

    "No!" Qing Hui denied the throbbing inside his heart. He wasn¡¯t going to feel sorry and regret for killing Hei Yue. That man didn¡¯t want to see eye to eye with him and he also hindered his movement. That was the only thing that he could do! His eyes became crazier by the second.

    Yao Ying was able to see the abnormality in his eyes and he was puzzled by that. He could see that Qing Hui¡¯s emotion wasn¡¯t stable, it was as though... he was battling inside his own mind. Yao Ying looked at Lin Jian and judging from Lin Jian¡¯s expression, thetter also felt the same way as Yao Ying.

    Yao Ying was weighing his option whether he had to keep provoking Qing Hui or not. Qing Hui¡¯s behavior made him cautious. Something wasn¡¯t right with that man. This much, he was able to feel it. He decided to go all out, but he gave a signal to Lin Jian and Xiu to prepare himself --- just in case, something would happen.

    Yao Ying asked once again, "That man must be not having royal blood in his body, right? That¡¯s why he tried to shake the Shu Kingdom¡¯s foundation from the outside? If he¡¯s royal blood, he would certainly fight in the capital."

    Qing Hui felt a sudden headache and his eyes became a bit red, then he answered Yao Ying in a menacing tone, "He¡¯s one of the royal blood! Otherwise, I also won¡¯t be crazy enough to help him and keep in touch with him!"

    Yao Ying finally found out that it was indeed one of the royal blood¡¯s doing. Was it one of the prince?

    "Ha! So, it must have been a prince!" Yao Ying pushed once again, hoping that QIng Hui would be able to give him a satisfactory answer.

    Qing Hui usually wouldn¡¯t answer easily just like this, however... his head was getting dizzier and there were many voices talking inside his mind. He opened his mouth and answered, "It¡¯s..."

 Chapter 183 Lin Zhou: Hei Yue 6

    Before Qing Hui could answer, one of the men behind him hit the spot behind his neck to make him unconscious. Qing Hui went weak and he fell down before the man behind him could catch Qing Hui... Yao Ying made a sudden decision. He used his qing gong and pulled Qing Hui to his side. He needed to know what¡¯s wrong with Qing Hui and why he detected an abnormality in his behavior.

    He had to have Qing Hui. With that thought in mind, Yao Ying didn¡¯t hesitate to take Qing Hui away under their nose. He had a feeling that once that man got ahold of Qing Hui, he would kill him.

    The man was surprised by Yao Ying¡¯s sudden movement and he wasn¡¯t prepared, so he couldn¡¯t take Qing Hui back. Yao Ying threw Qing Hui to Xiu without care and said, "You take care of him. Don¡¯t let anyone take him and go inside the room!"

    After saying that, Yao Ying quickly gave a signal to the others and the two sides began fighting mercilessly. This time, it¡¯s a real fight.

    "Yes, Young Master," Xiu quickly took Qing Hui and went into the room. After closing the door, he put Qing Hui on the floor. All of this was seen by Hei Yue who suddenly came out of his hiding. Xiu didn¡¯t know about it, so he was surprised when he saw Hei Yue. Just like Yao Ying, Xiu recognized him because of his dark skin color.

    Hei Yue looked at Qing Hui in hatred. It was unlike the previous confused and hurt expression that he had. When he heard Qing Hui¡¯s words, their friendship and brotherhood had vanished.

    Xiu also understood that something was not right with Qing Hui, his young master needed him and he couldn¡¯t let Hei Yue hurt him. So he decided to appease Hei Yue first. "Mister, my young master has ordered me to protect this man. Please don¡¯t make it difficult for this one!" In a way, Xiu was giving a warning to Hei Yue not to be reckless.

    Hei Yue went out of his trance and quickly calmed himself down. Even though he hated Qing Hui to the bone, he couldn¡¯t bear to kill him. This was the first time that he felt he was too weak. Rather than dwelling on Qing Hui, he decided to just turn around and pay him no mind.

    Xiu sighed in relief after knowing that Hei Yue went into the inner room.

    Xiu checked on his condition and felt that Qing Hui was only unconscious --- it was nothing major. However, his body was slightly feverish. He didn¡¯t dare to leave Qing Hui¡¯s side, even though he was itchy to join into the fight outside. He also didn¡¯t dare to take a peek and watch the fight --- just in case Hei Yue would attack Qing Hui when he was careless.

    Back to the fight, the two sides were still fighting vigorously. It was lucky that Yao Ying and Yu Wen¡¯s side didn¡¯t fight to death previously or else they would have no stamina left to fight those many people. They were quite skilled and even now... they are still on par with each other. If they were hurt before this fight, they probably couldn¡¯t put up any resistance and would be ughtered by the enemies.

    "Who are you?" Yao Ying asked. He assumed that the masked man who dared to hit Qing Hui must be the leader, so he threw the question at that person.

    "You don¡¯t have to know anything about us!" The man sneered. "You only need to die!"

    "Qing Hui isn¡¯t your real leader, isn¡¯t he?" Yao Ying asked, taunting him to reveal more secret. "Must have been a pain in the ass to serve such a stupid master, right?!"

    "No need to talk too much! Just use your hands to fight!" The man yelled in annoyance.

    "I¡¯m just asking. Why are you so agitated?!" Yao Yingughed while kept taunting the man. "You don¡¯t seem to worry about Qing Hui¡¯s safety, huh? Why? It¡¯s time to throw him away, am I right?"

    The man decided not to answer Yao Ying --- afraid that he would identally reveal something, so instead, he increased his attack speed. Even though he brought a lot of people, he could see how they were at a disadvantage. The only thing that he could do was trying to finish Yao Ying off as soon as possible, knowing that he was the leader.

    However, it wasn¡¯t that easy. He had used the fastest speed to attack the man, but he couldn¡¯tnd a blow at all. It seemed like the more he attacked, Yao Ying¡¯s speed kept increasing. He couldn¡¯t catch up at all.

    "Ah... I almost forgot to say... Once Qing Hui wakes up, I will be able to find out about your leader." Yao Ying grinned happily. "I¡¯m curious which prince your master is..."

    The man gritted his teeth and he started to attack more viciously. That stupid Qing Hui! If he didn¡¯t almost blurt out their prince¡¯s name, his cover wouldn¡¯t be blown just like this. The enemy wouldn¡¯t be this vignce and they would be easier to eradicate them.

    It seemed like Qing Hui had be a liability. He needed to shut his mouth by killing him after he finished dealing with Yao Ying.

    "Ahhh...e on... tell this one... who is your prince¡¯s name?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t feel tired taunting the man. He was lucky that he had made several breakthroughs under Shi Fu or he would die on his first mission. Now, he is able to y with this assassin.

    Yao Ying felt the more he moved, the lighter it became. The more he fought in realbat, the more he was able to do various techniques. It seemed like his body knew how to move seamlessly and do some unknown techniques. Was these the martial arts skills that he had learned in the past?

    If he paid close attention, the difference between his old techniques and the one that he learned from Shi Fu was that his old techniques always aimed to kill the enemy with precision. It reminded him of his illusion back at Long¡¯an. Was he really that cruel person? He thought to himself.

    When he thought about his own techniques, Yao Ying was distracted and the man almost sessfully hurt him. He decided not to think about his techniques anymore and focused himself on the fight. He let his body move more freely and go all out --- he wanted to know the full extent of his abilities.

    Yao Ying knew that this man wouldn¡¯t tell him the prince¡¯s name and probably would choose to kill himself rather than betraying his master. "Are you sure that you choose not to tell me?" Yao Ying¡¯s previous yful demeanor was gone and his expression became colder.

    The man could feel the change in his aura but didn¡¯t think much about it. He sneered and answered, "I¡¯m sure."

    After hearing the man¡¯s answer, Yao Ying decided to finish the fight quickly. He killed the man in less than one incense stick of time, even Lin Jian was surprised by Yao Ying¡¯s sudden increase inbat skills.

    Lin Jian remembered what his father said. Yao Ying was the type who would grow more powerful once he was in a real fight, it was because of his ability to adapt to the situation. However, it wasn¡¯t supposed to be this fast too. Lin Jian only took note at Yao Ying¡¯s progress but didn¡¯t say anything about it.

    "Don¡¯t let anyone alive!" Lin Jian gave an order when he looked around. The fight was almost finished, but he needed to remind everyone about it. If one of them was able to run out, they would be able to call a backup. They knew their face and it would be dangerous because they would be entangled in the matter between these two organizations.

    He believed that they would hunt him down because they knew about their secret and n.

    After the leader was killed, it was easier for them to kill the rest. Yao Ying didn¡¯t feel tired at all, so he quickly went to the house because he wanted to check on Qing Hui¡¯s odd behavior.

 Chapter 184 Lin Zhou: Qing Huis Condition 1

    Lin Jian followed right behind him Yao Ying. He also wanted to know what happened to Qing Hui back then. However, before Yao Ying could open the door, he was stopped by Yu Wen.

    "You... you... how could you say that I¡¯m stupid?!" Yu Wen angrily pointed at Yao Ying.

    Yao Ying really wanted tough and he turned around, facing Yu Wen. Yu Wen was so childish, but his personality was quite refreshing to him. "It was just an act! Why do you hold a grudge over an act?"

    Lin Jianughed out loud when he heard what Yu Wenined about, making Yu Wen feel angrier. "You... you... why are youughing too?!"

    "You are so cute," Lin Jian said. After that, he went to Yu Wen and pinched his cheek. Yu Wen yelped and looked at Lin Jian in disbelief. Even Yao Ying was quite surprised by Lin Jian¡¯s behavior.

    "Did you just pinch my cheek?!" Yu Wen asked while holding his cheek.

    "Yes... You tell me... how old are you?" Lin Jian asked.

    "I... I..." Yu Wen stuttered. Did he know something? Yu Wen thought to himself. "I¡¯m not telling you!"

    "If my guess isn¡¯t wrong... you are only ten to twelve years old, right?" Lin Jian asked. Yao Ying was surprised when he heard about Yu Wen¡¯s age.

    "How do you know?" Yu Wen blurted out the question.

    "Ha-ha-ha, just making a guess!" Lin Jianughed. He wanted to tease him more but finally decided to tell the truth, "Your voice hasn¡¯t changed yet and also although you look like the leader, the three men who are with you are protective toward you. At first, I thought that you are probably Hei Yue¡¯s son, but then I realized... the way those three are protective toward you is like older brothers to the youngest --- not toward their master."

    Yu Wen scratched the back of his head awkwardly but finally nodded, admitting to what Lin Jian said.

    Yao Ying¡¯s jaw dropped, feeling bbergasted. Yu Wen was taller than both he and Lin Jian. Was this kid a giant? However, if he had a closer look, what Lin Jian said was indeed true.

    Yao Ying said, "I didn¡¯t realize that! Ten to twelve years old! You have an amazing talent and at the same time, amazing growth! For his voice... I thought he has the girly type of voice." Yao Ying scratched the back of his head while admitting his thought.

    Yu Wen looked down in embarrassment, but then red at Yao Ying and Lin Jian. "Don¡¯tugh! Now, you call me girly?! I¡¯m still not forgetting that you called me stupid! Yet, you keep insultin me..."

    Yao Ying patted Yu Wen¡¯s head. "Be good! Big brother still has an important thing to do!"

    Yu Wen said, "I¡¯ll go with you! I need to protect my master from you!"

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian could only shake their head helplessly toward the overbearing youngster, but they just let him be. At least, Yu Wen had treated them like a friend --- there was no hostility or malice in his voice.

    Hei Yue seemed to hear what Yu Wen had said, so when they opened the door. He scolded Yu Wen for being so impolite. "Please don¡¯t mind him! He¡¯s just a kid..." Hei Yue trailed off.

    "It¡¯s okay." Yao Ying dismissed his concern with a smile.

    "What do you want to do to Qing Hui?" Hei Yue asked.

    Yao Ying hesitated to tell him his view, after all, he didn¡¯t know whether his guess toward Qing Hui¡¯s abnormality was correct or not. "Wait for a moment! I will call someone to check on Qing Hui¡¯s condition, then I will tell you after that. It won¡¯t be toote."

    Hei Yue looked at Yao Ying in confusion. "What thing? I think everything has been clear already..."

    Yao Ying shook his head. "I think everything may not look like as it seems." Yao Ying didn¡¯t divulge any further because he didn¡¯t want to give Hei Yue a hope and crush it if his guess was wrong. That was why he could only mutter that sentence.

    Hei Yue could only nod but didn¡¯t talk anymore. He seemed to understand that Yao Ying found out about something weird from Qing Hui but he didn¡¯t want to dwell on it after everything was certain.

    "Xiu... bring Young Mistress here," Yao Ying ordered Xiu. He wanted Yao Ling to check on Qing Hui¡¯s condition just to make sure that his gut feeling was right.

    When Xiu picked Yao Ling up, thetter was still pacing back and forth in her room --- too worried to sleep. However, because of this, she was able to quickly get ready. Xiu reminded her to bring her tools because Young Master wanted her to check on someone¡¯s condition.

    Yao Ling asked in distress, "Is someone hurt? How is Yao Ying and Lin Jian?"

    "No... no... Young Mistress. They are fine. Young Mistress only needs to check the man that we met at the teahouse yesterday," Xiu said.

    "Qing Hui?" Yao Ling was quite surprised.

    "Yes..." After that Xiu summed up what had happened, so Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t be surprised by the sudden turn of event. Even though Yao Ling was quite surprised, she didn¡¯t let Xiu catch onto it. It turned out that her gut feeling was right once again.

    Xiu brought Yao Ling along while he used his qing gong. After she arrived at the abandoned old house, she quickly when inside the room. Yao Ying introduced Yao Ling to Hei Yue and Yu Wen. Yu Wen looked at the pretty jie jie in front of him in awe. "Jie jie... you are so beautiful!"

    Yu Wen was pretty much an innocent child. He was also very honest, that¡¯s why he said everything that was inside his mind. He indeed saw that the pretty jie jie looked like a deity and he really liked her!

    Yao Ling was taken aback but slightly blushing. She was rarely being praised face to face like this and it made her feel a little bit shy. Yao Ying saw her blushing and he scowled while ring at Yu Wen. His overbearing tendency started to re up once again.

    "Kid! Why are you flirting with my wife?!" Yao Ying said sternly to Yu Wen.

    Lin Jianughed out loud, watching the scene in front of it. "Yao Ying ah~ The dude is only a kid!"

    Yao Ying red at Lin Jian. "Around that age is already big enough to have a crush!"

    Lin Jian could only wave both of his hands in defeat. "Why are you ring at me? Go back and re at the boy!" What Yao Ying said was also true, around that age, there was already aboundary between girls and boys in their kingdom.

    Yu Wen scowled back. "I¡¯m just praising the pretty jie jie. Why are you so petty?!"

    Yao Ling really wanted tough and she also felt that Yao Ying was indeed a bit childish. She could only helplessly shake his head. Before it escted any further, Yao Ling asked, "Where is Qing Hui?"

    "I already put him on the bed," Yao Ying said and wanted to lead Yao Ling to the man, however, he was intercepted by the brat.

    Yu Wen didn¡¯t hesitate to cut off Yao Ying¡¯s words and quickly held Yao Ling¡¯s arm like a little kid. "Pretty jie jie, I will lead you to Qing Hui." Then, he smiled cutely. It was far too different from his previous overbearing and bad-tempered kid who kept shouting at Yao Ying and Lin Jian. Yao Ying who at first thought that Yu Wen¡¯s childishness was refreshing --- changed his mind!

    ¡¯This brat!!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself.

    Yao Ling had heard Yao Ying mentioned Yu Wen¡¯s age, so she treated him like a younger brother and smiled, "Of course." She helplessly looked at Yao Ying but she was still grinning sheepishly.

    Knowing that Yao Ling agreed to him, Yu Wen looked at Yao Ying and smirked, taunting the jealous man with a smug face.

    Yao Ying felt like beating the naughty kid, but he knew that checking Qing Hui¡¯s condition was the main priority.

 Chapter 185 Lin Zhou: Qing Huis Condition 2

    Hei Yue shook his head when looking at Yu Wen¡¯s behavior, but he didn¡¯t say anything. His mind was elsewhere... He wanted to ignore Qing Hui, but somehow he ended up sitting beside the bed and looked at the man, feeling worried for him. Sometimes, he felt that he was indeed very dumb for not being able to sever their bond.

    "Gu Niang, please take a look at Qing Hui!" Hei Yue said politely.

    Yao Ling nodded her head politely. She didn¡¯t ask who he was because, at a nce, she already knew his identity. She quickly checked on Qing Hui¡¯s pulse. Yao Ling didn¡¯t stop there, but she also checked up his whole body diligently.

    Yao Ying paid attention closely at what she did, waiting for her diagnose. After he felt that Yao Ling had finished her examination, he asked softly, "Ling-er, what happened to him?"

    "Do you want me to talk about his condition here?" Yao Ling asked Yao Ying whether it was okay for all of the people inside the room to know about it.

    Hei Yue quickly answered before Yao Ying would be able to say anything, "Yes!" He needed to know his condition!

    Yao Ling heard Hei Yue¡¯s answer but she still needed Yao Ying¡¯s agreement. When he saw him nodded, she opened her mouth and started talking. "His condition... isn¡¯t that good!" She honestly answered.

    Hei Yue was taken aback. "Why? What happened?" He didn¡¯t realize that even though he tried to hate Qing Hui, he was still concerned about him. They would be able to hear from his worried tone even though he had tried so hard to mask it.

    "I think this man has been drugged for a long time and it affects his brain, thus he must be a bit moody. Ying, you realized that something isn¡¯t right with him. Are the symptoms such as red eyes, excessiveughter, and he looks like that he¡¯s in agony once in a while?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Yao Ying nodded. "Indeed... I remember that once in the vige someone that your mother treated had the same symptoms as Qing Hui. That¡¯s why I feel suspicious of his condition." Without that knowledge, Yao Ying knew that he would also fail to realize the abnormality.

    Yao Ling sighed. "I think it¡¯s the same drug. It¡¯s a spirit altering drug..." Yao Ling trailed off thest part.

    Hei Yue looked up in surprise. "Spirit altering drug?" Hei Yue had heard about this drug before, but it was said that this drug was hard to find and at the same time, this drug was also hard to use. It needed to be used on certain dosage each day and in continuous for a hundred days without stopping --- or else, the drug would have no effect whatsoever.

    Because of the hard way to use, people rarely used this drug. However, once someone sessfully poisoned a person with this spirit altering drug, it would affect the person¡¯s nerve and brain. Thus, it would be hard to cure!

    Yao Ling nodded. "I wonder how someone could get ahold of this drug. Back at the vige, it was because a husband was continuously cheating on his wife without any restraint. The woman was able to have this drug because she was a distant rtive with the n who made this drug. This drug isn¡¯t sold in the market at all."

    Hei Yue felt pained then asked Yao Ling, "Does his change of behavior because of the drug?" His heart started to have hope once more.

    Yao Ling nodded her head once more. "Indeed... there¡¯s a possibility for that. If someone consumes the spirit altering drug this long, people are rarely able to survive. However, this old man is strong enough to survive and it¡¯s already a miracle. I bet his mind has been tormented all the time and it¡¯s easy for the one who poisons him to instigate his behavior."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to take a side on this although she knew that Hei Yue had lost his martial arts skills because of Qing Hui. Qing Hui was indeed too pitiful. He knew that someone instigated him to do something that he didn¡¯t want, but because of the drug, he wasn¡¯t able to resist. The more he resisted, the more he would be a mad person. He couldn¡¯t differentiate between reality and illusion.

    Yao Ling asked the big question, "Who is able to give this poison for more than a hundred days? The person doesn¡¯t seem to stop letting Qing Hui consume the spirit altering drug, even after a hundred days has passed. They totally want to make him go crazy and die painfully."

    Hei Yue was quite speechless with this revtion. Qing... Qing Hui... probably didn¡¯t really want to betray him, right?

    Even though Yu Wen was still a kid himself, he had been living with Hei Yue for a long time. He knew that this news gave a shock and anger to Hei Yue and sighed. "Foster Father, please take care of your body. Don¡¯t think too much! We need to think ahead... Shouldn¡¯t we look for the perpetrator and also try to find a way to cure Uncle Qing Hui?"

    Hei Yue was too deep in grief for the past two years due to Qing Hui¡¯s change of behavior and Yu Wen was forced to grow up early. He helped Hei Yue handle A Thousand Swords, thus he had a good understanding of things and good leadership skill --- despite, his bad-temper.

    Hei Yue nodded absent-mindedly. Both of them used to be youngsters who were full of dream and vigor. They wanted to stand side by side and make a contribution to the people by bncing the power between the three kingdoms. They wanted a peaceful era unlike when they were small. Both of their families were killed due to war.

    They were sessfully building A Thousand Words and A Thousand Swords --- they walked hand in hand and finally achieved their dreams. Everything went well until two years ago. He started to think about whether they would be able to go back to how they used to be. Someone had turned them be enemies by using underhanded means.

    He lost his martial arts skills that made him be the leader of A Thousand Swords, while Qing Hui lost the smart mind that made him be the leader of A Thousand Words. How? How could they lead both organizations with their power and talents gone? They were iplete without each other. Qing Hui was the brain and he was the brute.

    Hei Yue sighed to himself. He looked older all of a sudden due to all of his thought. Yu Wen was right. He had to find out the culprit and also clean up their organizations. After that, he would bring Qing Hui into seclusion and left the organizations. It was time for the younger generations to shine.

    Hei Yue started to sort out his mind and then he smiled at Yu Wen softly. "You are right. We should focus on those matters first."

    Hei Yue turned to Yao Ling and asked, "I only heard this spirit altering drug for a little bit, but I don¡¯t know how the poison works. I mean... through what medium? Foods? Drinks? I need to know about these details to catch the betrayer inside A Thousand Words. I know the mastermind but I will need to pull out the root and eradicate them!"

    Yao Ling exined to him, "That¡¯s the thing. This drug has been embedded deep into the blood and it seems like the one who poisoned him is really cruel. He is poisoned from inside and out. I have a guess that the poison is given through his food and also on his clothes."

    Hei Yue was taken aback. "What do you mean by his clothes?"

 Chapter 186 Lin Zhou: Uh-oh!

    "When I checked on him just now, I found a trace of the drug on his clothes. The drug would seep into his pores. This is especially done to increase the potency of the drug and it will make the drug take effect less than a hundred days," Yao Ling exined. This was indeed really a cruel method.

    "First thing first, we should change his clothes," Yao Ling ordered.

    She led the others to the outer room, while Hei Yue told one of his subordinates to change Qing Hui¡¯s clothes with his. It was a little too big for Qing Hui but it would make do for the time being.

    Hei Yue asked, "In other words, the person who poisons him... must have been the closest person to Qing Hui, right?"

    Yao Ling nodded. "Yes... Qing Hui must have trusted that person enough to let that person take care of his foods and clothing, right?"

    Hei Yue could only sigh. "I think I know who that person is and I will deal with her."

    Yao Ling nodded and didn¡¯t say anything more. After all, her job was done and this matter was their organizations¡¯ personal matter. Yao Ying decided to ask on Hei Yue¡¯s behalf, "Ling-er, can you cure him? He almost answered the name of the mastermind but one of his men hit him until he was unconscious."

    Yao Ying lowered his voice into a whisper for thest sentence and no one but Yao Ling was able to hear him.

    Yao Ling nodded her head and answered Yao Ying¡¯s question, "Actually, it was lucky for Qing Hui that his subordinate hit him to make him unconscious. He was on the verge of a breakdown. If he continued on, I believe that he would be a mad person." Qing Hui¡¯s condition had reached the worse and in order to cure him, she knew that she had to make him stay unconscious for the time being.

    "I¡¯ve seen how my mother treated the viger, but still... she wasn¡¯t able to fully cure him. His brain has been damaged and there was also a personality change to the man," Yao Ling honestly exined the side effect of the drugs.

    "That viger wasn¡¯t drugged to this extent, so the damage that Qing Hui has received must be several times more severe than that viger," Yao Ling said in a sad tone.

    Hei Yue trembled when he heard what Yao Ling said. He started to me himself for not realizing that there was something wrong with Qing Hui, but he couldn¡¯t change the past. He could only ask for the woman¡¯s help to save Qing Hui. Hei Yue didn¡¯t care about his status, he quickly kowtowed in front of Yao Ling and begged, "Please save Qing Hui, Gu Niang! This old man will forever grateful for your help and will be indebted to you!"

    The people inside the room were surprised by Hei Yue¡¯s sudden kowtow. Yu Wen yelled and quickly tried to help Hei Yue to stand up, "Foster Father, what are you doing?!" In his mind, the almighty Hei Yue shouldn¡¯t let himself degrade to this extent --- even if the other side was the pretty jie jie. Especially not for that traitor, Qing Hui. For him, being drugged wasn¡¯t an excuse!

    Yao Ling quickly said, "Uncle, what are you doing? Please don¡¯t do this!" She felt ufortable, after all, she didn¡¯t think that she deserved this kowtow. She quickly tried to appease the old man, "I will try to cure him, but I won¡¯t guarantee that he would back to normal. After all, his nerve has been damaged quite severe."

    Hei Yue rejected Yu Wen¡¯s help and asked him to step aside. "It doesn¡¯t matter to me. As long as you can cure him, it¡¯s already enough."

    Yao Ling could only helplessly nod. "I can try to expel the majority of the poison. For that, I will need several days. However, he still needs aftercare and it¡¯s not possible for me to that because it will take a long time. I will need someone to do that in my ce and I will teach that person how. You can just appoint someone to do this."

    Hei Yue nodded. "Consider it done! As long as you can cure him, I will do anything in my power to help you," Hei Yue made a vow that would help Yao Ying and Yao Ling a lot in the future.

    Yu Wen sighed. It seemed like his foster father had made up his mind and he didn¡¯t need to cover up his real rtionship with Hei Yue anymore. Previously, he always called Hei Yue as Master, but in truth, he was his foster father. "Foster Father, how about you are focusing yourself here? I will be the one who takes charge of finding the culprit?" Yu Wen offered himself to help Hei Yue.

    Hei Yue nodded gratefully. "Good boy! Let¡¯s do it!" His mind felt at ease when Yu Wen was the one handling that matter. He could even trust the boy with his life.

    Yu Wen smiled softlt and knew that he was helpless in front of his stubborn foster father. No matter what he said... he would still care about Qing Hui, so he could only let him be.

    Yu Wen was still angry at Yao Ying for calling him stupid. Before he went out, he decided to provoke and make the man angry once again. "Pretty jie jie, let¡¯s meet again another day! I have to go on a mission for now!" Yu Wen talked in a spoiled tone toward Yao Ling, unlike his previous serious behavior. His maturity and big body made people always forget about his real age.

    Hei Yue could only shake his head, knowing that Yu Wen started to be mischievous. He used to act spoiled just like this two years ago. He wondered when Yu Wen started to put on a serious face in front of him and he started to realize that he rarely smiled like this. If he thought about it that way, Hei Yue started to feel guilty. It seemed like he was too caught up in his own grief to realize the change in his foster son¡¯s personalities.

    Yao Lingughed at Yu Wen¡¯s childishness. "Sure! Jie jie will wait for you here." Yao Ling truly liked this spoiled kid.

    After that, without a second thought, Yu Wen kissed Yao Ling¡¯s cheek on the spur of the moment. Yao Ling gasped in surprised, touching her cheek. However, she couldn¡¯t bear to get angry when she saw Yu Wen¡¯s childish grin. She blushed but maintained her calmness and she could only shake her head helplessly.

    ¡¯Uh-oh!¡¯ Lin Jian thought to himself while peeking at a jar of vinegar beside him. This Yu Wen really knew how to irk and provoke Yao Ying. He used his age to his advantage. However, Lin Jian also understood Yao Ying¡¯s concern. The kid looked so mature! So, it didn¡¯t matter if his age was still young. There was still a certain boundary that couldn¡¯t be crossed!

    Yao Ying gritted his teeth. Damn this kid! He just acknowledged his stupidity for being riled up by a little kid! But, this kid was tantly provoking him! Even though he didn¡¯t feel as jealous as before, Yu Wen¡¯s provocative look really made Yao Ying want to strangle him to death!

    Yu Wen quickly bade his goodbye after feeling satisfied in teasing Yao Ying to his heart content. Yao Ying red at the kid in disdain.

    When Yu Wen strutted out of the room while smirked at him, he almost... almost wanted to chase him and put him on his ce. However, he remembered where he was and he also didn¡¯t want to lower himself to a kid level. He needed to learn from his mistake and not bing a jar of vinegar everywhere.

    When he saw Yao Ling¡¯s red cheeks, he decided to do something bold. He went to Yao Ling and hugged her waist intimately, then he kissed the cheek where Yu Wen just kissed her. Yao Ling was surprised by his gesture and asked, "What are you doing?"

 Chapter 187 Lin Zhou: Disinfect Your Cheek!

    Yao Ling was too embarrassed to look around her. Why did he kiss her in front of so many people?! Even though it was only on her cheek, but still... it was so embarrassing!!

    Yao Ying smirked at her and said, "Only to disinfect your cheek!" He felt satisfied after kissing her.

    Yao Ling could onlyugh at him while Lin Jian and Hei Yue were dumbfounded at Yao Ying¡¯s behavior. ¡¯This man ah~¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. She didn¡¯t feel angry at his overbearing behavior, instead, she felt amused. To some people, Yao Ying would look too dominant or too full of jealousy, but to her, it showed that he cared. He never tried to keep his feeling bottled up and it made their rtionship stronger.

    Lin Jian then asked a question that made Yao Ying almost vomit blood, "You just kissed the part where that kid, Yu Wen, had kissed Yao Ling before. Er... doesn¡¯t it mean you have an indirect kiss with that kid?"

    ¡¯F*ck!¡¯ Yao Ying cursed inside his mind. What kind of thing that went through Lin Jian¡¯s mind?! Yao Ying red at Lin Jian and thetter returned him with a naughty grin.

    Yao Ling could only roar inughter and her shyness was gone in an instant. What Lin Jian said was quite making sense, even Hei Yue who was in distressughed a bit at Lin Jian¡¯s teasing. Yao Ying helplessly dragged Lin Jian away and kicked him out of the room without a second thought.

    Yao Ying waved his hands to dismiss him and said, "Please take care of the matter outside. Clean up the courtyard and you can also take care of Xiao Fang, okay?"

    After that, without waiting for Lin Jian¡¯s answer, Yao Ying closed the door from inside. Lin Jian scowled at the petty man but he knew that he indeed had to take care of the matter outside. He ordered Xiao Fang¡¯s men to clean up the mess and then he left Yao Ying and Yao Ling on their own. He needed to give back the man that he had lent from Xiao Fang. They owed her one for this because, without her help, they knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Qing Hui¡¯sckeys.

    Besides, he knew that the couple would be able to take care of themselves, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to go back to the inn.

    Inside the room, Yao Ling was busy trying to clear up Qing Hui¡¯s poison slowly. She used her silver needles with a great concentration, inserting the thin silver needles through Qing Hui¡¯s skin at specific points on the body, to various depths.

    For the first treatment, it would take her a long time to do the detoxification process. Hei Yue and Yao Ying looked at how fluid her movement was, showing that she indeed had a talent in medicine.

    Yao Ling already warned them to prevent people from disturbing her or else the consequences would be very dire. She needed to put the silver needles at almost every part Qing Hui¡¯s body and one wrong ce where she inserted the thin needles in, then it would lead to a fatal wound. That¡¯s why both men didn¡¯t dare to talk --- even sneezing was forbidden.

    When Yao Ying saw that Yao Ling¡¯s forehead was full of sweat, he helped her wipe them off meticulously. He didn¡¯t dare to hinder her sight. Yao Ying wanted to ease her creasing forehead but seeing her in deep concentration, he decided against it.

    A whole night had passed and it was already Chen Shi (modern timing: 7 am - 9 am), but Yao Ling hadn¡¯t finished treating Qing Hui. Once in a while, Yao Ying could see that she closed her eyes, trying to gain her concentration back --- after all, she didn¡¯t sleep for one whole night. Yao Ying already told Xiu to prepare breakfast for them. Yao Ying waited for Yao Ling to finish so they could eat breakfast together.

    It was around the end of Si Shi (modern timing: 9 am - 11 am) when Yao Ling finally took out thest silver needle from Qing Hui¡¯s body. She quickly tidied up her silver needles and stood up, trying to stretch her stiff body. Probably because she was too tired, she was swooning and almost falling down if Yao Ying didn¡¯t hold her up. Yao Ling smiled and said thank you gratefully.

    Yao Ying felt pain in his heart because he could finally see how pale Yao Ling was. He would force her to rest for the rest of the day. "Are you okay?" Yao Ying asked.

    Yao Ling nodded. "I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m only slightly dizzy. Bring me a sweet thing to eat or drink and I will be fine."

    Yao Ying quickly ordered Xiu to prepare a cup of sweet tea. After drinking the tea, Yao Ling indeed felt much better. Yao Ying already told Xiu to heat up their foods for a few times and the breakfast that had been prepared beforehand turned into lunch by the time they started eating. Hei Yue ate along with them while chatting once in a while.

    After finished eating, Hei Yue quickly went to Qing Hui and checked him out --- indeed his face was slightly better than before. He was as pale as a white sheet before, but now there was a slight red tint on his face. He sighed in relief.

    Hei Yue turned to Yao Ling and cupped both of his hands as respect to her, "Thank you, Gu Niang. May I ask how long will he stay unconscious?"

    Yao Ling exined, "Until I finished the intense treatment for a few days, then I will wake him up. I deliberately put him on this state, otherwise, he would only harm himself and be crazy. For the time being, I will open a recipe for him and you have to diligently give the medicine to him. You must not miss a single dose." Yao Ling warned him.

    "Qing Hui is in a critical condition, so he needs attentive care..." After saying that, Yao Ling wrote the recipe and then gave it to Hei Yue. "Remember to give him the medicine three times a day. Tonight, I will do the second treatment," Yao Ling said.

    After that, they left the house back to their inn. Yao Ying forced Yao Ling to rest because she had been doing enough hard workst night and she needed to do the same treatment once again. He didn¡¯t want it to take a toll on her body. Yao Ling helplessly did what she was told to do and fell into a deep slumber right away.

    "Xiao Yu..." Yao Ying called.

    "Yes, Young Master?"

    "Are you feeling better?" Yao Ying asked. Xiao Yu had been feeling unwell the previous day, hence the question.

    "Answering Young Master, yes... this servant is already in a good health," Xiao Yu answered.

    "Good... I need you to take care of Young Mistress. After she wakes up, call the innkeeper to prepare a hot bath and foods to eat," Yao Ying ordered Xiao Yu. When he knew that Xiao Yu was there for his wife, he felt slightly better. He was still worried about Yao Ling but he needed to make a n with Lin Jian about Han Xiang.

    After listening to Qing Hui¡¯s words, they needed a change of n and he needed to talk about it fast. This was a good chance to talk with Lin Jian --- just the two of them. He didn¡¯t want Xiao Fang to loiter around and heard about their mission. They also needed to make a n that went hand in hand with Xiao Fang¡¯s n to help Han Xiang get away from the marriage.

    There were really a lot of surprises in this mission.

 Chapter 188 Lin Zhou: First Step of Their Plan 1

    Yao Ying was in deep discussion with Lin Jian and they finally came up with a sound n, but they had to make a few preparations first. When they realized that the two kingdoms tried to frame their kingdom, they decided to use another kingdom¡¯s identity when saving Han Xiang --- but of course, bit by bit.

    When they were given this task, the organization already said that they had their full permission to make a n and do as they saw fit. They didn¡¯t need to tell them about everything as long as they got the job done and they could borrow their people as they saw fit. The trust they got was because of Wang Luo Hai and General Lin.

    When Yao Ying had finished talking about the matter, Yao Ling already woke up and finished bathing. When she went out of the room to find something to eat downstairs, Yao Ling met Yao Ying and Lin Jian who came out from Lin Jian¡¯s room --- which located next to the couple¡¯s room. After seeing Yao Ling, Lin Jian remembered another thing and decided to remind Yao Ling for a bit.

    "Yao Ling... I know that you are busy with Qing Hui¡¯s matter, but I remember that you got a direct order from the matriarch, right?" He cleverly said the matriarch¡¯s name.

    Yao Ling was taken aback but she remembered about the medicine that the matriarch had entrusted to her. "Oh yes! I almost forgot!" She pped her hands when saying that. She looked at Lin Jian gratefully and said, "Thank you for reminding me!"

    Lin Jian only grinned and said, "You are wee!" After that, he left the couple all alone, trying not to make the couple feel suspicious of him. Heughed inwardly and thought to himself, ¡¯I don¡¯t know whether you will thank meter or not... after knowing the medicine effect.¡¯

    Oh well... he just needed to remember to prepare his ears when the time came!

    In their room, Yao Ying told Yao Ling their new n and she murmured her agreement, thinking that it was indeed a good idea. She didn¡¯t really help them with the n because she was busy with other matters. Yao Ling would continue treating Qing Hui while Yao Ying and Lin Jian did the preparation. Not only that, but Yao Ling also needed to stay with Xiao Fang and didn¡¯t let her know about their n.

    Xiao Fang knew that she had nothing to do because Han Xiang hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so she would follow Yao Ling everywhere --- even when she was treating Qing Hui. She looked diligently while Yao Ling was concentrating on Qing Hui¡¯s treatment, she admired Yao Ling¡¯s cleverness and talent. She started to realize that except for the four arts --- she didn¡¯t have any other talents.

    Yao Ling kept wondering why Xiao Fang always covered her face and she decided to ask the reason out of curiosity, "Xiao Fang, why don¡¯t you take down your veil once in a while? Don¡¯t you feel ufortable if you keep wearing it? The weather is quite hot at the moment."

    Xiao Fangughed and answered, "I already get used to it. My father always told me to wear my veil everywhere to prevent men from leering over me." After saying that, she realized that she would appear to be conceited if she said that and she looked down shyly. She already got used to her father and brother said that so it became a habit.

    Yao Ling patted her hands. "Why do you look so guilty? If you are beautiful, then you are beautiful! I¡¯m not going to say that you are arrogant." Yao Ling knew that Xiao Fang was just being honest and she didn¡¯t think much about it. It wasn¡¯t like she was being her friend because of her face, she liked her personalities.

    Xiao Fang asked Yao Ling, "Yao Ling, have you heard from Yao Ying when will Han Xiang arrive in this city?" She had heard that it was supposed to be two or three days but howe they didn¡¯t see any signs of their appearance?

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I think there has been a slight dy. Yao Ying already sent someone to inquire about this matter. The man is probably going out to their route and trying to find out what happened to them."

    Xiao Fang felt relieved when she knew that they even helped her to this extent. "Thank you! Meeting all of you is the best thing that has ever happened to me in this journey. All of you are also kind enough to help! Don¡¯t worry! I will repay you!" Xiao Fang made a promise to Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling smiled. "No need... no need..." She didn¡¯t dare to say that she helped her because they actually had the same goal --- to save Han Xiang and she felt that they didn¡¯t deserve to receive her gratitude. Truth to be told, Yao Ling felt a bit guilty. However, she tried to appease herself by thinking that it was fine as long as she didn¡¯t try to harm this innocent girl.

    "Once there is news about Han Xiang, I will let you know," Yao Ling said.

    Xiao Fang nodded gratefully.

    There was no news for the next two days. During those times, Yao Ling continued to give a treatment for Qing Hui. The man was still unconscious but under Yao Ling and Hei Yue¡¯s meticulous care, his condition was improving. Yao Ling estimated that she only needed two days extensive care and she could wake him up.

    At that time, she would try to see his condition when he was already sober. If he was better and had a sane mind, she would allow him to stay conscious while receiving their care. If not, she had no choice but to make him unconscious once again.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t forget to give Yao Ying the matriarch¡¯s medicine at night. When she asked Xiao Yu, there were only two packs of medicine left. After hearing that, she felt relieved. If she admitted it, it was quite a hassle to prepare the medicine every night. After all, she didn¡¯t see any effects toward Yao Ying.

    When their scout came back, they received the news that Han Xiang¡¯s entourage had been attacked by bandits and had a major loss. Fortunately, the woman was fine. However, the bridal dowries that had been prepared by the Han Emperor¡¯s had been robbed. It seemed like the bandits only cared about the treasures and didn¡¯t dare to touch the beauty.

    They were quite surprised with this news, after all, how could bandits dare to attack a royal entourage in a broad daylight? But this matter indeed had happened! Fortunately, it happened on the Han Kingdom¡¯s border, so this didn¡¯t affect the Shu Kingdom the slightest. They bet the Han Emperor would be jumping up and down in anger! This matter would certainly make him lose face! He knew that he would be theughing stock of the other two kingdoms.

    The Han Kingdom couldn¡¯t even protect his own princess¡¯ bridal dowry... It meant that the bandits didn¡¯t put the royal in their eyes. Because of this matter, he already sent a decree and wanted Han Xiang to stay put at Lin Zhou, waiting there. The Han Emperor had to lower his head and asked for the Shu Emperor¡¯s permission despite his embarrassment.

    They could only stay at Lin Zhou because it was the only city on the border between the Han and Shu Kingdom. There were only deserts at the Han Kingdom territory and the wedding entourage wouldn¡¯t survive the heat. Thest city of the Han Kingdom was too far to reach from their position and there were a lot of casualties on their part.

    The Han Emperor would prepare the new bridal dowry and sent it to Lin Zhou. After the bridal dowry had arrived at Lin Zhou, Han Xiang would continue her journey once again.

    Xiao Fang was dumbfounded when she heard about the news from the trio. "What?! How could bandits dare to defy the royal? If it¡¯s only a small entourage, it makes sense. However, this is a big one! They did a suicide mission!"

 Chapter 189 Lin Zhou: First Step of Their Plan 2

    Lin Jian nodded at Xiao Fang in agreement. "Indeed... I wonder who has the gut to do all that?!"

    Xiao Fang asked, "The Han Emperor will certainly hunt down the perpetrator! This is not a small matter! The bandits make the Han Emperor lose face in front of the other kingdoms!" Even though her words looked like she cared, but her eyes couldn¡¯t contain her excitement. Yao Ling could only shake her head at her childish behavior.

    Yao Yingughed at Xiao Fang¡¯s silliness. "If the bandits dare to do this, I¡¯m pretty sure that they have a strong backing! Otherwise, no one will be bold enough to do that!" There was a glint of smugness in his eyes when he said that.

    Yao Ling nodded at Yao Ying¡¯s exnation. "That¡¯s true ah~ I wonder who the backing is. Well... at least, we should look at the positive side! We have more time to save Han Xiang, isn¡¯t that right, Xiao Fang?"

    Xiao Fang nodded excitedly. "Yes ah~ whoever did that... I must thank them in advance! Without their help... we probably will have only one night to save Han Xiang... but with this... it must have been taking a little while for the Han Emperor to prepare the new bridal dowries! I heard he had prepared more than twenty crates of treasures..."

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know that she had been thanking the perpetrators directly... Yes... that was their doing! That was the first step of Yao Ying and Lin Jian¡¯s n!

    When they heard that the Han Kingdom wanted to frame their kingdom, Yao Ying and Lin Jian decided to retaliate in their own way. Lin Jian had been going to Lin Zhou for a few times and he stayed there for quite some times. Because of that, he had a certain understanding of the terrain and it was easy for him to make a n to rob the wedding entourage.

    On the other hands, they had a lot of human resources from their organization to mobilize their own people. Lin Jian had been given his father¡¯s token to move the best martial artists practitioners and he did just that. Mostly, they were Jiang Hu people and it would be hard for the Han Kingdom to track them and know that it was their doing. They also prepared the clothes that the bandits on the Han Kingdom usually wore.

    The treasures that they had robbed would be taken into the organization¡¯s treasury, but they didn¡¯t feel sad or unreconciled about it. Lin Jian already exined to Yao Ying that the organization would divide it properly --- Xiao Wang wouldn¡¯t make them feel a loss. This was also the reasons why people were loyal to the organizations. They really appreciated their members and didn¡¯t hesitate to divide the profits to those who deserved it.

    They just needed to wait for Han Xiang at their inn.

    "Wait! If there are a lot of casualties, is Han Xiang okay? Will she be able toe here by herself?" Xiao Fang asked worriedly. She quickly stood up and probably would have already run away to save Han Xiang, if Yao Ling didn¡¯t stop her.

    "Where are you going?" Yao Ling asked.

    Xiao Fang answered, "I want to save Han Xiang."

    "Young Miss!" Han Yi --- Han Xiang¡¯s first rank maidservant said in a voice full of worried. "You can¡¯t!" However, her words were stopped by Xiao Fang¡¯s re.

    Yao Ling thought that probably she should teach Xiao Fang a thing or two about being patient and stopped being impulsive all the time --- even Han Yi noticed about this w of hers. However, how could a mere maidservant able to stop the stubborn master? Xiao Fang should have understood that she was already big enough to think about the pros and cons of things that she did. "Sit down first!" Yao Ling ordered sternly.

    "But..."

    Yao Ling nced at her and once again said, "Sit down first!"

    Xiao Fang was surprised by Yao Ling¡¯s sudden sternness, but she obediently sat down and Han Yi sighed in relief. The men didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with this matter so they only stay silent at the side.

    Xiao Fang pouted and asked, "Why did you stop me?"

    "I want to ask you some questions. Where do you want to go?" Yao Ling directly asked Xiao Fang.

    "Save Han Xiang." Xiao Fang answered meekly, under Yao Ling¡¯s scrutinizing gaze.

    "Where?"

    "Er... I don¡¯t know?"

    "Then...why are you so hasty for?" Yao Ling asked while raising one of her eyebrows.

    Xiao Fang nervously answered while biting her lower lips. "I¡¯m sorry. I should have asked where she is before running away." Han Yi was quite surprised by the meticulous questions that Yao Ling asked. Did she try to teach her young miss? If yes, she really wanted to cry in happiness. She had been trying to give advice to Young Miss, but thetter had never listened to her advice!

    "After finding her, what do you n to do?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Just take her away with me. I wille back to meet you here and then bring her home with me!" Xiao Fang answered proudly. Yao Ling could only sigh when she saw how simple-minded she was.

    "Have you ever thought about the consequences after you do that?"

    "Er... no? What could possibly happen?" Xiao Fang answered doubtfully and in confusion.

    "What will happen when you show up right there? Don¡¯t you know? There¡¯s a possibility that the Han Emperor will think that the bandits are your n..." Yao Ling trailed off.

    "Howe?! I am only a woman! Why would I be friends with a bandit?" Xiao Fang eximed.

    "That¡¯s what you think, but what about other people? I also know and think that way, but other people don¡¯t necessarily think so too..." Yao Ling exined. "What more... the bandits¡¯ matter is still fresh in people¡¯s mind. You suddenly appear here and take the bride away... What will the Han Emperor think?"

    Xiao Fang started to realize something and asked, "There¡¯s a possibility that the Emperor would throw the me at me?!"

    Yao Ling nodded. "Your Emperor is still embarrassed due to his subordinates¡¯ ipetence when guarding the princess and he needs a scapegoat. Why do you want to serve yourself on a silver tter for him?"

    Xiao Fang nodded in understanding. "But what about Han Xiang?"

    "I¡¯m sure the Emperor will certainly arrange something for her. Besides, she¡¯s being escorted by a general, so what could possibly happen to her?" Yao Ling said.

    "But..."

    "You should not think only about Han Xiang¡¯s sake! What about your family?"

    "My family?" Xiao Fang looked taken aback. "What of them?"

    "If the Emperor puts the me on you... you will implicate your whole family! If you bring Han Xiang home with you and the Han Emperor found her there, what do you think will happen to your whole family?" Yao Ling exined without sugarcoating anything.

    Xiao Fang started to feel her whole body sweating. She indeed didn¡¯t think that far ahead. In her mind, after bringing Han Xiang home, her father and brother would help her deal with everything --- like how it had always been.

    Xiao Fang started to realize that she indeed knew nothing about how the world worked. She was never allowed to go outside by his father, thus her currentck of understanding. She sighed in embarrassment but knew that Yao Ling said all of this for her own good.

    "Thank you for reminding me," Xiao Fang gratefully said despite her pale face. "What do you think I should do now?" Xiao Fang decided to ask Yao Ling¡¯s advice.

 Chapter 190 Lin Zhou: First Step of Their Plan 3

    Yao Ling was relieved when Xiao Fang actually took in her advice into consideration. It seemed like she still had a hope to be taught. It was lucky for Xiao Fang to meet them because they weren¡¯t going to use her. If she met bad people, they would certainly use her rtionship with Han Xiang to wreak havoc without care.

    "Does Han Xiang know that you wille for her?" Yao Ling asked.

    "I don¡¯t think so..." Xiao Fang answered.

    Yao Ling saw than Han Yi wanted to say something but then closed her mouth once again. Yao Ling decided to ask her, "Do you have something to say, Han Yi?"

    Han Yi looked at her young miss and when she saw no objection from her, she nodded her head. It seemed like her young miss already trusted Yao Ling Gu Niang.

    Xiao Fang asked her, "What do you want to tell us?"

    "Truth is... Young Miss... don¡¯t you remember? The Princess always met with you and talked about the wedding... she told you about her scared, fear, and dissatisfaction almost every day. It was unlike her unusual behavior." Han Yi said that while biting her lips and feeling worried. Her young miss was always protective over Han Xiang and that was the reason she didn¡¯t dare to say her real view about the matter.

    She hoped that Yao Ling would be able to persuade Xiao Fang. She had felt that something was fishy a long time ago. Han Xiang used to be a cheerful girl despite the hardness that she had experienced and she felt that she had suddenly changed out of the blue.

    Xiao Fang asked in confusion, "En... it was unlike her usual calm behavior. Probably she was too agitated because she didn¡¯t want to get married to the Qin Emperor. Getting married to a foreign kingdom isn¡¯t exactly a good thing."

    Yao Ling seemed to catch up something from what Xiao Fang had just said. Yao Ling would put this knowledge inside her mind, it seemed like the princess wasn¡¯t as innocent as it seemed. She knew how to y the part and her act was in order to ask for Xiao Fang¡¯s help. But why? They were best friends, right?

    Han Yi hesitantly asked, "Doesn¡¯t it mean that she was actually asking for Young Miss¡¯ help?" She wanted to say this for so long! If she needed help from her best friend, she should ask directly for Xiao Fang¡¯s help. If she didn¡¯t want any help, then she shouldn¡¯t have mentioned how sad and unreconciled she was.

    Was there really a need to put on an act like that?

    Han Yi was very clever and smart hence she was given by Xiao Fang¡¯s mother as her first rank maid. She was the daughter of Madam¡¯s old Mo Mo and had been taught early how to serve her young miss. Her loyalty was always given to Xiao Fang. Even though Xiao Fang was innocent, Han Yi was always there beside her and would be the one who would guide her. Only regarding Han Xiang¡¯s matter that her young miss was very stubborn.

    Han Yi was able to see how clever Yao Ling was and she believed that Yao Ling could be a good influence toward Xiao Fang. Han Yi could see the sincerity in Yao Ling¡¯s eyes. If Han Yi was the one who told Xiao Fang directly about her suspicion toward Han Xiang, she knew that her young miss wouldn¡¯t believe her. She hoped that Yao Ling could be the one who gave a piece of sound advice to Xiao Fang.

    "Why? Is there something wrong for a friend to seek for her friend for help?" Xiao Fang asked in annoyance. Somehow, she could perceive that Han Yi didn¡¯t really like Han Xiang but it started for the past one to two years. She couldn¡¯t understand why.

    Han Yi didn¡¯t dare to say anything and she was only looking down.

    Yao Ling decided to step in and said, "Indeed there¡¯s nothing wrong about that. Xiao Fang, I need to ask you a question. Do you think of me as your friend?" Yao Ling asked.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Yes..."

    "If you need my help, will you directly say it or not?" Yao Ling asked.

    "I already think of you as my good sister too! Of course, I will ask you directly. Just like this matter of saving Han Xiang, didn¡¯t I already directly ask you?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion.

    "Then, what about Han Xiang?" Yao Ling asked. "Did she think of you as her best friend?"

    Xiao Fang nodded without any hesitation. "Of course!"

    "Then why didn¡¯t she ask you directly for your help?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Probably she was too embarrassed to ask..." Xiao Fang trailed off.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I think Han Yi is just worried about you... If I were Han Xiang, I would never ask for something that would endanger my best friend. I would smile at her and try to appear as calm as possible, even though I¡¯m crying inside," Yao Ling said bluntly without beating around the bush.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t say anything, pondering over this matter.

    Yao Ling talked once again, "It¡¯s not that I try to sow discord between you and Han Xiang. I don¡¯t even know the woman and there¡¯s no benefit for me if I do that. I just want to be the neutral party and see this matter from another point of view. How long has Han Yi been following you?"

    "Since I was a little girl..." Xiao Fang answered.

    "Do you believe in her?"

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Of course!"

    "Then you should listen to her exnation about Han Xiang... from her point of view!" Yao Ling gave her a piece of advice.

    Xiao Fang nodded, listening to Yao Ling¡¯s advice. She turned to Han Yi and asked softly, "Tell me! I have a gut feeling that you don¡¯t like Han Xiangtely."

    Xiao Fang finally admitted, "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like her. Young Miss, you are the closest person to her. Don¡¯t you feel that the current princess is somehow different from the past?"

    Yao Ling, Yao Ying, and Lin Jian were quite surprised by Han Yi¡¯s bold question. They only thought that there was a probability that Han Xiang was using Xiao Fang, even though they didn¡¯t know why and it was just a wild guess. But listening from Han Yi¡¯s tone, it seemed like there was something more to it.

    Xiao Fang admitted. "En... somehow I feel that she has changed. She¡¯s rarely smiling even with my presence and she somehow alwaysins about something that made her feel displeased."

    "It started less than two years ago and I already kept trying to give Young Miss a reminder. However, it seems like Young Miss didn¡¯t feel that something was amiss, so I didn¡¯t dare to continue talking about it..." Han Yi trailed off.

    "And then?" Xiao Fang asked.

    "I also didn¡¯t know the reason. I tried to find a way to find her weirdness but I couldn¡¯t perceive it clearly. If we want to talk about her unique smell that attracts butterfly, it¡¯s still there. Can an impostor do that? I¡¯m not so sure..."

    Yao Ling was more surprised because there was a probability of impostor. She nced at Lin Jian and could see the abnormality on his expression. She asked, "Impostor? Is it that serious? Did she really change that much?"

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Yes... she indeed changed that much," Xiao Fang finally admitted it.

    Yao Ling held their thought at that. As the neutral party, she decided to say, "We can¡¯t directly say that she¡¯s an impostor. I think we can find a way to tell whether she¡¯s an impostor or not. If she¡¯s not, we could try to find out the reason for her change and at the same time, finding out... whether she¡¯s trying to trap Xiao Fang or not."

    Xiao Fang was taken aback. "Trapping me? That serious?"

    Yao Ling tried to appease her, "It¡¯s just a guess. If you believe in her, is there a need for you to be nervous?"

    Xiao Fang nodded confidently. "I believe her."

 Chapter 191 Lin Zhou: Er... Let Me See First?!

    "Then... we will see when she arrives here... Our n will start from there..." Yao Ling said. Yao Ling didn¡¯t mention that it was a part of their second n. To Xiao Fang¡¯s knowledge, this was only the beginning of their n.

    When the trio was alone, Yao Ying asked Lin Jian bluntly, "What do you think of this matter?"

    He sighed. "I don¡¯t know what to think anymore. Xiao Fang¡¯s maid has a really crazy theory about Han Xiang... but I..." Lin Jian trailed off thest part. He was confused.

    "You don¡¯t want to believe that what she said is true... don¡¯t you?" Yao Ling asked.

    He nodded hesitantly. "I¡¯m not sure how to think about all of these," Lin Jian said. "After all, I always thought of her as my sister. What if...she¡¯s gone? What if... she¡¯s not what I thought of her to be?" He didn¡¯t even dare to add hisst doubt --- what if she wasn¡¯t his mother¡¯s daughter at all?

    Yao Ying could only give him a little advice. "Just open your eyes and your heart. Even if she¡¯s really what you are not expected to be, you have to ept the truth. We don¡¯t even know whether Han Yi was correct or not... So far, it¡¯s just her assumption, right?" He tried to cheer Lin Jian up.

    They weren¡¯t stupid. They didn¡¯t want to listen to only one side of the stories. What about Han Xiang? Maybe there was a justified reason for her to suddenly change.

    Lin Jian nodded. "I know..."

    Yao Ling decided to be blunt too. "Besides, you are also not a hundred percent sure that she is your sister. I hope we can also find the truth about your mother¡¯s disappearance too..." Yao Ling said the thing that Lin Jian wanted to keep to himself, but he couldn¡¯t me her for being blunt with her words. Even if she wasn¡¯t his sister, he would help her get out of this marriage as a part of his mission.

    "Haiyah~ there are so many mysteries in this mission. This is also the first time I¡¯ve encountered such aplicated problem in one go," Lin Jian admitted. He usually didn¡¯t have any attachment to his previous missions, that¡¯s why he was able to finish those missions easily. Lin Jian could make a sound n and judgment with a calm mind, unlike this mission.

    Yao Yingughed. "At least, we will get a lot of experiences from this mission..."

    "That¡¯s true..." Lin Jian bobbed his head up and down in agreement.

    "Is there any news about Han Xiang? When will she arrive?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "My subordinate already gave me a report. Han Xiang has been saved by the general and our subordinates already know that they are not allowed to hurt the princess, so they don¡¯t chase them and let them run away. Han Xiang¡¯s position isn¡¯t that far from here, but the general who escorts here has been badly hurt so it would take a while for them to arrive --- probably two to three days," Lin Jian answered.

    "Why do I feel that it¡¯s so easy for us to attack the entourage?" Yao Ling felt that attacking a wedding entourage of the royalty was supposed to be hard because of their powerful defense, but it didn¡¯t seem so in this case.

    "It¡¯s not that it¡¯s too easy, but the Han Emperor is underestimating our kingdom and they are too confident of their own n. Thus, they have a w," Yao Ying answered Yao Ling¡¯s question.

    "How so?" Yao Ling was too busy with Qing Hui¡¯s treatment so she didn¡¯t have time to pay attention to Yao Ying and Lin Jian¡¯s side. She had been too tired for the past few days. However, Qing Hui¡¯s condition was improving quite fast and the time for Yao Ling to give him treatment started to be lower. For the first day, she took more than one night. The second day, it took only three shichen. She estimated that today she would only need two shichen and then she would be able to get a good night sleep.

    "The general that the Han Emperor sends to protect Han Xiang is only a mediocre one, hence he couldn¡¯t really protect themselves from our experts. The Han Emperor would never think that we have the gut to attack him by pretending to be Han Bandits," Yao Ying exined. "He¡¯s also feeling too confident that because of his agreement with the Qin Emperor and someone from our kingdom... no one would dare to attack the entourage or make it difficult for him."

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. "Meeting Xiao Fang and Hei Yue are unknowingly really giving us a lot of advantages. What¡¯s left is to rescue Han Xiang and see whether she is really worth the trouble or not. After that, we can peacefully go home!"

    This time, Lin Jian could only murmur his agreement. What Han Yi said made him be more cautious about Han Xiang, even though he was still slightly skeptical with that maidservant. Yao Ying and Yao Ling sighed in relief. At least, they had already put some senses into Lin Jian¡¯s mind and let him think without his biased perspective.

    Yao Ling¡¯s job for the day was only treating Qing Hui. After finishing her treatment and feeling satisfied with the way Hei Yue had taken care of Qing Hui, she went back to the inn. She didn¡¯t forget to prepare Yao Ying¡¯s medicine and they slept peacefully. Yao Ying didn¡¯t have the energy to tease Yao Ling at night because he also had a lot of things to do, besides, he also knew that Yao Ling was indeed really tired.

    The next day, they didn¡¯t really have anything to do --- except waiting for Han Xiang to arrive. Their preparation had finished so they were leisurely sightseeing Lin Zhou¡¯s wonderful scenery. This was thest time they could rx before they did their mission so they wanted to enjoy it to the max --- Xiao Fang was included too.

    When Yao Ling took a look at the ce where Lin Jian usually guarded the borders, she was able to see the difference between the three kingdoms¡¯ conditions. The Shu Kingdom had the most abundant resources between the three kingdoms. The soil was more fertile and it made the Shu Kingdom was the most prosperous between the three and by having this advantage, the Shu Kingdom was able to build its kingdom nicely --- including, the military power.

    When she looked at the Qin Kingdom¡¯s direction, she would still able to see lush vegetation because it was still springtime right there. However, their condition at winter time was pretty bad. Their ce was higher than the two kingdoms so their winter climate was especially colder than the rest of the kingdoms. This was the reason they weren¡¯t able to be prosperous all year long.

    Yao Ling looked at the Han Kingdom¡¯s direction, she could only see barren dessert and it made the Han Kingdom the least prosperous of the three.

    Yao Ling asked Xiao Fang, "Is it also this barren at the capital of the Han Kingdom?"

    Xiao Fangughed and answered, "Even though we are surrounded by the desert, our capital is quite prosperous. There¡¯s not much difference with Lin Zhou --- only the people¡¯s outfits are different. We are dressing with more freedom --- not as conservative as you, probably because we don¡¯t really care about the rules."

    "Hmmm...? So you aren¡¯t usually dressed like this?" Yao Ling asked.

    "No... I have this dress because my mother is from the Shu Kingdom and she made a few for me," Xiao Fang said with augh. Then her eyes were full of mischievousness and said, "I have an idea!!"

    "What idea?" Yao Ling asked, feeling suspicious.

    "Why don¡¯t you try our Han Kingdom¡¯s clothes?" Xiao Fang asked.

    "Er... let me see first?! How open the clothes will be?" Yao Ling asked. She felt curious about the clothes and she would probably let Yao Ying take a look at it!

 Chapter 192 Lin Zhou : Trying Out The Hans Clothes

    Xiao Fangughed. "It isn¡¯t that bad, but you will probably feel weird wearing them --- just like me. It feels so hot wearing all of these." She pointed at the severalyers of clothing that the Shu woman usually wore. She felt that the Shu clothing was quite suffocating to her liking.

    Yao Ling whispered to her softly, "Can I try the clothes at night?" She looked around and asked the question shyly. She wanted to feel the other kingdom¡¯s culture and see if she would fit the ¡¯free¡¯ look. Yao Ling wondered what would Yao Ying think about her new look... She was curious to find out whether he would like it or not.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Of course. I bring along a few new clothes and I will give one to you as a present!" She said excitedly. Their body posture was almost the same so she knew that the clothes that she brought would fit Yao Ling perfectly. "I can¡¯t wait to dress you up!" Xiao Fang said excitedly. She always loved dolling up people and she had Yao Ling to y with.

    Yao Ling was a bit bewildered by her reaction and had a sudden bad feeling about it, but she still answered with a smile, "Okay... Thank you!"

    Xiao Fang grinned. "No need to say thank you between friend." She excitedly told Yao Ling about the clothes and somehow Yao Ling could imagine herself wearing it. But indeed... it would be a bit revealing and somehow she blushed in embarrassment.

    Yao Ying identally looked back and he saw that Yao Ling blushed. He quickly went to her and asked, "Are you okay? Why is your face so red? Do you feel unwell?" He felt worried about his wife because of her hectic scheduletely and he also found that she didn¡¯t sleep well at night.

    "I... I..." Yao Ling stuttered. Her mind was still filled with her vivid imagination and it made her blush even more. She was too embarrassed to tell him the reason for her red face.

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows and quickly said, "Ah... your face is getting redder. Come on! We need to find a physician to check on you!" He looked at her in worry.

    Yao Ying was trying to drag Yao Ling away, but thetter quickly released her hand in embarrassment. "No... no need. I¡¯m fine!" Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry when she saw how worried he was.

    "Fine? But..." Yao Ying tried to talk some sense to the woman. If she was sick, she should go for a checkup!

    Xiao Fang couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. "She¡¯s fine! She¡¯s fine! You don¡¯t have to worry about her... she¡¯s just feeling embarrassed!" Xiao Fang snickered when she looked at the shy Yao Ling. From wearing these manyyers of clothes and changing her style to Han style of clothing, of course, that she would feel embarrassed!

    "Embarrassed? Embarrassed of what?" Yao Ying asked, feeling bewildered. What did they talk about that was able to make Yao Ling have such a reaction.

    "You don¡¯t need to know..." Yao Ling quickly shooed him away. "Just go with Lin Jian and chat with him! Don¡¯t bother me here!"

    Yao Ying could only shake his head, but he followed her order and walk along with Lin Jian once again. He really couldn¡¯t understand women.

    After spending their whole day leisurely and treating Qing Hui once again, Yao Ling didn¡¯te back to their room right away. Instead, she went to Xiao Fang¡¯s room. Yao Ying questioned her a few times why she went to Xiao Fang¡¯s room, but the woman didn¡¯t want to reveal anything. It made him pout but there was nothing he could do.

    Tomorrow, there¡¯s a probability that Han Xiang will arrive and they need to rest! But the little woman still yed around with Xiao Fang... The thing that made him curious was the fact that Yao Ling became jumpy and embarrassed before she went into Xiao Fang¡¯s room.

    Yao Ling took a look at the clothes that Xiao Fang gave to her in bewilderment. In her wildest dream, she never thought it was this sexy. Her previous imagination was nothing to the real deal. She gulped and asked Xiao Fang, "Are you sure that... these are all of the pieces?"

    Xiao Fangughed at Yao Ling¡¯s scared reaction. As far as she knew, Yao Ling was always calm and capable. She found that this side of her was also very cute! Xiao Fang looked at the way Yao Ling felt afraid to touch her clothes and couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    "You can check the rest of my Han clothes if you don¡¯t believe me..." Xiao Fang said leisurely. She told Han Yi to bring out the rest of her clothes as a proof. Han Yi alsoughed when she saw Yao Ling¡¯s expression. She said, "Yao Ling Gu Niang, our young miss isn¡¯t ying around with you. This is indeed our style!"

    Yao Ling saw how thin the fabric was and it was also really stretchy --- hence it looked so small when she touched it. "Do you think it will really fit me? This is too small!" Yao Ling eximed. Could her breasts fit into it? She looked at her breasts and the top in doubt.

    "You are slimmer than me, Yao Ling. Of course, it will fit you! Come on! Put it on! Even though your breasts are bigger than me, but the top is still amodating," Xiao Fang persuaded Yao Ling to try the clothes, she wanted to see how it would look on her body.

    Xiao Yu who was apanying Yao Ling was also bewildered by the weird style of clothing. Han Yi offered her own clothes for Xiao Yu to try, but Xiao Yu refused the offer with a red face. She was mortified when imagining herself wearing those. Even if she tried it on, who would she show it too?

    Xiu popped up inside her mind, but Xiao Yu quickly erased her sinful thought. She felt embarrassed with her own bold thought! Han Yi, who failed to persuade Xiao Yu, finally gave up. However, she still gave her one set of her clothing as a present. They got along pretty well for the past few days.

    Yao Ling put on the clothes with Han Yi¡¯s help, she chose the bright orange ones. The clothes consisted of two pieces --- the top and the skirt. The top had baggy long sleeves and it was a bit short, showing Yao Ling¡¯s bare midriff. On the lower side of the top, lovely beads were stitched there -- encircling the whole body. The beads barely covered Yao Ling¡¯s midriff and people could still see her midriff perfectly clear in between the beads --- but, it added to her sensuality. The beads would move along fluidly whenever Yao Ling moved, making a lovely tinkling sound.

    The second piece was the long flowy skirt that stopped at her ankle --- it was the same bright orange color as the top. It was a in one but it came with a lovely embroidered belt and the lower part of the belt consisted of the same yellow beads as the tops. The Han women loved wearing essories on their body --- very different from the more conservative and in Shu women.

    Xiao Fang was in awe when she looked at the alluring Yao Ling. The Han woman tended to be a bit tanned while Yao Ling¡¯s skin was as white as snow. She looked so delicate and endearing with her shy expression. The bright color made her white skin look even whiter and enchanting.

    Even though Yao Ling didn¡¯t do any vigorous outdoor activities like the Han woman that made them keep in shape, Yao Ling¡¯s body shape didn¡¯t lose to them. She has a naturally slim body.

    "When you show your current self to Yao Ying, I bet he will be drooling and eat you up!" Xiao Fang said whileughing. Han people were more open with their feeling and they were known for their blunt talk, that¡¯s why Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel so surprised by her words. However, she still couldn¡¯t help but feel shy! She could feel her cheeks and the tips of her ears burning hot.

    ¡¯Oh my!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

 Chapter 193 Lin Zhou: Are You Trying To Seduce Me?

    Please note: This chapter contains the mature part. The mature part will start in the middle of the chapter. If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.

    ---------

    "If you are still feeling shy, you can cover it up for a little bit with this vest," Xiao Fang said. She gave Yao Ling a yellow vest with intricate embroidery that covered her side and back midriff but still didn¡¯t cover her front. It was actually better than nothing.

    "Do you want me to do your hair too, Gu Niang?" Han Yi offered. She already wore the clothing, why not went all out with everything?

    Yao Ling shyly nodded. She wanted to give Yao Ying a surprise. Married women in the Han Kingdom only wore two braids, so Han Yi did that hairdo for Yao Ling. When they saw the final look, they couldn¡¯t help but gasp in surprise, seeing how beautiful Yao Ling was.

    "Go... It¡¯s finished. Show it to your husband!" Xiao Fang said while grinning.

    Yao Ling smiled and thanking Xiao Fang for her help. Women loved to be beautiful and dress up for her husband, Yao Ling was also the same. She wanted Yao Ying to praise him and see her in a different look. She bit her lips and nervously opened the door to their bedroom.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s room was near their room and luckily, there was no one in the corridor. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t need to cover herself with her robe. She ran to their room with Xiao Yu behind her. Yao Ling told Xiao Yu to rest before she entered her room. After making sure that she looked presentable, she went inside their room all alone nervously.

    Yao Ying already prepared to sleep on their bed. He didn¡¯t pay attention to Yao Ling when she came in. He heard Yao Ling asked him whether he already drank the matriarch¡¯sst batch of medicine and he murmured that he already was. He sighed in relief, knowing that this was thest night that he would drink that bitter medicine.

    Somehow, after drinking the medicine, he felt that his whole body started to be hot. It started from his skin and it spread into his body, then it went straight to his core. ¡¯What kind of medicine is this?¡¯ He thought to himself. He was too focused on the weirdness of his own body, hence he didn¡¯t notice about Yao Ling¡¯s new style of clothing. He also didn¡¯t see how Yao Ling seductively opened her vest --- showing off her bare midriff.

    Yao Ling could tell that something was not right with Yao Ying. She could see his flushed face and the way his body became so restless, moving around on their bed. Yao Ling looked at him in concern and because of that, she forgot about her previous shyness.

    "Are you okay?" She felt worried about him. Yao Ling touched his forehead and she could feel that it was hot. "Are you sick? Howe?" Yao Ling felt confused because the man was fine just now. She checked his pulse and felt that it was slightly erratic, however, there was nothing wrong with him.

    Yao Ying suddenly let out a moan and it made Yao Ling feel suspicious. ¡¯Did someone drug him?¡¯ She thought to herself. However, she knew that he had never taken any medicine other than what the matriarch gave them.

    ¡¯The matriarch?! Did she give them...¡¯ Yao Ling¡¯s eyes widened in realization. She never felt suspicious because she knew that the matriarch indeed cared about them, but she missed the fact that the matriarch always wanted grandchildren. It seemed like she cleverly chose a drug that didn¡¯t show any effect right away.

    Yao Ling felt like smacking her own head. She knew medicine and quite good at it, but howe she didn¡¯t know that this medicine had this kind of effect?! She felt that she was stupid. Howe she never came across with this medicine before? She only thought that it was probably a rare medicine that was good for the body! She never thought that it was this kind of medicine!

    She remembered the way Lin Jian reminded her to give Yao Ying this medicine and she started to feel suspicious whether Lin Jian knew about this matter or not. She needed to get the bottom of this tomorrow.

    Yao Ling pouted because she knew in this condition... how could he appreciate her look? She already carefully dressed up for him! However, she actually thought wrong. Even if his mind was blurry, Yao Ying was able to look at her alluring wife --- especially because he felt hot down there and his little Yao Ying started to be harder.

    Yao Ying cursed inside his mind, ¡¯F*ck! What¡¯s wrong with him?!¡¯ If he was in his right mind, he wouldn¡¯t try to jump on his wife at the night before the mission.

    Yao Ying saw Yao Ling¡¯s new outfits and asked in surprise and also in anger, "What kind of outfits are these?!" Did shee out of the room in this get-up? What if other men saw her like this?! He was more honest due to the medicine and he gritted his teeth in jealousy. If not because of the medicine, he would certainly try to tone down his jealousy and cleverly choose his choice of words.

    Yao Ling was hurt by what he said. She bit her lips and couldn¡¯t help but cry. "I... I wear these outfits for you!" She admitted dejectedly. Why did he be so rude?!

    Yao Ying felt her tears that falling down onto his hands and it made him feel guilty. "I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m just not in my right mind. Everything seems so hazy..." He apologized and admitted his mistake. Yao Ying tenderly wiped her tears and kissed her cool lips. Somehow, it made him feel good when their lips touched.

    Yao Ling pouted and turned her head away in anger. She wouldn¡¯t let him go that easily.

    Yao Ying shook his head and tried to clear his mind. He finally took a look at her in details and he felt how seductive her outfits were. He traced the tinkling beads on her midriff softly and deliberately touched Yao Ling bare stomach which made thetter jump in surprise because of the hot sensation that she felt. It made her forget her previous anger...

    She clenched her core because she could feel that she started to get aroused by his touch. A simple touch but it already affected her so much. She held back her moan because she wanted the man to seduce her. She could feel his breath on her ears when he slowly whispered in a hoarse voice, "Ling-er... are you trying to seduce me? Hmmm...?"

    Thebination of his low voice and his hot breath made her shudder in needs. Yao Ying¡¯s hands went pass her body and both of his hands gripped her butt a bit tighter. He pulled her up and put her on hisp at ease. He sniffed her neck and asked, "You even go as far to use perfume?"

    Yao Ling stuttered, "It¡¯s Xiao Fang¡¯s. Do you like it?"

    "Hmmm... I like whatever you put on," Yao Ying smiled and then he added, "Even when you don¡¯t put something on... I love it all!" He grinned mischievously while saying thest part. Yao Ling could only blush when she heard such a tant flirting and she buried her head on his chest in embarrassment, making Yao Yingugh in delight. He boldly said that he loved seeing her naked!

    "Are these what the Han woman wearing daily?" Yao Ying asked curiously. This time, he trails the lower beads on Yao Ling¡¯s belt. Because her sitting down position, the beads fell right on her core. While tracing the beads, Yao Ying¡¯s hand might have identally traced her sweetness down there. Yao Ling gasped in surprise and she could feel that she started to get wet under his spell.

    Yao Ling could see the intense affection in his eyes. Her breath was slightly hitched when she saw his deep and mesmerizing eyes, baring his own feelings to her. He adored her and it made her heart skip a beat.

    "Do you enjoy this feeling?" Yao Ying asked an ambiguous question, but they both knew what he was referring too. He was under the disguise of tracing the beads, making it tinkling but he was actually touching her sweetness down there. Teasing her with his hand without any restraint. The cloth¡¯s fabric was a bit thin and it made her feel the sensation almost... almost directly.

    She couldn¡¯t help but moan in pleasure. The more they did it, the more he became more and more skillful with his hand. ¡¯God!¡¯ She felt that she couldn¡¯tst long if this kept going on. "Ying..." She moaned loudly, trying to stop his hand from moving. However, her strength couldn¡¯t match Yao Ying. He pried off her hand easily and it made Yao Ling pout but she was still enjoying the pleasurable feelings.

    The more she tried to stop him, the fiercer his movement was. ¡¯What a rouge!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself, but soon the thought was erased from her mind. Yao Ying¡¯s hands started to move more vigorously, making Yao Ling move along with his movement while moaning crazily. Yao Ying had never been so wild, probably it was because of the medicine... Yao Ling thought to herself.

    The faster Yao Ying¡¯s hand movement, the louder the sound of the beads tinkling. Their hot breath mixed with each other, before Yao Ying finally decided to devour Yao Ling¡¯s mouth. They kissed like there was no tomorrow --- they were desperate for each other.

    Yao Ying released her mouth while his hand was still moving and said, "I really like these outfits..." Yao Ying grinned and then he added, "But only for me to see... You can only wear them inside our bedroom..."

    Yao Ling could only nod while her mouth couldn¡¯t stop moaning. Even in her wildest dream, she wouldn¡¯t dare to use such revealing clothes outside!

    Yao Ying could feel her wet core and the wetness soaked into her maxi skirt. Yao Ying removed his hand and then his hand wiggled into her sweetness from under her skirt. He removed everything inside and quickly dived his finger into her wet core. He slowly moved his finger up and down, making Yao Ling jumped up in surprise, but Yao Ying held her back so she couldn¡¯t back away from his touch.

    Yao Ying moved his finger in and out in fast speed while Yao Ling was moving along up and down, trying to match up with his pace. She felt like she was almost bursting with a release. However each time she almost felt the release sensation, Yao Ying stopped his finger and it made her feel frustrated.

    Yao Ling started to get braver and she was the one who moved up and down vigorously --- until she finally moaned loudly when she found her release. Yao Ying looked at her with a darkened expression, feeling aroused by her sensuality. Yao Ying could feel his hand wet with her release, but it didn¡¯t stop the burning feeling inside him.

    He licked his finger and smiled at her, "It tastes so good..."

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes widened in surprise because of his gesture. She closed his mouth with both of her hands and said, "Stop it! You are embarrassing me!"

    Yao Ling panted and she hasn¡¯te back from her haze when Yao Ying flipped her around. She was underneath him...

    Yao Ying asked in a low hoarse voice, "Do you only have one of these clothes?"

    Yao Ling dumbly nodded. "Yes... Why?" She asked in a hoarse voice.

    "Then strip it all by yourself, before I tear your clothes apart!" Yao Ying said in a stern voice. Somehow he couldn¡¯t stop the feeling to devour her entirely... It was unlike his usual self. What the heck was going on with him?!

    Yao Ling quickly opened her clothes willingly and Yao Ying felt like he was under her spell, her movement looked so enchanting. Yao Ling didn¡¯t hesitate to strip herself naked because if the clothes were torn apart, she was pretty sure that Xiao Fang wouldugh at her and she didn¡¯t want to face the embarrassment!

    Yao Ying was dumbfounded when he saw Yao Ling after she opened her clothes. "You... you didn¡¯t wear anything underneath?" He was in shock! He thought that she would at least wear her dudou, but he was weed by the sight of her lovely milky breasts.

    Yao Ling quickly hid her breasts by crossing both of her hands in front of them. Yao Ying¡¯s gaze was too intense and it made her blush crazily. Yao Ling answered him in a soft voice and admitted, "No... my dudou is longer than the top and it would make the Han clothing look ugly. On the other hand, Xiao Fang¡¯s inner garment is too small for me."

    Yao Ying was more determined not to let Yao Ling wear these clothes outside! His ears perked up when he heard thest part, "Hmm... too small for you?"

    Yao Ying¡¯s arousal was ignited more and more as time went by. His gaze was scorching hot andnded on Yao Ling¡¯s breasts. He pried open her hands and said wickedly, "Why did you cover them up? Hmmm? Let me check how big they are!"

    Yao Ling felt like berating this shameless man. How could he be so daring all of a sudden with his dirty talk?! Yao Ying quickly kneaded both of her breasts while kissing her lips. In between their kiss, he said, "Hmmm... they... are... indeed... so big!"

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t even think about his words anymore. She was too focused on the sensation that she felt and Yao Ying didn¡¯t give her time to take a breather. He was ying her breasts with his mouth, tongue, and fingers without pausing. Twirling, sucking, licking --- you named it all and he had done it to her poor breasts.

    Yao Ling could only moan and gripped the back of his head tightly with both of her hands.

    "Ying... stop... they are too sensitive..." She moaned. Yao Ling could feel her whole body be numb because of the pleasure and she almost couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.

    "The more sensitive they are, the more pleasure you feel, right?" Yao Ying teased him. Despite the burning feeling that he felt, he was still trying to give Yao Ling some pleasures. He seriously loved being intimate with her and his eyes darkened at the thought of plunging himself into her sweet cave.

 Chapter 194 Lin Zhou: Ying... Please...

    Please note: This chapter contains the mature part. If you want to skip it, you can directly read after these symbols ***. If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.

    ---------

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ Yao Ying cursed to himself. He was usually clearheaded and able to hold himself back every time they did this, but why did he have the impulse to be one with her at the moment? He could feel his hardness getting harder and harder, to the point that it became painful.

    Yao Ying had the sudden urge to plunge into her and by diving into her cave without restraint, he would be able to find a satisfying release. He felt that he was under a deep trance and he would feel tortured if he couldn¡¯t find a release!

    ¡¯What was wrong with him?!¡¯ There was a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that something was indeed wrong with his body --- but he wasn¡¯t able to think straight.

    Yao Ying hastily devoured Yao Ling¡¯s mouth once more while thetter responded with the same intensity. Yao Ying still wore his clothes and while kissing, he opened his own clothes in a hurry. He needed to touch and feel her --- skin to skin. Somehow whenever his skin touched hers, it became cooler and his pain was slightly lessened.

    Yao Ying felt up her whole body with his hands. He yed with her soft buns and the hard buds tenderly but sometimes roughly. He sucked one of the flower buds hard and pinched the other one --- alternatingly. Yao Ling could feel that Yao Ying tried to suppress the beast inside him, but still... she found that he did everything more forcefully than usual. There was no gentleness at all, however... it somehow evoked the wildness inside her too.

    She bit his shoulder while trying to maintain her sanity because the pleasure was just too much for her --- even the taste of his blood didn¡¯t deter her. Yes, it was that hard how she bit him. Yao Ling clenched her core because the wetness was back once again --- she needed another release once again. She somehow felt really insatiable this night.

    The atmosphere inside the room became so hot that the cool night wasn¡¯t able to douse their sexual pleasure.

    Yao Ling behaved wantonly by guiding one of Yao Ying¡¯s hands to her sweetness down there. "Ying... Please..." She begged him with a seductive voice. There was a hint of need in her voice. Yao Ying was entranced by her movement. After all, it was rare for her to take the initiative, but it made him feel so happy. He felt more aroused because of her movement.

    Yao Ying once again put inside one of his finger inside. He could feel how tight her sweetness down there was. There was a little bit of barrier that he didn¡¯t dare to cross. Despite his arousal, he still wanted to taste her virginity with his little Yao Ying --- not destroying it by his finger. When he felt the tightness, he couldn¡¯t help but imagine what would happen if the one inside was his manhood.

    What kind of pleasure he would feel? The more he thought about it, the harder he was. ¡¯Damn!¡¯ He cursed inwardly when he felt that he also needed a release. Immediately!

    One of his hands didn¡¯t stop moving, teasing Yao Ling to the max. While his other hand hurriedly found Yao Ling¡¯s hand and quickly directed it at his manhood. Without being told, Yao Ling knew what she was supposed to do. She used her hand to y with little Yao Ying, trying to make it as pleasurable to him --- just like her.

    She moved her hands up and down while her own body was also moving up and down, following Yao Ying¡¯s finger movement. They were somehow able to move at the same rhythm. Probably due to the heat of that moment, they weren¡¯t able to restraint their moaning --- even though they knew that the wall was quite thin and the people could probably hear their lewd sound.

    At that moment, there were only two of them in this world. They didn¡¯t need to care about anything else.

    Finally, they found their release together and after having the most pleasurable release, they started toe back from the haze. They looked at each other tenderly while kissing each other once again. However, this time... their kiss was softer and full of gentleness, showing their affectionate feeling toward each other. It was like the previous wild beasts weren¡¯t them...

    Usually... after having a release, Yao Ying was able to take a break and enjoy a quiet moment with his wife. However, somehow... this time... his little Yao Ying had already sprung to life once again. He started to find an abnormality in his condition.

    He looked at his little Yao Ying and it was still as hard as ever! ¡¯What the hell?¡¯ He thought to himself.

    Yao Ying groaned in distress because his mind kept getting hazier and he wasn¡¯t able to think straight once again. His manhood started to be painful once again. Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry --- did this mean that he was too manly and insatiable?

    Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling¡¯s stupified expression. Yao Ling couldn¡¯t believe how little Yao Ying that was already softened just now became so hard in the blink of an eye. ¡¯Did this the effect of the matriarch¡¯s medicine?¡¯ She thought to herself.

    Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying¡¯s painful expression and felt a bit guilty once again... Yao Ying didn¡¯t miss her change of expression. He was also in confusion but he suddenly realized something. "Ling-er... when you checked my pulse, do you feel that something is wrong with me?" Yao Ying asked. He started to feel that he was being drugged and he needed to know whether it was true or not.

    Was it the matriarch? He rolled his eyes inwardly. Who else? He knew that Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t do that to him.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to hurt Yao Ling --- because powerful drug tended to make the man lose control of himself. That¡¯s why he needed to know whether it was indeed the medicine¡¯s effect or not.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know what to say to him --- after all, she was the one who had given him the medicine. In a way, she was the indirect cause of him being like this. She could see him closing his eyes, trying to gain his sane mind once again and it made her feel guiltier. If only she knew about this medicine in advance... She wouldn¡¯t give it to him...

    At this time, both Yao Ying and Yao Ling could hear theughter outside of their room. It was obviously Lin Jian¡¯sughter and also another woman¡¯s! The couple¡¯s face fell, knowing that Lin Jian was probably also messing around with them. With the thin wall and door, they supposed that Lin Jian must have heard everything about what they did and their conversation.

    It was like a douse of cold water was poured over to the amorous couple.

    Indeed, Lin Jian was nning to listen to their amorous night. But the moment he stepped into the corridor, he found Xiao Fang lurking there and behaving discreetly. Lin Jian looked at her, feeling suspicious.

    He looked at her weirdly and he patted her shoulder softly from behind. The woman jumped in surprise, making Lin Jian feel even weirder. Why did he feel that she felt guilty of something?

    "What are you doing?" Lin Jian asked Xiao Fang who bit her lips in distress.

    Did she do what he thought she was doing?

    Lin Jian looked at her dumbfoundedly. "Are you trying to eavesdrop?"

    Xiao Fang looked down guiltily but she puffed her cheek indignantly, trying to control her shame. Why did the mane out in the middle of the night and suddenly she realized something. "Hah?! Aren¡¯t you doing the same thing?" She whisper-yelled at him, making Lin Jian grinned in return.

    "Oho... so you admitted it?" He teased her with twinkling eyes.

    Xiao Fang felt like pping herself due to her stupidity! She just admitted it herself. She should be able to find another excuse but she fell into this rogue¡¯s trap! "I... I..." Xiao Fang stuttered.

 Chapter 195 Lin Zhou: Lin Jian and Xiao Fangs Mischievousness

    "Come on! Let¡¯s eavesdrop together!" Lin Jian whispered with an excited voice. "By the way, how do you know that today they will do the deeds?" Lin Jian looked at her weirdly. He knew because of the medicine... but what about Xiao Fang? He didn¡¯t think that Xiao Yu or Yao Ling had ever brewed the medicine in front of Xiao Fang, so there was no possibility that Xiao Fang knew about this beforehand!

    "I give Yao Ling a set of our Han clothes," she grinned mischievously. "I don¡¯t think Yao Ying will be able to hold himself back tonight!" She wiggled her eyebrows mischievously.

    Lin Jian knew what kind of clothing it was because he saw a few women from the Han Kingdom wearing it in the past when he was guarding the borders --- thus, he wasn¡¯t surprised at all. He really pitied Yao Ying. He didn¡¯t think that he would be able to hold himself back if those lethal things werebined together --- sexy clothes and the medicine! It made him want tough out loud, but he held himself back just in case the couple heard them.

    The medicine that Yao Ying consumed was actually not as potent as the real aphrodisiac. This was also the reason why Yao Ying was still able to think when the medicine kicked in. The medicine had another benefit other than act as an aphrodisiac, it could also increase the man¡¯s fertility --- this was the real reason why this medicine was so expensive and only nobles were willing to spend a lot of money to buy it.

    Lin Jian whispered to Xiao Fang and told her about the Han Kingdom¡¯s special medicine, thetter almost fell down due to her ownughter. What the heck? The couple would really have a crazy night!!

    Xiao Fang whispered back guiltily, "Actually... it¡¯s not only him..."

    "What do you mean?" Lin Jian asked in confusion. "Not only him?"

    "Er... I actually gave Yao Ling a special perfume just now..." Xiao Fang grinned naughtily. When Han Yi did Yao Ling¡¯s hair, she offered her to try the special perfume --- to spice things up for a little bit. She didn¡¯t know that Yao Ying had been fed that medicine regrly and there was no need for Yao Ling to wear the perfume.

    "What special perfume?" Lin Jian became curious. He had a hunch but he wasn¡¯t too sure about that.

    "The Han people are famous for our sexual medicine. That special perfume is a perfume to invoke desire in a woman. I only give her a tiny dose so it will only give her a little push! Butbined with Yao Ying¡¯s medicine..." Xiao Fang trailed off thest part.

    However, without the need to mention thest part, Lin Jian already got what she meant and thought this indeed would be a wild night for the couple and the sound inside was already a great proof... Lin Jian was thinking whether he should poke a hole on the window so he would be able to take a peek inside. However, Xiao Fang was here with him and he didn¡¯t think that it was a good thing to do.

    While they were eavesdropping the amorous couple, Lin Jian saw that Xiao Fang didn¡¯t really feel affected by their loud moan. Instead, he looked more embarrassed than her. Judging from her innocent face, she didn¡¯t look like a loose woman. But... why didn¡¯t she look like that she was not affected by the couple¡¯s moan? Wasn¡¯t she always confined inside her house by her father?

    Then... howe she didn¡¯t feel shy at all?

    "You are a woman, why don¡¯t you feel embarrassed when you hear their moaning voice?" Lin Jian asked curiously. "Do you like eavesdropping so it bes a habit?" He used her while shaking his head in disappointment.

    "What are you thinking about? Of course, this is my first time eavesdropping. But... it¡¯s only a moan... why should I feel embarrassed? I would feel embarrassed if I see them doing it live!" Xiao Fang mocked him but didn¡¯t forget to re at him. What kind of usation was that?!

    It was just a sound and she didn¡¯t feel that it was anything interesting. She was just... curious. She didn¡¯t want to admit that the sound indeed made her feel a bit ufortable and shy, but she wouldn¡¯t let it show on her expression to avoid any awkwardness with Lin Jian.

    Lin Jian shook his head and said, "You are really weird!"

    "You are the weird one!" She retorted back. After that, Xiao Fang teased him back, "Why does your face look so red? Are you being shy now?"

    "Wh- what... I¡¯m not!" Lin Jian said. He was a virgin! Of course, he would feel embarrassed. If he didn¡¯t meet her, he would probably decide to simply drop the idea of eavesdropping them.

    "Ah... you are so innocent..." Xiao Fang said mischievously. "How cute!" She taunted him. She indeed want to pinch Lin Jian¡¯s heated face however she held herself back or this man would certainly kill him!

    Lin Jian harrumphed! Cute?! He was a man... how could a manly military man like him be cute in front of her?! That¡¯s so insulting!

    "And you are a wild girl!" Lin Jian red at her while mocking her back. Xiao Fang onlyughed at his jibe and didn¡¯t feel offended at all. She didn¡¯t feel shy because the Han people were more straightforward and it was a usual thing for them to talk about sexual experiences or bantering with the opposite sex.

    They bickered back and forth... There was no way the couple inside didn¡¯t hear their conversation. They were too into their conversation and didn¡¯t realize that their voices were getting louder as time went by. The couple was able to hear bits and pieces but not to the full extent of their conversations, but they knew that they were talking about them and what they just did!

    Yao Ling blushed in embarrassment when she heard their voices while Yao Ying stood up in anger. What the heck both of them doing in the middle of the night? Creating such an annoying ruckus... His muddleheaded state felt like it was doused with water. He felt so annoyed!

    Yao Ying got up and wore his clothes randomly in anger. He was still unsatisfied and hadn¡¯t gotten his second release... But, the two people in front of the room were getting outrageous! They made the amorous atmosphere gone! He felt like that he would be angered to death! Yao Ying didn¡¯t forget to adjust his pants first before going out of the room so his little Yao Ying was hidden perfectly even though it was still as hard as a rock!

    Yao Ying motioned for Yao Ling to stay still inside the bedroom. He mouthed to her, "We will continue thister..."

    Yao Ling could only nod shyly. She covered up her body with the quilt. She really wanted to throttle Xiao Fang for her mischievousness! How could she spy on her along with Lin Jian?! In her mind, this all must be Lin Jian¡¯s fault. He was really a bad example! She didn¡¯t know that Xiao Fang was actually eavesdropping on her own ord and even more excited than Lin Jian.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t bother to wear her clothes, knowing that Yao Ying would remove it again anyway. Sheid back down while trying to listen to the conversation outside.

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang were still bickering back and forth when Yao Ying suddenly opened the door loudly with a bang. Both of them jumped up in surprise while looking bewildered. They were caught redhanded and they felt really ashamed.

    Yao Ying crossed both of his arms in front of his chest and asked in a stern voice, "What are you doing in front of my room?"

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang were too nervous to make up a good excuse, so both of them stuttered, "We... we... we are not doing anything!" They answered at the same time.

    Yao Ying rolled his eyes and asked, "Do you think that I am so stupid to believe in your lies?"

    "We are just sightseeing together!" Xiao Fang blurted out because of her nervousness.

 Chapter 196 Lin Zhou: Less Than Forty Days Lef

    Lin Jian really wanted to facepalm himself. There was a lot of reasons to say and she chose sightseeing. They were in a dimmed corridor --- what kind of sightseeing that they were able to do?! This stupid woman! He should have been the one who answered the question, but he was one step toote!

    Yao Ying¡¯s opinion was no better than Lin Jian. His face was darkened and couldn¡¯t believe that she found such a ridiculous reason! Sightseeing? Did they want to sightsee both him and Yao Ling¡¯s amorous night? Other than that, what kind of sightseeing they had in mind?! Did they think that they were doing a live show?! He really wanted to know what kind of reason that they both wanted to cook up if he kept pushing them.

    If Xiao Fang wasn¡¯t there, he would already beat Lin Jian into a pulp! He even dared to invite Xiao Fang along with him. If Lin Jian knew that he was used of something that he didn¡¯t do, he would certainly vomit blood in anger!

    "What kind of sightseeing, huh? A single man and a single woman are together in the middle of the night... in this dark corridor. Both of you sure have a loving rtionship, huh?!" Yao Ying taunted. "I never know that your rtionship bes so intimate in such a short time..." Yao Ying grinned menacingly at the guilty couple.

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang¡¯s face heated up. What kind of thing that Yao Ying said? It was just a bunch of nonsense. They weren¡¯t doing anything sinful at the corridor but his words were insinuating that something had happened!

    They both answered at the same time once again, "We are not!" If this matter leaked out, it would certainly ruin their reputation. This Yao Ying really knew which sore spot to poke!

    Yao Ying wasn¡¯t stupid. Although both of them denied what he had said, both of them looked nervous and shy at the same time. Their feeling to each other was pretty obvious. They had what they called the beauty and hero syndrome. The hero saved the beauty and from then on, they started to have feelings with each other! These two... if they liked each other, why didn¡¯t they cultivate their feelings? But instead, they were still bothering him and Yao Ling. They were really courting death!

    Yao Ying grinned when he saw something that would make both of them ran away and left them alone... If this wasn¡¯t working, then both of them were indeed too shameless!

    Yao Ying saw that there was a slight crumple on their clothes and he would make that fact to his advantage. Yao Ying pretended to gasp and said, "Oh my! Look at how crumpled both of your clothes are! It seems like I am not the only one who has sexual endeavor tonight, both of you too! No wonder I heard loud moaning voices from the corridor just now!"

    "What?!"

    "We are not!!"

    The couple quickly denied. Both of their eyes almost fell out of the socket due to surprise! How could their banter be moaning voices?! It seemed like Yao Ying was trying to pay them back for eavesdropping on him. ¡¯How petty!¡¯ The couple scowled at him.

    Because of their loud denial, they could hear the sound of footsteps from several rooms. If those people witnessed what happened here, then they heard and believed in what Yao Ying said... it would be bad! Their reputation would be ruined!

    They both red at Yao Ying and pointed at him, "You will regret thister!"

    His mouth slightly twitched when he heard their petty threat. He should be the one who said that! Why did they behave so childishly?

    Then, both of them quickly scurried away into their own respective room. On the other hand, Yao Ying closed his room¡¯s door. He smirked to himself, thinking that it would be fun to tease both of them more. Too bad they had run away unscathed. If he didn¡¯t need to release himself, then he would punish them with more tricks.

    After closing the door, Yao Ying started to feel his hard member once more. He silently cursed, thinking about why his hard member still didn¡¯t calm down till now. He needed to focus on tomorrow matter! He poked on his own little thing in anger but could only resign to his fate. He needed his wife¡¯s help or else he would be in pain for the whole night.

    When he remembered that the woman was stillying down on the bed and naked, waiting for him... it warmed his heart and he couldn¡¯t stop the anticipation that building inside him. ¡¯Ohoo... he will enjoy the feast once more...¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. He quickly stripped himself naked once more in a hurry, Yao Ying was too impatient and didn¡¯t want to wait until he arrived at the bedside.

    He just needs a release right now!

    Yao Ling¡¯s back was facing him when he sat on their bed softly. He decided to follow her example and went inside the quilt just hugged her from the back. Yao Ying wanted to have a skin to skin contact with her to ease his arousal once more and he could feel his little Yao Ying poked her bottom softly.

    Yao Ying could feel how the sensation brought him pleasure and torture. The pleasure came from the cooling effect from Yao Ling¡¯s skin while the torture was the fact that the urge to plunge into her wet sweetness appeared once again.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help but move his hands, ying with her soft buds once more while kissing Yao Ling¡¯s neck from behind. He didn¡¯t forget to nibble and sucked on her lovely ears, thinking that it would ignite Yao Ling¡¯s arousal once again. However, there was no response from Yao Ling. She was moaning softly and showing only a subtle movement, but that was it!

    He had a bad feeling about this... He took a peek at Yao Ling¡¯s face and true enough, the woman was sleeping like a baby. Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry! He was just gone for a little while but the woman heartlessly left him in his agony state to the dreand!

    He took a look at his little Yao Ying in pity. He didn¡¯t have the heart to wake up his wife, knowing that she was tired and tomorrow they need to do a lot of important things. He remembered how she hade two times in a row just now, so he was helpless too... Combining the tiredness and the pleasure, she must have been really sleepy!

    Yao Ying shook his head in despair and he couldn¡¯t help but berate the two annoying flies! If it wasn¡¯t for them, they would still enjoy their intimate moment! Damn that Lin Jian and Xiao Fang! Haiyah~ It seemed like there was only one way to tame his hard little Yao Ying --- using his own hands!

    That night, Yao Ying needed to find a release a few more times before finally... his little Yao Ying could rx and soften. The painful feeling was gone and he was able to sleep soundly. However, it made his hands be numb! He needed to exchange hands just to satisfy himself --- each release took quite a long time.

    He had also tried taking a cold bath, but it still didn¡¯t work! He needed to check out what kind of medicine that was... He couldn¡¯t believe that the matriarch was so desperate and even able to think about using this medicine to secure grandchildren!

    It seemed like if they didn¡¯t produce grandchildren for her as soon as possible, then his future would be bleak. The matriarch would send him these types of medicine all the time! Haiyah~ If he counted, it was less than forty days and they should be able to do the deeds! He really couldn¡¯t wait for that time toe.

    For now, he can only sleep and prepare himself for tomorrow¡¯s mission. He didn¡¯t forget to kiss Yao Ling¡¯s forehead before finally sumbed himself to sleep.

 Chapter 197 Lin Zhou: Zhuo Li 1

    The next day, Yao Ling was feeling refreshed because she had a good night sleep. On the other hand, Yao Ying¡¯s eyes were a bit swollen and red due to theck of sleep. He kept yawning and Yao Ling felt guilty because of that.

    "Are you okay?" Yao Ling asked. She didn¡¯t know when she fell asleep yesterday... but she left her husband in pain! Yao Ling already nned to help him find a release but failed to do so. She took a nce at his little Yao Ying and it seemed like Yao Ying had already handled it all by himself --- it made her feel even guiltier.

    She was the one who gave him the medicine and she should have been the one who healed him, and yet... she fell asleep in a heartbeat. A few days of treating Qing Hui indeed took a toll on her body. She needed her beauty sleep.

    Yao Ying smiled. "I¡¯m fine." He patted Yao Ling¡¯s head dotingly.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I should have been the one who..." She trailed off.

    "It¡¯s okay. You can give me apensation next time," Yao Ying said mischievously.

    Yao Ling blushed but she still nodded shyly. "Okay..." Yao Ling remembered howst night she had behaved braver than usual and somehow bewildered by herself. She didn¡¯t know that it was because of the perfume¡¯s effect. If she knew, she would probably throttle Xiao Fang to death.

    To distract Yao Ling¡¯s mind from her guilt, Yao Ying told her what happened at the corridor. Sheughed when Yao Ying told her how they used them doing sexual endeavor at the corridor. "Serve them right!" She said cheerfully. It lightened up her mood.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief when he knew that Yao Ling was now in a better mood. He didn¡¯t me her about the medicine so he also didn¡¯t want her to me herself.

    "Do you still need to give acupuncture to Qing Huiter?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "No... he has passed the critical moment and he already gets better. I put him into a deep sleep for a few days. Yesterday, I tried to wake him up, but his mind was still disorderly and it¡¯s not safe for him to stay awake until his condition is a bit better. I think in a few days... he should be able to talk." She exined Qing Hui¡¯stest condition.

    Yao Ying nodded. "We are not in a hurry, so it should be fine." They had another urgent matter to attend to first, Qing Hui¡¯s matter could wait --- at least, they had Hei Yue to tend to him.

    After finished eating breakfast, they prepared to set out when someone was looking for them. Xiu whispered to Yao Ying about the man¡¯s identity and Yao Ying quickly let him in. "Ling-er, the man hase back. I hope he will tell us a piece of good news."

    "Which man?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    Yao Ying gave her a pointed look and she seemed to understand this man¡¯s identity.

    Yao Ling was surprised. "This fast?"

    "I think he¡¯s a bit desperate," Yao Ying guessed. "Besides, he¡¯s all alone so it must be easier for him to move around."

    "Hmm... probably..." Yao Ling nodded.

    The man entered and this time, he didn¡¯t wear his ck assassin clothes. Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t know who he was if Xiu didn¡¯t tell him his identity in the first ce. The man was quite handsome but they knew that he was a bit of a coward, however in his ordinary clothes, he looked like a fine young man with a gentle personality. Too gentle perhaps and it made Yao Ling wonder why he chose to be an assassin.

    "This servant greets Young Master and Young Mistress," the man said politely.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other, not knowing what to think of his sudden politeness. "What do you mean by this?" Yao Ying asked without beating around the bush.

    "This servant wants to follow Young Master and Young Mistress. After finishing the job, I thought hard about it and I choose to follow Young Master and Young Mistress for life." The man humbly said while kowtowing to them.

    "What is your name?" Yao Ying asked.

    "This servant name is Zhuo Li, Young Master."

    "Why do you want to follow us? Don¡¯t you remember how we kill your brother andrades?" Yao Ying asked without any hesitation. He wanted to get the bottom of his request and then asked the result of his mission. He wouldn¡¯t want to raise a white-eyed wolf on his side.

    Zhuo Li sighed but honestly answered Yao Ying¡¯s question. "Actually, this servant used to be a schr with a bright future. However, my family was being framed and stripped off from our rank, bing ves. We had a hard life and in order to survive, my brother who was good at martial arts taught me and..."

    Zhuo Li trailed off, feeling quite ashamed with his bad deeds. He wasn¡¯t willing to but he was forced by his brother and their own condition. Their mother was sick and they needed the money for a doctor. They used to live in luxury and it was hard for them to find a job with their ckened name --- they could only choose to be assassins to survive. Even though their mother had been dead, bing an assassin had be his permanent job --- his martial art skills were mediocre at best, but he was getting better.

    His talent was in his brain...

    Zhuo Li exined everything without trying to hold something back. After her mother had died, there was only his brother left. Now... his brother is also gone, so he was at a loss at what to do. It would be better if he followed this couple after witnessing their capabilities.

    "Don¡¯t you me us for your brother¡¯s death?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    Zhuo Li shook his head. He had seen the ugly truth in life when he lived as an assassin, so he knew that the couple did it for their own survival --- it was just that at that time, they weren¡¯t on the same side so they needed to kill his brother. "This one doesn¡¯t dare to me Young Master. We were the one who attacked first and Young Master only retaliated because of that."

    Zhuo Li had always been had a strong sense of justice and he inherited this from his father. Thetter was framed because he was too strict, upright, honest when doing his job. However, his older brother didn¡¯t have this trait and he wasn¡¯t a good person anyway. Zhuo Li understood this part clearly.

    "Who is your father?" Yao Ling asked. She needed to find information about this man¡¯s background before she could fully trust him.

    "My father is Zhuo Wei. He used to serve the Emperor as the ministry of justice," Zhuo Li divulged his father¡¯s name frankly.

    Yao Ying was surprised. He had heard about that name before and known as an upright person who served loyally to the court, but he got a bad ending. He was too stood out from the mass and his poprity on the people¡¯s heart irked the Emperor. He was framed and the result was his demotion --- it was all the Emperor¡¯s doing. Those were the facts that Lin Jian found out through Mi Hui. Zhuo Wei used to be one of the princes¡¯ followers.

    "A good man... too bad..." Yao Ying muttered to himself, but Zhuo Li was able to hear it. Thetter¡¯s eyes started to redden. At least, someone still knew and remembered that his father was a good man. It was enough for him... He knew that his father¡¯s efforts and hard works weren¡¯t in vain.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to dwell on this matter because he was in a hurry, but he decided to take Zhuo Li under his wings --- whether he could be trusted or not, only time would tell. "Then, you will follow us from now on. However, we have a matter to attend to today, so we will talk more about thister. You can follow Xiuter... For now, I want to know about the task that Young Mistress gave you..."

    Yao Ying asked, "Did you sessfully do your mission?"

 Chapter 198 Lin Zhou: Zhuo Li 2

    Zhuo Li sighed in relief when he knew that Yao Ying was going to receive him as his subordinate. He answered politely, "This servant already killed the maid, before that we at the designated ce and told her that the mission has been sessfully done."

    "And then?" Yao Ling asked curiously because he stopped talking all of a sudden. "This servant would like to apologize first because this servant made a sudden decision when handling this matter... as a gift to Young Master and Young Mistress."

    "Oh... how so?" Yao Ying started to be more interested in this man. He wanted to hear what this man wanted to say.

    "I let here back to the Wang Fu first to spread the news of the sessful mission to the maid¡¯s mistress. After she did that, I killed her the very same night," Zhuo Li said. This was his gamble --- he used his brain as an advisor to gain the couple¡¯s trust. He wanted to show them his worth.

    "Why did you do that?" Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. "Did you find out who is the mistress?" Yao Ling saw that there was no benefit for doing that.

    Zhuo Li shook his head. "I don¡¯t... We didn¡¯t meet at Wang Fu so there was no chance to meet her mistress." After that, he exined why he wanted the maidservant to spread the news first. The one who sent the assassins wouldn¡¯t dare to divulge this news right away but would bask in happiness. She would wait for the news to reach Wang Fu by itself while gloating inside. However, that night... something would change. Her happiness would turn into a nightmare due to her maidservant¡¯s death. She must have been guessing who killed the maidservant.

    She would start to feel scared because of her maidservant¡¯s death --- Zhuo Li didn¡¯t intend to cover the way the maidservant¡¯s death, he deliberately let the people find out that she was killed and created a little ruckus.

    "After that?" Yao Ling smiled. She seemed to know what Zhuo Li intended to do. She liked this man¡¯s cleverness. That woman¡¯s nightmare should serve her right! Hmph! If she didn¡¯t send men to kill them, then none of this would happen too.

    "She will live in fear, knowing that her closest maidservant suddenly died. This servant is pretty sure that she won¡¯t dare to say to anyone that the maidservant was killed just to avoid the investigation," Zhuo Li exined. "She would certainly afraid that people would find out about her bad deeds and keep her mouth shut for the time being."

    Yao Ying nodded.

    Zhou Li continued his exnation, "Just imagine what kind of face that she will make when Young Master and Young Mistress return on ater date. I believe both of you will be able to find out which one is the main culprit." Zhuo Li politely exined. He didn¡¯t need to exin more how they would find out about it.

    The one who lost personal maidservant and was surprised to see them must have been the real culprit.

    It seemed like the moment they stepped into Wang Fu after finished the mission, there would be a lot of fun. They only wondered whether this mistress was also Liu Li¡¯s real master or not.

    Yao Ling grinned in satisfaction. "You are doing a good job," she praised. It seemed like he could be a good ally as long as he was loyal to them. They arranged for him to go with Xiu so Xiu would be able to keep an eye on him for the time being, after all, they were in the middle of a mission.

    Lin Jian¡¯s contact already said that Han Xiang would arrive in less than two shichen. They had already prepared a n and the first part needed Xiao Fang¡¯s full cooperation. Thetter already listened to Yao Ling¡¯s persuasion and think that she should open her mind. If she thought back, Han Xiang indeed behaved differently.

    She didn¡¯t want to believe that Han Xiang wasn¡¯t the same person anymore. Xiao Fang needed to get the bottom of this and prove to everyone that Han Xiang was still Han Xiang...

    Yao Ling patted her shoulder, "You should do your part carefully. Don¡¯t let Han Xiang feel suspicious! Behave just like usual... If she really is Han Xiang, we will help you to save her..."

    Xiao Fang nodded gratefully. Yao Ling sighed when she saw the dimmed look on Xiao Fang¡¯s face but she knew that she had to face the truth sooner orter. Yao Ling also needed to know whether Han Xiang was indeed Lin Jian¡¯s mother¡¯s daughter. They could only rely on the people closest to Han Xiang to know the truth, after all, this princess was actually a stranger to them.

    They waited from afar while Xiao Fang waited patiently on the gate of the city. Xiao Fang paced back and forth with a mixture of several negative feelings --- impatient, fear, and worried. It made her be more nervous. Han Yi tried to calm her down several times but to no avail. Han Yi knew that Xiao Fang was an honest person, therefore it would be hard for her to act like usual.

    Han Yi whispered to her young miss, "Young Miss... you should stay calm and prove to me that the princess is still the princess... Even if she¡¯s not, you have to make her not feeling suspicious. You need to find out who harms the real princess."

    Xiao Fang knew that Han Yi was right. She couldn¡¯t let Han Xiang know that she started to doubt her. If she was the real Han Xiang, she would be hurt because she doubted her. If she was a fake, she would feel suspicious of her... She took a deep breath and changed her way of thinking --- she would meet her best friend, Han Xiang! Whether she was real or not, she would think about itter.

    When Han Xiang finally arrived, Xiao Fang almost cried when she saw her condition. Her red-rimmed eyes were proof of that. She would wail if it wasn¡¯t because she wanted to maintain Han Xiang¡¯s dignity. Han Xiang didn¡¯t look like a dignified princess at all --- her whole appearance was messy and dirt was covering all over her body. She still wore her wedding dress but it was torn in a few parts. Her condition made Xiao Fang¡¯s heart softened.

    She hurriedly weed Han Xiang and asked, "Are you okay?"

    Even though her face was full of dirt but Han Xiang was still beautiful. Her phoenix eyes were still sharp as usual even though she looked so tired. It looked like she could faint anytime soon. Her usually rosy lips were pale and dry until they were cracked at several ces. She probably needed to take a bath before she could see her real condition.

    Han Xiang smiled weakly at Xiao Fang and answered, "I¡¯m okay!"

    The general, who was hurt, stood beside Han Xiang. He was helped by two of his subordinates, otherwise, he would fall down because of his heavy wounds. He furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Xiao Fang Gu Niang, why are you here? Aren¡¯t you supposed in the capital?"

    Xiao Fang had met the general on one or two asions, so they knew each other even though not quite well. They just exchanged greetings on those asions.

    Xiao Fang looked at the general in surprise. Why did he seem so vignt around her, unlike his usual polite behavior? Did she do something wrong? She asked in confusion, "Why am I not supposed to be here? I¡¯ming here to send the princess off for our final goodbye... Is there something wrong?" She looked at the general with an innocent expression pasted on her face.

    The general looked at the woman doubtfully. He was unsure whether what she said was true or not. After all, the news that reached his ears wasn¡¯t like this.

    Xiao Fang saw the distrust from the general¡¯s eyes and her heart started to turn cold. She started to realize that something wasn¡¯t right. Did they really target her? If she really rescued Han Xiang, would it really implicate her family?

    She wondered what kind of news that General Hu had heard?

 Chapter 199 Lin Zhou: Han Xiangs Appearance

    Xiao Fang was naive, yes. However, she wasn¡¯t entirely stupid. A few days in Yao Ling¡¯s presence, she more or less learned one or two things. She knew that something was wrong, but she needed Yao Ling¡¯s guidance. She remembered Han Yi¡¯s words and decided to act as usual.

    Han Xiang saw that something wasn¡¯t right and she quickly said, "General Hu, Xiao Fang ising for me. Please don¡¯t misunderstand her!"

    Han Yi furrowed her eyebrows when she heard this statement. She took a nce at the general¡¯s face and the doubt on his expression started to clear up --- he was back to his previous state of distrust. He sneered at Xiao Fang and also at Han Xiang.

    How could Han Yi didn¡¯t understand what Han Xiang had insinuated? She might appear to care about Xiao Fang, but her words... gave the opposite effect! This type of thing usually happened in the battle of the inner courtyard, so Han Yi didn¡¯t feel so surprised. Her mother had taught her a lot about these things, thus... she wasn¡¯t as innocent as her young miss.

    Han Yi could see how General Hu¡¯s expression changed. From distrust, doubt of his own judgment, and back to distrust once again. All happened because of Han Xiang¡¯s words. She implied that Xiao Fang wasing for her --- didn¡¯t she mean that Xiao Fang was trying to rescue her? If the robbery didn¡¯t happen, they would probably really throw the me at Xiao Fang. But why? This part, Han Yi wasn¡¯t really sure. What was the benefit that she got for framing her own best friend?

    Other than she was an impostor --- there were no other possibilities, right?

    Han Xiang asked for General Hu not to misunderstand Xiao Fang, but how could that be? Han Xiang could show that she was surprised by Xiao Fang¡¯s appearance here, after all, she didn¡¯t know that Xiao Fang woulde for her. She was always on Xiao Fang¡¯s side and Xiao Fang never once said that she woulde for Han Xiang before her departure.

    But judging from her look, it seemed like Han Xiang didn¡¯t feel surprised at all or she must have been guessing about it in the first ce. She took a nce at Xiao Fang and prayed to herself, ¡¯Young Miss ah~ please open your eyes! Don¡¯t let yourself be deceived by her! Something is not right...¡¯

    Xiao Fang saw everything because Yao Ling had taught her a little bit how to read people¡¯s behavior. She was no expert but General Hu was an upright person --- everything was disyed clearly on his face. A seed of doubt had been nted in her mind when she saw General Hu¡¯s reaction.

    Xiao Fang quickly said, "I heard about the news when I am on this way here. I quickly went to Lin Zhou first and especially prepare a lodging for all of you." Just like what they had nned before, they would be put on the same inn as the trio so it was easier for the trio to befriend them.

    General Hu didn¡¯t have any objection because he was severely injured, on the other hand, Han Xiang quickly agreed with her because of her own condition. Xiao Fang must have been preparing everything for her just like usual. Thetter was in dire need of afortable bath and her stomach was also very hungry. They didn¡¯t have many ransoms to eat and water to drink --- they could only make do with the avable foods and water that they had.

    Everything had been prepared beforehand by Xiao Fang. She pretended that she didn¡¯t see through General Hu¡¯s distrust toward her and asked, "I didn¡¯t know that you are hurt. I will ask Han Yi to call a physician for you!"

    General Hu stopped her when he heard the word physician. They needed to stay low key for now. Hence, General Hu quickly said, "No... just call someone with medical knowledge."

    Xiao Fang couldn¡¯t believe that what General Hu and Han Xiang¡¯s movement so far was the same as what Yao Ling had predicted beforehand. Yao Ling was indeed very clever.

    "But... why?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion.

    "I don¡¯t want people to know that I¡¯m hurt..." General Hu trailed off.

    "Er... why?" Xiao Fang asked once again while blinking her innocent eyes.

    General Hu rolled his eyes. "I don¡¯t want people to target our princess. I¡¯m not good enough to protect her at the moment." If people knew that he was hurt, they would attack at the same time. There were too many people that wanted this mission to fail. General Hu was only around a twenty-something year old but he just recently became a general, so his experience was a bitcking and the enemy was able to hurt him because of it.

    "Oh... okay," Xiao Fang only said that. Even though in her heart, she already knew why. For the time being, it was better if she pretended to be oblivious.

    General Hu could see her real confusion and start to wonder once again whether what he had heard was the truth or not, however, he didn¡¯t say anything more. He would pay attention to Xiao Fang closely. Xiao Fang nodded and she let Han Yi find Yao Ling. They gave some time before Yao Ling appeared as to no making General Hu suspicious of them --- not too long and not too short, just enough time.

    They wanted to integrate themselves with Han Xiang¡¯s party slowly by doing this.

    When General Hu saw that it was a beautiful young girl that was going to treat him, he looked at Xiao Fang in confusion. "Are you sure she has medical knowledge?" General Hu never looked down on women but this woman looked so elegant that it was quite unbelievable for such a beauty to have medical skill. After all, women usually learned about four arts --- why did she choose to learn medicine?

    When he looked at her appearance, he knew that she was a Shu person. General Hu couldn¡¯t let his guard down and ask, "Where did you find her?"

    Xiao Fang looked at Han Yi to let her talk. Han Yi quickly answered General Hu¡¯s question, "This woman is also a guest in this inn. We identally saw her helping a sick guest yesterday, so this servant presume that she is good enough to treat General Hu." They pretended that they didn¡¯t know each other beforehand.

    General Hu still looked at the woman doubtfully but he didn¡¯t say anything more. Beggars can¡¯t be choosers. Yao Ling didn¡¯t look like that she was offended andughed. "Gong zi, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m quite good at it." Yao Ling deliberately didn¡¯t call him General, pretending that she didn¡¯t know about the general¡¯s real identity.

    Yao Ling took a nce at General Hu¡¯s condition and said, "It seems like your injury was actually not that severe before... unfortunately, you were poisoned." Yao Ling exined that she saw the poisoning symptoms from his bluish lips, red eyes, and his weak state.

    General Hu was surprised. How could she know all of this in one nce?

    Yao Ling continued talking, "However, I can¡¯t determine what poison it is without examining your body and also checking on your pulse."

    General Hu nodded. "Gu Niang, you are correct... Please... I hope Gu Niang can help me," General Hu humbly said. He was in dire need of help so he couldn¡¯t be picky. Besides, the woman was able to see his condition in a nce, so she probably wasn¡¯t that bad...

    Yao Ling examined the man and it was easy for her to point out his poison, after all, she was the one who prepared the poison for him. She had given a batch of this poison to Lin Jian and it was handled by their subordinates. The one who could save him? It was only her...

 Chapter 200 Lin Zhou: General Hu

    The poison was a bit tricky --- it wasn¡¯t that dangerous as long as it was treated by her acupuncture at the right time. However, if it was already passed the golden time, then there was also nothing that she could do, except prolonging his life.

    Yao Ling made this poison by learning from a rare book that she saw at Wang Luo Hai¡¯s study room. Yao Ying brought it back to her because of her request ---of course, with Wang Luo Hai¡¯s permission. Thus, she was able to learn various types of poison. It was important for her, after all, she needed more knowledge to understand Mei Li Gu Niang¡¯s poison.

    For thest reason, Wang Luo Hai was oblivious about it. They didn¡¯t dare to tell him Yao Ying¡¯s abnormality until they were sure the reason why Yao Ying wasn¡¯t affected by it.

    Yao Ling already counted the days and today is thest day for the golden time. Hmmm... this general was quite lucky. At first, she thought that it was better if he died because it would be easier to take Han Xiang along with them. However, looking at Xiao Fang¡¯s situation, they needed this general¡¯s presence as a witness that Xiao Fang was innocent.

    Xiao Fang had helped them and they wanted to pay her back in return.

    Yao Ling told Xiao Yu to prepare her silver needles, while she exined a little bit more about his condition to General Hu.

    "Gong zi, in order to heal your body, I need to do a series of acupuncture. May I?" Yao Ling asked after Xiao Yu came back with the silver needles.

    General Hu had no other choice and he agreed. After the treatment, General Hu was able to feel that his body felt a bit better. His eyes brightened and he quickly gave his thank to Yao Ling. He could feel the stuffy feeling on his chest had been reduced greatly after Yao Ling¡¯s meticulous acupuncture. A few numb parts on his body were also getting better.

    General Hu hesitantly asked, "Have you been in the city for a long time?" He decided to ask thetest situation to Yao Ling without trying to look so obvious.

    Yao Ling smiled. "A few days. I¡¯ming here for a honeymoon. However, it seems like I meet a lot of people that need to be treated." She said in a joking manner, trying to lighten up the mood.

    General Hu felt embarrassed and slightly coughed. He knew that Yao Ling was only joking but somehow he felt guilty. On the other hand, he felt a bit unsettled when he heard that she was already married. ¡¯Ha~ Why all the good women had been married so fast?¡¯ He thought to himself.

    "Does something happen in this city recently?" General Hu asked. "I mean... is there anything interesting?"

    Yao Ling nodded and recited the part where a bunch of schrs trying to create a ruckus. General Hu furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "And then?"

    "My husband stopped them with his words... However, it¡¯s too bad... Even though my husband was able to stop them, but the wedding entourage still got into an unfortunate ident."

    General Hu looked up in surprise. "Everyone knows about this already?"

    Yao Ling nodded. "Yes ah~ the news has been spread widely..."

    General Hu started to suspect Xiao Fang once again. If it wasn¡¯t her doing, howe the news could be spread so fast?

    Yao Ling nodded, "Yes ah~ a few days ago, I saw the young miss that just called me to treat you at the same restaurant. She wanted to jump on defense for the princess but my husband stopped her and helped her. After all, there was no point in getting angry over those bunch of schrs."

    General Hu furrowed his eyebrows. If she was the one who instigated this, why should she want to jump on their defense? This woman didn¡¯t know who they were so there was no use for her to say some good words for Xiao Fang. "Oh... so you already know each other beforehand?" General Hu tried to gauge their rtionship.

    "No... we just met at that time. After that, we talked to each other once or twice. Why?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "Nothing..." General Hu answered, but he seemed to be deep in thought. "Do you know who spread the rumor about the attacked wedding entourage?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "No... but someone said that some people passed by the entourage when they were attacked. However, they didn¡¯t dare to help. The rumor probably came from them..." Yao Ling guessed.

    Yao Ling deliberately tried to clear up Xiao Fang¡¯s name in front of the general, but she didn¡¯t dare to do it in an obvious way --- she would take it slow. At least, the doubt in General Hu¡¯s eyes already lessened for a bit. Yao Ling felt like someone had been feeding misleading information about Xiao Fang and probably including her family. Did someone want to target Xiao Fang or her family?

    For handling Xiao Fang, she presumed they didn¡¯t need to involve a general. She had never asked but she wondered what kind of background that Xiao Fang had --- it seemed like her father was a high ranking official in the Han Kingdom.

    Yao Ling asked, "Gong Zi, what happened to you if I may ask? This poison is quite rare..."

    General Hu nodded and answered her, "Someone attacked me and my friends. Gu Niang, do you know about this poison?" General Hu didn¡¯t divulge any information but he was interested in the poison.

    They brought one physician on their side and he couldn¡¯t find out what kind of poison was this, but it seemed like this gu niang knew about it.

    Yao Ling nodded. "This is a poison that came from the Qin Kingdom. I used to follow my old master to treat patients and learn more about poison, hence I have a quite vast knowledge about poison." Yao Ling didn¡¯t even bat an eye when she was lying.

    "Qin Kingdom?" General Hu was quite surprised by this revtion. If this was Qin Kingdom¡¯s poison, didn¡¯t it mean those bandits should be from there? Or someone deliberately wanted to frame the Qin Kingdom? He thought that a simple young miss like Xiao Fang wouldn¡¯t be able this far ahead.

    "Yes... The Qin Kingdom." Yao Ling said confidently --- she was the one who prepared it so she should know better. She chose one of the Qin Kingdom¡¯s rare poison --- it was actually easy to make once she had enough ingredients. Wang Luo Hai knew this talent of her and he was the one who provided her with the ingredients secretly, so no one in Wang Fu would be able to find out her talent.

    For this trip, she had prepared several poisons, who knew that it would actuallye in handy.

    "But why would...?" General Hu almost blurted out something but he held himself back. He almost discussed this with the beautiful woman, luckily he stopped in time.

    Yao Ling asked quizzically, "Why would what?"

    General Hu knew that if he stopped midway, the beautiful woman would feel even more suspicious. "Why the Qin poison ended up in the bandits that attacked me?"

    "Ah! you are also attacked by bandits..." Yao Ling pretended to nod in understanding. "Where did they attack you? Qin territory or Han territory? If Qin territory, you shouldn¡¯t be this surprised... So... I think it should be in Han territory, right?"

    General Hu hesitantly nodded, hoping that she wouldn¡¯t put him together with the wedding entourage. He didn¡¯t trust her enough to give her his real identity.

    "Haiyah~ it seems like Han territory isn¡¯t that safe anymore. If you want this kind of poison, even though it¡¯s rare but it¡¯s easy to find them on the ck market," Yao Ling said. Then she added in confusion, "But... why would they go as far to buy poison from another country."

    Yao Ling shook her head and eximed, "So weird!" She pretended to be oblivious.

    General Hu nodded his head a few times. Indeed, this matter was too weird. There were only two possibilities... The Qin Kingdom wanted to frame the Shu Kingdom or the other way around. General Hu didn¡¯t realize that he already excluded Xiao Fang from this matter.

 Chapter 201 Lin Zhou: Han Xiang 1

    Yao Ling saw that her goal had been achieved, she smiled to herself inwardly and decided to go out. After all, there was a boundary between man and woman. It wasn¡¯t good for her to stay too long inside the room with General Hu, even though Xiao Yu was apanying her all along. Besides, she knew that her petty husband would be jealous.

    She supposed that General Hu was a bit too honest because he was easy to be manipted, however, at least... he had a mind of his own. Once he got ahold of the truth, he would get justice for Xiao Fang. Yao Ling really hoped that she didn¡¯t make a mistake by betting Xiao Fang¡¯s future on this honest general.

    Yao Ling already got the information about this general beforehand from the information that Lin Jian had been gathered, so she had a quite good understanding of the general¡¯s personalities. It was all actually a mind game...

    Yao Ling deliberately didn¡¯t introduce herself or ask for General Hu¡¯s name because she didn¡¯t want to look desperate to get to know him. She treated him like an ordinary patient and when Han Yi called him General Hu, she pretended that she didn¡¯t hear anything all. General Hu was in too much pain to realize this point.

    When Yao Ling was treating General Hu, Xiao Fang was already on Han Xiang¡¯s side. She became a chatterbox just like usual as not to make Han Xiang feel suspicious. She told what she had been doing --- of course, excluding the trio¡¯s part. In their friendship, she was usually the one who did the most talking buttely Han Xiang indeed only talked about her resentful life.

    Xiao Fang finally decided to ask about Han Xiang¡¯s wellbeing, after thetter finished taking a bath. "How are you doing?" She looked at Han Xiang with a sympathetic face, knowing that thetter had been through a lot at this point.

    Han Xiang nced at her and bit her lower lips, "I¡¯m not fine!" She whined then she jumped onto Xiao Fang, hugging her. Xiao Fang was taken aback because she had never seen this side of her. Her usual calmness was gone. "They even killed all of my maidservants! Heartless bandits! I could only rely on myself --- even General Hu is hurt. He still has his subordinates to attend to him, but I have none!"

    Han Xiang felt resentful because of the tiring journey. She thought that Xiao Fang would save her but until this point, she said nothing about it. General Hu was wounded and it was the perfect time for Xiao Fang to help her! It seemed like she had to put some ideas into Xiao Fang¡¯s head so thetter would try to help her with her own initiative.

    Han Xiang cried, "I already told you before how I didn¡¯t want to get married. However, we both know there was nothing that we could do. After all, this marriage is decreed by the Emperor. I didn¡¯t want to involve you, but howe you are here? Are you going to save me?"

    Han Xiang¡¯s face changed into happiness when she said thest past. She asked with full of hope, "I know you are the only one who treats me the best! Thank you for saving me, Xiao Fang!"

    Han Xiang didn¡¯t give Xiao Fang any chance of refusal by directly thanking her first. Han Xiang knew Xiao Fang¡¯s personalities best --- she always said yes to her plea, so she was pretty sure that the woman wouldn¡¯t reject her.

    Xiao Fang started to feel more and more bewildered. If previously Yao Ling or Han Yi didn¡¯t talk some senses into her, she would of course... without regard saving Han Xiang. However, she had her own family to consider. Yao Ling was an outsider but she understood this point, howe Han Xiang didn¡¯t realize about it too?

    Was Han Xiang too innocent or she actually didn¡¯t care about Xiao Fang and Xiao Fang¡¯s family wellbeing? The more she thought about it, the more she felt her heart colder.

    Han Xiang waited for Xiao Fang¡¯s usual loud voice and how she always defended and said yes to her, however... the current Xiao Fang didn¡¯t say anything. She only bit her lower lips sadly, making Han Xiang fall into confusion. Somehow... everything was out of her control. Han Xiang was quite surprised by Xiao Fang¡¯s sudden change. They only didn¡¯t meet for less than two weeks... what had happened to Xiao Fang around those times? Han Xiang squinted her eyes, trying to see Xiao Fang more clearly because she was feeling suspicious.

    Han Xiang bit her lower lips, "Xiao Fang, why didn¡¯t you say anything? You are here... really only to send me to the lion¡¯s den?" She looked so pitiful, making Xiao Fang almost felt her heartbreak.

    Han Xiang had a beautiful small face with enchanting phoenix eyes. Her tall nose and small red cherry lips were alsoplimenting her beauty. She had a natural white lotus face that always attracted pity and the protective feelings from the onlookers. This was the thing that always made Xiao Fang weak-willed in front of her. However, this time... her face ovepped with her father and brother¡¯s back home.

    Even though Han Xiang was important for her, she couldn¡¯t abandon her own family. Xiao Fang bit her lower lip, feeling guilty. Xiao Fang sighed and said, "I¡¯m sorry... I... I can¡¯t..."

    Han Xiang was stunned because of her answer. The yes-woman was rejecting her plea?! This was a first... She clenched her jaw and her hands tightly before she changed her contorted face to sadness in a sh. Han Xiang kept her expression under control. She wanted to get Xiao Fang back under her control or else... everything would go awry. She needed Xiao Fang to let her get out of this marriage. Only her and her family... had the power to do this.

    Han Xiang already received the news about the Qin Emperor¡¯s misconduct a long time ago, hence her reluctance to marry that bastard. "Why?" Han Xiang asked. "You have the power to help me get away from this marriage..." Han Xiang trailed off at thest part.

    "Why do you say so? I¡¯m only a woman... how could I help you?" Xiao Fang asked Han Xiang curiously.

    "Don¡¯t you have your father to back you up? After all, he¡¯s the right prime minister of our kingdom. One word from him and everything will be fine..." Han Xiang said softly, trying to persuade Xiao Fang.

    When she heard this statement, how could Xiao Fang didn¡¯t understand what Han Xiang meant? She indeed wanted to use her family to achieve her own goal. "I have my father true... but Han Xiang ah~ Have you ever thought what would happen to my family if the Emperor finds out that we lend you a helping hand?" Xiao Fang really wanted to know Han Xiang¡¯s answer.

    Han Xiang smiled at Xiao Fang and said, "Your father is so powerful. Of course... everything will be okay..." Han Xiang once again tried to persuade Xiao Fang. Han Xiang certainly knew about the consequences, however, she didn¡¯t care... She wanted to ruin Xiao Fang¡¯s family... There was a hint of hatred that appeared in her eyes. However, she was really good at her act. The hatred was gone in a few moments.

    Even Xiao Fang who paid attention to her demeanor missed the sinister glint inside her eyes. Han Xiang had been through a lot in her childhood, so her mind was a bit twisted. However, she indeed once thought Xiao Fang as her good sister... until something changed her way of thinking.

 Chapter 202 Lin Zhou: Han Xiang 2

    ¡¯This debt... all of your family have to pay for it,¡¯ Xiao Fang thought to herself. This marriage alliance matter was a chance that she had been waiting for a long time. If only Xiao Fang was still the old Xiao Fang, she should have been jumping into the chance of saving her and her n would go smoothly.

    "Han Xiang... you are so innocent ah~ and so naive..." Xiao Fang said softly.

    Han Xiang was taken aback by Xiao Fang¡¯s words. The dummy dared to say that she was innocent and naive?! "What... what do you mean?" Han Xiang asked in confusion.

    Han Yi almostughed when she saw the bewildered look on Han Xiang¡¯s face. She really wanted to kowtow to Yao Ling for opening her young miss¡¯ mind. She became smarter than before in handling this annoying princess. She didn¡¯t know whether Xiao Fang had realized the truth, but at the very least... she started to guard herself up from Han Xiang¡¯s trick.

    Han Yi felt curious whether her young miss realized that when Han Xiang just arrived... her usual unique smell wasn¡¯t there. It was said that her unique smell that attracted butterfly would never go away, but somehow it was gone back then. However, after taking a bath, the unique smell came out once again. She wondered if it was just her imagination or not, she needed to confirm it with Xiao Fang. After all, her young miss was still the one who knew Han Xiang best.

    "You are too innocent, that¡¯s why you don¡¯t realize what will happen to my family if I really try to help you get out of this marriage alliance," Xiao Fang sighed, pretending to wipe the corner of her eyes --- crying fake tears. She wanted to look like that she was sad because she was unable to help Han Xiang.

    "What will happen to them?" Han Xiang pretended to be oblivious, even though she clearly understood. The man behind her had already told her everything, but she felt disappointed when Xiao Fang finally realized about this point too.

    "My family will be implicated and for opposing the royal decree... we will be exterminated to nine generations. I... I really want to help you... I swear I do... but I can¡¯t abandon my family," Xiao Fang looked down guiltily. She really wanted to see what Han Xiang would say about this.

    Han Xiang was dumbfounded. Previously, Xiao Fang would never know about this logic. She always listened to her more rather than her own father. She didn¡¯t believe that it was her father or brother who woke her up and helped her get out from her clutch. "Ah... that would happen? Then... then... I won¡¯t bother asking for your help. I don¡¯t want to implicate all of your family..."

    Han Xiang was slightly paler and she looked like she felt guilty. "I¡¯m so sorry... I realize that I was being too selfish..." She cleverly apologized to Xiao Fang and admitted her mistake.

    She bit her lower lips while letting a few tears falling down. Han Xiang sighed and said, "It seems like I can only resign to my fate..." She weakly said. Her n to evoke Xiao Fang¡¯s sympathy had failed, it seemed like she had to make a new n. She never thought that she would fail, that¡¯s why she didn¡¯t bother to make a back-up n.

    Han Xiang cleverly didn¡¯t push Xiao Fang anymore or thetter would feel suspicious of her. They talked just like usual when Xiao Fang decided to ask her, "What¡¯s your n after this? I heard that the Emperor will arrange new bridal dowry for you."

    Han Xiang nodded. "Yes... I can only wait for the new bridal dowry here and then continue my journey to the Qin Kingdom. Haiyah~ What else can I do?"

    Xiao Fang patted her shoulder. "I¡¯m here if you need anything."

    Han Xiang thought to herself, ¡¯What¡¯s the use of you being here?! You don¡¯t even have the gut to save me. What kind of best friend are you?¡¯ Han Xiang scolded Xiao Fang inwardly but she didn¡¯t dare to let her displeasure show on her face.

    "Do you need anything else? I will assign a maidservant for you until your new maidservants arrive. How is that sound?" Xiao Fang asked. She felt pity that the pampered princess didn¡¯t have anyone on her side, besides... she needed someone to keep an eye on her. She contemted who would be the best candidate to be Han Xiang¡¯s maidservant for the time being because she needed someone that she could trust.

    Xiao Fang knew that the Emperor would certainly provide her with new maidservants after all they were part of the dowry. This made her feel in relief. She didn¡¯t want to let her trusted maid follow Han Xiang to the Qin Kingdom.

    Han Xiang received Xiao Fang¡¯s help gratefully. On one side, she had said that she was miserable without her maidservants so she couldn¡¯t reject her nice offer. On the other side, she didn¡¯t want any of Xiao Fang¡¯s people went near her because it would make it hard for her to move around without Xiao Fang knowing about it. She could only grit her teeth and received the new maidservants. Han Xiang had no other choice --- for now.

    Xiao Fang sent one of her trusted subordinates, Han Er. She already served as long as Han Yi and was also given by her mother, so she knew that she could be trusted. She was slightly older than Han Yi so she had a better temperament. Xiao Fang was closer to Han Yi because Han Yi was more talkative than Han Er, but it didn¡¯t mean that she wasn¡¯t close to Han Er. She treated both of them as her own sisters and ymates.

    Han Xiang said, "Xiao Fang, Han Er is one of your closest maidservants. How could you let her serve me? Just give me someone unimportant would be just fine. I don¡¯t want to give you a hassle..." Han Xiang knew Xiao Fang¡¯s background like the back of her hands, there would be no way for her to bribe Han Er. She was very loyal to Xiao Fang and she would hinder her n!

    "How could I do that to you, Han Xiang? I always treat you like my own sister. If I give you an unimportant maidservant, it won¡¯t sit well with me. I¡¯m afraid that she won¡¯t treat you well, however... Han Er is different. Han Er is very adept at serving people and it will make me feel better to give you the best maidservant to serve you..." Xiao Fang said while smiling. She knew that she couldn¡¯t give her Han Yi because thetter was clever but a bit rash. On the other hand, Han Er was also smart but calmer.

    Han Er wouldn¡¯t tantly show her dislike to Han Xiang, unlike Han Yi who had shown her several times about her displeasure. Han Er was standing behind Xiao Fang all of this time. She quickly came out and gave a light bow to Han Xiang, "This servant will follow Young Miss¡¯ arrangement. Han Xiang Gong Zhu please receive this servant as your maidservant for the time being. This servant will definitely serve you well."

    Han Er quickly caught up with Xiao Fang¡¯s n. With this gesture of hers, there would be no way Han Xiang could reject Xiao Fang¡¯s arrangement. In the end, Han Xiang could only smile politely and receive Han Er as her temporary maidservant despite her initial unwillingness.

 Chapter 203 Lin Zhou: Han Xiang 3

    Xiao Fang sighed in relief and then she went out to let Han Xiang have a peaceful rest. Regardless of whatever scheme that she had in mind, Xiao Fang could see that Han Xiang was beyond tired. Her usually bright eyes were a bit bloodshot and her lips were paler than usual. She left Han Er behind to serve Han Xiang.

    She went back into her room directly and pondered over the matter once more. She wanted to talk to Yao Ling but she knew that this wasn¡¯t the right time. They were all staying in the same inn and they would be easy to spot by General Hu¡¯s people and Han Xiang if Xiao Fang went into Yao Ling¡¯s room. Xiao Fang didn¡¯t want to take any risk.

    When Yao Ling could casually be their friends in a few days, it wouldn¡¯t make them suspicious when she talked to Yao Ling once in a while. She felt that talking at that time wouldn¡¯t be toote. She turned her gaze to Han Yi who had served her loyally and knew that it was time for her to open her eyes, "What do you think about Han Xiang Gong Zhu? Did you find out that something was amiss?"

    Han Yi was surprised by her young miss¡¯ sudden question. It was rare for her to ask her opinion about Princess Han Xiang because she knew how much Han Yi didn¡¯t like the princess. Han Yi bit her lower lips and decided to answer her question honestly.

    Han Yi answered, "This servant hope that Young Miss will listen to me carefully. Han Xiang Gong Zhu is very clever because she knows when to push Young Miss or retreat. That was done to avoid Young Miss¡¯ suspicion toward her. When Young Miss blocked her words by crying about thinking of your family, she quickly withdraws. However, I know that she won¡¯t give up easily. It¡¯s lucky for us that Yao Ling Gu Niang already gave us a head up n by nting Han Er beside Princess Han Xiang, at least... we can monitor her movement..."

    Xiao Fang nodded. She couldn¡¯t believe how everything happened just like Yao Ling¡¯s prediction.

    Han Yi continued, "I hope that Young Miss will be able to understand. This servant shows the dislike tantly because this servant really feels something isn¡¯t right with Han Xiang Gong Zhu... This servant has no other motive. This servant has no benefit for separating the two of you..." She said thest part weakly. After all, she was indeed loyally served Young Miss and they grew up together! How could she bear to let the princess take advantage of her own young miss?

    Xiao Fang felt a bit guilty. She indeed had been doubting Han Yi because of Han Xiang¡¯s case and a few times... the distrust was increasing because of Han Xiang¡¯s words. She started to feel a bit angry. Did Han Xiang feel that she was so easy to bully?! It seemed like it was time for her to fight back.

    Han Yi also told Xiao Fang about Han Xiang¡¯s unique smell that was gone. Truthfully, Xiao Fang didn¡¯t really pay attention to it, but she took note of it. She whispered to Han Yi that they should let Han Er snoop around and find out something odds about Han Xiang, however, she needed to be careful. They didn¡¯t want to rm Han Xiang.

    So far, Han Xiang must have been trying to guess the reason why she started to change. Han Yi gave a piece of advice, "Young Miss, you should be calmer... don¡¯t let her find that you change too much! Once in a while, you have to be obedient and follow her lead just like how you used to be. If you have something to say to Yao Ling Gu Niang, you can just tell this servant. This servant will be your contact and Xiao Yu will be Yao Ling Gu Niang¡¯s contact..."

    "Won¡¯t they feel suspicious if you interact too much with Xiao Yu?" Xiao Fang asked, feeling worried.

    "No..." Han Yi shook her head. "It¡¯s amon urrence for us -- maidservants to talk with each other after serving the master or in our free time. Besides, our room is right next to each other. If we don¡¯t interact with each other all, it will make others feel more suspicious."

    Xiao Fang felt that what Han Yi said was making sense, so she told Han Yi everything that she wanted Yao Ling to know and at the same time also asked for her advice. Because the matter wasn¡¯t really urgent, Han Yi proceeded to tell Xiao Yu at night. Xiao Yu nodded in understanding and knew that this would be their channel to contact each other from now on.

    Yao Ling pondered over the matter along with Yao Ying and Lin Jian when Xiao Yu told her what Han Yi reported to her. "It seems like we have confirmed something. This Han Xiang ah~ she¡¯s up to no good. It seems like she¡¯s deliberately wanting to ruin Xiao Fang¡¯s family by letting Xiao Fang save her." Probably because they weren¡¯t an involved party in that matter, so they were able to see the matter more clearly than Xiao Fang.

    Lin Jian felt hurt because of this revtion. He indeed felt the same way, but he couldn¡¯t believe that the daughter of his loving mother would be this cruel to her own best friend. At this point, he hoped that she wasn¡¯t his mother¡¯s real daughter... "Is there a possibility that she¡¯s actually an impostor?" Lin Jian asked Yao Ling in a hopeful manner.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I also don¡¯t know about that... Truth to be told, in order to know whether she¡¯s the real deal or not... we probably would be able to find out from her unique smell, right? However, we need to know beforehand the secret behind that unique smell..."

    Yao Ling pointed out the fact that the unique smell was actually gone for a little while --- the one that Han Yi had mentioned before.

    "Er... probably because she didn¡¯t take a bath for a long time?" Lin Jian asked hopefully.

    Yao Lingughed at that. "Lin Jian ah~ I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of that. She used to be trampled on by the pce servants, right? I don¡¯t think she has the luxury of taking a bath every day... but it seems like there¡¯s no news about her losing her unique smell once she was taking a bath. And also, why did Han Yi mention this as a weird thing if it had happened before?"

    What Yao Ling said was indeed reasonable. "So... there¡¯s a possibility that this one is an impostor right? Judging from the smell?"

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t say yes or no because she didn¡¯t want to crush Lin Jian¡¯s heart. She merely said, "I¡¯m not too sure myself. As I said, we have to find out the secret of her unique smell to determine the truth..." Then she added, "I need to ask Xiao Fang about this --- maybe she knows something about it. On the other hand, can Mi Hui find something about this matter? I know that we have people in the Han Kingdom¡¯s pce?" Yao Ling asked thest part, feeling hopeful.

    Lin Jian shook his head. "I indeed have people in the Han Kingdom¡¯s pce, but no one was able to find out the truth. We are not sure why but everything about Han Xiang has been buried deeply. I also didn¡¯t try to dig in deeper, after all, I thought that she¡¯s my sister. Who knows that she¡¯s like this..." He trailed off and ended it with a sigh. He truly felt disappointed with Han Xiang¡¯s performance so far.

    Lin Jian never expected that this would happen... He didn¡¯t know how to ry the news to his father. Thetter had been expecting good news from him... It seemed like he had to dy the news until everything had been cleared here.

    Yao Ying interrupted their conversation and said, "I have an idea. Lin Jian ah~ don¡¯t we also have Mi Hui people back at Wen Feng?"

    Lin Jian nodded hesitantly. "We indeed have. Why?" He asked curiously.

 Chapter 204 Lin Zhou: Han Xiang 4

    "Yao Ling, do you remember the woman who was gossiping about Han Xiang back at Wen Feng?" Yao Ying asked.

    When Yao Ling heard what Yao Ying just said, her eyes lit up with new hope. "I remember!"

    "Can you draw her and give the painting to Lin Jian?" Yao Ying asked.

    Yao Ling nodded excitedly. She wasn¡¯t that good at drawing but it was enough to draw the essence of the woman¡¯s appearance. She was around thirty-something years old woman with a long face and sly eyes. The most distinguished character was the big mole under her left eye. She believed that their subordinate would be able to find the woman easily.

    "Lin Jian... this woman has an aunt that used to work at the pce. We can probably get something out of her. You can give them money or whatever you want, but we can¡¯t kill her! If we need something, we can use her..." Yao Ying said. "It will be better if the old woman can be brought to Lin Zhou, but she has to stay in a different location. We need to talk to this woman ourselves... We need to crosscheck with Xiao Fang about this old woman¡¯s identity."

    Lin Jian nodded in understanding. "I think that¡¯s a good idea. I remember Yao Ling said the way the woman boasted and told her friends that all of the gossips about Han Xiang are true. She probably knows something."

    "How long will you be able to find her?" Yao Ying asked. "We don¡¯t have that much time. Once the bridal dowries arrive, we will have a hard time to prevent this wedding alliance." Yao Ying reminded Lin Jian that they had a time limit to do all this. The bridal dowries at least needed two or three days preparation and probably around one more week for the length of the trip --- there was also a possibility that the Han Emperor would want everything to happen smoothly and faster. They needed to take this into ount.

    They needed to handle Han Xiang¡¯s matter in one week. The faster, the better.

    "Don¡¯t worry! We have our own ways ofmunication. It will probably take around two or three days," Lin Jian said. "Let me contact them right away! I will let both of you discuss this matter by yourself for now. Just let me know if there¡¯s something important."

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling nodded their head. After bade goodbye to the couple, Lin Jian quickly went out of the room. He didn¡¯t stay any longer because he needed to deal with his task as soon as possible. Lin Jian had to admit that even though Yao Ling was so young but she had a clever mind. Yao Ying didn¡¯t lose to her because he was the one who came up the wicked idea most of the time. He really praised them because those two were reallyplementing each other.

    ¡¯Powerful couple...¡¯ That¡¯s what Lin Jian thought about them.

    Xiao Yu wasn¡¯t in the room when they were talking about this matter because they were still hiding Mi Hui¡¯s existence from their subordinates. After they finished talking, Xiao Yu was called in and Yao Ling asked her to tell Han Yi that they needed to hold on for several days until they found that woman¡¯s aunt. Han Er needed to keep an eye on Han Xiang and there was no room for failure.

    Yao Ling wanted Xiao Fang to cater to Han Xiang¡¯s need --- whatever she wanted, Xiao Fang needed to obey her. They didn¡¯t need to make any move or else Han Xiang would feel suspicious. They should just leave the matter behind the screen to the trio.

    Yao Ling knew that they couldn¡¯t leave Xiao Fang in the dark and told her the n --- of course, she excluded the Mi Hui part. She just told them that they had a friend back at Wen Feng that could help them in finding that woman¡¯s aunt and taking her here.

    Xiao Fang received the news the next day and she sighed in relief. Yao Ling was still willing to help her and she felt really grateful to her. She didn¡¯t care what kind of reasons Yao Ling had for helping her but she felt indebted to her. This matter would implicate her whole family without her help and naturally, the trio became their family¡¯s savior.

    When she was back to her family, she really needed to ask her father to thank Yao Ling and of course Yao Ying and Lin Jian too. She knew that the other two were also the mind behind their n.

    After finished preparing herself, Xiao Fang went to find Han Xiang. She would try to spend every single time with her just like what Yao Ling instructed her to do. Han Xiang gritted her teeth in annoyance because she couldn¡¯t find a loophole at all. Xiao Fang kept following her around.

    Xiao Fang indeed tried her best to cater her needs so she couldn¡¯t fault her, however, her freedom became very limited because of it! Han Xiang wanted to find General Hu but thetter was in deep rest and the one who treated General Hu told his subordinates not to let anyone bother General Hu.

    General Hu followed Yao Ling¡¯s advice in order to get better soon. He also strictly put his subordinate not to let Han Xiang roam around, this also included Xiao Fang. He still felt wary that Xiao Fang would let Han Xiang run away. If Xiao Fang used her father¡¯s influence, it would be easy to do so.

    At one point, Han Xiang bumped into Yao ling who just came out of General Hu¡¯s room. The woman had just finished checking on the general. "Who are you?" Han Xiang asked, feeling suspicious. "Why are youing out from Ge... er... Hu Gong Zi¡¯s room?" Han Xiang almost said general, but she quickly changed the way he addressed the general.

    "I¡¯m Hu Gong Xi¡¯s physician," Yao Ling answered with a soft smile.

    "You?!" Han Xiang looked at Yao Ling in disbelief. It was rare for a woman to be a physician and it made Han Xiang be suspicious of Yao Ling¡¯s identity. Did she a fox that was trying to seduce the general? If not, why did she prevent anyone from meeting the general?

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel offended because this was also the usual reaction that Jiu Lan used to get, so she didn¡¯t feel too surprised. After all, in this era, men were more superior than women. Yao Ling answered, "Yes, me... Why? Is there something wrong?"

    "You really have a medical skill? Then, why does it take so long for Hu Gong Zi to get better?" Han Xiang asked --- a bit rude.

    "Of course... I¡¯d never joked with people¡¯s life. If Gu Niang doesn¡¯t believe me, you can ask Hu Gong Zi by yourself. Gu Niang, who are you?" Yao Ling asked in a curious manner. "Are you Hu Gong Zi¡¯s wife?"

    "What?! No!" Han Xiang¡¯s eyes widened. She was surprised by Yao Ling¡¯s sudden question. That could ruin her own reputation.

    "Are you his family then?" Yao Ling asked.

    "No!"

    "Then, I¡¯m sorry... I can¡¯t tell you the patient¡¯s condition," Yao Ling said with a soft smile. She looked like she didn¡¯t put Han Xiang in her eyes and thetter felt insulted.

    "How dare you not telling me?" Han Xiang made a loud ruckus which attracted the attention of General Hu¡¯s trusted subordinates.

    One of them came and asked, "What happened here?"

    Yao Ling pulled out her white lotus card and acted meekly, making even Xiao Fang look at her in disbelief. She used her pinching movement to fake a tear, "This woman... wants to know General Hu¡¯s condition but I didn¡¯t tell her. I asked her rtionship with Hu Gong Zi but she¡¯s not his family, so I don¡¯t dare telling her anything. I am bound with physician and patient confidentiality."

    Yao Ling said weakly.

    The subordinate¡¯s heart went to Yao Ling in a heartbeat. He tended to believe her, after all, she indeed had saved General Hu¡¯s life...

 Chapter 205 Lin Zhou: Han Xiang 5

    General Hu¡¯s subordinate sighed. He had heard the rumor about how wrongly treated the princess was and it evoked the pity from them. However, after came in contact with her for the past few days, he could still see the selfish and pampered personalities of the princess.

    "Gu Niang... Hu Gong Zi is fine... you don¡¯t need to worry about him... He needs rest for now, please don¡¯t bother him!" Although the subordinate said it in a strict voice, there was a hint of politeness in it. He still understood about hierarchy. Although the princess wasn¡¯t allowed to divulge her identity, she was still the princess.

    Han Xiang felt irritated with the way this lowly subordinate treated her but she could do nothing about it. "Then... why can¡¯t I meet him?" Han Xiang asked once again. She needed to talk to General Hu but she was hindered by this woman¡¯s order. Her gazended on Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling turned around and asked the subordinate, "Er... I suppose that she¡¯s Hu Gong Zi¡¯s lover... I bet that she misses him so much that she doesn¡¯t even care about Hu Gong Zi¡¯s condition." She looked sympathetic toward Han Xiang but her words... it made Han Xiang almost vomit blood. She could hear the sarcasm...

    The subordinate awkwardly stood there, not knowing how to answer Yao Ling. If he said she wasn¡¯t Hu Gong Zi¡¯s lover, he didn¡¯t know how to exin who this woman was. If he said she was Hu Gong Zi¡¯s lover, the princess would certainly want his head on a silver tter. He could only dart his eyes around, not looking at Yao Ling and pretended that he didn¡¯t hear anything.

    Han Xiang said, "I already told you I¡¯m not his lover. Why are you keep insisting that I am his lover? I also care about his condition. Don¡¯t speak nonsense!" Han Xiang needed to clear up the misunderstanding.

    Yao Ling pretended to be confused and tilted her head to the side, "Eh? You are not his lover but care about her condition. What are you? Hu Gong Zi¡¯s mistress?"

    How could Han Xiang not vomit blood after listening to what Yao Ling said? Howe she suddenly be a mistress? Even General Hu¡¯s subordinate and Xiao Fang were dumbfounded because of Yao Ling¡¯s poisonous tongue. Xiao Fang really wanted tough but she couldn¡¯t show it on her face and it almost made her have an internal injury.

    "I... I... I am not!" She denied vehemently. Han Xiang pointed at Yao Ling in annoyance but her words were stuck in her throat. She didn¡¯t dare to expose her own identity because she knew that she was targetted by others and she also didn¡¯t want General Hu to feel annoyance toward her. She could only swallow her grievance...

    "Ah... okay. Suits yourself!" Yao Ling smiled. In other words, it was up to her to say whatever she wanted about her rtionship with General Hu. However, Yao Ling would still stand by with her own view regarding their rtionship. She¡¯s just a mere mistress.

    Han Xiang could only stomp her feet in anger and go away in a huff. She was too angry at the woman and she didn¡¯t want to stay there any longer and risk to be humiliated once again. Xiao Fang could only look apologetically at Yao Ling with her eyes and then she followed Han Xiang.

    The subordinate could only helplessly shake his head and said, "Sorry for the trouble. We indeed know this woman and she¡¯s a bit spoiled. So..." He tried to exin but he also couldn¡¯t say more so he could only trail off thest part.

    Yao Lingughed kindly. "It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t take it to my heart. It¡¯s actually okay for Hu Gong Zi to have one or two visitors. However, I saw that the woman just now was in a bad mood and she probably would affect Hu Gong Zi¡¯s mood. I didn¡¯t want that to happen because Hu Gong Zi still needs to recuperate and I¡¯m afraid that he will have a rpse. That¡¯s why I was a bit strict to the youngdy."

    The subordinate nodded in understanding and his admiration grew to the next level. In actuality, they were pretty tired because of the princess¡¯ tantrum but they could only sumb to her demand.

    "Please give my apologies to the youngdy and Hu Gong Zi..." Yao Ling humbly said.

    The subordinate quickly waved his right hand. "No need... no need... our Hu Gong Zi isn¡¯t an unreasonable person. He will totally understand."

    After that, they were parting ways. Xiao Yu asked in a small voice, "Young Mistress, is it really okay to make the princess angry? Won¡¯t she target you too next time?"

    Yao Lingughed. "Don¡¯t worry about this insignificance matter... Even if she¡¯s angry at me, what can she possibly do? She¡¯s only alone here. If she wants to do something, she needs to get ahold of the one behind her. With Han Er right beside her, will she dare to find help? I don¡¯t think so..."

    "Ah... that¡¯s true..." Xiao Yu nodded in understanding.

    Yao Ling smiled once again. "Besides... if she has any ugly past... her misdeed will be found out soon." Yao Ling had obtained Lin Jian¡¯s permission to gain the truth and he wouldn¡¯t interfere because of his personal feeling. He also said if Han Xiang was indeed a wicked woman, this would serve as her punishment --- he did this on the behalf of his mother in order to discipline her.

    Xiao Yu nodded in understanding. She looked left and right, then whispered, "Besides... General Hu has listened to Young Mistress¡¯ persuasion and he looks at Xiao Fang in a positive light. I don¡¯t think he will be easily influenced by others anymore."

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I think the general has a bit weak mind even though he¡¯s honest. That¡¯s why I prevent him from meeting Han Xiang for the time being --- until everything clears up. It will be safer."

    "Yes, Young Mistress," Xiao Yu agreed.

    When Yao Ling was smiling leisurely, Xiao Fang apanied Han Xiang in her room. Thetter was very angry. She asked Xiao Fang in a sharp voice, "Xiao Fang ah~ where did you find that hateful woman?"

    "Who?" Xiao Fang pretended to be oblivious.

    Han Xiang went into her white lotus mode and weakly cried, "Who else? The woman just now... the physician..." She toned down her sharp voice to evoke some pity from Xiao Fang.

    Xiao Fang could only helplessly say, "I only knew her by ident. Her husband helped me once and I saw her medical skill when she saved someone. General Hu didn¡¯t want to be treated by a well-known physician to cover up his identity. So... I could only suggest this woman. I also don¡¯t really know her that well..."

    "How could... she call me a mistress?" Han Xiang pouted.

    "Don¡¯t mind her... she¡¯s just spouting nonsense..." Xiao Fang tried to persuade her. Xiao Fang shook her head inwardly. Howe she didn¡¯t find out sooner how selfish Han Xiang was? Probably... back then... she was tooposed when acting in the pce. After having a bitter experience, it seemed like Han Xiang couldn¡¯t hide her true self.

    Xiao Fang could only listen to Han Xiang¡¯sint until it waste at night. She really counted the day until the woman¡¯s aunt was found because hearing theint all the time made her feel dizzy. She paid attention to Han Xiang¡¯s unique smell, but it was still the same as usual and she didn¡¯t find out anything weird. If Han Yi didn¡¯t pay real close attention, no one would realize that the smell was gone for a little while.

    Xiao Fang was puzzled because she remembered that Han Xiang said that she had already had this unique smell since she was a baby. She also mentioned that her smell always stuck to her and not even once the unique smell was gone. So, what¡¯s with the sudden change?

    She hoped that the woman¡¯s aunt would be able to tell them about this...

 Chapter 206 Lin Zhou: Who is That Old Woman?

    Lin Jian¡¯s contact back at Wen Feng gave them a piece of good news --- they were able to find the woman and also her aunt. They would bring her to them right away in a secluded ce that Mi Hui owned at Lin Zhou, so it should be safe and easier to interrogate her. They would arrive the next day with the woman¡¯s whole family.

    Yao Ling knew that General Hu¡¯s wounds would get better soon so she made a tweak on her treatment and prolong his recovery for a little bit so they would gain a bit more time. She didn¡¯t forget to check on Qing Hui¡¯s condition once a day but it seemed like she could only wake him up after the matter with Han Xiang had finished. She didn¡¯t want everything to sh and in the end, ruined their n.

    Hei Yue agreed with her arrangement because he had given Yu Wen a full reign for the moment, so he didn¡¯t really have anything to --- except for taking care of Qing Hui. Yu Wen didn¡¯t forget to give a report about his progress from time to time. He had arrived at A Thousand Words and he was investigating the one who dared to poison Qing Hui under their nose.

    Hei Yue didn¡¯t hesitate to tell them about thetest news, however, there was still nothing significance at the moment. Hei Yue was aware of the trio¡¯s n but he didn¡¯t want to involve himself for one bit. Whatever happened to the princess, he didn¡¯t care. He also decided not to interfere because what they did would maintain the bnce of the three kingdoms.

    Han Xiang had tried to find a way to contact the man behind her but to no avail. Han Er was everywhere around her and she kept fussing over Han Xiang with every little thing. Han Xiang wanted to get angry but couldn¡¯t, because Han Er was fussing over her wellbeing. Xiao Fang was also the same, she kept following Han Xiang around and it made thetter feel frustrated. She couldn¡¯t do a single thing right under their nose!

    What Han Xiang didn¡¯t know was... it was actually the trio¡¯s n all along --- to cut her off from the outside world. Yao Ying was the one ordered ¡¯the bandits¡¯ to kill all of Han Xiang¡¯s maidservants just to cut her wings off so she was unable to do anything. Without the maidservants to do her bidding, what could she possibly do? Nothing!

    They just needed to find out the truth so they knew what they should do toward the princess. If she was the real deal, no matter what the consequences were... they would bring her back to the general¡¯s manor. But of course, she had to be indeed General Lin¡¯s wife¡¯s daughter in the first ce. Other than that, she would be useless to them --- there would be a lot of ways to get rid of her.

    "The woman is already here," Yao Ying told Yao Ling that the old woman has arrived at Lin Zhou.

    Yao Ling tilted her head to the side and asked cutely, "How do you ¡¯persuade¡¯ her toe here?" Yao Ling used a soft word -- persuade but they were actually forcing them. She heard that they even brought along the woman who gave away her aunt¡¯s secret for the sake of gossiping.

    Lin Jian rolled his eyes when he saw Yao Ling act spoiled toward Yao Ying and answered on Yao Ying¡¯s behalf, "We have our way. But basically... we tempted them with hefty sums of money. They lived a hard life after the aunt stopped working in the pce. So... it¡¯s easy to lure them with money."

    Yao Ling nodded her head in understanding. "Did they know beforehand what this is all about?"

    "Of course not!" Lin Jian looked at her with a pointed look that saying ¡¯Do you still need to ask?¡¯, making Yao Ling roll her eyes back at him. "What the woman¡¯s aunt knew... it supposed to be a secret. If she knew beforehand, I doubt that she would be willing toe here."

    Yao Ling grinned. "Yes... yes... I¡¯m just curious about your method to bring them here. I never thought that it would be that easy."

    Through Xiao Yu, Yao Ling asked for Xiao Fang¡¯s permission to bring Han Yi along with her. She wanted to know whether Han Yi would recognize the old aunt. It was up to Xiao Fang to distract Han Xiang so thetter didn¡¯t really notice Han Yi¡¯s disappearance. Xiao Fang gave her permission without a second thought and she made up some excuse about Han Yi being sick so Han Yi couldn¡¯t attend to her. Han Xiang nodded without saying anything and it seemed like she believed that reason.

    Han Yi followed Yao Ling and she asked, "Gu Niang, is this woman important to us?"

    Yao Ling nodded. She already told Xiao Fang not to give the details to Han Yi because she wanted Han Yi to recognize the old woman on her own --- not because she told her too. Yao Ling answered, "Yes, she is. I hope you will be able to tell us who she is."

    Han Yi nodded even though she was feeling doubtful. She wondered what¡¯s with the secrecy.

    Yao Ling told her, "We will see them from afar and I hope you can recognize her. However, don¡¯t be too troubled. If you don¡¯t recognize her, it¡¯s also fine."

    If Han Yi recognized her, she supposed that the old woman served around Han Xiang because Xiao Fang mostly stayed in Han Xiang¡¯s courtyard when they were in the pce. If she didn¡¯t recognize the old woman, she would find out by herself about this old woman¡¯s identity.

    The old woman¡¯s family was put in an old house but quite sturdy. It had been cleaned beforehand so it was suitable for people to live. The house size was far bigger than the house they used to live in. Her family consisted of four people --- the old woman, her niece, her niece¡¯s husband, and the couple¡¯s daughter. The aunt had been the one who brought up the couple because her niece¡¯s parents had been long gone. They were wondering what sort of miracle happened for them to receive this good treatment.

    However, what they didn¡¯t know was... this was a gamble based on the old woman¡¯s answer. Whether they would live or not, it depended whether the old woman had a satisfactory answer to give them or not.

    Yao Ling pointed at the family from afar. "I want you to check on that old woman. Have you ever seen her in the pce before?"

    Han Yi squinted her eyes, trying to see the old woman¡¯s face more clearly. The old woman was sitting in front of the house and she was facing Yao Ling and Han Yi¡¯s direction. It made Han Yi easier to see the old woman¡¯s face.

    The old woman was almost sixty years old and her face was full of wrinkles, showing that she didn¡¯t lead a good life --- even though she served as a maidservant in the pce. Han Yi felt like she had seen the woman somewhere before but she couldn¡¯t recall where she had seen her before.

    Han Yi confirmed to Yao Ling, "Gu Niang, I think I¡¯ve seen her in the pce."

    Yao Ling¡¯s heart skipped a bit, feeling excited. "Are you sure?"

    Han Yi nodded.

    "Can you remember where have you seen her before?" Yao Ling asked. "Where did she serve before?" Yao Ling¡¯s curiosity got the better of her.

    "Let me think about it..." Han Yi closed her eyes, trying to think where she had seen her before. She tried to recall the maidservants beside Han Xiang but it seemed like that there was no old maidservant as old as the old woman just now. Then, where did she see her before? After a little while of pondering over the matter, Han Yi gasped in surprise.

    "I... I remember where I¡¯ve seen that old woman before!" Han Yi eximed.

    "Who is she?" Yao Ling quickly asked curiously.

 Chapter 207 Lin Zhou: The Ce Fei

    "This old woman used to follow and serve the Shu woman --- Han Xiang¡¯s mother if I wasn¡¯t mistaken!" Han Yi said excitedly. She finally remembered where she had seen the old woman. If it wasn¡¯t because of the big mole on her chin with a few strands of hair that grew on it, she probably wouldn¡¯t recognize the old woman. After all, her appearance was quite different from the past despite the familiarity that she felt when she saw the old woman.

    "Following the Shu woman?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. "Does it mean that this old woman is actually a Shu woman? Not a Han woman?" Yao Ling had never thought of this possibility before.

    Han Yi nodded, feeling full of confidence. "Yes! I clearly remember her now."

    Yao Ling was still feeling a bit doubtful. Was that the reason why she stayed at Wen Feng after retiring? To go back to her own homnd? If yes, then everything would make sense. "Han Yi... can you tell me more about this maidservant and Han Xiang¡¯s mother? Anything that you know about them is fine."

    Yao Ling thought back to what she had known about Lin Jian¡¯s mother. Lin Jian¡¯s mother was kidnapped and the maidservants were still looking for her when she was missing --- some were also killed at those time. So where did this old maidservante from? She was sure that the Shu Emperor wouldn¡¯t be kind enough to send one of her maidservants along with Lin Jian¡¯s mother after he was hellbent on getting his revenge.

    Han Yi quickly told Yao Ling everything that she knew. The Shu woman suddenly appeared when the current Emperor was still only a prince. She was brought back from the Shu Kingdom after the prince went there as a representative. So far, it went in line with what she had heard from Lin Jian.

    The Shu woman was conferred the title of Ce Fei[1] by the prince. It made a lot of people feel surprised and at the same time, curious about this new Ce Fei. The prince doted on the Shu woman and somehow it became a popr story back then --- the prince had found his one true love. However, the closest people to then knew that the Shu woman didn¡¯t really love the prince. She only gave him the cold shoulder and never reciprocated the prince¡¯s feelings toward her.

    To gain her favor, the prince specifically found a few Shu women to serve her and it was done to ease her sense of loss --- the Shu woman seemed to be missing someone or her hometown all the time. Everyone who saw her would be able to see her sadness, even though she masked her feelings quite well.

    "Ah... so this old woman was given by the current Emperor?" Yao Ling asked despite knowing the answer. She shuddered when she thought about that true love story --- after all, the current Emperor actually forced a married woman to be his Ce Fei. What kind of true love was that?!

    "Yes..." Han Yi said.

    "Why do you know a lot about her?" Yao Ling asked curiously. "If I am not mistaken, you are either too young or hasn¡¯t been born around that time."

    Han Yi scratched the back of her head andughed. "My mother served under Young Miss¡¯ mother and she heard a lot of stories about them. After all, their story was quite popr back then. My mother told me about their story after knowing that Young Miss has a good rtionship with the princess."

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. It was amon urrence for the servants¡¯ descendants to serve their master¡¯s descendant too, so Yao Ling didn¡¯t have any reason to feel suspicious at all.

    "So... do you think this old woman will know everything about Han Xiang?" Yao Ling asked carefully.

    Han Yi¡¯s eyes lit up, finally understanding why Yao Ling wanted to know a lot about this old woman. They wanted to find out more about Han Xiang and it meant that they sort of trusted her gut feeling. She really appreciated this gesture.

    Han Yi nodded. "I believe she will!"

    "How so?"

    "She¡¯s loyal to the Ce Fei, apparently she had some kind of rtionship with her back at the Shu Kingdom. However, no one knows what kind of rtionship that they had," Han Yi said. "Until the end, it¡¯s only this old woman who stayed by the Ce Fei¡¯s side --- even when the Ce Fei gave birth to Han Xiang."

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes lit up. Then... there was probably a clue about Lin Jian¡¯s mother. Maybe... maybe... this old woman knew her whereabouts! It seemed like this old woman was quite loyal to the Ce Fei --- of course, assuming that Han Yi¡¯s information was correct.

    "Do you know anything else?" Yao Ling asked once again.

    "This old woman was there when the Ce Fei ran away and she was the one was punished by the prince for her inability to guard and serve the Ce Fei. The prince felt suspicious of this old woman and deemed her as the one who had helped the Ce Fei ran away. She was demoted from her first rank maidservant status but she still served around Han Xiang --- thus, I have seen her once or twice before. However, she did the lowest jobs of maidservants there. She didn¡¯t really have a good day back then..." Han Yi pitied the old woman¡¯s fate.

    Yao Ling felt puzzled. If the old woman was heavily punished, how could she be allowed to retire? Hence, she asked Han Yi a question, "Have you ever heard that she is retired?"

    Han Yi shook her head, "Sorry, Yao Ling Gu Niang. This servant didn¡¯t really pay attention to this old woman before. If Gu Niang didn¡¯t ask this servant about this old woman just now, this servant probably wouldn¡¯t remember about her..."

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. After getting all the pieces of information that she needed, Yao Ling dismissed Han Yi and let her go back to Xiao Fang¡¯s side. Yao Ling warned her, "For now, please don¡¯t tell Xiao Fang anything... After all, we still don¡¯t know whether we will be able to get the information that we need from the old woman. I don¡¯t want Xiao Fang to get her hopes up and disappointed if I fail."

    Han Yi nodded in understanding. She knew her young miss best --- if Xiao Fang found out about this, she would probably be rash and it would affect her mission. For now, she only needs to take care of Han Xiang --- other things could wait. Besides, Han Yi trusted Yao Ling Gu Niang and knew that thetter wouldn¡¯t make them disappointed. She just wished that the old woman would be able to give them useful pieces of information.

    Yao Ling looked at the old woman, contemting. She should probably separate the old woman from her family before questioning her. She had lived long enough to see everything that had happened in the past and Yao Ling knew that it wouldn¡¯t easy to make the old woman talk. Yao Ling was thinking whether to let Lin Jian do the questioning. The old woman would probably feel closer to Lin Jian --- after all, thetter used to have a mother-son rtionship with the Ce Fei. Maybe... she would tell everything to Lin Jian.

    However, she scratched that thought away. Lin Jian would probably be too emotional and it wouldn¡¯t do any good to them. Yao Ling shook her head because this matter was getting tooplicated. Even though everything seemed like happened to their advantage, they didn¡¯t find out anything about the Ce Fei. To them, it was more important to help Lin Jian finding out his mother before doing Mi Hui¡¯s mission. They didn¡¯t want Lin Jian to keep living in guilt because of his past.

    Yao Ling walked toward the house, preparing to question the old woman.

    -----

    [1]. Ce Fei: a "side" fei. The woman could be interpreted to be a secondary or vice "wife" of a wang.

 Chapter 208 Lin Zhou: Tao Gu Gu

    Yao Ling already gave a signal and one of the Mi Hui people tactfully took the other members of the old woman¡¯s household out of the house. She didn¡¯t care about what kind of excuse they used, as long as she would have the house to herself and freely did the interrogation by herself. She forbade Yao Ying from following her because she knew she needed to do this alone. It was easier to coax the old woman if she was alone.

    The old woman had already gone inside the house and she was currently drinking tea. Despite her age, she sat with her back straight and Yao Ling knew it was ingrained in her body because of the pce¡¯s etiquette. She emitted a lonely vibe that somehow made Yao Ling pity her. It seemed like what Han Yi said was true, this old woman led a hard life.

    "Who is it?" The old woman asked. She noticed that there were soft footsteps thating toward her.

    "Hello..." Yao Ling greeted the old woman but she deliberately didn¡¯t introduce herself first. She didn¡¯t use an imposing manner to scare the old woman but instead, she wanted them to be more intimate so the old woman would befortable enough to share her story with her.

    The old woman was surprised by the sudden arrival of Yao Ling. Her eyes were getting worse and it was hard for her to see clearly --- unless she squinted her eyes and tried with all her might to see. However, she could make out the outline of the iing woman. She was beyond beautiful with a calm temperament. She had lived long enough to know that the woman wasn¡¯t a simple person.

    "Gu Niang, who are you?" The old woman asked once again. "Are you my niece and her husband¡¯s new employer?" She didn¡¯t know what kind of luck that her niece had to suddenly get such a blessing. Although she knew that things weren¡¯t as simple as it looked, she couldn¡¯t bear to see her niece¡¯s disappointed expression. That was why she just kept quiet and wanted to see what would happen at Lin Zhou.

    With this woman¡¯s appearance, it affirmed her previous thought and she started to be careful around the woman. The old woman had heard about Han Xiang¡¯s matter and she felt like this thing... had something to do with the princess. Otherwise, why would they try to lure her out?

    She had been hiding for so long and no one knew about her whereabouts, so how did this young woman find her?

    Yao Ling smiled and answered, "You could say that." She added inwardly... whether they would lead a good lifeter or not, it would depend on this old woman. Yao Ling was very clear about rewards and punishments. No matter how pitiful the old woman was... she had to be heartless.

    "Thank you for your kindness, Gu Niang. However, would you mind telling me the reason?" The old woman didn¡¯t try to beat around the bush and decided to just ask the beautiful woman directly.

    Yao Ling thought that even though the woman was old but she still had a sharp and clever mind. No wonder she would be able to serve in the pce and survive the ordeal despite the harsh life there. Yao Ling sat beside the old woman and patter her hand softly, "No need to be tense... I won¡¯t hurt your family."

    When the old woman heard Yao Ling¡¯s assurance, she felt slightly relieved but didn¡¯t dare to let her own guard down. "What do you need this old woman for?" The old woman asked. She knew that this was actually the same as forcing her to talk and they were taking her family as hostages.

    Yao Ling asked softly, "Before we get into that part, can you tell me what¡¯s your name? I don¡¯t know how to call you." She didn¡¯t think it was polite to call her old woman even though she was a meremoner now.

    The old woman was a bit touched by Yao Ling¡¯s question and she felt that she was respected despite the other being nobler than her, "Gu Niang, just call me Tao Gu Gu." That was how she used to be called before everything went awry.

    "Tao Gu Gu..." Yao Ling called her in a respectful voice.

    "Gu Niang... who are you?" This was the third time Tao Gu Gu asked the same questions but there was not a hint of impatience in her voice.

    Yao Ling admired her attitude and finally decided to answer her question, "Tao Gu Gu, you can just call me Yao Ling. I am here on the behalf of your past employer¡¯s son."

    Tao Gu Gu¡¯s hands that were holding a cup of tea slightly shook. Her employer¡¯s son? The Ce Fei¡¯s son? Was it the son that she had been missing all the time? General Lin¡¯s son? Even though that topic was banned by the prince back then, the Ce Fei had told her everything about her past.

    "What? Please say that again?" Tao Gu Gu asked once again, trying to affirm what Yao Ling just said. She was afraid that it was only a part of her imagination.

    With this kind of reactions, Yao Ling knew that she hit the right thing. Tao Gu Gu knew something and it seemed like the Ce Fei was indeed Lin Jian¡¯s mother. Yao Ling repeated what she had just said and Tao Gu Gu was crying.

    Yao Ling was taken aback because, despite so many possible scenes that she had imagined before, she would have never thought that Tao Gu Gu would choose to cry. "Why are you crying, Tao Gu Gu?"

    Tao Gu Gu didn¡¯t answer her but she needed to be clear that this woman indeed came under the Ce Fei¡¯s son¡¯s order. "Why... why doesn¡¯t Lin Jiane to see me himself?" Tao Gu Gu asked.

    Yao Ling tactfully answered, "I arrived first at Lin Zhou and I was too excited to finally find a lead about Lin Jian¡¯s mother. Thus, my hastiness to meet you."

    Tao Gu Gu nodded her head. "Are you... Lin Jian¡¯s wife?" She liked this kind and beautiful woman and if she was Lin Jian¡¯s wife, the old woman would praise Lin Jian¡¯s good eyes.

    Yao Ling was dumbfounded with the sudden question and she didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. "Er... no... Tao Gu Gu, I¡¯m Lin Jian¡¯s best friend¡¯s wife," Yao Ling admitted shyly.

    Tao Gu Gu felt a bit disappointed with this knowledge but she said nothing. She just sighed, knowing that this good woman had been taken by another man. "How do you know about me?" Tao Gu Gu asked.

    Yao Ling divulged everything that had happened back at Wen Feng and Tao Gu Gu¡¯s body was trembling in anger. She angrily said, "That stupid niece of mine! I already told her to guard this secret to the grave! If I didn¡¯t identally spill the bean when I was drunk, there was no way that stupid girl would have known about this matter!"

    After that incident, she had never touched wine anymore. She drank because that was the anniversary of the day when the Ce Fei was gone... She couldn¡¯t ovee her sadness and choose to drink until she could forget everything.

    Yao Ling quickly poured tea for the old woman and let her drink to calm herself down while trying to appease her, "Tao Gu Gu, please don¡¯t be angry! Without your niece, I don¡¯t think that we will be able to find you."

    Tao Gu Gu huffed and puffed, but she knew what Yao Ling said made sense. Her niece would really be the death of her! However, she knew that she couldn¡¯t do anything to that woman except beating her when she got back. She already thought her as her own daughter and treated her like one. She could only helplessly sigh.

    Tao Gu Gu calmed herself down and said, "Naturally, she¡¯s lucky that the one who heard about it is your party. What if another person heard about it too? It would lead to our death!"

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. "Don¡¯t worry, Tao Gu Gu. We will assign people to keep you and your family safe."

 Chapter 209 Lin Zhou: Tao Gu Gus Story

    "Thank you, Yao Ling Gu Niang," Tao Gu Gu wholeheartedly thanked Yao Ling after getting her promise to protect them. "How... how is Lin Jian?" Tao Gu Gu heard a lot about the little boy and somehow it formed a kinship in her mind. She thought of him a lot after the Ce Fei was gone and she was feeling curious about his life.

    "He¡¯s fine. After he¡¯s here, I will let you meet with him," Yao Ling promised. Yao Ling knew that they probably had a lot of things to catch up with each other. Yao Ling was able to see the softened look on the old woman¡¯s face when she talked about Lin Jian.

    "En..." Tao Gu Gu agreed. Then she finally decided to ask Yao Ling, "Youe to find me... because of the Ce Fei and the princess¡¯ matter, right?"

    "Yes..." Yao Ling answered honestly.

    "What do you want to know?" Tao Gu Gu asked. After meeting Lin Jian, she would have nothing to regret and it was fine even if she died. She could be together with the Ce Fei and served her in the afterlife.

    "Was the Ce Fei living a good life at the Han Kingdom?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Tao Gu Gu was quite surprised by the woman¡¯s thoughtfulness. She had thought that Yao Ling would ask straight away about the Ce Fei¡¯s matter that she wanted to know, but instead, she asked about her wellbeing. It made her like this Yao Ling Gu Niang more and more.

    Tao Gu Gu sighed but she answered Yao Ling¡¯s question honestly, "Even if she led a good life and treated very well by the prince... but what kind of happiness that she could feel? If you say about the material or the physical part, she had a good life. But if you talk about her heart matter, it¡¯s the opposite..."

    Yao Ling felt a pang in her heart, knowing that she lived a lonely life despite the grandeur environment that she lived. Who didn¡¯t want to live as the prince¡¯s woman? So many people were fighting for it, but the Ce Fei was simply thrown there by the Shu Emperor. That hateful person! She already had a childhood sweetheart that she loved dearly, for God¡¯s sake!

    "Did she miss... General Lin and Lin Jian?" Yao Ling knew that it was a silly question but she decided to ask anyway.

    Tao Gu Gu nodded. "There was not once she didn¡¯t miss them..."

    Yao Ling sighed, knowing that the Ce Fei was actually living the hardest and loneliest life there. "So... I know that she was kidnapped and brought to the Han Kingdom. How... how did you meet her?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Tao Gu Gu smiled, remembering about the past. "Before serving her, I met her a long time ago and the Ce Fei didn¡¯t even remember it at first. After all, at that time, she was only a little girl. My conditaion wasn¡¯t that good too --- very dirty so the Ce Fei probably wouldn¡¯t be able to see my face clearly."

    Yao Ling listened to Tao Gu Gu story patiently and full of interest. Tao Gu Gu exined about their meeting. She used to be a daughter of a low-rank official back at the Shu Kingdom. They met some troubles because his father offended an important person and they were going to be beheaded. Her father was able to save her and tell her to run away --- along with her sister-inw and her niece.

    They were almost caught by the soldier and it was the little Ce Fei that saved them. She hid them inside their carriage and no soldiers dared to question her --- after all, she was the daughter of a first rank officer. It was only by ident that the little Ce Fei passed through that street --- it seemed like it was fate.

    That debt had been guing heavily in Tao Gu Gu¡¯s mind. However, she could do nothing because, after a little while, they were kidnapped and sold as ves to the Han Kingdom. She could only survive by bing a maidservant for a wealthy family. Her life there wasn¡¯t that bad and she could stay together with her sister-inw and her niece --- which was actually a very rare urrence for ves to be able to stay and work together at the same household.

    Tao Gu Gu finally met her benefactor again when the prince was looking for a lot of Shu ves. Their master gave them to the prince as tributes and by luck, she was chosen to be the Ce Fei first-rank maidservant. Around those times, they already had enough money to redeem her sister-inw and her niece. She almost wanted to run away with them... until she saw the Ce Fei.

    Even though the woman was slightly older, she knew perfectly clear in her heart that this woman was her benefactor. That changed her n and because she didn¡¯t want to redeem herself, she gave the money that she had saved up and given it to her sister-inw so they would be able to buy a small house. She had promised them that she would send them money from time to time.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know that Tao Gu Gu had such background and she admired her persistence and loyal self. It was only a debt that the Ce Fei herself didn¡¯t remember, however, she went to such length just to pay the Ce Fei back even though she was supposed to already gain her freedom.

    Yao Ling patted Tao Gu Gu¡¯s hands once again, trying tofort her and also give her the strength to continue talking about her past. However, before Yao Ling was able to ask a question, Tao Gu Gu asked, "Yao Ling Gu Niang, may this one ask something?"

    "Yes?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Why is your hand not as soft as other noble women?" Tao Gu Gu asked curiously. She had wanted to ask from the start but she didn¡¯t want to hurt the woman¡¯s feeling. However, she started to feel a bit suspicious. If Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a noblewoman, how could she be friend with Lin Jian?

    Yao Ling, "..."

    She was a bit speechless and didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. Yao Ling bluntly admitted, "Because I used to be a peasant and these hands... had been working hard so there¡¯s no way it would be as smooth as other women." Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel embarrassed for one bit.

    "Used to be?" Tao Gu Gu asked. "Then... you are now...?"

    Yao Ling came clean with Tao Gu Gu and told her everything about her life. Tao Gu Gu was dumbfounded. Even in her wildest dream, she would never think that a peasant could suddenly be the daughter of a merchant. She had heard about Wang Luo Hai¡¯s name from her Ce Fei¡¯s story and she knew that Wang Luo Hai indeed had a good rtionship with General Lin.

    It cleared the doubt in Tao Gu Gu¡¯s mind. At first, she only wanted to test the water by telling the woman about her background and didn¡¯t tell her about Ce Fei¡¯s life. By knowing Yao Ling Gu Niang¡¯s identity, she started to rx and know that she was able to tell her the Ce Fei¡¯s life story and what she had entrusted to her.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t miss Tao Gu Gu¡¯s movement and she sighed in relief, knowing that Tao Gu Gu believed her. She knew that she didn¡¯t have to use force to make her talk. After talking with Tao Gu Gu, she didn¡¯t have the heart to do that.

    "So... can you tell me now?" Yao Ling asked hesitantly.

    Tao Gu Gu nodded. "I can, but some things... I can only say it to Lin Jian."

    "That¡¯s fine..." Yao Ling nodded in agreement. After all, she had no direct connection with the Ce Fei, so it was understandable.

 Chapter 210 Lin Zhou: The Ce Feis Story 1

    Tao Gu Gu told the story that took ce after she met the Ce Fei. "At first... the Ce Fei didn¡¯t remember me and it took me a few days to be able to talk to her."

    "Why? You were her personal maidservant, right?" Yao Ling asked. She served right by her side, why couldn¡¯t she talk to the Ce Fei at all?

    Tao Gu Gu sighed and exined everything slowly. The Ce Fei was quite depressed at those times. She didn¡¯t react to anything and she only looked around lifelessly, despite the prince¡¯s coax and promise to anything that she wanted.

    The Ce Fei only asked for one thing, "Can you send me back to my husband and son? Let me go, please?" The Ce Fei turned her lifeless gaze to the prince while asking monotonously. She had asked for this for so many times, but it fell into deaf ears.

    How could a proud prince agree to that? He had done a lot for making this woman as his and yet she wanted him to let her go that easily? She must be dreaming! Knowing that the man wouldn¡¯t release her, the Ce Fei could only sneer and say, "You promise to give me anything that I want, but it seems like you are also good at lying." After saying that, the Ce Fei didn¡¯t even look at him anymore.

    The prince gnashed his teeth in anger and said, "I can promise you anything --- except that. You.Are.Mine!" After making a deration in a loud voice, the prince turned around and left the woman all alone.

    The Ce Fei could onlyugh bitterly to herself while crying. She looked at the moon outside and thought to herself, ¡¯Lin Zheng... Lin Jian ah~ how are you?¡¯ She sadly looked down and gripped her handkerchief tightly, feeling depressed once again. She knew that sooner orter... that man would force himself on her. She could see the lust in his face despite the so-called love that he kept mentioning.

    This wasn¡¯t love at all... this was only a pure obsession.

    However, there was nothing she could do. Even if she ran away, she would only bring cmity to Lin¡¯s household --- might as well, living a lonely life here. As long as both of them were safe...

    Yao Ling was dumbfounded. She didn¡¯t think that it was that severe. "The Ce Fei... isn¡¯t she a strong woman?" Yao Ling asked. She had listened to the way Lin Jian described her and it didn¡¯t seem like they were talking the same person. The woman even dared to stand up to General Lin and also calmly dealt with Lin Jian¡¯s birth mother.

    How could she be this weak?

    Tao Gu Guughed bitterly. "No matter how strong Ce Fei was... how could she be able to stay sane with the way the prince tried to break her wings?" Tao Gu Gu¡¯s gaze was full of hatred.

    Yao Ling looked up in surprise. "What... what did he do to her?" Yao Ling asked, suddenly having a bad premonition and she was feeling scared to listen about what she was going to hear next.

    "It started after she wanted him to release her. It gued the prince¡¯s mind and he tried to search for a way... a way to make her stay beside him, no matter what. At that time, he met with a courtesan that gave a cruel solution for him... that courtesan was able to be his concubine also because of that solution too..." Tao Gu Gu trailed off. She cried once again when she remembered the painful life that the Ce Fei had passed through.

    "What... what method?" Yao Ling¡¯s heart thumped while she was the question in a stutter.

    "She gave the prince a certain medicine called ¡¯Intense Pleasure¡¯ and told him to give it to the Ce Fei," Tao Gu Gu said. "She... sheughed and told the prince, after that, the Ce Fei would fully be his!"

    Yao Ling¡¯s expression changed and she felt horrified. ¡¯Intense Pleasure¡¯?! Yao Ling had heard from her mother how potent that medicine was and even her mother disdained that medicine! She had warned her so many times to be careful around that medicine.

    Yao Ling gasped, "It¡¯s so cruel!"

    "Very cruel, indeed..." Tao Gu Gu sighed sadly. If there was no her at that time, the Ce Fei would already kill herself for many times already. She became suicidal, however, the prince didn¡¯t even notice this and he kept giving her the medicine --- even increasing the dose from time to time. This... became a source of his amusement and he felt that he became so powerful toward the Ce Fei.

    This medicine wasn¡¯t an ordinary aphrodisiac because it would also affect the mind of the victim. She would be addicted and begging for more. If it was treated right away after consuming less than ten times, there would still be a chance of recovery. However, Yao Ling didn¡¯t know... those treacherous couples had sessfully given it to the Ce Fei how many times... She shuddered when she guessed what had happened to the Ce Fei.

    Tao Gu Gu saw it with her own eyes, how the usually aloof lovely Ce Fei became a lunatic with red-rimmed eyes, also... she had no dignity whatsoever. After she was given that medicine, the Ce Fei was crawling and begging for more --- it only made the princeugh gleefully and forced her to have sex with him for so many times each night. After the night ended, it was when all the misery began.

    She could clearly remember what she did the previous night and it made her ashamed of herself, this time... it was the time when she was trying to kill herself --- only Tao Gu Gu was able to calm her down. No other maidservants were allowed to get near here.

    This cycle happened each time the prince gave her that medicine.

    Around this time, her face was ghastly pale and she somehow became very thin. She kept doing degrading things each night and all of those... without her own consent, it was because of the drug. The cruelest thing was she remembered every detail of it! Everything seemed like slow motion to her when the prince forced himself on her.

    How could a woman be sane after that torture?!

    Tao Gu Gu saw how each time she took a bath... she would wash her body until the skin became red because she felt disgusted. Thest strain was when she found herself pregnant. She tried to kill herself so many times, including the baby, but she failed all the time. The prince especially found a few women with high martial arts skills to guard her.

    How could the Ce Fei beat them? She couldn¡¯t. After all, she had never learned martial arts before.

    The Ce Fei almost became crazy until Tao Gu Gu gave her a promise --- she would help her run away after she gave birth to the baby. Tao Gu Gu was quite sure that the guard on her Ce Fei would bex once she gave birth to the baby and she would try to find a chance to save her. She knew that the Ce Fei stayed in that dreadful ce any longer, she would lose her mind sooner orter. She couldn¡¯t let it happen to her benefactor. It was too cruel!

    After listening to Tao Gu Gu¡¯s promise, it seemed like the Ce Fei had gained new hope and she became happier. Because of her pregnancy, the prince didn¡¯t dare to give her the medicine and treated her with care. He also didn¡¯t dare to touch her, afraid that he would hurt the baby -- ¡¯their¡¯ baby. The Ce Fei and Tao Gu Gu were able to maintain their expression, not showing their disgust when the prince came into their courtyard. It was done so the prince wouldn¡¯t be suspicious of them.

    Tao Gu Gu was a bit apprehensive about the Ce Fei¡¯s pregnancy. Even if she showed that she gained a new spirit, Tao Gu Gu could see that the Ce Fei seemed to love and hate the baby inside her womb at the same time. Sometimes, she would pat her stomach lovingly. Some other time, she would gaze at her stomach in hatred.

 Chapter 211 Lin Zhou: The Ce Feis Story 2

    Even though Tao Gu Gu knew that something was wrong, she didn¡¯t dare to ask anyone else for help. She could only find her sister-inw and let her ask about it to physicians in the vige. It was better than nothing... They had no friends in the prince¡¯s pce, so she couldn¡¯t even entrust the Ce Fei to the other servants.

    She knew very well that they were sent by the prince as a spy. She was supposed to be one. If the Ce Fei wasn¡¯t Tao Gu Gu¡¯s benefactor, she certainly wouldn¡¯t help her too.

    The physicians that her sister-inw found said that there was also an urrence like depression when a woman was pregnant or just gave birth to a baby. There were a lot of possibilities for that to happen. This type of depression was actually rare to happen at the nobledies because their environment was quite stable and also usually because the noblemen loved to have a lot of kids --- they usually pampered the pregnant woman to the max.

    However, to the lower ss people, it was amon urrence. They lived in a poor environment and not all of them had a doting husband. It was hard for them to find food and still eager for their husbands¡¯ love, this could lead to depression.

    Tao Gu Gu knew that what happened to the Ce Fei was because the side effects of the ¡¯Intense Pleasure¡¯ and it was alsobined with her previous depression. Tao Gu Gu could only sigh. The physician didn¡¯t really have a method to treat the Ce Fei and Tao Gu Gu could only promise her freedom after giving birth. She didn¡¯t even know what would happen to the child but in her mind, the Ce Fei was the most important thing for her.

    Looking at the Ce Fei¡¯s condition, it would already a miracle if she could survive by herself. Could she entrust the baby to her? Tao Gu Gu didn¡¯t think so. She had a premonition that if she stayed inside the pce, she would die in depression. Why didn¡¯t she try to give her a chance of freedom?

    Tao Gu Gu knew that she couldn¡¯t leave the pce along with the Ce Fei because it would only hinder the Ce Fei¡¯s movement, so she decided to stay in the prince pce --- just for keeping the baby safe. She could just ask for her sister-inw¡¯s ce to find a good ce for the Ce Fei. She felt lucky that she had redeemed their ves¡¯ contract before, otherwise, no one would be able to help her.

    Tao Gu Gu had asked for the Ce Fei¡¯s permission and they sold the Ce Fei¡¯s jewelry one by one so they could keep the money for the Ce Fei to spend in the outside. They didn¡¯t dare to prepare a ce in advance because they were afraid that it would lead back to Tao Gu Gu¡¯s family. once the Ce Fei gained her freedom, it would be up to her to survive.

    Tao Gu Gu smiled bitterly to herself when she saw the cheerful Ce Fei. She had asked whether she wanted to take the baby, but she just smiled at her and didn¡¯t give her a definite answer. That was why Tao Gu Gu knew that she could only rely on herself to make the baby safe. However, she would need help from other people.

    Yao Ling asked in confusion, "The Ce Fei lived in a foreign kingdom, was there really someone that was willing to help both of you?"

    "It wasn¡¯t that they were willing... it was because of a stroke of luck..." Tao Gu Gu said.

    "Huh?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "You don¡¯t need to worry! You will know everything once I finish telling you the story."

    Yao Ling nodded and she could only patiently listen to the rest of the story. It seemed like this story wasn¡¯t going to be simple at all. "Did... she give birth safely?" Yao Ling really wanted to know this point --- it was whether the Ce Fei was actually still alive or not.

    Tao Gu Gu nodded. "Yes, she finally gave birth safely despite her depression."

    "Did... she leave right away?" Yao Ling asked.

    "No... I manage to persuade her to leave after one month. I wanted her to recuperate first, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t survive on the outside world." Tao Gu Gu answered.

    Yao Linghesitantly asked, "What... what was her reaction toward the baby?" She wanted to know whether she loved Han Xiang or not.

    Tao Gu Gu sighed and she decided to drink her tea once more, just to calm her own self down. Thinking back around that time, it was a painful memory. Tao Gu Gu shook her head, "She... wasn¡¯t in a really good state of mind, so... she didn¡¯t even take a nce at the baby. Although once in a while, I found that she cried sadly beside the baby crib."

    Tao Gu Gu didn¡¯t tell her the heartbreaking things that the Ce Fei had said around that time, "I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry... little one... if only... if only... you are Lin Zheng¡¯s and mine¡¯s child... I will love you with all my heart. However, each time I saw you... I can only see those dreadful nights and how I betrayed Lin Zheng..."

    Tao Gu Gu knew that she wanted to love the baby, but she was incapable to. There were too many damages in the woman¡¯s body and soul. She was beyond broken...

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know how to respond. After all, she never had a kid before and she had never gone through what the Ce Fei had gone through. She pitied Han Xiang but she couldn¡¯t put the me on the Ce Fei too. This was all because of the current Han Emperor and that lowly woman¡¯s cruelty. If Lin Jian knew about this... would he seek revenge? Not only him... General Lin would probably also couldn¡¯t help himself back.

    This was the woman that they loved and adored dearly they were talking about...

    The current Han Emperor looked so infatuated back then and Yao Ling believed that everyone thought that she would be treated like a gem... But, it didn¡¯t seem so. She was only treated like a breeding machine and sex ve.

    Tao Gu Gu defended the Ce Fei¡¯s decision, after all, she was the one who was there and she had seen all of her pain. "The Ce Fei... I couldn¡¯t say that she wasn¡¯t wrong, but it was the best decision at that time. If you saw her depression, you would know. It was so severe back then."

    Yao Ling murmured her agreement. However, deep down inside her heart, she had always questioning herself... Why did she was abandoned by her birth parents? Why didn¡¯t they want her? Was she so unlovable that it made them make the decision to abandon her? When she listened to Ce Fei¡¯s painful experience, she started to change the way she thought about her birth parents.

    She had a little bit of hope...

    Maybe... just maybe... they had their own difficulties... It made her more determined to find her real family! She would talk about this to Yao Ying after she finished listening to Tao Gu Gu¡¯s story.

    "Tao Gu Gu... do you know what happened after the Ce Fei was gone? What happened to the Ce Fei? I¡¯ve heard that it was a famous story how the Shu woman ran away from the prince..." Yao Ling asked. "Did she actually really... sessfully run away?"

 Chapter 212 Lin Zhou: The Ce Feis Story 3

    "Yes... she sessfully ran away," Tao Gu Gu answered.

    "How?" Yao Ling asked full of curiosity.

    "After the full-month celebration of Han Xiang¡¯s birth, the prince thought that the Ce Fei had already loved the baby and wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything, so he didn¡¯t let the guard continue to spy on her anymore," Tao Gu Gu exined.

    "But didn¡¯t you say that the Ce Fei didn¡¯t especially show her love to Han Xiang?"Yao Ling asked.

    Tao Gu Gu nodded. "Yes, but the prince was too busy enjoying her time with the new concubines to care about the Ce Fei¡¯s feelings or conditions. How could he notice the Ce Fei¡¯s change of behavior? After all, the Ce Fei was also always cold toward him, so it might hinder the prince from noticing her change."

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. The more she listened to Tao Gu Gu¡¯s story, the more she felt disgusted by the current Emperor¡¯s conduct!

    "And then?" Yao Ling asked the continuation of the story.

    "I made her change into a servant cloth. Sending her out was actually quite easy because we had nned this for a long time and I already took note of the prince¡¯s manor daily activities. At the gate, she was received by my sister-inw. My sister-inw used to be a clever young miss of a notable family too, so it was easy for her to deal with everything in a short time," Tao Gu Gu said.

    Yao Ling bobbed her head up and down, feeling that Tao Gu Gu¡¯s exnation was making sense. "So... the Ce Fei should have been survived the ordeal, right?"

    Tao Gu Gu shook her head. "We don¡¯t know that..."

    "What? Why?" Yao Ling asked.

    Tao Gu Gu exined the condition at that time clearly to Yao Ling. Tao Gu Gu couldn¡¯t hold out the news of the Ce Fei¡¯s disappearance for too long, so she stayed behind and dealt with the aftermath. Tao Gu Gu pretended that she didn¡¯t know anything and spend her time taking care of the baby. She told her sister-inw to wear a male disguise, so no one would recognize her, and sent the Ce Fei to a ce where it wasn¡¯t easy to find her in a short time or the ce where people wouldn¡¯t think to search for.

    "What ce?" Yao Ling asked curiously. It wasn¡¯t that easy to find a ce like that.

    Tao Gu Gu looked down embarrassedly, but still told Yao Ling about that ce, "She made the Ce Fei change her clothes and turn her into a beggar including the messy and dirty appearance. She told her to hide among the beggars and true enough, no one had ever checked on that spot."

    Yao Ling¡¯s jaw dropped so wide. "The beggar¡¯s ce?!" It was a brilliant idea, but the Ce Fei... she used to live in a luxurious ce... Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Was... she okay?"

    Tao Gu Guughed. "There was nothing else that we could do. I also couldn¡¯t meet her, but my sister-inw deliberately tried to pass by the ce a few time and she seemed to be better than when she was at the prince¡¯s manor. She was able to smile heartily despite the poor atmosphere."

    Yao Ling was speechless, but hey... as long as the woman was happy. "Did she stay there for a long time?"

    Tao Gu Gu shook her head. "Of course not!" Tao Gu Gu exined that she only lived there for a few days, but Tao Gu Gu¡¯s sister-inw asked for a person to ¡¯take care¡¯ of the Ce Fei by giving them money. She also prepared a quite big sum of money to the Ce Fei when she followed those people.

    Yao Ling was shocked by their decision. "Was it safe for her to bring a lot of money?"

    "It¡¯s fine. Even though she was in a depression, the Ce Fei was actually a clever person. It was just she couldn¡¯t shine in the prince¡¯s manor because she lost the will to live. She could take care of herself," Tao Gu Gu exined.

    "What kind of people that the Ce Fei followed? Was it that easy to escape the prince¡¯s rage and also to avoid the search party?" Yao Ling asked.

    "It wasn¡¯t that easy, but the Ce Fei changed into a male disguise. The person that the Ce Fei followed was an important person too, so the prince wouldn¡¯t dare to offend his party," Tao Gu Gu said.

    "That important? Who was he?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "He was the master of medicine valley and my sister-inw bribed one of his people to take the Ce Fei along with them. The master was popr for loving to bring an entourage whenever he went out and also his disciples usually were handsome men or beautiful women... The Ce Fei fitted into this category perfectly, so it was easy for her to blend in," Tao Gu Gu answered.

    "After that?"

    Tao Gu Gu shook her head sadly. "I¡¯ve never heard from her anymore. I told her not to try contacting me because it was too dangerous for her. I was afraid that the prince found out her whereabouts. it was better if we lost contact."

    Yao Ling sighed. "So, in the end, no one knew where the Ce Fei went, right?"

    Tao Gu Gu nodded. "I just hope that she lived peacefully somewhere." Then, Tao Gu Gu remembered something, "Did she go back to General Lin¡¯s manor?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "No... we are also looking for her whereabouts!"

    Tao Gu Gu¡¯s eyes dimmed. "I had thought that she must have been living happily ever after back at the Shu Kingdom with her loved ones... it seems like it was only this old woman¡¯s wishful thinking..."

    Yao Ling could only pat Tao Gu Gu¡¯s hand, trying tofort her. "I believe that she found her happiness somewhere. Even if she went back, it would only lead a war between the two kingdoms," Yao Ling told Tao Gu Gu her view.

    Tao Gu Gu nodded in understanding. "She wouldn¡¯t want that to happen..."

    Yao Ling wanted to ask about Han Xiang, but she didn¡¯t know where to start. It seemed like Han Xiang¡¯s life story wouldn¡¯t be a good story to hear too. Tao Gu Gu seemed to see her hesitation and said, "We already talked for a long time. Can you go home first ande back tomorrow? I will tell you about Han Xiang tomorrow."

    Yao Ling wanted to say something but Tao Gu Gu stopped her, "I know that you are in a hurry, but I¡¯m already tired. And also... I will only tell the next part after you bring along Lin Jian with you."

    Yao Ling swallowed her words and agreed with Tao Gu Gu¡¯s terms. She looked at the sky and it was almost dark. She needed to check on Qing Hui and then go back to her own inn. She would tell this story to Yao Ying and Lin Jian, probably along with Xiao Fang.

    "Tao Gu Gu... you actually told me the Ce Fei¡¯s story, because you didn¡¯t want to tell him those painful memories yourself, right?" Yao Ling asked before she left.

    Tao Gu Gu smiled softly, "You are really a clever girl. Indeed, that¡¯s the real reason."

    "Why?" Yao Ling asked.

    "I wanted him to prepare his mind when he heard about his mother¡¯s life story... I believe you know him better than me and you will know how to break the story softly to him," Tao Gu Gu answered.

    Yao Ling was speechless. ¡¯This old fox!¡¯ She thought to herself. She probably wanted to throw this responsibility to her because she didn¡¯t want to be the one who hurt Lin Jian. She could only shake her head and know that indeed it would be better if she was the one who told Lin Jian. At that time, there would be Yao Ying who would be able to handle Lin Jian, well... if things somehow got out of hands.

    Knowing this, Yao Ling left. Tao Gu Gu sighed when she heard that Yao Ling¡¯s footsteps were getting further. She mumbled to herself, "Tomorrow¡¯s story... wouldn¡¯t be that pretty either."

 Chapter 213 Lin Zhou: Lin Jians Reaction

    The trio met up that night and after careful consideration, Yao Ling didn¡¯t think it would be suitable for Xiao Fang to join them. After all, this was Lin Jian¡¯s personal matter. However, when she asked Lin Jian, thetter allowed her to call Xiao Fang to join them, so Yao Ling could only follow his decision.

    "Why?" Yao Ling asked Lin Jian curiously. "Is there a need to involve her in this matter?"

    "But this matter is involving Han Xiang and Xiao Fang. I suppose she needs to know about it too..." Lin Jian answered. He was considering the possibility that... if Han Xiang was indeed not a good person, she wanted Xiao Fang to know her background and be lenient to Han Xiang. It was selfish of him, but this was the only thing that he could do for Han Xiang.

    He knew that he didn¡¯t owe Han Xiang anything, but... it had been a long time that he thought of her as his sister. He couldn¡¯t just stand on the side and do nothing.

    Yao Ling felt it actually wasn¡¯t nessary, but Lin Jian had already opened his mouth and given his agreement to involve Xiao Fang, so she could only summon Xiao Fang to join their discussion. To make it safer, she gave Han Er a sleeping medicine and let Han Xiang drink it. It was just to ensure her to stay in the room and not identally roam around. She was afraid that she would identally eavesdrop their conversation or find out the rtionship between Xiao Fang and them.

    For General Hu¡¯s side, she already put Zhuo Li to stand guard around their area and to prevent them from going near Yao Ling¡¯s room. On the other hand, she gave Xiu and Xiao Yu the task to guard in front of Yao Ling¡¯s room, so it should be safe for them to have a meeting.

    Xiao Fang was quite confused because of the sudden invitation from Yao Ling, but she happily joined them. When she saw the heavy atmosphere, she retracted her smile and sat solemnly on the vacant seat. She felt curious about what they wanted to talk about.

    Yao Ling told them everything that she had heard from the beginning to the end and she didn¡¯t leave anything out for one bit. She felt lucky that Yao Ying was also there because Lin Jian indeed almost lost his mind in rage! Xiao Fang, who was oblivious to the rtionship between Lin Jian and the Ce Fei, asked in confusion, "Why do you look so angry?"

    Xiao Fang felt that something was not right with Lin Jian¡¯s reaction. She felt pity toward the Ce Fei, but because they had no direct rtionship, she didn¡¯t feel the same rage as Lin Jian.

    Then, she hesitantly asked, "Do you know Han Xiang¡¯s mother?" She would be blind if she didn¡¯t understand this point. Lin Jian, who was always calm and full ofughter, looked like he wanted to kill someone after listening to the Ce Fei¡¯s life story.

    Lin Jian froze because of his rash decision, he almost forgot that Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know their rtionships with the Ce Fei and Han Xiang. Yao Ling sighed because she already knew that this would happen beforehand and she already warned Yao Ying about this possibility, thetter had agreed to tell Xiao Fang the truth if Xiao Fang indeed asked about the rtionship between them and the Ce Fei. It was better to be honest because they already treated Xiao Fang as a good friend.

    At least, this way, she would only understand that they wanted to save Han Xiang because of their rtionship with the Ce Fei, not because of Mi Hui. It wasn¡¯t wise to let Xiao Fang know about thetter.

    Yao Ling patted Xiao Fang¡¯s shoulder to calm her down and said, "Don¡¯t worry! We already trust you, so we will let you know everything."

    Xiao Fang felt her heart skip a beat, hoping that this wasn¡¯t an awful matter. She already liked and trusted them! Her heart wouldn¡¯t be able to take the betrayal if that really happened. One Han Xiang was enough.

    "Who... who are you guys exactly?" Xiao Fang asked.

    Yao Ling told them their identity and her eyes bulged out. She had never thought that Lin Jian was the Ce Fei¡¯s stepson back at the Shu Kingdom. "Then... all of you actuallye here just to save Han Xiang?" Xiao Fang asked.

    The trio nodded without any hesitation. Yao Ling tried to smooth out the atmosphere by saying, "We didn¡¯t want to cover this up, but we were surprised when you were in a good term with Han Xiang. We thought that we would be able to save her easily, however, we would have never thought that there was more than met the eyes."

    "Do you mean... Han Xiang¡¯s abnormality?" Xiao Fang guessed.

    Yao Ling nodded, "Yes. We want to make sure that she was the real Han Xiang first, besides, Lin Jianes here because he wants to find the Ce Fei¡¯s whereabouts too."

    Xiao Fang was taken aback. "Do you think that¡¯s possible? Does she even still alive?"

    Yao Ling nodded. "There¡¯s a possibility because we find a lead. However, whether she¡¯s alive or not... we are not too sure ourselves."

    "This... this Tao Gu Gu?" Xiao Fang asked. She had heard Tao Gu Gu¡¯s story and her heart ached for the Ce Fei. She couldn¡¯t believe how cruel the Emperor was. He was actually a beast! She came in contact with him a few times and she found him as an admirable character. Who knew that he was actually a lunatic that hid behind his facade? She shuddered at the thought about how her father was loyal to that kind of man!

    Yao Ling nodded. "Yes, this Tao Gu Gu..."

    Xiao Fang was surprised at first and there was also a hint of anger in her heart, after all, she felt that the had lied to them. However, she understood their thought, they didn¡¯t know whether they could trust her or not --- she was a Han woman and in a good rtionship with Han Xiang. If it wasn¡¯t because they spent a few days together and helped each other, she didn¡¯t think they would tell her. Naturally, she understood that by telling her this fact, they tretaed her as one of their own. Somehow, it slightly appeased her anger.

    What made her feel calmer was the rity in their eyes. They had no malicious intent or a hint of deceiving in them. Xiao Fang could only nod, "I understand."

    The trio was quite surprised by her calmness. Judging from her personalities, they expected her to throw a tantrum and yell at them. Lin Jian calmly asked her, "That¡¯s it?"

    Xiao Fang raised one of her eyebrows. "What do you expect me to do?"

    The trio grinned sheepishly. "We thought that you will get angry because we are covering this up from you. However, we indeed sincerely want to help you..." Yao Ling weakly said.

    Xiao Fang rolled her eyes. She wasn¡¯t that childish! What was the use of throwing a tantrum at this moment? Xiao Fang merely answered, "I know... I can see that..."

    The trio sighed in relief when they knew that Xiao Fang didn¡¯t get angry at them. "Then... can we continue talking about this matter?" Yao Ying asked.

    The other three nodded in agreement at the same time.

    "So, Tao Gu Gu also doesn¡¯t know where my mother is?" Lin Jian asked.

    Yao Ling answered, "Yes, she doesn¡¯t know. But at least, you can trace it back to the medicine valley. That was thest time Tao Gu Gu saw your mother."

    Lin Jian nodded in understanding and knew what he should do next. "Then, what about Han Xiang? Is she the real deal?" Lin Jian asked once more.

    Yao Ling shook her head. The other three said at the same time, "She¡¯s... really a fake?"

    Yao Ling was dumbfounded. She merely shook her head, so what kind of reaction was this? She nned to say that she didn¡¯t know, but the others misunderstood her gesture. "What?! That¡¯s not what I mean!" Yao Ling¡¯s eyes widened in surprise.

    The trio looked at her and asked in unison, "Then, what do you mean?"

 Chapter 214 Lin Zhou: Han Xiangs Background 1

    Yao Lingughed softly. "All of you misunderstand my gesture. What I mean is I don¡¯t know..."

    The other three sighed in relief. Then, Lin Jian asked in puzzlement, "Howe you still don¡¯t know? Did Tao Gu Gu tell you nothing? Or she also doesn¡¯t know about this matter too?"

    "Not exactly," Yao Ling answered.

    "Then...?" Yao Ying asked.

    "That¡¯s what I want to talk about before... The next part of the story will be told to us only with Lin Jian¡¯s presence. She... really wants to meet you, Lin Jian. It seems like your mother told her a lot of things about you..." Yao Ying answered.

    Lin Jian nodded in understanding and he felt touched. His mother had never forgotten about him all of this time and it seemed like she had never med him too. The more he thought about it, the more he missed her. With a shaken voice, he said, "I will go with you tomorrow."

    Xiao Fang asked, "Can I go with you too?" She directed the question at Lin Jian because she knew that this matter rted to him the most --- not Yao Ying or Yao Ling.

    Lin Jian was a bit hesitant at first, but then... he decided to nod his head. It would be better if Xiao Fang listened to Tao Gu Gu¡¯s story by herself, after all, this would save them the trouble and at the same time, if Han Xiang was indeed an impostor... she would understand that they didn¡¯t lie to her in purpose.

    The next day, they went to Tao Gu Gu¡¯s house and she already waited for them to arrive. Her family was working, just as the Mi Hui people had arranged for them, so she was the only one at home. She was quite surprised because there were actually so many people, unlike yesterday. She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling a bit reluctant. After all, the next part of the story was very important and she didn¡¯t want just any people to listen to the story.

    "Why are there so many people?" Tao Gu Gu asked Yao Ling with a soft voice despite her own reluctant feeling. She saw that there were two women and two men --- she didn¡¯t know which one was Lin Jian.

    Yao Ling quickly answered, "Tao Gu Gu, I will introduce them to you one by one. Don¡¯t worry! I would never bring unimportant people. They are all rted to this matter..." Then, she introduced Yao Ying as her husband and Lin Jian¡¯s best friend, Xiao Fang as Han Xiang¡¯s best friend, and thest person was, of course, Tao Gu Gu¡¯s beloved Lin Jian.

    Tao Gu Gu listened to her introduction carefully and when she heard Lin Jian¡¯s name, her whole body started to tremble. She didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry, because she was feeling too happy and touched at the same time. The Ce Fei¡¯s son... She was finally able to meet him. "Are... are you really Lin Jian?" Tao Gu Gu asked in a weak voice. She couldn¡¯t believe that this day would reallye...

    Lin Jian quickly answered politely with a hint of affection, "Tao Gu Gu, it¡¯s me... Lin Jian." After listening to yesterday¡¯s story, how could he not feel any affection toward this loyal old woman?

    Tao Gu Gu finally wasn¡¯t able tough because after listening to Lin Jian¡¯s voice, her tears were flowing down like a river from her eyes. In her heart, she said to herself, ¡¯Ce Fei ah~ your sones to find you and he never forgets about you... This servant hopes that you also live happily ah~... This servant wishes that both of you could meet with each other too!¡¯

    She murmured to herself, "You are so big now... How many years have passed in the blink of an eye? I hope the Ce Fei will be able to meet you too." Tao Gu Gu touched Lin Jian¡¯s face, tracing it and trying to imprint it in her memories. "You are so handsome..." Tao Gu Gu praised, making Lin Jian¡¯s face beet red. She was able to feel the outline of his face and it seemed perfect to her. Even if he was ugly, he was the most handsome young man to her --- Yes, she was that biased!

    The other three snickered when they saw his bashful expression. Lin Jian saw that and he red at them! He decided not to care about the trio.

    Lin Jian looked at Tao Gu Gu and then held both of her hands and said, "Tao Gu Gu, thank you for loyalty... Thank you for taking care of my mother." Without her, his mother probably would have died a thousand times.

    "No need... no need... it was my own choice back then and also, I love your mother --- she¡¯s like a little sister to me," Tao Gu Gu said. In their era, it was rude to say that a mere servant thought of her master as a little sister, but the people inside the room didn¡¯t care about it for one bit or even felt offended. They believed that the Ce Fei must have been feeling the same way --- she treated Tao Gu Gu with care and just like an older sister.

    Lin Jian felt touched and smiled softly at Tao Gu Gu. Without a second thought, Lin Jian hugged the old woman tightly without hurting her, "Then... I can also count you as my aunt." This woman had been sacrificing her whole life for his mother and sister, so he indeed wholeheartedly treated her as his aunt. For this day onward, she would guarantee Tao Gu Gu¡¯s life and wellbeing --- including her family. He had a sudden n in his head that he would bring her home with him after the matter regarding Mi Hui¡¯s mission finished.

    Tao Gu Gu felt touched and said, "This servant doesn¡¯t dare, but Young Master¡¯s heart... this servant understands. This servant has been rude for calling Young Master¡¯s name directly. This servant asks for forgiveness."

    "Tao Gu Gu, please don¡¯t say that..." Lin Jian said weakly. He was confused with her sudden formality.

    "Young Master ah~ Hierarchy is very important. This servant is only a ve and this servant should know this servant¡¯s ce better after serving the Ce Fei for such a long time," Tao Gu Gu answered. She didn¡¯t want Lin Jian to feel responsible about her own family. Her niece had been spoiled rotten and sometimes a bit selfish, so she needed to establish their master-servant rtionship clearly. Tao Gu Gu was afraid that her niece would take advantage of their rtionship.

    "But..." Lin Jian tried to change Tao Gu Gu¡¯s mind.

    Before Lin Jian could finish his words, Tao Gu Gu cut him off, "There¡¯s no but, Young Master... Or... I won¡¯t tell you the next part of the story..." She decided to choose a shortcut by threatening him because she knew that thetter would keep trying to persuade her.

    Lin Jian was helpless with the old woman¡¯s stubbornness, so he could only nod his head. Tao Gu Gu smiled when she was able to make Lin Jian give up. "Good!" Tao Gu Gu said with a smile. After meeting Lin Jian, she felt better and her will to live started toe up once again.

    Lin Jian hesitantly asked, "Tao Gu Gu, do you mind telling us about Han Xiang now?"

    Tao Gu Gu asked them curiously, "I¡¯m a bit confused. You should have heard everything from my niece about everything. Why do you want me to tell you the details?"

    The quartet looked at each other and finally, Lin Jian answered her question, "We suspect something but we don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s correct or not."

    Tao Gu Gu furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?"

    Lin Jian went to exin everything in details. This time, Yao Ling decided to take a step back and let Lin Jian do all the talking. She knew that this matter didn¡¯t really involve her and Yao Ying, so it was better if they stayed silent and became the onlookers.

 Chapter 215 Lin Zhou: Han Xiangs Background 2

    Tao Gu Gu was quite surprised. "This kind of thing really happened?" She sighed and shook her head in defeat. Tao Gu Gu mumbled something to herself, but the others weren¡¯t able to make out what she had said.

    She didn¡¯t talk for a long time, making the quartet felt anxious. "Tao Gu Gu?" Lin Jian called her name, trying to make her talk.

    Tao Gu Gu looked at them and sighed. "I will let you know everything honestly, but please... you have to know... everything that had happened after the Ce Fei was gone and the decision regarding the baby... was solely done by me. Please don¡¯t think that it had anything to do with the Ce Fei!"

    Tao Gu Gu seemed like not wanting them to me the Ce Fei for what happened to the baby, but it actually wasn¡¯t so. Tao Gu Gu was indeed the one who made the decision because the Ce Fei was in no condition to make a decision because of her mental state. Tao Gu Gu predicted this since the baby was still inside the Ce Fei¡¯s womb. Thus, she nned, made the preparation, and did the deed.

    The quartet looked at each other, seemingly knew that there was something more happened --- especially with the baby. All of them nodded and answered at the same time, "Yes, Tao Gu Gu. We understand."

    Tao Gu Gu calmed herself down and she knew that she needed to tell Lin Jian about the truth, and she had already prepared to receive the consequences. "I know that the Ce Fei wouldn¡¯t be able to love the baby because of the **** and everything that she had gone through. The Ce Fei also wouldn¡¯t be able to bring the baby along with her. I thought about what would happen to the baby in the prince pce... so I decided to make a big decision on my own. I didn¡¯t care what I had to do --- even evil things, but I had to save the baby because she was innocent and she was the Ce Fei¡¯s flesh and blood."

    The quartet looked at Tao Gu Gu in surprise. Evil things? They thought to themselves. They felt the goosebumps on their whole body and they thought of the worst. What... what did Tao Gu Gu do to the baby?!

    Lin Jian asked, "Tao Gu Gu... what actually happened to the baby?!" He started to feel a bad premonition when he heard Tao Gu Gu said evil things. "Did you do something to her?"

    Tao Gu Gu said, "I indeed did something to save the baby. Don¡¯t worry! I would never harm her! I even heard that she lived happily..."

    The quartet sighed in relief when they knew that the baby was actually alive. They even forgot about Han Xiang for a moment, their minds were solely on the real daughter.

    "So... Princess Han Xiang... is she my mother¡¯s real daughter or not?" Lin Jian asked carefully.

    Tao Gu Gu answered, "No... She isn¡¯t..."

    The quartet had pretty much guessed from the way Tao Gu Gu talked, but they couldn¡¯t help but surprised. "So... she was an impostor from the start?" Xiao Fang asked with a gulp. Lin Jian sighed in relief when he knew that Han Xiang wasn¡¯t his sister, after knowing her bad deeds. On the other hand, Xiao Fang felt sad and wondered who this Han Xiang was. She treated her as best friend her whole life, but she suddenly became foreign to her.

    It was actually okay if she wasn¡¯t the real daughter for her, after all, the one that she knew and became her best friend was this Han Xiang. However, she made her feel disappointedtely and her scheme... it broke her heart. She wondered... whether a family gene also affected someone¡¯s personalities or not. Xiao Fang shook the thought away, it was better for her if she listened to the continuation of the story.

    Tao Gu Gu nodded. "Yes... I exchanged the baby myself. I couldn¡¯t do it alone, so I have my friend¡¯s to help me."

    "But how?! When?!" Yao Ying asked curiously. It was hard to exchange a baby unless it was done right after the birthing process. This way, no one would notice the difference. However, he also knew their condition --- they had no backing and resources whatsoever, so how could Tao Gu Gu sessfully do it?

    Tao Gu Gu smiled bitterly. "Of course, I exchanged the baby right after birth." Tao Gu Gu answered the ¡¯when¡¯ question, however, she didn¡¯t borate more about the ¡¯how¡¯ question, making the quartet feel more curious.

    "Then... this Princess Han Xiang... what was her background before she was switched?" Yao Ling asked curiously. For her, this question was more important than the ¡¯how¡¯ question.

    Tao Gu Gu shook her head. "I had no idea because I asked from my friend¡¯s help to find the baby. My friend is the midwife that the prince had hired in the household. We were both from the same wealthy family that gave us as tributes to the Prince manor. Fortunately, the Ce Fei specifically asked for a Shu woman to be her midwife on her own ord, so it was easier for me to make a move."

    "Why didn¡¯t you try to inquire about her background?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. "Isn¡¯t it important?"

    Tao Gu Gu shook her head. "Not really. I only made a requirement that the baby should be healthy and the same gender with the real one. Because of this, we prepared two babies ahead of time --- one boy, one girl."

    The quartet was quite bewildered with Tao Gu Gu¡¯s words. They felt that Tao Gu Gu was a bit cruel and she randomly changed the fate of the baby.

    Tao Gu Gu sighed. "I know that to you, youngsters, my decision would certainly look quite cruel. I know about it myself. But for me, the most important thing was my master¡¯s daughter¡¯s safety."

    The quartet understood the logic, but still, taking an innocent baby and throwing her into a fire pit seemed a bit... They didn¡¯t continue their line of thought. If they didn¡¯t have this Han Xiang, then the real daughter would be the one who received the abuse. They didn¡¯t know the real condition at that time, so they could only murmur their agreement halfheartedly.

    "Tao Gu Gu... how did you do it?" Xiao Fang was still curious about the process.

    Tao Gu Gu exined that because the midwife was her friend, she was willing to help her and taking the risk after she had exined the situation to her. Probably because they came from the same kingdom, they felt more kinship to help each other. Of course, part of it, money could talk too. The midwife was given quite a few silver taels and she would be able to live the rest of her life without working. As long as the matter was done beautifully, she could even leave the Han Kingdom and go back to her own kingdom.

    They hatched a n together and the midwife brought her friends to help --- all of them were Shu people, so they could be trusted. When the baby was born, to avoid unnecessary trouble, the midwives and Tao Gu Gu sprinkled sleeping powder to the people inside the courtyard. It was lucky for them, the prince was called to the pce around that time. It seemed like Heaven was helping them to make the job easier.

    When they knew the baby was a girl, they quickly brought Han Xiang in and exchanged them. For the boy¡¯s fate, it would be handled by the midwives. The real daughter was handled by Tao Gu Gu because she didn¡¯t trust the midwives enough to let her be taken care of by them. While the midwives were busy taking care of the Ce Fei and Han Xiang, she quickly went to the secluded ce in their courtyard and gave the baby to her sister-inw to handle.

    Then, she went back as nothing had happened. The midwives received the baby and when Tao Gu Gu took a look at the baby --- she was quite satisfied. The baby had white skin and quite beautiful. She knew that the prince would love this baby --- of course, before her mother¡¯s disappearance.

 Chapter 216 Lin Zhou: Han Xiangs Background 3

    When they listened to Tao Gu Gu¡¯s story, the quartet could only listen in silence. From what they had heard, it seemed like everything was sessful because of luck.

    Yao Ling decided to ask, "Tao Gu Gu, what if the prince wasn¡¯t called to the pce? Were you still going to do the same n? Or did you actually have a backup n?"

    Tao Gu Guughed. "Smart girl! If the prince was still there, I would still do the same thing. We could make an excuse that it was taboo for the father to see the birthing process and if he sent someone to inquire, I would certainly make him feel the sleeping potion too."

    "But Tao Gu Gu... everything that happened... it seemed like it was only based on pure luck!" Lin Jian eximed. He could imagine how dangerous it was at that time! There was also a possibility that the prince¡¯s other women would try to interfere. Lin Jian didn¡¯t seem to hesitate to say all of that to Tao Gu Gu.

    Tao Gu Gu nodded in understanding. "Well... it was certainly not easy back then. If the midwives weren¡¯t Shu people, there would be no guarantee that the other women would try to interfere. However, the main midwife already told me that some of the other women had tried to bribe them to kill the baby. They refused by saying that they didn¡¯t dare to offend the prince, because they had the prince¡¯smand to save both of them."

    The quartet couldn¡¯t help but shake their head. What Tao Gu Gu said was true, that was the only chance they had to exchange the baby and they risked their lives for it...

    Tao Gu Gu added, "Don¡¯t you know? In the art of war, even luck is also counted as a part of the strategy."

    The quartet was speechless, but it was indeed true. They sometimes forgot that Tao Gu Gu was the daughter of an official and it seemed like she was a clever one too. Whether she revealed it or not, they had a hunch that Tao Gu Gu actually had a backup n.

    "If you know that by doing this already guaranteed the real baby¡¯s safety, then why didn¡¯t you leave?" Lin Jian asked. "Tao Gu Gu, I heard that you were demoted and abused, because the prince med you for my mother¡¯s disappearance..."

    Tao Gu Gu shook her head. "I need to make sure that they believed that Han Xiang is the real baby, on the other hand, I have to ensure the safety of the real daughter. Besides, I am doing just fine now right?" Tao Gu Gu smiled when she said thest part.

    The quartet felt various types of feelings since the beginning, and now, the felt touched by her sacrifice. How could they didn¡¯t know that the abuse also cost Tao Gu Gu¡¯s her own eyes? She couldn¡¯t see clearly and look older than her real age. However, they didn¡¯t want to point out the obvious. They wanted to let the old woman keep her dignity.

    They sighed... Sometimes, there was a time when they needed to be cruel to achieve their goals --- not only to others but also to themselves. They also weren¡¯t saints, so why did they judge Tao Gu Gu for her choice of exchanging the babies? If they indeed judged her harshly, it meant that they were hypocrites!

    "Tao Gu Gu, you need to ensure her safety... does it mean that she¡¯s still in the Han Kingdom and she¡¯s not too far away from you?" Xiao Fang asked while her heart was beating faster. "Maybe... I know her?"

    Tao Gu Gu nodded. "It was also actually by chance. I wanted to give the baby to amoner, soter, it was easier for the Ce Fei or me to take her away when she was older. However, it seemed like fate really wanted to y a joke. Because of this, I wasn¡¯t able to leave too."

    "What... what happened?" Xiao Fang asked.

    "When my sister-inw carried the baby out, she wore her man disguise. She was going to take the baby to her house first and find the right time to give the baby to an old couple who lived quite far from their vige. However, she identally stumbled and the baby fell out of her embrace. It almost touched the ground, when a man saved the baby," Tao Gu Gu exined.

    When the quartet heard the baby almost touched the ground, they held their breath in... They almost wanted to scold the woman... why couldn¡¯t she hold the baby tighter?!

    "After that?" Yao Ying asked.

    "The man looked up, trying to find out where the baby came from. After all, around that time, it was very dark. My sister-inw almost wanted to yell and catch the baby back, when she heard what the man said at that time..." Tao Gu Gu trailed off.

    She could still remember the way her sister-inw told her what had happened back then... The man tried to look around but he couldn¡¯t find where the baby came from. It proved that the man didn¡¯t have martial arts skills ability. If he was one, he should be able to feel her sister-inw¡¯s presence. The man said with gratefulness and looked at the baby with affection, "Little baby ah~ it seems like we have a fate..."

    The man smiled when he saw the baby actually didn¡¯t cry at him, on the contrary, she was sleeping soundly and when the baby heard his voice, her mouth curled up for a little bit. He checked the baby gender and found out that it was a girl. The man was actually onlying out of his house and wanting to drink his sorrow away, however, he actually got a surprise --- he got a bundle of joy.

    Her sister-inw paid close attention to the man, after seeing his good-quality clothing and his soft gaze toward the baby, she changed her mind. She wanted to see what the man was going to do with the baby, instead, she found the man crying hard while hugging the baby...

    Her sister-inw was quite speechless, but his next words indeed made the decision for the baby¡¯s life. "Baby ah~ uncle¡¯s daughter was dead right after she was born and uncle¡¯s wife was heartbroken... How about this? From now on, you can be my daughter... yes, my daughter... Heaven has sent you straight to my embrace. Don¡¯t worry! I will treat you as one of my own..."

    While walking away, Tao Gu Gu¡¯s sister-inw followed him slowly and tried not to let the man sense her presence. However, she was actually thinking too much, because the man was too excited to pay attention to his surroundings. He talked to the baby all the way to his own home and when she was safely inside the house, Tao Gu Gu¡¯s sister-inw sighed in relief.

    At least, the baby had found her safe haven.

    "The real one actually lives near me then?" Xiao Fang asked in surprised. "If she¡¯s not amoner, then she must be living as a nobledy. Who is this woman? Maybe I already keep in touch with her?"

    The Han Kingdom wasn¡¯t that big, so the inner circle was also not as many nobles as the Shu Kingdom. Xiao Fang was pretty sure that she must have known the real princess, maybe she could help the trio to keep in touch with the real daughter.

    "I suppose so," Tao Gu Gu answered. "You can be friend with Princess Han Xiang, you must also be a nobledy."

    "Do you know the man¡¯s identity?" Xiao Fang asked excitedly.

    "Yes, I know... that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t leave back then. I wanted to make sure that everything went well on the real daughter¡¯s part..." Tao Gu Gu exined.

    "Who... who is he?" Xiao Fang really wanted to know the answer as soon as possible.

 Chapter 217 Lin Zhou: Han Xiangs Background 4

    Tao Gu Gu was going to answer her, but Yao Ling had other things in her mind. "Tao Gu Gu, before we reach to that part, we are curious about Han Xiang¡¯s popr smell..." Yao Ling asked. Then, she turned to Han Xiang, "I think it¡¯s better if we know everything about Han Xiang first, before touching the real daughter part... Once we know about the real daughter, we will be too focused on her and we will forget about who is in front of us --- Han Xiang."

    What Yao Ling said made sense, the quartet murmured their agreement. They were slightly disappointed because they were getting on the good part. It was like a yummy food was offered to them and when they wanted to eat it, it was taken back once again. But, oh well... It should be fine. After all, judging from what Tao Gu Gu said, the real daughter was supposed to be in good condition.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t forget their initial mission to ruin the marriage between Han Xiang and the Qin Emperor. The more they knew about Han Xiang, the better. In a way, she was reminding Yao Ying and Lin Jian about their mission. Yao Ying and Lin Jian quickly understood Yao Ling¡¯s meaning. Despite Lin Jian¡¯s initial displeasure, he understood their priority. He could only nod in agreement.

    Tao Gu Guughed. "The unique smell on Han Xiang¡¯s body is actually not real. When I was still working in the pce, I pitied the fact that she was bullied even by mere pce servants. So, I gave her the trick to make a unique smell like that. With this smell, at least, she would be useful to the Emperor and back then, I hoped that her day would be better because of it. We could see that the Emperor is a calctive person and he wouldn¡¯t want to lose his good pawn."

    Yao Ling was quite surprised by Tao Gu Gu¡¯s slyness. She wasn¡¯t that heartless after all... She was still trying to think of a way to make Han Xiang live a better life. In a way, this made her feel relief. After all, Tao Gu Gu must have been ufortable for making the fake baby to bear the burden of the real daughter. At this point, she felt pity toward Han Xiang even though she didn¡¯t really like her personalities.

    Tao Gu Gu answered, "She¡¯s actually an orphan. Even though I don¡¯t know her background, I especially wanted the midwife to prepare an orphan, just to make it lessplicated in the future. This way, I could alsofort myself that I actually gave this baby a better life. At the very least, she had a ce to stay and a new family. The moment she stepped into the pce and became the princess, whatever happened there... it was her own choice. She was the one who chose how to live her life and I already gave her a cheat --- having a unique smell that could preserve her life."

    In Tao Gu Gu¡¯s mind, she had already paid her debt with the unique smell and indeed, it saved Han Xiang¡¯s life and she wasn¡¯t treated as bad as before.

    The quartet¡¯s mind had been opened by what Tao Gu Gu said. Everything that happened up to this point was Han Xiang¡¯s own choice. Marrying the Qin King, yes, it wasn¡¯t her choice. But trying to frame Xiao Fang and her family? That was her own choice! They currently didn¡¯t have any rtionship with the princess, so it was easier to help Han Xiang deal with her. But, they really wanted to know who was the mastermind behind Han Xiang.

    They weren¡¯t that oblivious and thought that it was purely Han Xiang¡¯s n. If that was really true, what triggered her change? They believed that someone kept feeding things to Han Xiang and it made her be twisted. When Tao Gu Gu was there, she might be able to do something. However, Tao Gu Gu didn¡¯t stay long around Han Xiang back then, so there was no way she would find out about this.

    "Tao Gu Gu ah~ what kind of trick that you used for the unique smell?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She indeed heard from her mother that there was this kind of unique secret medicine, but she had thought that it was only a myth. Thus, she didn¡¯t really pay attention to this before. However, what Tao Gu Gu said sparked her interest.

    Tao Gu Gu sighed. "The Ce Fei wasn¡¯t actually that heartless to the baby. She was the one who gave me the secret --- one should be given to Han Xiang and the other should be given to her real daughter. That was the first andst gift for her real daughter."

    Yao Ling asked in surprise, "Didn¡¯t you say that the Ce Fei didn¡¯t know about your n?!"

    "This servant actually thought so too, but it seemed like she wasn¡¯t that oblivious. She gave me the secret recipe through my sister-inw right before she left with the medicine valley entourage and it surprised me as well. Knowing this, I understood that she actually agreed with my decision to exchange the baby. Otherwise, everything wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly back then. Besides the secret recipe, she left me a message as well..." Tao Gu Gu said.

    "What... what did she write?" Lin Jian asked curiously.

    "A thank you letter for me. Not only that, the reason she decided not to bring the baby along wasn¡¯t only because of her depression, but because she would be a fugitive when she ran away. She didn¡¯t know what kind of life she would have and she didn¡¯t want her baby to suffer. If she stayed in the prince manor, she didn¡¯t know when she would snap and probably be a danger to her own baby. In a way, she was a bit selfish but she also wanted her baby to be safe. After all, the baby was indeed her flesh and blood..." Tao Gu Gu recited the letter to the quartet.

    They pondered over the matter and could only sigh, knowing that there were actually a lot of things that more than meet the eyes. It seemed like they couldn¡¯t judge clearly about everything because they were simply wasn¡¯t there and they didn¡¯t experience what they had gone through.

    "What do you mean that the secret recipes were actually for the two babies?" Yao Ying asked. This part was really intriguing.

    "One recipe was left for Han Xiang to create the unique smell for her --- however, it¡¯s only temporary and she needs to drink the medicine once a month or else, the smell would be gone forever. On the other hand, the other recipe for the real daughter to erase her unique smell," Tao Gu Gu exined.

    "The... the smell is real for the real baby?" The quartet asked in surprise. They already thought that it was only because of the trick, not something real.

    Tao Gu Gu nodded. "Yes, for the real baby, she was born with it. The Ce Fei also had the same smell, but she erased it because she didn¡¯t want to attract too much attention," Tao Gu Gu answered. "That was why the Ce Fei left me with the recipe to cover up the baby¡¯s smell. It wasn¡¯t easy but I had a way to make it work because I knew where the real daughter was."

    "Is there a way to make the unique smell appear again?" Lin Jian asked. He wanted this to be a way to prove that the real daughter was indeed the real one.

    "The Ce Fei once said that yes, it was possible. However, she didn¡¯t want it to appear again on her body. After all, it was a hidden heritage from her mother¡¯s side and because they wanted to live peacefully, they decided to hide the smell. Ironically, this is the same smell that helps Han Xiang to get through her life," Tao Gu Gu answered.

    "How?" Lin Jian asked once again.

 Chapter 218 Lin Zhou: Han Xiangs Background 5

    "The unique smell could show up once again with the same recipe that I gave Han Xiang, but of course with slightly different ingredients. If someone was born with the smell, by drinking the medicine once, then it would be a permanent smell. You must have known that Han Xiang had a unique smell, but it¡¯s only faint, right? It¡¯s because it can be said as a fake smell. No matter what a fake is always a fake," Tao Gu Gu said. "If the real daughter¡¯s real unique smell came out, the smell would be several times stronger and more alluring."

    Tao Gu Gu sighed, remembering that how as a baby, the real daughter already showed a faint smell that already attracted several butterflies. The Ce Fei told her the bigger the real daughter was, the smell would be stronger and sweeter.

    "What a weird heritage!" Yao Ying shook his head in disbelief. It seemed like there were a lot of mysterious things in this world.

    It was an indeed weird and unique inheritance. The first time Tao Gu Gu heard about it, she was also confused and in disbelief. It sounded more like folklore than a fact.

    "Indeed. The people outside the Ce Fei¡¯s maternal tribe aren¡¯t supposed to know about this secret, however, the number of the tribe¡¯s people already dwindle quite a lot and they blend nicely to the society. The Ce Fei said that there was no need to make it a secret anymore, but of course, only to the people that I trust," Tao Gu Gu exined.

    The quartet nodded in understanding.

    "Tao Gu Gu, what about the story about Han Xiang¡¯s dance? It was said that her dance could attract butterfly... Was it really because of the smell too?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Hmm... This... I didn¡¯t really understand too. If she¡¯s the real deal, she should be able to do it just based on her real unique and sweet smell. However, for Han Xiang, she shouldn¡¯t have that ability. You should probably ask her about it," Tao Gu Gu answered.

    "Then... how did she find out about the butterfly thing? Is it actually a coincidence?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. She didn¡¯t really believe in coincidence.

    Tao Gu Gu shrugged it off. "I might give her a hint back then, but I didn¡¯t know what trick that she used. After all, that was the only thing that I could do for her. For the rest of the things, she should use her own brain to survive. I didn¡¯t think that she was able to use this kind of trick too. It seems like Han Xiang isn¡¯t a simple girl."

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. Ah... so Tao Gu Gu still got a hand on this matter. She started to think that Han Xiang wasn¡¯t actually really easy to deal with if she was able toe up with this scheme or did she have someone to give her a pointer? Hmmm... Something was fishy about this, but she didn¡¯t have time to think about it for now. She saw that Lin Jian seemed to want to say something to Tao Gu Gu, so she stayed quiet.

    "Tao Gu Gu, can... can you give me the secret recipe?" Lin Jian asked.

    "What for?" Tao Gu Gu furrowed her eyebrows and asked in surprise. She didn¡¯t think that this secret would be any of use for Lin Jian.

    "If somehow I find my sister, I want to use the secret recipe as a way to prove whether she¡¯s the real one or not," Lin Jian answered honestly. He didn¡¯t want to make a mistake in finding his real sister once again.

    Tao Gu Gu shook her head. "I remember it inside my mind and besides, it can only be done by women. There¡¯s a special ingredient that only women can do and have. That¡¯s why it will be useless to you."

    Without a second thought, Lin Jian pointed at Yao Ling. "Then, you can teach Yao Ling!"

    Yao Ling was taken aback when she was pointed. She pointed at herself and asked carefully, "Me?"

    Lin Jian nodded. "Can you learn the secret medicine on my behalf?"

    "But... it¡¯s a secret recipe! How can you casually let me learn about it?" Yao Ling was quite bbergasted with the turn of event.

    Lin Jian only said three words, "I trust you!" Somehow, these words would be remembered by the trio for the rest of their life and despite everything that would happenter, their trust would be the foundation for their lifetime friendship and how they passed through a lot of hardships together.

    Yao Ling turned her gaze to Tao Gu Gu and asked, "Tao Gu Gu, is it really possible for me to learn? I know that the Ce Fei must have some restrictions regarding this secret recipe, right?"

    Tao Gu Gu admired Yao Ling¡¯s smartness because she was able to guess the right thing with just little hints. It was indeed several restrictions that Yao Ling had to pay attention to if she wanted to learn this secret medicine. "The Ce Fei didn¡¯t specifically say that I couldn¡¯t teach anyone else, but..." She looked at Lin Jian hesitantly and felt at a loss at what to do. In her mind, Lin Jian was the Ce Fei¡¯s son so he also had the ability to give her an order.

    "Tao Gu Gu... Yao Ling is the only one I can trust with this matter, besides, she also has a talent in medicine field. That¡¯s why I believe that she can do this," Lin Jian answered.

    Yao Ying would usually feel jealous whenever another man got closer to Yao Ling, but it was a different matter with Lin Jian. The bonds between them had been created. He didn¡¯t see a lustful gaze on Lin Jian¡¯s expression and Lin Jian never hid his admiration to his wife --- but it wasn¡¯t directed to her beauty. Lin Jian admired her cleverness and he admitted that he thought of her as a little sister. Yao Ying believed in him. Besides, he knew how desperate Lin Jian was at the moment. That was why he needed Yao Ling¡¯s help.

    If he had his own wife, he probably wouldn¡¯t let Yao Ling do this. Xiao Fang was totally unrted to them, so how could he let her learn his mother¡¯s secret recipe? The only safe bet for Lin Jian was, of course, Yao Ling. No one else.

    "This..." Tao Gu Gu hesitated for a moment before she finally released a helpless sigh. She knew that the mater of proving the real daughter was also important. That secret recipe needed a step that she couldn¡¯t do anymore and she wasn¡¯t sure that Yao Ling would be able to do it too. However, she could discuss this with Yao Ling in private. After all, this matter didn¡¯t seem so urgent for now.

    Tao Gu Gu could only nod and say, "Okay... I will discuss this matter with Yao Ling Gu Niangter."

    After listening to Tao Gu Gu¡¯s agreement, Lin Jian sighed in relief. He nodded to Yao Ling and said, "Please help this older brother, Yao Ling."

    Yao Ling smiled and nodded in agreement. They had no other choice. Xiao Fang felt left out when she saw the bonds between them and somehow, it made her feel envious with their closeness. She could see the friendship between them was quite strong, but the rtionship between Yao Ling and Lin Jian was a purely tonic friendship.

    Xiao Fang had a best friend once that she treated like her sister, but look how it ended up? How could she not feel envious when Xiao Fang saw the trio¡¯s rtionship?

    Lin Jian turned to Tao Gu Gu and asked, "Tao Gu Gu, about Han Xiang matter... is there still more that we don¡¯t know about?"

    Tao Gu Gu shook her head. "This servant didn¡¯t really want to involve myself with Han Xiang¡¯s matter anymore. After I gave her what she needed, I no longer worked in the pce. I was more concerned with the real daughter¡¯s life. I looked at her from afar and when I knew that she led a good life... I decided to go back to the Shu Kingdom."

 Chapter 219 Lin Zhou: Han Xiangs Background 6

    Xiao Fang nodded. "I can confirm this. Han Yi already told me about Tao Gu Gu and thest time she saw Tao Gu Gu when we were still little girls. That¡¯s why it took a long time for Han Yi to recognize Tao Gu Gu¡¯s familiar face." Xiao Fang had never really paid attention back then, so she didn¡¯t recognize Tao Gu Gu at all.

    "Tao Gu Gu, how can you leave the pce? Didn¡¯t the Emperor give you the lowest job in the pce just to torture you? How could you still stay around Han Xiang at that time?" Lin Jian asked carefully. He knew that it must have been a painful memory, but he really wanted to know everything that Tao Gu Gu had gone through.

    Tao Gu Gu stayed in the prince manor until Han Xiang was five and moved along with the prince to the pce when he had be the Han Emperor. The maidservants were allocated on a new job but she was still given the same job --- taking care of the manure. She already wanted to leave for a long time, but she needed to stay behind and there was nothing else that she could do.

    Tao Gu Guughed bitterly. She stayed around to convince the prince that Han Xiang was the real deal by guarding her closely. However, the prince started to lose his mind for a little bit after the Ce Fei was gone, and above of all, he couldn¡¯t find her despite his effort to search for her every day.

    When he couldn¡¯t find her after a few days, his anger was directed at Tao Gu Gu --- the closest person to the Ce Fei. He didn¡¯t believe that Tao Gu Gu knew nothing about the n. Tao Gu Gu had to kowtow a hundred times, making her forehead bleed to beg for justice and refute her involvement in the matter --- just to appease the heartless prince.

    At that time, Tao Gu Gu still took care of Han Xiang along with the new wet nurse for Han Xiang.

    At first, the prince was still visiting Han Xiang once in a while and showing that he cared for the cute baby. After all, she was the only thing left from his beloved Ce Fei. He started to hate the baby after the persuasion of his several concubines during their pillow talks. They even targetted Tao Gu Gu and how the prince was too lenient toward Shu women, hence it gave them the chance to help the Ce Fei run away. Since then, the prince started to hate Shu ves and he started to behave more atrociously. One by one, he demoted the Shu ves¡¯ rank, including Tao Gu Gu.

    The prince¡¯s hatred toward Shu people was known by everyone in the prince manor, so the treatment that they got wasn¡¯t nice as well. But what could they do? They became the lowest of the lowly ves.

    All of the Shu ves weren¡¯t allowed to go near Han Xiang because he was afraid that they would give the Ce Fei chance to take the baby away. In his mind, Han Xiang was more like bait than his own daughter. He didn¡¯t have enough tender feeling for the little baby after a few months had passed. He hoped by sparing the baby¡¯s life, someday... the Ce Fei woulde back to take the baby away and he would catch her once again!

    Tao Gu Gu saw all of these with her own eyes and she felt pity for the baby. That was why she found a chance to give the baby the secret medicine once a month secretly. After the smell started toe out, more concubines wanted to kill the baby but the prince gave them a warning. Whoever killed the baby would be killed as well. He didn¡¯t bother to conceal the reason he saved the baby --- for his own benefits when the little girl grew up.

    That was why although the treatment that Han Xiang grew up with was bad, she could still preserve her life. Tao Gu Gu waited until the time Han Xiang had trusted personal maidservants and she gave the secret recipe to them. Tao Gu Gu knew that they wouldn¡¯t let other people know about the secret recipe, because they needed it to survive. Hence, she was calm when giving the secret recipe to them.

    Han Xiang trusted her because Tao Gu Gu was her mother¡¯s personal maidservant, but there was no bond between them. Thus, when Tao Gu Gu left, Han Xiang didn¡¯t stop her. Han Xiang knew that Tao Gu Gu was faking her own death while being beaten by the other maidservants. Her body was thrown out without a care and she was saved by her sister-inw. After that, they were gone from Han Xiang¡¯s life.

    The quartet nodded in understanding. They tried to digest the story for a little while before they finally moved on to the next one. Lin Jian asked softly, "Now... Can you tell us about my dear little sister, Tao Gu Gu? Even though we may not be rted by blood, I¡¯m still worried about her..."

    Tao Gu Gu asked, "After knowing her whereabouts, what do you exactly want to do?" She didn¡¯t want them to hastily tell the real sister all the truth, especially if she already led a good life and had a happy family who doted on her.

    Lin Jian was stupefied. "I... I am not so sure yet..." Indeed, Lin Jian wasn¡¯t too sure about it himself. If she was happy, would he be selfish enough to get close to her and reveal the truth? If she was unhappy, he would certainly bring her along back with him. His father and he would certainly cherish this little sister.

    Tao Gu Gu sighed. "You should not force her to ept the reality. If she¡¯s happy, then let her live her life at the Han Kingdom and set her free. You can try to find out about her wellbeing from time to time through your subordinates, isn¡¯t it good enough?" Tao Gu Gu gave him advice. She knew that the trio wasn¡¯t as simple as they looked... They must have a few spies inside the Han Kingdom, so monitoring the real daughter must have been an easy feat for them.

    Although Lin Jian was feeling disappointed and unreconciled, what Tao Gu Gu said was indeed true. It was better if the girl didn¡¯t know about the switching part and how her mother actually didn¡¯t bring her along when she ran away. He was afraid that the girl would actually hate her mother for abandoning her. Because of that, Lin Jian nodded his head in agreement and said, "I understand, Tao Gu Gu."

    "Where is she living now?" Lin Jian asked.

    Tao Gu Gu exined that after she left the Prince manor, she inquired about the baby¡¯s condition and she was actually living a good life. She felt relieved and without a second thought, she left the Han Kingdom. Her job was finally done and she never knew that fate would bring Lin Jian to her.

    "When the man found the baby, the man was actually still a third rank official back then. The man was a talented schr from another province and he had just moved into the Capital because he was appointed to get a promotion by the previous Emperor. He probably didn¡¯t really understand the Capital¡¯s situation at that time, otherwise, he would be cautious around an unknown baby. However, around that time, his wife was still out of the city due to her pregnancy. Unfortunately, the baby was dead right after she was born. The couple had waited for this daughter a long time ago because they already had one son and it was hard for them to conceive a baby..." Tao Gu Gu trailed off.

    Then, she continued with her story. When he found the baby... was actually the time he had just received the news of his daughter¡¯s death. The man went out for grieving and drinking his sorrow away. But who knew, a baby was thrown to him out of nowhere. He took the Ce Fei¡¯s real daughter as a treasure because it seemed like God had sent her to him as a blessing.

 Chapter 220 Lin Zhou: The Real Daughters Identity

    Xiao Fang couldn¡¯t help but exim, "What a coincidence!" The other three agreed with her and nodded their head at the same time. What was the odd that this thing could happen in real life? It seemed like the real daughter was extremely lucky!

    The man that would soon be the baby¡¯s father quickly prepared a wet nurse and maidservants for the baby at the very same night. It was easy to find a wet nurse, but he needed to have an exnation about where the baby wasing from. Without the mother, where was the babying from?

    The servants and maidservants that he had brought from his hometown were loyal. At that time, they made an excuse that it was the daughter of the man¡¯s concubine. No one knew that he only had one wife with no concubine back at his hometown in the Capital, so it was safe to go with that excuse. Later, they could make up another excuse that the mother was dead and it was taken in as the daughter of the main wife. Sooner orter, the fact would be blurred if no one talked about this matter anymore.

    The man knew that his wife was on the verge of depression after losing the baby and she would be happy when she received this lovely news. Without further dy, he quickly sent a message to his hometown and let his wife know about the new baby.After a few weeks, the wife arrived in the Capital and she fell in love at first sight to the baby! She took him as her real daughter, despite the husband¡¯s fear that she wouldn¡¯t ept the baby. After all, the man didn¡¯t want this baby to be a substitute.

    When the husband saw how attached his wife to the baby, he sighed in relief. At least, his wife finally had the will to live. His son was quite obedient and despite knowing the baby¡¯s real identity, he took the baby as his own sister. He knew how heartbroken his mother was, so even though at first he was unwilling, he still epted his parents¡¯ arrangement.

    Lin Jian sighed and said, "At least, she receives the love that she deserves! Tao Gu Gu is correct... as long as she¡¯s happy, I won¡¯t bother her. Have you ever inquire about the baby¡¯s name?"

    Tao Gu Gu shook her head. "No... I don¡¯t dare to ask her name, because I¡¯m afraid that I will be too attached to her..." She admitted. Tao Gu Gu had actually wanted to ask for a few times but she held herself back. She didn¡¯t want the baby to be involved with her messy background, thus, she was happy by looking at the baby growing up. It was more than enough.

    Lin Jian could only nod his head helplessly. "At least now... can you finally tell us the man¡¯s identity?" Lin Jian begged Tao Gu Gu solemnly.

    "Her father is quite sessful now. He kept getting a promotion and he currently holds a quite high position in the Han Kingdom..." Tao Gu Gu trailed off. She would never guess that the soft-hearted man was actually a great official that was able to climb the leader easily and he held an important position in the kingdom.

    Xiao Fang asked excitedly, "A minister or a general? Oh, wait! Tao Gu Gu said that he had no martial arts skills... The most suitable position should be a minister, then? He must be a schr... If yes, it will be better. My father has a lot of friends in that field. It will be easier for me to help Lin Jian find out about her."

    "Oh, really? It seems like your father is a schr too?" Tao Gu Gu asked.

    Xiao Fang nodded pridefully. "Yes! My father is the best of the best!" What she said earned a burst ofughter from the others, making Xiao Fang suddenly feel shy. The other could see how much she loved her father and how she admired him.

    "Okay... okay... back to the real daughter¡¯s current father --- he¡¯s the Han Kingdom¡¯s Prime Minister," Tao Gu Gu answered honestly, still in between her heartyughter because of Xiao Fang¡¯s cute behavior. She didn¡¯t realize that after saying the father¡¯s official title, theughter had stopped.

    The others¡¯ eyesid on Xiao Fang who put on a weird expression --- a mixture of surprise and disbelief. They seemed to guess on something but they didn¡¯t know whether it was correct or not. However, they didn¡¯t say anything and wait for Xiao Fang toe out of her trance. Even if they wanted to say something, they couldn¡¯t...

    Xiao Fang¡¯s voice was slightly trembling when she asked the next question, "The Left Prime Minister or The Right Prime Minister?" Although Xiao Fang knew the answer inside her heart, she didn¡¯t dare to believe in it. She just hoped that she had guessed wrong.

    Tao Gu Guughed, "The answer to that is quite obvious, right? Despite their same ranks in the officialdom, but their inner courtyards are different. The Left Prime Minister is a loyal man, unlike the Right Prime Minister. Is there a need to ask me again?"

    ¡¯What Tao Gu Gu said was correct,¡¯ Xiao Fang thought to herself. She understood this more clearly than anyone else. The Left Prime Minister always had a household with a clean inner courtyard since the beginning, because he only had one wife and he had never taken any concubines before. He was loyal to his only wife and loved only her. A lot of women envied the happy couple and they were quite popr in the Han Capital.

    On the other hand, the Right Prime Minister had taken quite a few concubines and had a lot of children in return. It wasn¡¯t that he deliberately tried to find concubine. However, he was quite ambitious in the first ce. He always received the women that were offered to him by his colleagues just to broaden his friendship with other people and he was also a corrupted officer. He was kept as a Right Prime Minister just to keep the bnce in the court.

    The Left Prime Minister had an upright personality and he always refused the women that were offered to him, making him offended a lot of people. However, the Emperor trusted him and it made his position quite stable at the moment. For the long run? Xiao Fang wasn¡¯t quite sure anymore.

    Xiao Fang could feel her heart beat faster when she heard Tao Gu Gu¡¯s answer. How could she not? The Left Prime Minister was her father! Then... didn¡¯t it mean that...? No... No... No... She didn¡¯t believe it! It wasn¡¯t true at all! She was the Left Prime Minister¡¯s real daughter!

    She had to calm herself down and let Tao Gu Gu tell her with her own mouth!

    "Tao Gu Gu, please..." She hesitantly asked. The trio could see how Xiao Fang started to be paler and her expression let them see that she was actually in shock. They looked at each other and finally, Yao Ling gripped Xiao Fang¡¯s hand tightly. Yao Ling could feel her sweaty and cold hand but she didn¡¯t let her hand go. She wanted to give a support to Xiao Fang. She could see how much she needed this.

    She asked softly, "Are you okay?" Yao Ling was feeling worried... They already checked on Xiao Fang¡¯s background from Mi Hui and she knew her real identity quite well. Hence, when Tao Gu Gu said the father¡¯s identity, she more or less already guessed the real daughter¡¯s identity.

    Xiao Fang nodded her head and she held Yao Ling¡¯s hand tightly too. She took Yao Ling¡¯s hand as the sole support and the only thing that made her feel slightly in relief. There was a possibility that she had heard it wrong... right?

    "Tao Gu Gu..." Xiao Fang called her weakly once again.

    Tao Gu Gu furrowed her eyebrows and she seemed to detect the abnormality on Xiao Fang¡¯s voice. She felt quite confused because she knew that Xiao Fang was excited to know the real daughter¡¯s identity beforehand. So what made her change? What made her be such a nervous wreck?

    Something was amiss here...

 Chapter 221 Lin Zhou : Xiao Fang is The Real Daughter

    Tao Gu Gu decided to quickly answer the question rather than to make the atmosphere tenser because she could hear the urgency on Xiao Fang¡¯s weak voice, "It¡¯s the Left Prime Minister, of course. Doesn¡¯t he only have one son and one daughter all along? It¡¯s hard for them to conceive, so they are the only offsprings that they have. The daughter is actually the real princess... the real Han Xiang..."

    *Bang*

    When she heard the truth, Xiao Fang almost fell off her chair. Luckily, Yao Ling hold onto her tightly just in time. She was bbergasted and couldn¡¯t believe it! No... no... no... in fact, she didn¡¯t want to believe it! Was her whole life a lie? Everything was spiralling out of her control. She never knew that she would identally find out about her background identally like this.

    *Thump*

    *Thump*

    *Thump*

    Xiao Fang¡¯s heart beat wildly and it kept beating faster because she had a sudden realization of what Tao Gu Gu meant... She... wasn¡¯t her parents¡¯ real daughter... She was adopted... She was the Ce Fei¡¯s daughter... She was Lin Jian¡¯s sister... She was the real princess... She was not Xiao Fang all along...

    She was supposed to be Han Xiang... She was... she was...

    Who was she exactly? She felt like screaming inside her mind!

    After getting the awareness of that matter, it seemed like her brain had stopped working and she could feel her surroundings started to get darker and darker. Her surroundings seemed to fade away and she sumbed to the darkness.

    Xiao Fang fainted.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t have the strength nor the fast speed to catch her, but luckily, Lin Jian was able to catch her before her body touched the ground. He softlyid her down on the ground while looking at Xiao Fang tenderly. His heart felt soplicated at the moment and he helplessly looked at Xiao Fang. He didn¡¯t know what he could do for her.

    Tao Gu Gu was quite surprised by what had just transpired. She heard the ruckus and it seemed like Xiao Fang Gu Niang had just fainted and she was confused about the reason. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What happened? Why did she suddenly faint?! Is she okay?" She felt worried about the young woman.

    Yao Ling was quickly trying to hit Xiao Fang¡¯s acupuncture point to make her wake up, while Lin Jian was the one who exined to Tao Gu Gu with the truth. "We tried to find out about Xiao Fang¡¯s true identity before this, after all, we just met a few days ago and we didn¡¯t know whether we should trust her or not. We... we got the news that she¡¯s actually the daughter of the Left Prime Minister..." Lin Jian exined in a weak voice. He was pretty sure that Tao Gu Gu would understand what he meant.

    They would have never guessed this sudden turn of the event could actually happen... Lin Jian just wanted her to know about Han Xiang¡¯s real identity. That there was a probability that Han Xiang was an impostor. Who knew that it was actually the truth? And also, Xiao Fang actually found out about her identity by ident. They were also helpless ah~

    "What?" Tao Gu Gu asked in surprise. "This... Xiao Fang is the Ce Fei¡¯s real daughter?!" Tao Gu Gu felt amazed by what she ahd just found out. This... this coincidence... how could that be? She could only murmur to herself, "This is certainly fate ah~"

    Lin Jian felt his heart be erratic because he was in confusion too. He knew that he felt something different toward Xiao Fang... He started to like her despite her innocence and well... stupidity. Somehow, it made him feel protective over her... Was it... because he like her? Or he actually had a gut feeling from the start that she was actually his sister?

    Lin Jian was always a carefree person and he never thought that there would be a day he would be confused with his own feelings. It seemed like he had to put his feeling aside first and he needed to help Xiao Fang get through this matter. He felt guilty... If he listened to Yao Ling¡¯s opinion not to let Xiao Fang knew about their conversation with Tao Gu Gu, then all of this would never happen.

    He med himself.

    If he knew the truth was actually like this, he wouldn¡¯t let Xiao Fang know the truth, no matter what. He could see from the start how she was loved by everyone in her family and by knowing this truth, she would certainly feel burdened... However, there was nothing they could do. They couldn¡¯t turn back time and they could only wait for Xiao Fang to wake up and see her reactions.

    "I will bring her along with me... I want her to wake up in a calm environment and I will take care of her for the time being, until she calms down," Yao Ling said. She knew that waking up in Tao Gu Gu¡¯s house, it wouldn¡¯t do any good to Xiao Fang. She would certainly feel pressured.

    Yao Ling already handled her acupuncture point so they could easily move Xiao Fang.

    The others agreed with her. Yao Ling asked Xiu to help her take Xiao Fang into her room and it seemed Han Xiang needed to stay asleep for the time being. She didn¡¯t want her to run rampage and make another trouble for them. She quickly assigned everyone on their jobs, while she was waiting for Xiao Fang to wake up.

    When Xiao Fang woke up, she was in panic. She thought that she was still in Tao Gu Gu¡¯s room and she was nning to run away. She didn¡¯t know how to face all of those people... she just wanted to be alone and think on her own. However, she found out that she was actually not in Tao Gu Gu¡¯s hoise.

    She felt relieved when she only saw Yao Ling sitting on the bed side.

    She looked at her surroundings and she knew that she was back at the inn. It seemed like she was in Yao Ling¡¯s room. Yao Ling offered a cup of water for her and she quickly gulped it down in one go. Yao Ling asked her in concern, "Are you okay?"

    Xiao Fang shook her head and answered her, "I don¡¯t know..." Truthfully, her mind was in a mumble jumble. She wasn¡¯t able to digest the news...

    Yao Ling opened her mouth and tried to appease Xiao Fang, "Please listen to me! We are so sorry... We didn¡¯t know that this would happen... We would never guess that you are actually..." She trailed off at thest part, not knowing how to breach the subject because she knew that Xiao Fang wasn¡¯t ready to handle the truth.

    Xiao Fangughed bitterly and said, "What? That I am actually the Ce Fei¡¯s real daughter? An adopted daughter of the Left Prime Minister? That all my life... everything was actually a lie? That I am Lin Jian¡¯s sister?" She couldn¡¯t help but cry while saying all those things.

    Yao Ling sighed. "I know that you aren¡¯t ready to face the truth. But, please remember... Not everything is a lie... Your family indeed loves you... Otherwise, why would they protect you and treat you so kindly despite you are unrted to them by blood? If I actually could turn back time, I wouldn¡¯t want you to know the truth..."

    "But, it already happened... It¡¯s toote..." Xiao Fang covered her face with both of her hands, sobbing. She didn¡¯t know how to live her life after this. Could she go back to her own life and pretend that all this never happened? Would she be able to stay in the Left Prime Minister¡¯s manor once again? Or should she actually ask them the truth? But... but...

    She couldn¡¯t help but feel at a loss.

 Chapter 222 Lin Zhou: Do You Have Another Aim?

    Yao Ling hugged Xiao Fang. "Please listen to me! You can cry for now and let all your emotions out... After that, you will be able to think more clearly, okay? I will support you no matter what you do. But, wee can talk about itter after you calm yourself down, how is that sound?"

    Xiao Fang nodded weakly in agreement and then, she bawled like a little girl in Yao Ling¡¯s embrace. It took a long time until she could finally calm herself down and she fell asleep right after that. Yao Ling let her sleep and asked Xiao Yu and Han Yi to take care of Xiao Fang because she needed to tend to other matters. She didn¡¯t for get to give them an order not to bother Xiao Fang at all cost. Xiao Fang needed to rest both of her body and mind.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t forget to check on General Hu and Qing Hui¡¯s condition. Both were getting better and she sighed in relief. From Han Er¡¯s report, Han Xiang was still sleeping soundly and she didn¡¯t bother to pay a visit to her. Sooner orter, they would find out the reason why Han Xiang tried to frame Xiao Fang¡¯s family and it wasn¡¯t toote to deal with her at that time.

    She could only contain them today with her medical knowledge. More than that, they would feel that something fishy.

    After she finished dealing with her business, she came back to her room and waited on Xiao Fang to wake up, feeling worried about her. The second time Xiao Fang woke up, she was much calmer than before. She wiped her own tears and asked Yao Ling in despair, "If you were me, what would you do?"

    Yao Ling sighed. "I am not you and I can¡¯t make a decision for you, because it¡¯s your life --- not mine. You are the one who lives all your life in the Left Prime Minister¡¯s manor and you are the only one who knows how they treat you all this time... I¡¯m sure that whatever your decision is... they will understand..." Yao Ling gave her a piece of her mind and she hoped that she didn¡¯t distance herself with her current family. After all, they showered her with love despite not rted by blood.

    Xiao Fang massaged her aching head that was caused by her cry, but at the same time, she made a decision and told Yao Ling about it, "For now, I want to handle Han Xiang first. I want to know why she¡¯s targeting my family."

    "En..." Yao Ling agreed with her. It was about time for Xiao Fang to wake up and protect her own family.

    However, after that, Xiao Fang hesitantly asked, "Yao Ling ah~ tell me the truth... Do you have another aim when youe to Lin Zhou?"

    Xiao Fang decided to toughen up herself from this moment on. After knowing her real identity, Xiao Fang started to feel suspicious of Han Xiang¡¯s sudden change. Did something happen? Did Han Xiang know something about this matter before her? She needed to get the bottom of it and she knew she needed Yao Ling¡¯s help.

    Yao Ling was surprised by Xiao Fang¡¯s question. "What do you mean?"

    Xiao Fang smiled. "I know that you sincerely want to help me... But I also know... that you seem to have another goal. If you treat me as a real friend, would you mind telling me everything? I will definitely help you to achieve your goal... But in return, can you help me too?"

    Yao Ling was quite surprised by Xiao Fang¡¯s sudden change, it seemed like she had be more mature all of a sudden. It seemed like she wasn¡¯t that stupid and her rashness was probably because she was too sheltered by her family before.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t say anything at first. She knew that Xiao Fang spoke bluntly because she trusted her and she needed to reciprocate her trust too. Yao Ling contemted for a little while. She decided to tell Xiao Fang the truth, on the other hand, cover up everything that shouldn¡¯t be said. After all, they also needed Xiao Fang¡¯s help in this matter.

    She exined that her main goal was to save Han Xiang from this marriage because Lin Jian heard the news that Han Xiang was the daughter of the Shu woman --- his mother. They had a guess that she was probably his sister. Yao Ying and Yao Ling came along to help him because they were in a honeymoon getaway and had nothing else to do, then... why didn¡¯t they help Lin Jian? Thus, they made a trip together.

    Yao Ling also told her that they also got lucky by identally meeting Xiao Fang back at Long¡¯An and everything after that, Xiao Fang should know better because they were already traveling together and they also spent most of their time with each other.

    Xiao Fang started to understand. Despite not knowing ¡¯Han Xiang¡¯ from the start, they all cared about ¡¯Han Xiang¡¯ because she was the Ce Fei¡¯s daughter. It indirectly meant that they cared about her --- the real daughter. Somehow, it made her heart feel warm.

    Yao Ling softly asked, "What do you want to do?"

    "Just like I said... find out the reasons why Han Xiang is targeting me... well... what about the marriage? Are you still going to ruin it after knowing that Han Xiang isn¡¯t the real daughter?" Xiao Fang asked hesitantly.

    Yao Ling nodded without any hesitation.

    "Why?" Xiao Fang furrowed her eyebrows.

    "At first, we didn¡¯t want to meddle with this thing anymore. However, you also heard what the schrs had said back then. There is something fishy about this marriage too... It happened too sudden and somehow... our gut feelings said that it would lead to war if the marriage alliance continues..." Yao Ling briefly exined.

    Xiao Fang contemted and understood that what Yao Ling said was making sense, so she finally decided that Yao Ling didn¡¯t lie to her. "I also n to ruin this marriage..." Xiao Fang said.

    Yao Ling was taken aback. "But, why? This is unrted to you now. Is... it for Han Xiang?"

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know how to answer Yao Ling¡¯s question. If she said yes, would she think that she was stupid for caring about her even after all that happened?

    Yao Ling sighed, knowing that Xiao Fang was too soft-hearted. If what she wanted to do wasn¡¯t the same as them, she probably would persuade her to give up the idea of helping Han Xiang again. Fortunately, they had the same goal even though it was for different reasons.

    "You are too kind, but very well... let¡¯s do our best! We can easily handle Han Xiang¡¯s matter though things would get a bit ugly. Are you really in for it?" Yao Ling asked.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "I¡¯m in," she said resolutely.

    "Go and rest for one day. I will talk about the n with the men and tomorrow, I let you know about it," Yao Ling ordered Xiao Fang.

    "Why can¡¯t I join you?" Xiao Fang asked while furrowing her eyebrows. She wanted to do something so she could forget about the truth for a little bit.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want you to join us, but you just received a big shock and your mind is in a mess. How could you think rationally that way? I just want to give you one night to sort out your thought about everything. You can tell me about it tomorrow. How is that sound?"

    Xiao Fang sighed, knowing that Yao Ling was right. She decided to relent and do what Yao Ling suggested. "I¡¯m sorry for upying your bed. I will go back to my room," Xiao Fang apologized.

    "Don¡¯t worry about it," Yao Ling said. She called Han Yi and told thetter to help Xiao Fang back into their own room. She kept nagging for Han Yi to pay attention and take care of Xiao Fang¡¯s wellbeing, making Xiao Fang and Han Yi didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry. However, they were touched by Yao Ling¡¯s concern.

    Yao Ling sighed when she saw Xiao Fang¡¯s retreating back. Hopefully, she would feel better tomorrow.

 Chapter 223 Lin Zhou: The Truth 1

    After Xiao Fang went out of her room, Yao Ling told Xiao Yu to call the two men for a meeting. She told them both about Xiao Fang¡¯s situation and the room went into silence once again. Each lost in their own thought. It seemed that they needed to solve Han Xiang¡¯s matter as soon as possible.

    Lin Jian finally said, "We can¡¯t force her to ept the reality right away. Just let her be! At least, she has always lived a good life and I don¡¯t intend to take her back with me if she doesn¡¯t want to. Her happiness is the most important thing." Lin Jian knew she must be confused of what she should do next ---ing back to her old family or admitting her rtionship with the Ce Fei.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other. They had a tacit understanding and realized that it seemed like Lin Jan also started to behave more mature --- just like Xiao Fang. Yao Ying said, "It¡¯s good if you can think that way. Why don¡¯t we make a n about Han Xiang first? I have an idea on how to make the Qin Emperor dissolves this marriage, but it will make Han Xiang¡¯s life turn into hell. So, if we want to find out about the reason she targets Han Xiang¡¯s family, we have to move fast before Han Xiang¡¯s life spiraling downhill."

    They listened carefully to Yao Ying¡¯s n and then they discussed it until they finalized the details. Tomorrow, they only need to give Xiao Fang their ns¡¯ rundown and quickly start the n without any dy.

    That night, the trio couldn¡¯t sleep really well because they were hoping that everything would finish smoothly and sessfully.

    The next day, Xiao Fang woke up early. She spent one night to sort out her thought and she felt calmer than before. She started to ept her dual identity but she needed to go back home in order to assure her that it was indeed the truth. Xiao Fang knew that she needed to talk with her father and brother.

    After finished preparing herself, Xiao Fang quickly went to find Yao Ling. It was quite early in the morning and Han Xiang was still asleep. Xiao Fang already ordered Han Er to notify her when Han Xiang woke up. Xiao Fang realized that Yao Ling must have given Han Xiang quite strong sleeping powder because she had slept quite a long time since yesterday.

    Yao Ling told her the n that they discussed all night and Xiao Fang nodded in agreement without hesitation. It wasn¡¯t only because of her trust to the trio, but it was really a good n. Whether Han Xiang ended up miserable or not, it would depend on her answer and Yao Ling had already agreed to Xiao Fang¡¯s request. That was why they had prepared two ns ahead of time.

    Yao Ling checked on General Hu after her meeting with Xiao Fang and Yao Ling finally gave her consent that General Hu was allowed to go out and do some exercises. It was better for him to go out so they could deal with Han Xiang easily inside the inn and they already prepared a few people to obstruct and dy him froming back. She gave this matter to Zhuo Li to handle.

    General Hu went to Han Xiang¡¯s room and when he knew that she was still sleeping, he shook his head at herziness. Well... once a princess, always a princess. However, this time, Han Xiang was being wronged. Her peaceful sleep was due to Yao Ling¡¯s sleeping powder, no because of herziness. However, the image that she conjured on the general and his people¡¯s mind was created by herself and she had no one to me. If she had a good image from the start, the general would assume that she was too tired the previous day --- notzy. General Hu told Han Er to pay more attention to Han Xiang and not allow her toe out unnecessarily.

    Han Er quickly appeased General Hu and send the man out herself. After General Hu left, she quickly notified the others that they should start the preparation. It was time for the n to start.

    Yao Ling gave two vials to Xiao Fang and told her, "Use these just like how I told you, okay? Don¡¯t mix them up or change the order! We will be waiting outside and if there¡¯s something wrong, we wille to your rescue."

    Xiao Fang nodded and she took a deep breath to calm herself down, telling herself that she could do this. When her eyes identally met with Lin Jian¡¯s, she was able to see a deep concern there and somehow, it made her feel calmer. Hopefully, there was a future for them... They... weren¡¯t connected by blood, right? From Tao Gu Gu¡¯s words, she was conceived because of the Emperor¡¯s dirty deed... she wasn¡¯t General Lin¡¯s daughter. From what she recalled, Lin Jian was General Lin¡¯s son with another woman --- not the Ce Fei.

    Xiao Fang was horrified by her wandering mind. She shook her head to clean her mind, this wasn¡¯t the right time to think about romance! She gave a small reassuring smile toward Lin Jian and then she walk into Han Xiang¡¯s room. She gripped her own sleeve tightly, trying to stop her trembling hand. This was the first time she was doing a scheme, so how could she not feeling nervous at all?

    Han Er opened the door for her and Xiao Fang quickly went to the bed side where she could see Han Xiang¡¯s sleeping figure. She sprinkled the first powder around Han Xiang¡¯s pillow and she waited for a few moment. When she saw a sign of movement, she quickly sprinkled the powder of the second vial. She already memorized which vial should be given first, otherwise, there would be no effect.

    She had never once removed her veil all this time, so she didn¡¯t feel worried that she would affected by the powder --- it wouldn¡¯t reach her nose. Xiao Fang waited for Han Xiang to open her eyes while she nced at thetter coldly.

    When Han Xiang opened her eyes, her eyes were full of haze and it seemed like she wasn¡¯t fully sober. This was the effect that she needed and she slowly sat beside Han Xiang. "Han Xiang ah~ are you okay?"

    "What... what happened to me?" Han Xiang asked groggily.

    "Yesterday? You fainted and luckily, Han Er was right there with you. She quickly ran to find me and Yao Ling Gu Niang already checked on you. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t a big deal. It seems like you are too tired mentally and physically," Xiao Fang exined.

    "Thank you," Xiao Fang thanked her gratefully.

    "Don¡¯t mention it. We are best friend, right?" Xiao Fang asked with a cheery tone, unlike her real feeling.

    Xiao Fang paid attention to Han Xiang¡¯s each movement and she didn¡¯t miss a hint of mockery in Han Xiang¡¯s gaze. Han Xiang covered it up real quick and Xiao Fang pretended that she didn¡¯t see it, but she started to feel disappointed. It seemed like the other didn¡¯t really treat her as a best friend. Xiao Fang sighed inwardly in dismay.

    "Of course ah~" Han Xiang answered with a lovelyugh.

    Xiao Fang thought about how well Xiao Fang was acting and her heart turned colder. "Do you want to sleep again?" Xiao Fang asked Han Xiang softly.

    Han Xiang tried to move her body and she still felt weak. She didn¡¯t even have the strength to move so she decided to rest and sleep again. After all, she could do nothing in this situation. She would just wait for new reinforcement and knew that ¡¯that man¡¯ would certainly prepare a batch of new maidservants for her when the dowry came. With Han Er monitoring her, she could do nothing at all.

    "I will sleep again," Han Xiang finally said. She started to feel dizzier and dizzier...

    "You go to sleep then..." Xiao Fang said softly and she tucked Han Xiang into bed. Thetter felt asleep in no time and Xiao Fang knew that it was time for her to find out the truth. She just needed to wait for one incense stick of time...

 Chapter 224 Lin Zhou: The Truth 2

    When one incense stick of time had passed, Xiao Fang cleared her throat and tried to wake Han Xiang up by calling her name softly, "Han Xiang... Han Xiang..."

    "Hmmm..." Han Xiang answered in a mumble.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up, knowing that the powders that Yao Ling gave her started to work on Han Xiang. "Do you know me?" Xiao Fang asked just for testing the water.

    "Hmmm... Xiao Fang ah~ Silly! Why do you still need to ask me?" Han Xiang answered with a softugh. Her eyes were still closed, but it seemed like Han Xiang subconsciously recognized her voice.

    "Han Xiang... do you think of me as a sister or... best friend?" Xiao Fang asked a warming-up question, just to test Han Xiang whether she was in a delirious state or not --- just to be safe.

    Han Xiang¡¯s eyes were still closed but she was still able to answer Xiao Fang¡¯s question. "I used to think of you as one... but now? I don¡¯t think of you that way anymore..."

    Xiao Fang was quite dumbfounded and she couldn¡¯t mask her bitterness, so... it was true after all. Was she that gullible all this time for not realizing this? Even, Han Yi suspected this a long time ago. Han Xiang indeed had changed... Yao Ling gave her a truth powder and it wasbined with another powder that could make Han Xiang think that she was actually dreaming. If she woke upter, she would only think of this conversation as a dream. Not only that, she could only speak the truth under the powder¡¯s effect.

    "But why...?" Xiao Fang asked in trembling voice.

    "Because ¡¯that man¡¯ came to find me and tell me the whole truth..." Han Xiang answered softly.When Xiao Fang heard Han Xiang¡¯s answer, she realized that someone tried to drive a wedge between the two of them and it was already nned for a long time ago. She believed that the current Han Xiang was incapable of telling a lie...

    "What truth?" Xiao Fang asked.

    Xiao Fang bit her lower lips, feeling distressed. It seemed like Han Xiang had known this a long time ago... What was the man¡¯s aim? Her family? The downfall of Left Prime Minister? If not for that purpose, then what else? She had nothing but her powerful family...

    It made her feel so curious to know the mastermind behind Han Xiang... Who was that man?

    "What... what truth?" Xiao Fang asked once again while furrowing her eyebrows, because Han Xiang hadn¡¯t given her an answer yet. She had a bad feeling about this... Did she really know about it?

    True enough, Han Xiang¡¯s next words became a confirmation of Xiao Fang¡¯s guess all along. "I¡¯m not Han Xiang. I mean I am Han Xiang, but not the real one... Xiao Fang is supposed to be the real Han Xiang!" Han Xiang blurted out everything honestly with a voice full of hatred. A few years back, a man came to find her and told her everything from the beginning to the end --- all about the Ce Fei¡¯s life story.

    Han Xiang imagined how all this time the bad treatment and the abuse that she had received, all because she was actually a substitute! She wasn¡¯t even a princess to begin with and she was shoved into a role that she scorned. She always endured the beating but it was actually a big lie. Her whole life was a big lie!

    She always yearned for her Father Emperor¡¯s love, but it became a big joke all of a sudden. There would be no way she would feel a warm family.

    Human nature was always like this... If she was a beloved princess, when Xiao Fang -- the real one appeared, she probably wouldn¡¯t want to give the position back to Xiao Fang.

    However, Han Xiang led a horrible life and naturally, she hated the princess title that she had received. Of course, she would me the real daughter for this --- in this case, Xiao Fang. If Xiao Fang just stayed in the pce, wouldn¡¯t she have another life? Maybe a peaceful one?

    "Why do you me me... your best friend? Aren¡¯t I always treating you like her real sister? Have you ever thought that I also don¡¯t know about my real identity?" Xiao Fang asked. This was what she wanted to ask all along. In this switching matter, both of them were innocent. How... how could she me her?

    Han Xiang made an udylikeugh with a hint of tears in it. It seemed like... it was painful for Han Xiang too. "I know... you are actually the light of my life especially in my darkest hours. Without you, I probably would have died a long time ago. I know that you probably don¡¯t know about your real identity, but... I am selfish... I can only make myself hate you in order to survive! The more I hate you, the better!"

    "What do you mean?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion. "If you thought of me that way, then why did you betray me and change your feelings into hatred?"

    "At first... I didn¡¯t have a n to betray you. When he came to me, I just scoffed at him arrogantly," Han Xiang said bitterly. "I really really thought of you as my sister..."

    "But... you finally chose to betray me. Why? Did he offer something better to you? Did he help you solve a lot of problems for you? What? Tell me!" Xiao Fang¡¯s voice became louder and it rmed the people outside. When they took a peek, nothing was wrong with Xiao Fang --- she had her back on then and it seemed like she was still talking with Han Xiang.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shoulde in to give a support or not. She decided against it because Xiao Fang didn¡¯t ask for her help, besides, they could hear clearly their conversation due to the thin paper door.

    Xiao Fang knew that Yao Ling was worried, but she needed to face this alone. Han Xiang didn¡¯t give her a straight answer, so she asked once again, "What did he offer you that made you finally betraying me?"

    A tear flew out of Han Xiang¡¯s red rimmed eyes... "It wasn¡¯t because of his offer, to be exact..."

    Xiao Fang frowned. It seemed like even though she was in deep sleep, her subconscious mind didn¡¯t want to reveal her deepest secret. Xiao Fang pushed a little bit harder, "Then... why? You weren¡¯t interested in his offer, so what made you change your mind?"

    "I... I can¡¯t say... It¡¯s too embarrassing!" Han Xiang said and she cried even harder than before.

    Xiao Fang sighed and felt helpless all of a sudden. She wondered whether she should keep pushing for an answer or not. She still had a weakness toward Han Xiang and she felt hurt when she cried --- just like the first time she saw Han Xiang back then. She shook her head and steeled herself, ¡¯No... I have to ask the truth!¡¯

    Xiao Fang quickly said, "What¡¯s so embarrassing about it? We are best friend, right? Hmmm...?" Xiao Fang twisted her words and she went with the soft approach.

    "That man... that man... made me drink a poison," Han Xiang admitted. "Not only that... he forced himself on me, so I could only have him as my man..." He did something to make her need him all the time --- emotionally and physically. She also didn¡¯t understand how. Han Xiang didn¡¯t know how to put their rtionship into words, so her exnation was a bit hard for Xiao Fang to understand. In order to maintain her sanity, she decided to abandon Xiao Fang and made herself fall in love to the man.

    They were still in a conservative era and once she was tainted by a man, she became his. At least, by loving him, she could justify their sexual life or else she would go crazy and somehow... this made her understand the Ce Fei¡¯s feeling. However, instead of depression, she chose hatred to stay alive!

    Xiao Fang was dumbfounded, she would never thought that there was such a reason. "Why don¡¯t you seek my help?" Xiao Fang asked. If she asked for help since the first time that man appeared, she would be able to help her!

 Chapter 225 Lin Zhou: The Truth 3

    "Ha... what¡¯s the use of telling you? You are just a pampered daughter of the Left Prime Minister. I don¡¯t mind taking your ce. Even though I live a life full of pain, at least, I don¡¯t need to care about the daily expenses. Yes, I¡¯m that vain! Besides, you always treat me nicely. But this poison and his treatment toward me... are thest straw!" Han Xiang said in anger.

    "What kind of poison?" Xiao Fang asked weakly.

    "I don¡¯t know! I already tried to find several famous doctors secretly, but no one was able to help me! I could only survive with the antidote that he gave me!" Han Xiang became more and more agitated. Han Xiang actually never had someone to talk about this, so when the chance came, she couldn¡¯t stop herself from pouring her heart out. "If I have known beforehand, I wouldn¡¯t be in this predicament ah~!"

    "That¡¯s why I have to convince myself that I hate you! If there was no you, I would be able to leave my own life. The princess title bes nothing in my eyes! Now... I have to listen to his beck and call!" Han Xiang added with hatred. She gripped her own hands tightly until it bleed due to her own nails.

    After the dam had been broken, it seemed like everything poured out of Han Xiang¡¯s mouth in mumble jumble sequences. "If I didn¡¯t convince myself to hate you, I wouldn¡¯t survive because of my conscience... The more hatred that I feel for you, the better! It justifies the things that I had done toward you and also... there are still many more things that he wanted me to do that will definitely hurt you more! I need to keep my sanity to survive!"

    Xiao Fang could see the guilt and the hatred in between her words, somehow... it made her feel pity toward her. She could have walked different path by trusting her, but it seemed like she tried to justify everything that she did by throwing the me at Xiao Fang¡¯s body. Xiao Fang couldn¡¯t bear to hear it... It seemed like their rtionship had already reached the phase where it was irreparable.

    "So, you hate me now?" Xiao Fang asked. She was giving Han Xiang ast chance, if she didn¡¯t say hate... then she would forget everything and start over. She determined to find a way to help Han Xiang.

    However, after listening to her answer, her heart turned cold and Xiao Fang was in despair. It seemed like the hatred had been embedded deep within Han Xiang¡¯s heart.

    "Yes! I hate you! I hope that you will die along with your family! On what basis, for you to have everything good for yourself? What about me? You gave me a title but you are the one who enjoys being pampered by the Left Prime Minister¡¯s family. I will ruin you and your family! I want to get revenge!" Han Xiang said in a sinister voice.

    A lot of hatred were poured when Han Xiang said that. Even in her dream state, she managed to sit up and try to throttle Xiao Fang which made thetter be scared. The trio who had been waiting outside quickly went inside the room. They saw the chaos and Yao Ling quickly pierced Han Xiang¡¯s acupuncture point to calm her down. It seemed like her heart and mind had been disturbed greatly by the conversation.

    They heard everything but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything. Yao Ling merely asked, "Her condition isn¡¯t quite stable now. Do you want to talk more with her? I can give you a little bit of time." She wanted to know whether Xiao Fang needed to talk about something else with Han Xiang or not.

    Xiao Fangughed while tears pouring out of her eyes. "I don¡¯t even know what I want to ask her! Everything that she said... makes my heart bleed. What else I should know about? Her condemn? Her hatred? Her unreasonable jealousy? I indeed exchange ce with her, but I also stumbled upon a loving family by chance..."

    The trio looked at each other and knew that the woman was feeling hurt. Yao Ling needed to pay attention to Han Xiang¡¯s condition because there was a side effect for the medicine and only her could handle it. She had no time to pay attention to Xiao Fang orfort her because this was a critical moment for Han Xiang. Yao Ling needed to stabilize her condition first.

    It left only Lin Jian tofort her because there was no way Yao Ying wouldfort another woman except for his wife. He just calmly stood at the side while giving Lin Jian a chance to shine. Lin Jian tried to calm himself down and think that he was only trying to calm his own sister down... sister... but not sharing the same blood. Damn! He cursed inwardly. He just met her for a few days! Why did she affect him so much?

    Lin Jian had no other choice but to hug the hysterical Xiao Fang. His warmth made Xiao Fang felt calmer and her heart beat faster, but she had no time to think about their physical contact. She just want to hold onto his warmth as her support. When Lin Jian patted her back, she felt safe but she still cried bitterly. She knew her eyes must have been red and swollen.

    Xiao Fang heard his low charming voice talking on her ears softly, "Don¡¯t think too much about her! This woman is filled with jealousy and just like Tao Gu Gu said, she could have choose a different path... but she didn¡¯t. You can do nothing about it..." He didn¡¯t know what else to say... He wasn¡¯t really good atforting people and he rarely got closer to the opposite sex... He liked a broken record and chose what Tao Gu Gu said tofort her...

    Xiao Fang knew how awkward he felt but the thought that counted. Somehow, it made a soft smile appear on her lips, but only her... knew about this. She was also surprised that she could smile in this condition.

    While the couple was busy hugging, Yao Ying paid attention to Yao Ling¡¯s movement and in less than half shichen, Han Xiang¡¯s condition had stabilized. She nced at the hugging couple and her lips curled up for a bit. She paid them no mind and talked to Yao Ying, "She¡¯s in a good condition now. Just now... she was too agitated and it affected her state of mind. I think we need to talk to her once more, after all, we haven¡¯t found out anything about ¡¯the man¡¯ --- except what he did to Han Xiang."

    Yao Ying nodded in agreement. "Will it affect her mind?" Yao Ying asked.

    "If we continue use the powders, yes, it will. But there¡¯s no problem if we just use it once more," Yao Ling said. "However, we can only use smaller dose and the time we have will be limited as well." Yao Ling didn¡¯t want her powders to harm Han Xiang¡¯s mind too. Not only that, their n would be ruined as well.

    "Lin Jian, what do you think?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Just do it! The sooner we know our enemy, the better," Lin Jian said. Xiao Fang didn¡¯t say anything but she merely nodded in agreement. She tried not to care about Han Xiang anymore because if one of them didn¡¯t cease to exist, she was pretty sure that Han Xiang would keep trying to harm her or her family. She couldn¡¯t risk that possibility.

    This time, Yao Ling was the one who asked the question. She asked more calmly that Xiao Fang and she used her business tone when asking the questions, "Han Xiang, can you tell me who is the man behind you?"

    "What do you mean?" Han Xiang asked with a voice full of vignce. It seemed like she was trained to not answer the question subconsciously, however Yao Ling could see her trembling body. Despite her arrogant appearance, she was afraid of the man. Han Xiang was under his full control.

    Yao Ling was able to feel that the man had a really powerful background. Otherwise, why would a princess afraid of him to this extent?

 Chapter 226 Lin Zhou: The Truth 4

    "Of course, about the man who gave you poison and told you to ruin Xiao Fang¡¯s family..." Yao Ling deliberately didn¡¯t say the man who forced himself on her, otherwise, it would agitate the woman once more. Yao Ling had seen when the poor Han Xiang talked about the poison, she didn¡¯t have a big reaction unlike when she said that she was forced by the man. It seemed like she had a mental trauma once she remembered that part.

    The Ce Fei tragedy had repeated itself. What if Xiao Fang was on Han Xiang¡¯s position? Would she be treated the same as Han Xiang? Yao Ling shuddered at the thought... It was too scary to imagine. She couldn¡¯t imagine herself in Han Xiang¡¯s position... That man was beyond evil.

    Han Xiang shook her head like she was given a death sentence --- she was in deep fear. "I... I can¡¯t tell you. That man is very dangerous... and no one... no one will be able to touch him... He¡¯s too cruel... He has no boundaries... no one will be able to defeat him..." She talked in distress.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other. This fear wasn¡¯t an ordinary fear --- it was like the fear was embedded deep into her even in her unconscious state. They wondered what else that she had been through but they had no time to feel pity for her, because they had limited time.

    Yao Ling tried to soothe her, "Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s okay... just tell me who he is and we will handle him for you..." She persuaded with a soft mesmerizing tone.

    "Really? You can handle him?" Han Xiang asked with a voice and expression full of hope just like a little girl, even though both of her eyes were closed.

    "Yes, we will help you... as long as you tell me who he is..." Yao Ling coaxed her once more.

    "As long as you can handle him... I will tell you. Please... kill him for me! Kill him for me!" Han Xiang said with deep hatred. Han Xiang¡¯s mind had been blinded by hatred --- she hated her friends and foes... With such a crazy state, Yao Ling didn¡¯t know how she would be able to live the rest of her life after this.

    "Yes... yes... we will... we will also give you a happy life with a new man... Do you want it?" Yao Ling asked. She wanted to know what Han Xiang¡¯s desire was by giving her a suggestion.

    "I want... I want... As long as it isn¡¯t that man... as long as it isn¡¯t him..." Han Xiang answered. "As long as the man loves me, I will let go of everything. Even if I don¡¯t have the ¡¯princess¡¯ title, I will be beyond happy... I just want to live peacefully..."

    Xiao Fang¡¯s body stiffened when she heard what Han Xiang said. She meekly asked the trio, "Can we help her fulfill this? I owe her that much..." She couldn¡¯t bear to let Han Xiang stay this way or she would feel guilty for the rest of her life. She really wanted to cut off their friendship... she did... but... they had been friends for so long. So how could she abandon her when they could help her by giving her a closure? A new life... Han Xiang yearned for a new life...

    Yao Ling sighed. "I can help her with that... But we need to know who the man is..."

    Xiao Fang nodded her head and stopped talking, then she let Yao Ling do the talking once again. Yao Ling asked in a soothing voice, "So... can you tell me the man¡¯s name?"

    "I... I don¡¯t dare to say his name..." Han Xiang said while her body started to sweat due to the distress that she had unconsciously felt.

    "Why?" Yao Ling asked again.

    "Because he¡¯s Father Emperor ah~!" Han Xiang answered.

    *Bang*

    *Thump*

    *Thump*

    *Thump*

    The quartet was beyond surprised. All of them gasped at the same time! How could they not?! It never once urred in their mind that the mastermind was actually the current Han Emperor. At the very least, Han Xiang was currently his daughter --- the princess ah~! They had the same thought... they were disgusted by the so-called Emperor. He even devoured his own child --- even if she wasn¡¯t his real daughter, they had more that a decade father and daughter rtionship ah~ Didn¡¯t he feel anything toward Han Xiang? Was there no fatherly love in his mind at all?

    Yao Ling quickly put Han Xiang in a deep sleep when she started to feel that thetter was in chaotic mind once again. Han Xiang couldn¡¯t handle the powders¡¯ effect anymore, so Yao Ling had no choice but to pierce her acupuncture point to calm the woman down. She told Han Er to pay attention to Han Xiang and call her if there was an abnormality. Han Er quickly murmured that she understood and the quartet left her alone with Han Xiang. They needed to discuss this urgent matter in their own room --- just to be safe.

    "I would never thought that the man behind Han Xiang is actually the Emperor!" Yao Ying eximed. This news was too shocking even for him because he never thought that a person could be such a beast to his own family member --- truly terrifying.

    Xiao Fang felt like her soul was leaving her body. Was that disgusting man really her real father? He even touched her own step-daughter... He knew about her identity... that she was the real daughter... But how? Even though he knew that she was the real one, he was still cruel enough by trying to destroy her and her family... He incited a hatred between her and Han Xiang... What else that this cruel man couldn¡¯t do?

    Lin Jian saw her dejected state and he didn¡¯t know what else to do... He could only put her on hisp and hugged her tighter. Both of them didn¡¯t realize how closed they are to each other and how intimate they looked like... They were too busy to care... Yao Ying and Yao Ling helplessly looked at each other. They knew that Lin Jian and Xiao Fang¡¯s minds were elsewhere, so how could they discuss this matter?

    However, they didn¡¯t have much time left.

    Yao Ling reminded Lin Jian, "Can we focus on the matter at hand? If you want, you can cryter..." She pointed thest part at Xiao Fang. "If we want to help Han Xiang, we can only do it before the new bridal dowries arrive... On the other hand, if the Han Emperor has already known about the truth, I¡¯m afraid that even Tao Gu Gu is in danger."

    Yao Ling continued talking, "Not only that... Xiao Fang... your family is also in grave danger. It seems like the Han Emperor is afraid of your father¡¯s powerful influence, otherwise, he won¡¯t target your family. Do you want to continue to cry and be a weakdy... or do you want to save your family?"

    Yao Ling knew that what she said was ruthless, but she needed to p Xiao Fang with her words and make her wake up... She needed to face the reality! The sooner the better...

    Xiao Fang¡¯s whole body froze when she heard what Yao Ling said and she knew that Yao Ling said all that for her own good despite her ruthless words. She quickly straightened up her body and wiped her tears, after doing that, she started to realize her position. She was intimately sitting on Lin Jian¡¯sp. When did this happen? She thought to herself, feeling ashamed of her behavior.

    Xiao Fang quickly jumped up in embarrassment and her face was slightly reddened. She stuttered, "I... I¡¯m sorry... Lin Jian Ge..." She didn¡¯t dare to look at Lin Jian on his face, so she could only look down and bite her lower lips, feeling uneasy.

    Lin Jian felt the loss of her warmth and sighed in regret, but he maintained his expression quite well. "It¡¯s okay... Are you feeling better now?" He pretended that what had happened just now didn¡¯t affect him whatsoever, even though he felt the opposite. He didn¡¯t want to make her feel unsettled.

 Chapter 227 Lin Zhou: The Truth 5

    Xiao Fang nodded. "I feel so much better..." She paused for a little while, then continued talking, "Even if I want to cry, I will cryter. Yao Ling is correct... we need to do something about this matter. Will... will all of you help my family too?"

    The trio looked at each other and they didn¡¯t know what to say. Their mission was merely for them to ruin the marriage and they already did a lot more by trying to give Han Xiang a new life... But helping Xiao Fang¡¯s family too... Should they do that too? It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t want to help her, but... could they leave their own kingdom that long to save Xiao Fang¡¯s family? Yao Ying and Yao Ling had a lot of unsettled matter back at Wang Fu, so they didn¡¯t know how to answer Xiao Fang¡¯s plea.

    "We can talk about your family matterter, okay? At least, we need to take care of Han Xiang¡¯s matter first," Yao Ying was the one who answered the question. He didn¡¯t say yes or no, but merely diverted their attention to more important matter at hand. The trio could only discuss Xiao Fang¡¯s matter secretly on their ownter.

    Xiao Fang had no choice but murmur her agreement, after all, she was the one who seek their help and it was their choice to help her or not. At the very least, they tried to help Han Xiang to get a new life --- just like her wishes, so she could only retreat for the moment.

    "The Han Emperor, huh?" Lin Jian couldn¡¯t help but turn his hatred toward that man. If it wasn¡¯t for him, his mother wouldn¡¯t be taken away and they would live happily back at the Shu Kingdom. Not only that, Han Xiang wouldn¡¯t be a lunatic under his poison.

    "I bet he used the same medicine that he had used to subdue the Ce Fei," Yao Ling said.

    The other three nodded in agreement. This man was beyond disgusting. He thought by sessfully using it once, he could use it to show his power over women over and over again, huh? They wondered if he could do this even to his stepdaughter, then how many women had be his victims? He was an Emperor and the highest power in Han Kingdom, who dared to touch him?

    "I will try to check on Han Xiang¡¯s condition, but I¡¯m not so sure if I could help her that much..." Yao Ling said. She didn¡¯t pay attention to Han Xiang¡¯s condition previously, so she didn¡¯t know how much her body had been damaged by the poison. Han Xiang thought that she was given antidote, but it was actually not so. They kept feeding her with poison ah~

    Xiao Fang nodded her head. "You want to help her... is already Han Xiang¡¯s greatest blessing," Xiao Fang said with a forced smile, after all, her heart and mind were still in chaos.

    "Haish... I just couldn¡¯t bear to see a woman is being tormented like that by the Han Emperor," Yao Ling admitted. It was actually nothing personal, but the Han Emperor was truly too vicious with his method. Yao Ling didn¡¯t believe for one bit that it wasn¡¯t under the concubine who gave her the medicine¡¯s persuasion. What a disgusting couple!

    "So... are we still going with the old n?" Xiao Fang asked softly.

    Yao Ling said, "We still do... But we have to adjust it, so it will go along with Han Xiang¡¯s preferences..."

    The others nodded in agreement and they talked about the adjustment of the n. They quickly did it stealthily and Lin Jian didn¡¯t forget to order several men to protect Tao Gu Gu --- just in case the Han Emperor found out her whereabouts. When they went back to their own city, they would bring Tao Gu Gu back along with them. Their current position was too close to the Han Kingdom and there was a possibility that the Han Emperor found out Tao Gu Gu¡¯s whereabouts by ident. Lin Jian couldn¡¯t risk that because he had made a vow to protect Tao Gu Gu and her family.

    While General Hu was still outside, Yao Ling used her acupuncture method to try to detoxify Han Xiang¡¯s posion. However, it seemed like she had been given this poison for far too long and there was no way for Yao Ling to heal her a hundred percent. She realized that the poison had been mixed with her blood and if they wanted to fully heal her, they needed to extract her blood and change it with another person¡¯s blood. However, it was too high risk and Yao Ling decided that she wasn¡¯t going to used that method. Besides, there was no guarantee that this treatment would be sessful.

    She had made a decision not to use this method, so Yao Ling didn¡¯t n to let Xiao Fang know about this method. Besides, to save Han Xiang, it meant that they had to sacrifice another person... so, it was against Yao Ling¡¯s own conscience too.

    Yao Ling told Xiao Fang the result apologetically, "I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think I can do a lot of things for her..." Yao Ling had exined in details and Xiao Fang knew that Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a God... she couldn¡¯t save everyone. However, she couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed.

    "Do you think she could have the happiness that she wants?" Xiao Fang asked softly.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "It¡¯s quite hard... Her inner organs are in a bad condition, hence you can¡¯t see her real condition in a nce. There is a probability that her hatred is fueled by the poison --- it affects her brain too. Her hatred toward you... probably isn¡¯t really Han Xiang¡¯s real thought." Yao Ling paused for a little while, before she was finally able to say the next words hesitantly, "I don¡¯t know whether I should tell you or not, but... it seems like she had been pregnant for a few times and... it was aborted a few times... She won¡¯t be able to bear any children in the future..."

    *Bang*

    How could that be? How could that be? Xiao Fang asked herself inwardly. What kind of human being would be able to do that to a little girl?! How could Xiao Fang hate Han Xiang at this point? Han Xiang¡¯s hatred... Han Xiang¡¯s change of personalities... everything... everything... was justified... All of this happened because of one person! The Han Emperor! That kind of Emperor? How could they serve him? She needed to find a way --- to get revenge. She didn¡¯t care if he was her real father... To her, he was just an enemy... the most disgusting person she had ever known!

    She remembered the way The Emperor used to look at her with a gentle and amiable smile, but it was actually only a fake facade!

    "But... can she live normally in the future? Without the poison?" Xiao Fang asked hesitantly. Their n was to let her get married in peace with amoner, however, with her current condition... was it possible?

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I¡¯m afraid not... If she lives together with me, I can help her detoxify her poison daily. However, it will only dy the poison --- not fully cure it." There was nothing else that Yao Ling could do. Truthfully, Yao Ling didn¡¯t really want to bring Han Xiang along with her, because her own life was also in danger at Wang Fu. How could she protect Han Xiang who was already on her death bed? She looked healthy from the outside but her body had already deteriorated from the inside...

    Xiao Fang could see the hesitancy on Yao Ling¡¯s face. It seemed like she wanted to say something but she didn¡¯t know how to say it out loud. Xiao Fang asked in a trembling voice, "Do... do you have any other news to tell me?" Somehow, she felt afraid to listen to it. She would have never guessed that Han Xiang¡¯s condition was bad to this extent ah~.

    "Without the poison, there¡¯s no chance that she¡¯s able to live long..." Yao Ling trailed off at thest part.

    "How much longer she could live?" Xiao Fang asked with red-rimmed eyes. She was trying hard to hold back her tears.

 Chapter 228 Lin Zhou: Her Wish

    Yao Ling bit her lower lips because she personally knew how bad Han Xiang¡¯s condition was. It seemed like the Han Emperor knew about this and sent Han Xiang to the Qin Kingdom in order to send away this hot potato... Probably this would serve as herst mission, the catalyst of war and also... to kill of the Left Prime Minister household. Vicious! Truly vicious!

    Yao Ling answered, "Less than two months."

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know what to think, but today she could only feel despair. She asked in a whisper, "Is there really nothing that you can do?"

    "I¡¯m sorry..." Yao Ling looked apologetically at Xiao Fang. "I already told you everything that I could do for her..."

    "Can you leave me alone for a little while? I need to think by myself..." Xiao Fang asked weakly.

    Yao Ling nodded and she turned around to leave her alone. Before she went out, Yao Ling said, "I already detoxify a little bit of the poison... however, it¡¯s only the poison that hasn¡¯t merged into her body. There¡¯s a possibility that she has a sound mind for a little while before the poison starts to activate again... You can talk with her when she wakes up... But, don¡¯t have too much hope!"

    "Thank you..." Xiao Fang could only mutter these two words. She didn¡¯t even know what she wanted to say to Han Xiang at this point. She could only stare at Han Xiang nkly... until she woke up. Her heart was in disarray because she was also confused whether she should keep hating and ming her... or not... But one thing for sure, it wasn¡¯t Han Xiang¡¯s fault... it was that disgusting Emperor¡¯s fault.

    Yao Ling sighed. It seemed like they couldn¡¯t start the n until Xiao Fang made a decision. One night... she could only give Xiao Fang one night... After that, no matter what Xiao Fang said, the trio would do their n without her consent.

    Time was ticking, after all...

    When Han Xiang woke up, she felt that this was the first time for a long time she had a fresh mind. There was no sound in her mind that kept trying to incite her hatred or tell her what to do. She blinked her eyes and she saw Xiao Fang. She started to sweat, knowing that the sound woulde out again whenever she met her. However, after she waited for a few moments, it didn¡¯t happen... It was unusually quiet...

    ¡¯What¡¯s going on?¡¯ She thought to herself. The voice had lived in her mind for so long and she felt at a loss when it didn¡¯t appear in her mind.

    "Xiao Fang... what are you doing here?" Han Xiang asked softly. It was different from her usual indifferent and sometimes prickly voice.

    Xiao Fang jumped up when she heard the question because her mind was elsewhere, she didn¡¯t notice that Han Xiang had already woken up. "How are you feeling?" Xiao Fang asked, not answering Han Xiang¡¯s question.

    "I have never feel better and it seems like I have a long dream... although I don¡¯t even remember about it," Han Xiang admitted honestly.

    "Han Xiang ah~ Do you still treat me as your best friend?" Xiao Fang determined to ask this question once again, knowing that at this time... Han Xiang was in a great condition. The treatment toward her was different from usual.

    If it was other time, there would be a voice in Han Xiang¡¯s mind that kept saying ¡¯Hate her! Hate her!¡¯, but this time, her mind was as clear as day. Han Xiang smiled widely, "Of course! You are my best friend... my sister..."

    Xiao Fang felt like crying... This was her! This was the Han Xiang that she had known... If only... if only, she paid attention to her change... Han Xiang¡¯s condition wouldn¡¯t go bad to this extent. To think that a few moments ago, she started to hate and me Han Xiang for her behavior. Knowing Han Xiang¡¯s condition, it seemed like Xiao Fang had failed her as her best friend. She couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty because of it.

    "Then... tell me... what are your wishes?" Xiao Fang asked.

    Han Xiang didn¡¯t know that Xiao Fang already knew about her condition. She had tried to mask her condition, but she knew that there were a lot of times that she was muddle-headed and she did many things that unlike herself. It was a rare time for her to talk like this with Xiao Fang... and for the first time in a long time, she felt happy.

    "Hmmm... my wishes... I just want to be like a butterfly..." Han Xiang answered while she stared at nothing. This was her wish since she heard Tao Gu Gu said about butterfly and she found so many ways to try to attract butterflies until she was sessful.

    "Butterfly? Why?" Xiao Fang asked softly.

    "There¡¯s a secret that you don¡¯t know... and I want it to remain a secret..." Han Xiangughed. "By bing a butterfly, I canugh and fly freely in the sky... I can have my own freedom and happiness... I can live and be whatever I want to be..." She pulled up her hand and directed it toward the window --- toward the sky and it felt like she was touching the sky when she did that.

    It seemed like a simple wish, but for Xiao Fang who already knew the whole story, she bit her lower lips and tried to prevent herself from crying out loud. ¡¯Han Xiang... her Han Xiang... what could I do for you?¡¯ Xiao Fang thought to herself.

    "How about love?" Xiao Fang suddenly asked. They used to talk about love and handsome noblemen while giggling together. Xiao Fang realized that it had been a long time since they were talking about their crush and dream.

    Han Xiangughed bitterly. "What kind of love that I can have? No need..." Han Xiang didn¡¯t tell that her body was getting worse, so there would be no hope for her to taste love ah... Then, she smiled while reminding Xiao Fang, "I¡¯m getting married, remember?"

    "Are you sure? If you want to... I can help you live a new life..." Xiao Fang gave an offer to Han Xiang.

    Han Xiang gulped, feeling tempted. However, she decided to shake her head. "No... It will implicate your family. I¡¯m fine, really..." Anyway, she could not live for long. Han Xiang actually knew that this wedding shouldn¡¯t happen... But, she couldn¡¯t control her own mindtely and she wasn¡¯t able to think clearly. She didn¡¯t even remember many things that happened previously, since she had taken the poison.

    Xiao Fang was quite surprised by Han Xiang¡¯s sudden of change and it made her quite confused which one was the real her. However, she believed in Yao Ling¡¯s judgment and even if it was only her wishful thinking, she wished that this one was the real Han Xiang.

    They chatted like the good old days and Xiao Fang felt blissful with their current interaction. She didn¡¯t know how long that this Han Xiang would appear, but she enjoyed their conversation. They talked about anything, including their childhood memories. Not once they mentioned the Han Emperor... it was like they were in a tacit understanding about it. Xiao Fang also never brought out the topic about the change in Han Xiang¡¯s personalities too...

    They talked quite a long time and when Han Xiang started to cough and be paler, Xiao Fang got worried about Han Xiang¡¯s condition, even though thetter already said that she was fine. Xiao Fang understood that Han Xiang was already tired and she decided to let her sleep. Xiao Fang didn¡¯t go searching for Yao Ling because she wanted to be alone and she told Han Er not to disturb Han Xiang. She gave an order for Han Er to wait outside of the room, so Han Xiang wouldn¡¯t feel ufortable.

    However, she would regret this decision soon..

 Chapter 229 Lin Zhou: Shocking News

    The inn had no other guests other than them, so it was very quiet in the evening. When Xiao Fang inquired Han Xiang¡¯s condition, Han Er said that there was no movement inside the room. It seemed like Han Xiang was sleeping soundly.

    However, there was no movement until the next morning and the quartet started to be suspicious. General Hu was also the same. He thought the princess was onlyzy and willful, but not going out of the room for one day and there was no movement inside, General Hu started to feel uneasy.

    "Are you sure the princess is inside?" General Hu asked.

    Han Er nodded. "Yes... This servant took a peek for a few times sincest night and the princess was asleep... Does General Hu want this servant to wake her up?"

    General Hu was a man, so it was a bit inconvenience for him to directly go into the room. Not only that, his status was too low in front of the princess and he didn¡¯t dare to do that. When he was in distress, Xiao Fang appeared behind him. She also wanted to check on Han Xiang just like General Hu because somehow she and the trio felt a bit uneasy. However, when she went near Han Xiang¡¯s room, she heard themotion that had just happened and she wondered what it was all about.

    Xiao Fang asked softly, "What¡¯s going on, Hu Gong Zi?"

    General Hu exined that he felt worried about the princess because there was no movement inside the room and she kept sleeping from the previous day. Xiao Fang looked at General Hu in confusion while furrowing her eyebrows, "I talked with her yesterday and I saw that she wasn¡¯t in a good condition... Hence, I made the decision to let her sleep." Then, Xiao Fang asked Han Er who stood solemnly at the side, "Is there really no movement at all?"

    "This servant checked a few times and Han Xiang Gong Zhu was still sleeping soundly... It¡¯s normal if there¡¯s no movement when one is sleeping, so this servant only took a peek from outside of the room." Han Er answered. She didn¡¯t dare to wake her up because of Xiao Fang¡¯s order, besides... she was still in the room, so what could possibly go wrong, right?

    "Let me check on her!" Xiao Fang finally decided just to appease General Hu, besides, she still wanted to chat with Han Xiang. General Hu and Han Er¡¯s identities were inconvenience, they couldn¡¯t go inside without permission, so it left only her who could go inside Han Xiang¡¯s room.

    The room was still dimmed even though it was almost noon and somehow it felt a bit eerie. Xiao Fang furrowed her eyebrows, suddenly having a bad feeling. It was quiet... too quiet... Her hand started to tremble but she didn¡¯t understand why... Xiao Fang took a look and she sighed in relief, because Han Xiang was indeed sleeping soundly.

    Xiao Fang felt weird when she smelt Han Xiang¡¯s strong unique smell. It had been a long time her smell was so intense. It was sweet and tantalizing but yet so different from usual... She looked at the open window and wondered why Han Xiang opened it. Although it was only a small opening, wouldn¡¯t it make her caught a chill if it was opened all night? It was only a small window and the only source of light in the dimmed room. Han Xiang¡¯s room was located in the inner part of the inn, thus, it made her room quite dark, to begin with.

    Xiao Fang wanted to open the window wider when she took a look at the sleeping Han Xiang and she was surprised at what she saw. Han Xiang was smiling but her face was beyond pale, it was like there was no blood flowing inside her body --- even her lips turned a bit bluish. She went closer and with a trembling hand, Xiao Fang used her finger to sense Han Xiang¡¯s breath under her nose.

    There was no breath... Xiao Fang felt nothing... Only silence.

    *Thump*

    *Thump*

    *Thump*

    Her heart skipped a beat. She could definitely sense that something was wrong with Han Xiang.

    "Arrggghhh!" Xiao Fang screamed in a mixture of surprise and fear.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t even realize that she had cried like a lunatic. She yelled at Han Er to call Yao Ling. General Hu heard the ruckus however he didn¡¯t dare to barge in. He held Han Er¡¯s arm and asked what was wrong, but theter only shook her head. She didn¡¯t get closer to Han Xiang, so she had no idea what her young miss found out.

    "Hu Gong Zi, let me find Yao Ling Gu Niang first..." Han Er said weakly.

    General Hu knew that he could do nothing so he could only nod his head and give way to Han Er. He could see the panicked Xiao Fang and how she was trembling on the floor.

    Yao Ling was going to find Xiao Fang and when she saw how Han Er was in a hurry finding her, she felt quite puzzled. Was Han Xiang in rpse? It shouldn¡¯t have happened though... She already counted and it should be at the evening, then what was this ruckus all about?

    She quickly walked faster and followed along Han Er. Yao Ling was quite surprised when she saw General Hu standing quietly in front of the room. He didn¡¯t hinder Yao Ling, but finally decided to ask, "Can Ie in too?"

    "This..." Yao Ling didn¡¯t know how to answer because she also didn¡¯t know what exactly had happened.

    Xiao Fang let her out of the predicament, when Xiao Fang called them from inside the room, "Come in... It¡¯s best if General Hu cane in too..." When they heard Xiao Fang¡¯s agreement, they quickly went in.

    "What happened?" Yao Ling asked in concern.

    "She... she¡¯s not breathing..." Xiao Fang said while Han Er helped her standing up.

    Yao Ling and General Hu gasped in surprised and asked at the same time, "What?!"

    Yao Ling quickly came to the bed side and checked on Han Xiang¡¯s pulse. She indeed found no pulse and she dered that Han Xiang indeed was dead. That was it? Yao Ling was quite surprised. They did nothing but Han Xiang was dead... What exactly happened?

    Yao Ling saw that Han Xiang was peaceful... she found that there was something inside Han Xiang¡¯s sleeve. She took it and she saw that it was actually letters --- one for Xiao Fang and one for General Hu. Another one... was for the Han Emperor...

    Yao Ling gave General Hu¡¯s letter to him and when he saw the letter, his hands were trembling. He knew that he couldn¡¯t survive this cmity... because he failed his mission and he couldn¡¯t avoid the punishment... He slowly opened the letter and the more he read... the more he became paler... He gripped the letter tightly and he read whatever in there in disbelief.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t give Xiao Fang the letter at that exact moment because thetter fainted after Yao Ling dered that Han Xiang was dead. She took a nce at General Hu and asked, "Gong Zi, may I know what¡¯s inside the letter?"

    General Hu could only tell her that it could be said as a suicide note. She gave him a way out by presenting this letter to the Han Emperor. He couldn¡¯t believe that this was written by the same spoiled princess... did he misjudge her? He felt guilty for no reason, but he demanded for Yao Ling to check more on Han Xiang¡¯s condition... whether it was a real suicide or not.

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. She also needed to get the bottom of this... She told Xiao Yu to tell this news to Lin Jian and Yao Ying... The only way they could find out more was from Xiao Fang¡¯s letter, after all, they couldn¡¯t forcefully grab General Hu¡¯s letter... And also... the blood letter addressed to the Han Emperor. It seemed like they really had to entangle themselves with Han Xiang¡¯s matter because they witnessed everything and there would be no way General Hu would allow her to go. At least, he would need her to be a witness.

 Chapter 230 Lin Zhou: Han Xiangs Letters 1

    Yao Ling felt a headacheing, because this matter involved the three kingdom ah~ Yao Ling could feel that they would be in big trouble soon if they didn¡¯t handle this case carefully. Their n didn¡¯t involve killing Han Xiang because of the ugly aftermath, but they still ended up in trouble.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian quickly came inside the room when they received the sad and shocking news. All of them were waiting for Yao Ling¡¯s autopsy result with an uneasy feeling all the time. Yao Ling confirmed that the blood letter was indeed written by Han Xiang. Han Xiang bit her own index finger and the wound was still there, but the blood had dried up. The wound matched Han Xiang¡¯s teeth mark.

    This letter was a hot potato to all of them...

    General Hu knew that he was at disadvantage at Lin Zhou, because it wasn¡¯t his own kingdom and he couldn¡¯t dispatch his men to seek help. It would attract too much attention and he didn¡¯t want to risk that. Besides, after reading his own letter, he felt like he owed the princess. She didn¡¯t have to give him a way out and yet, she did. She remembered him even before she took herst breath. He could only seek help from Yao Ling¡¯s party and go along with them, after all, he still didn¡¯t want to reveal his identity.

    However, judging from how Yao Ling did the autopsy to Han Xiang¡¯s corpse, he couldn¡¯t conceal his identity and Han Xiang¡¯s for long anymore. If he knew that they already knew about his identity from the start, he would probably vomit blood. He disguised himself for nothing ah~.

    Yao Ling gave Xiao Yu a vial and told her to make Xiao Fang smell it, so it would make her wake up. She knew Xiao Yu would do her job well, thus, she didn¡¯t pay more attention to them. After that, Yao Ling carefully took a look at Han Xiang¡¯s body at the inner chamber of the room and she didn¡¯t let the mene in, because she wanted to protect Han Xiang¡¯sst dignity. She wasn¡¯t going to let them see her body.

    General Hu was against it at first, because he didn¡¯t know whether he could trust Yao Ling with this matter. Yao Ling merely said, "It¡¯s up to Hu Gong Zi, but to get more clues, it¡¯s better if we do the autopsy as soon as possible. If other people find out about this, I reckon this matter will be taken to the local magistrate."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t try to push General Hu to let her check the body even though she was desperate. She maintained her calmness despite her agitation. The more she looked indifferent, the more General Hu would believe that she was a neutral party and wouldn¡¯t sabotage the result.

    After a few moments of contemtion, General Hu nodded his agreement and let Yao Ling do the autopsy. He couldn¡¯t let this matter spread out before he found out the truth and if this involved the local magistrate, this matter would blow out of proportion and he couldn¡¯t risk that. His life was on the line, after all.

    Yao Ling found out that Han Xiang was drinking a poison as her suicide method and she searched for the trace, trying to find out where the poison came from. Han Xiang was supposed to be in a healthy state of mind, so why did she choose to suicide all of a sudden? Somehow, Yao Ling felt that she was taking a part on indirectly making her kill herself if this was indeed a suicide case. She felt guilty, because she made Xiao Fang have a closure with Han Xiang, but in turn, she made Han Xiang die.

    Yao Ling could only sigh, pitying the princess. She looked at Han Xiang¡¯s smiling face --- she looked happy and peaceful. It was like she had been waiting for this death for a long time.

    There was no sign of being attacked on her whole body, but she noticed something was wrong on Han Xiang¡¯s ne. She could detect the poison¡¯s trace on the surface even though it was only faint. Yao Ling used a handkerchief when touching the ne to avoid touching it directly. There was actually a smallpartment inside the ne to hide the poison and she tried to smell it to determine what kind of poison it was. Yao Ling had seen her wearing this ne from the start, so this ne should be really belonged to Han Xiang.

    Yao Ling smelled the poison and knew that this was actually a simple poison but lethal. It was directly extracted from the scorpions and very pure, thus, it was very deadly. Yao Ling sighed... if she prepared this for a long time, did she really hope that one day she would be in a clear mind to kill herself?

    No matter how she looked at it from several angles, it was indeed a suicide case. General Hu wouldn¡¯t dare to find another physician to confirm, because they couldn¡¯t reveal themselves. This matter would shock the whole world ah~.

    Yao Ling ryed the news to the others and the room fell into a silence. At this point, General Hu knew that he couldn¡¯t cover up their identities anymore. He softly told his stories to the trio and they pretended to be surprised when they heard what General Hu said.

    Yao Ling even went as far by gasping and asking, "She¡¯s the princess? But... shemitted suicide... what would happen to you, General Hu?"

    General Hu knew that he was in a deep trouble, so he humbly asked for the trio¡¯s help. He begged their help to serve as witnesses just like what Yao Ling had predicted. Yao Ying tactfully answered that they needed to know all the details in order to help him because they didn¡¯t want to jump into a pit. Not only that, they weren¡¯t from Han Kingdom and there was a possibility the Han Emperor would think that their words were unountable.

    General Hu understood their point of views and he couldn¡¯t force them. He could only hope that Xiao Fang was able to persuade them, because he saw thattely her rtionship with the trio was quite good. When Xiao Fang was awake, four pairs of eyes looked at her at the same time and it made her feel slightly ufortable.

    "Why... are all of you looking at me like that?" Xiao Fang asked.

    Yao Ling patted her shoulder to calm her down and exined everything. Her eyes emitted the sadness that she felt and her mind kept wandering around, however, she tried to listen to Yao Ling¡¯s exnation. She bit her lower lips until it bleed, realizing that Han Xiang was indeed gone and she killed herself. Why didn¡¯t she realize it sooner? She should have known that Han Xiang must have felt the same depression just like the Ce Fei --- her mother.

    If she had seen it sooner, would the result be different? If she worked fast enough just like Tao Gu Gu and gave her hope by let her getting her freedom back, would Han Xiang still smile at her just like how she used to be? Even if she wished for a lot of things, but there was no medicine for regret.

    Han Xiang had already gone...

    Yao Ling tried tofort her by hugging her, but it seemed like Xiao Fang¡¯s soul went out of her body. She could only stare nkly at nothing. Yao Ling decided to drop the bomb and asked, "Xiao Fang ah~ don¡¯t you want to take a look at Han Xiang¡¯s letter?"

    Xiao Fang was startled and quickly asked Yao Ling back, "What letter?"

    "She left one for you," Yao Ling answered briefly.

    "Where is it?" Xiao Fang asked and her previous nk expression was gone, it was reced by anxiousness.

    Yao Ling gave her the letter and Xiao Fang opened the letter with trembling hands, feeling afraid of what she was going to read... She didn¡¯t chase away the others because she knew that sooner orter she had to tell them everything if she wanted to ask for their help.

    Xiao Fang could only look at the letter in distress...

 Chapter 231 Lin Zhou: Han Xiangs Letters 2

    ¡¯Xiao Fang ah~ you don¡¯t need to feel guilty because of me. Killing myself is my own choice... I know that I¡¯m only your substitute, but I don¡¯t mind. Without you, I won¡¯t be able to live blissfully for so long. You make meugh and feel a genuine friendship in this life... I apologize if I had changedtely. There was a voice who kept telling me to hate you and I didn¡¯t even know why...¡¯

    Xiao Fang started to understand Han Xiang¡¯s struggle and realize the reason why she started to change, but she wondered why she killed herself when she was in a clear mind. Why didn¡¯t she say anything about her struggle? She didn¡¯t understand... Why didn¡¯t she try to chase her own happiness just like the Ce Fei ah~?

    ¡¯Do you understand why I didn¡¯t me you? I heard he said that I was an orphan... if I live my real life, there was also no guarantee that I could live happily... However, somehow... the poison that he gave me... made me do a lot of things that I didn¡¯t intend to... It seemed to amplify the little negative feelings that I have... Weird? I know. But, this is the only exnation that I can think of...¡¯

    Xiao Fang¡¯s tears trickled down into the paper and made it wet... However, it didn¡¯t bother Xiao Fang and she merely wiped her eyes so she could see clearly once again, then she continued reading the letter...

    ¡¯I chose to kill myself because I want my freedom back... That¡¯s why I told you that this really didn¡¯t have anything to do with you... Remember how I told you that my wish is to be a butterfly? Now... I can be a butterfly that I wished for... That¡¯s whyno need to me yourself!"

    How could Xiao Fang not cry when she read this part? She didn¡¯t even want to reincarnate as a human once more and choose to be a butterfly... It seemed like Heaven was listening to Han Xiang¡¯s prayers. A blue butterfly suddenly went inside the room through the window, flying softly in the air. It suddenlynded on Han Xiang¡¯s letter, seemingly wanted to chat with Xiao Fang.

    This weird phenomenon made the others feel dumbfounded and they didn¡¯t dare to move or try to shoo the butterfly away. They didn¡¯t understand the meaning, but Xiao Fang understood perfectly clear.

    Xiao Fang looked at the butterfly with a hopeful eyes and then touched it. The weird thing was... the butterfly didn¡¯t even try to fly away, it just obediently stayed there. It seemed like the butterfly was waiting for something.

    Xiao Fang asked softly, "Han Xiang, is that you? Is your wishing true?"

    The others were surprised by Xiao Fang¡¯s words and they wanted to ask whether she was okay or not, after all, she was talking to a butterfly ah~! She even treated the butterfly as Han Xiang... General Hu wanted to say something but Lin Jian shook his head, and General Hu held himself back. They knew that she was in grievance and she probably needed time to adjust her mental state.

    Only Xiao Fang heard a soft whispering voice that sounded like Han Xiang¡¯s voice, "This is me... I am happy now... so, be happy too..." It was so soft that Xiao Fang thought it was merely a part of imagination. However, after that, the blue butterfly flied toward her and stopped at her cheek. It looked like the butterfly was kissing her. After doing that, the butterfly flied away...

    A simple gesture... but it meant a lot to Xiao Fang.

    Even the others were astonished by the butterfly¡¯s unusual behavior and it made them start to believe that the butterfly was indeed Han Xiang. They were surprised once more when they noticed that Xiao Fang didn¡¯t look as sad as before, her red swollen eyes turned into the shape of crescent moon --- it seemed like she was smiling behind her veil. It made the others feel slightly relieved.

    ¡¯Han Xiang... I hope that the butterfly is really you...¡¯ Xiao Fang thought to herself. After the butterfly¡¯s appearance, she became calmer and felt less guilty. No matter what, she would think of the butterfly as Han Xiang.

    After the interlude, she continued reading the letter.

    ¡¯I want to tell you about everything... about what happened to me and about a sinister n from someone high above... This is the truth and I hope you will believe me... Use this information to save your family... I wish you all the best and happiness in life... After reading the rest of this letter, don¡¯t forget to read and use my blood letter for your family survival...¡¯

    Han Xiang gave a description about what she went through in details and she didn¡¯t even cover up the gory part. She had been wanting to kill herself a few times when she wasn¡¯t under the drug¡¯s influence, but the maidservants that served her was actually used to control her and prevent her from doing anything silly in the Han Emperor¡¯s eyes --- including killing herself when she was still useful. She was beyond happy when they were killed by the bandits.

    Yao Ling never thought that they were actually helping Han Xiang by orchestrating the robbery.

    Everything that happened was in line with what she said when she was under Yao Ling¡¯s truth powder. There were more disgusting things that had happened, but Xiao Fang coudln¡¯t bear to read it out loud. She was only a young girl and she had gone through a lot because of a crazy Monarch. They couldn¡¯t help but pity the woman.

    What Xiao Fang just read really made her feel chilled to the bone. She had to let her father wake up and see what kind of Monarch that he had served loyally! She believed that he must have done a lot of things worse than this. There was no honest or even kind Emperor --- for one man to be able to rule the world, he must have a lot of tricks on his sleeves, but it didn¡¯t mean that he was allowed to do these kind of immoral things!

    Xiao Fang let the others read Han Xiang¡¯s letter, she even let General Hu to read along with them. Because she knew that in order to find justice for Han Xiang, she needed General Hu¡¯s help too. They had the same reactions as Xiao Fang --- they felt chilled to the bones and in disbelief at how the Han Emperor was actually such a bastard in private. All of them already had a guess about this, except for General Hu. He couldn¡¯t believe that he stumbled upon the dirty secret of the royal and he couldn¡¯t believe what the princess had gone through!

    The room went into silence and when Xiao Fang saw that they were in the middle of thinking things over, she quickly seized the chance to kowtow in front of them.

    All of them stood up in surprise and asked at the same time, "Xiao Fang, why are you kneeling?!" Yao Ling tried to help her up, but she was so strong and didn¡¯t even budge an inch.

    "Please... please help me to find justice for Han Xiang!" She kowtowed until her forehead bleed and she didn¡¯t even care about her own dignity. Even if she had to lower herself, she would do it willingly. She knew that without their help, she couldn¡¯t do it all alone.

    The trio helplessly looked at each other, but... they didn¡¯t know how to respond. Yao Ying decided to answer Xiao Fang, "Can you give us a bit more times to talk about this? We have another obligation in our families and we need to seek permission from them."

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up. At least, they weren¡¯t rejecting her directly and she still had more time to convince them. Then, she looked at General Hu with pleading eyes, "What about you General Hu?"

 Chapter 232 Lin Zhou: The Princess is Dead

    General Hu could only helplessly nod. "We are currently in the same boat. I also want to find the princess justice and at the same time, protect my own life too..." Knowing those dirty secrets, if the Han Emperor found out, there was only one ending for him -- death. He had no choice but to be on the same boat as Xiao Fang. He sighed and somehow he felt guilty for his prejudice toward the princess.

    "Thank you, General Hu," Xiao Fang bowed once again.

    General Hu quickly tried to help her up and say, "No need... no need..." He didn¡¯t dare to receive Xiao Fang¡¯s bow, after all, she was still the daughter of the Left Prime Minister. Not only that, he didn¡¯t have the heart to see her hurting herself. The blood started to flow down and he was afraid that it would leave a scar --- a taboo thing for women, especially for the unmarried ones.

    However, before he could touch Xiao Fang, someone beat him to it first. Lin Jian quickly interrupted General Hu¡¯s hand and he helped her up easily. Xiao Fang was surprised by the sudden pull and she fell into Lin Jian¡¯s embrace. She didn¡¯t have time to be embarrassed because Lin Jian quickly fussed over her and asked Yao Ling for an ointment for her wound. Not only that, he also demanded that the ointment had to be good enough so it wouldn¡¯t leave a scar.

    Xiao Fang was touched by his worry.

    Yao Ling was speechless because Lin Jiab behaved like a mother hen, but sheplied and gave him the ointment. Xiao Fang felt awkward when Lin Jian softly cleaned her wound and her face became red in shyness. He didn¡¯t even let Han Yi to attend her young miss. General Hu saw this and he even felt embarrassed to see their intimacy. He noticed that there was something blossoming between the two people but tactfully enough not to say anything.

    Yao Ying paid them no mind and instead, talking in a low voice with Yao Ling at the corner of the room. He asked softly, "Please be honest! Do you want to help her?" They could help Xiao Fang even though it was quite a hard task, but not impossible. It was all depended on Yao Ling. He would do whatever she wanted to do. He sighed inwardly... he had nned a romantic confession for her, but it was dyed because of Han Xiang¡¯s matter. Even though Yao Ying knew that he needed to act fast, it seemed inappropriate because of Han Xiang¡¯s death. He could only cancel his n and do it another time.

    Yao Ling looked hesitant but she finally nodded her head. "I do... but what about Wang Fu¡¯s matter?"

    "I will ask for Father¡¯s permission and I will handle everything else," Yao Ying answered.

    "But... I want to handle the main culprit that wants to kill us ah~" Yao Ling said sadly. If it took for a long time for them to drag that matter, she was afraid that the woman would be able to calm her nerves and did something more brazen.

    Yao Ying smiled. "If you worry about that matter, then don¡¯t! I will handle it for you too... Let Feng take care of this matter! I will make that woman feels like she¡¯s living in hell due to her own fear," Yao Ying said in a sly voice.

    Yao Lingughed. "I only worry about that matter. Anything else, we can handle it after wee back. Oh... when you send a message to Feng, please also tell him to pass a message to Xiao Er... I need her to take care of Liu Li just like usual. Pay attention to her and don¡¯t let her go astray! That Liu Li isn¡¯t so easy to handle."

    Yao Ying murmured his agreement. The matters back at home weren¡¯t really urgent, as long as they were handled correctly by their subordinates. However, the couple trusted that they could manage everything back at Wang Fu. Besides, this way, they would be able to see their subordinates¡¯ skills and cleverness.

    The couple looked at Lin Jian and Xiao Fang. Judging from their closeness, they believed that Lin Jian would certainly try to help Han Xiang --- with or without their help. In their heart, all of them actually already made a decision to help Xiao Fang from the start.

    After everything had calmed down, Xiao Fang was happy when the trio had given their promise to help her. First of all, they needed to deal with Han Xiang¡¯s matter. After that, they would start to oppose the Han Emperor by using some sly methods. In this case, they would need A Thousand Words¡¯ help. They felt lucky that they had made friends with Hei Yue beforehand, even though it was by ident. This would certainly make their n easier to execute.

    They didn¡¯t tell others that Han Xiang was already dead and General Hu pretended that he was falling ill again after he went out that day. No one should know about Han Xiang¡¯s corpse that day and they would start their n the next day.

    The morning next day, the day was started with a loud scream from Han Er. The inn was quite busy in the morning. The servants and maids had started the day and they were doing their jobs, on the other hand, there were a few guests that were already woken up. They were surprised by the loud scream and in the end, they quickly tried to find the source and there were a lot of people already gathering in front of Han Xiang¡¯s room.

    Han Er deliberately said in a loud voice, "The... the princess..."

    Those people heard clearly Han Er¡¯s words... The princess? They looked at each other in surprised and murmured to each other, "Princess? Did she just say Princess?"

    Some of the clever ones quickly guessed who the princess was and said, "There is only one princess that should be passing by Lin Zhou around this time... It must be... Princess Han Xiang from the Han Kingdom?"

    "But... isn¡¯t there supposed to be a grand wedding entourage for her? No wedding entourage has passed by for the past few days..." Some people were still oblivious to the fact that Han Xiang¡¯s wedding entourage had been attacked back then. The news hadn¡¯t been spread widely, it seemed.

    "I heard that the wedding entourage had been robbed by bandits and it even made the Han Emperor angry. It seems like the princess goes here in disguise so no one will notice her presence. After all, it¡¯s quite embarrassing for that to happen to a royal family¡¯s entourage..."

    "Hmm? Something like that happened?"

    The crowd kept talking because they couldn¡¯t see what¡¯s inside the room.

    One of them quickly asked Han Er out of curiosity, "Young Lady, what happened?" The others followed along and asked Han Er at the same time. It made quite amotion and attracted more crowds.

    "That... That is... the princess..." Han Er pointed inside the room while trembling in fear.

    "What ah?"

    "Yes, the princess¡¯ what?"

    "What happened?"

    "Tell us?"

    "We are so curious..."

    The onlookers didn¡¯t stop to ask with voices full of excitement, after all, not many of them had seen a real princess before. They really wanted to know what happened to the princess.

    However, they were bbergasted after listening to what the youngdy said. "The... the princess is dead."

    The inn became silent at once. They tried to digest the news that they had just heard. The princess... was dead? Howe? After a brief moment of silence, the crowds suddenly burst into a loudmotion once more.

    "Dead?"

    "The princess is dead?"

    "Was she killed by assassins?"

    "Was it because of the schrs¡¯ instigation a few days ago?"

    "This is such a shocking news ah~"

    They were in disbelief and some of them started to feel scared when realization came to them... This could lead to a war ah~!

 Chapter 233 Lin Zhou: The Princesss Body

    One of them was brave enough and quickly opened the room wider. The others felt scared by the man¡¯s sudden movement... after all, the one whoid inside was a princess... how couldmoners like them were allowed to see her dead body? Was this man trying to get all of them into trouble? The crowds started to sweat in fear. Even though they liked to gossip, they also knew their own boundaries.

    It was too dangerous to involve themselves to the higher up¡¯s business. They looked around in fear and thought to themselves, ¡¯There are a lot of people, surely they wouldn¡¯t try to kill these many people, right?¡¯

    The ones who were standing the closest to the door was able to see the princess¡¯ body clearly. Somehow, the curtain to the inner chamber was opened for a little bit and they saw how peaceful the woman seemed to be. There was no rotten smell at all, but instead, there was sweet alluring smell inside the room. Was this the legendary sweet smell that could attract the butterflies?

    The onlookers sighed in regret. Such a unique smell, but it seemed like it would be gone from history after this.

    Some of them, who were more meticulous, could see the details inside the room in a short time and it seemed like there was no sign of being attacked there --- everything was neat and clean. The only thing that was out of ce was the corpse and the smell. There was no sign of breathing, judging from how still the body was.

    The people started to ask again in loud voices, "Is she really dead?"

    "I don¡¯t think so... It looks like that she¡¯s peacefully sleeping..."

    "But with thismotion, how could someone is able to sleep so soundly ah~?"

    "Ah... that¡¯s also true..."

    The crowds was quite confused. One of them asked Han Er, "Young Lady, how do you know that the princess is dead ah~? Don¡¯t joke around or say such an ominous thing!"

    Han Er shook her head while biting her lower lips and feeling wrong. "I wanted to wake up the princess, but she¡¯s not breathing ah~ How could I dare to joke about such an important thing?"

    Around this time, General Hu went out of his room and quickly asked, "What happened?" He pretended that he just woke up with a weak appearance while trying to find out what themotion was all about.

    Han Er quickly kowtowed and said, "General... the princess is dead. Please... you have to investigate this!" Han Er didn¡¯t forget to wail loudly...

    General Hu was surprised and he quickly asked his own people to call a physician. Yao Ling was brought by General Hu¡¯s subordinates and the onlookers were quite surprised by her appearance.

    "Is it really alright to let a woman check on the princess?"

    "Is this woman really capable?"

    "What can a beauty like her do ah~?"

    There were a lot of degradingments from the mass, after all, it was very rare to see a woman who had great medical skills. Hence, they didn¡¯t believe in Yao Ling¡¯s skills. Suddenly, an old man came out from the crowd and quickly offered his service. "I¡¯m a physician. Let me in and check on the princess!" Then, he looked at Yao Ling in disdain, "Why should you believe in her? Can a woman really do it? Will she be able to examine a corpse?"

    The crowds murmured their agreement and this scene reminded Yao Ying about the past. His woman was condemned when she was joining Wang Luo Hai¡¯spetition and if it was in the past, he would be angry and try to beat the crowds up. However, they were more mature along with time and understood that action spoke louder than words. Yao Ling needed only to prove her worth to shut their mouth.

    General Hu answered politely, "It will be more convenient to ask for a woman physician, after all, it¡¯s involving the princess¡¯ reputation."

    The man looked at General Hu in disdain, "It seems like you are blinded by this woman¡¯s beauty so you take her side."

    General Hu squinted his eyes andughed, "I don¡¯t need you to provoke me or question my judgment. This woman has saved my life by curing my poison and it¡¯s good enough reason for me to trust her."

    The crowd was quite surprised by what General Hu had said. Was this woman¡¯s skill really that good? However, it came out from the mouth of a general and it should be more credible. Was there a need for the general to lie? This was an important matter, surely he wouldn¡¯t be biased because of personal feelings?

    The man asked whileughing, "You said that she cured you, but why do you look so pale?"

    General Hu really wanted to punch this annoying man. He was totally cured, but this was a part of their n and he had no choice but to pretend that he was still sick. They would never guess that there would be an arrogant physician appeared out of nowhere and disturb their n.

    "I am under her care for two days and even though my poison has been cleared out, my body is still weak ah~ You can ask the people here who had been poisoned, how many days would it take for them to recuperate? Or maybe you... old man? How many days it will take for your patients to fully healed after you clear the poison? I bet no one would be able to be healthy right away!" General Hu said loudly.

    The crowds heard the reasonable exnation and they quickly turned their annoyed gaze to the old physician. It was actually a simple matter of checking the princess¡¯ body, so why did this man try to scorn an innocent woman?

    The old man frowned, but he couldn¡¯t rebuke what the general said. Even if the one who cured him a godly physician, it would still need time to heal. Before he could say another annoying words, a soft melodious voice cut his words off.

    Han Yi already hid in the crowd from the start. She leisurely asked, "This old man ah~ why are you so discriminating toward women? Is there a written rule that physicians are restricted only for men? If this matter is dyed any longer, it can affect the princess. What if the princess is actually still alive? It seems like you are preferring to talk big rather than saving people¡¯s life... Look at the woman physician! She didn¡¯t even care that someone was insulting her, instead, she quickly chose to check on the princess."

    The crowds didn¡¯t pay attention to Yao Ling after the argument between the general and the old man. When they looked at the room, the woman indeed diligently checked on the princess. They clearly saw how fluidly she moved, even the old man couldn¡¯t find fault on her movement.

    "It seems like she knows what she¡¯s doing ah~"

    "Yeah... I don¡¯t think she¡¯s a quack..."

    "It seems like we are led by the nose just now. Look the old man is also looking at that woman in awe!"

    "True ah~"

    Half of the onlookers were women and when they heard what Han Yo said, they agreed with her. Why would man always look down on women? Yao Ling¡¯s capability became a p to the ones who jeered at her just now.

    The old man¡¯s face was red in embarrassment. He was going to stomp his feet and go away, but what Yao Ling said next stopped him on his track. "Da Ren, pleasee inside! I know that Da Ren must have a lot more experiences than me. Rather than fighting, why don¡¯t we work together? It¡¯s inconvenient for Da Ren to check on the princess¡¯ body directly. Da Ren can just look from the side... How is that sound?" Yao Ling offered. She made a sudden decision to involve the old man along with her.

 Chapter 234 Lin Zhou: The Blood Letter 1

    They needed as many witnesses as possible to prove that the princess had indeedmitted suicide, so it would hard for the Han Emperor to kill every witness --- especially, when they were another kingdom¡¯s folks. With the old physician¡¯s previous judgmental behavior, if they had the same conclusions, it would solidify the credibility of the results. The onlookers would trust her more.

    The crowds sighed at how kindhearted the woman was. She was being ridiculed, but she was magnanimous enough to invite the other person to join her. Despite the embarrassment, the old man epted Yao Ling¡¯s offer. Otherwise, he would look petty if he refused, besides, he also felt curious about the princess¡¯ condition and wanted to see the woman¡¯s skill. He still didn¡¯t believe in Yao Ling¡¯s medical skills.

    No onemented when the old man came inside the room. What was the use of mocking him? He already put away his pride and it was good enough. They only wanted to see the result. Yao Yingughed to himself, he indeed had a formidable wife.

    The old man was quite surprised by Yao Ling¡¯s skills and he had to admit that he was being unreasonable before. He only judged her based on her gender because of his own arrogance. Even though she was young, her skills were on par with him --- there was a probability that it was a little bit better than him. The old man followed along Yao Ling¡¯s movements carefully while giving a pointer once in a while. In the end, he agreed with Yao Ling¡¯s investigation result: The princess was indeed dead and it was a suicide case.

    When he turned his gaze to the side, the old man was surprised by what he saw. He didn¡¯t pay attention to the room¡¯s condition before because he kept concentrating himself in the investigation. His gaze never stranded from the princess¡¯ corpse.

    The old man saw a blood letter on the table and it was opened --- it seemed like the princess had deliberately done this, so the person who found her could see it. After reading the content, he felt his knees weakened and he wanted to p himself for joining in with the fun! This was Han Kingdom¡¯s secret ah~ His whole body was trembling in fear.

    Yao Ling looked up and asked him in confusion, "Da Ren, what¡¯s wrong? Why is your whole body shaking?"

    "It¡¯s... its¡¯..." The old man stuttered while pointing at the blood letter.

    Yao Ling gasped in surprise. "It¡¯s... it¡¯s a blood letter!" She was satisfied when the old man finally saw the blood letter.

    Yao Ling closed the inner chamber¡¯s curtains. She quickly called General Hu in and told him the result. She didn¡¯t say it out loud but the crowds were able to hear the result as well. They were curious... Why did the princessmit suicide? If she wanted to kill herself just to avoid this marriage, it should happen before she set out. Then, were there any other reasons?

    Then, she hurriedly gave General Hu the blood letter. They had nned to announce what was written inside loud and clear to as many people as possible. They wanted people to hear the reasons of Han Xiang¡¯s suicide --- first, it would clear up the possibility that she was killed. Secondly, it would also reveal that this matter didn¡¯t have any connections with Qin Kingdom or Shu Kingdom, so they could avoid war --- just in case, people with bad intentions would use this matter for their own gains.

    The most important thing was to let the world know... what kind of man the Han Emperor was. What kind of bad deeds that he had done... and how he could pretend to be a kind Monarch despite all of that. They wanted to tear down his mask as a way to get revenge for Han Xiang.

    In Xiao Fang¡¯s letter, Han Xiang gave her permission and wrote that she didn¡¯t care if her reputation would be ruined when the truth came out. After all, she had already dead by then. No one would care about her tainted body. Han Xiang still remembered to give Xiao Fang an advice not to reveal her real identity in front of the Han Emperor. Even though he was the one who had told her about it, she was certain that the Han Emperor still felt unsure about it.

    In her words, she said, only one her was enough... She didn¡¯t want Xiao Fang to be another victim. After all, that man was a beast in human clothing. Who knew what he would do if he found out that Xiao Fang was his real daughter?

    General Hu read the letter in a low voice, but the ones who were the closest to them and the ones who had heightened senses due to their martial arts skills, were able to hear his mumble clearly.

    ¡¯General Hu, I¡¯m sorry... I know that you have protected me from the bandits, but in the end, I killed myself. Please let the people know by putting this blood letter on the announcement board. I want the world to know the truth --- the reasons of my suicide.¡¯

    The ones who couldn¡¯t hear asked the people who seemed to be able to hear.

    "It¡¯s really a suicide..."

    "That man is indeed a general. It seems like he also doesn¡¯t understand the reasons ah~"

    "Of course, ah~ If he knew beforehand, he would certainly save the princess. After all, it was his job to protect her."

    "That¡¯s true... It seems like he will be heavily punished back at his kingdom..."

    "I wonder the reasons why she killed herself. She will live a glorious live at Qin Kingdom, right? No one would dare bully a princess from another kingdom to avoid war, right?"

    "How do you know that? The life of the royals seem to be not as good as it looks like..."

    "If it¡¯s really good, why should a princess kill herself ah?"

    Yao Ling was satisfied after listening to the crowds¡¯ words. It went just like they way they had nned. They started to feel suspicious with everything and it would increase their appetite to listen the reasons.

    One of Mi Hui¡¯s people had been nted to spice things up. "General, the princess had written that the blood letter should be put on announcement boardter. Why don¡¯t you tell what¡¯s inside loud and clear? After all, sooner orter, people will read the whole letter ah~"

    "True ah~"

    "We want to know..."

    "What kind of grievance that the princess had?"

    "True ah!"

    The crowds suddenly became quiet after talking loudly at the same time. They were surprised by the reactions of Yao Ling, General Hu, and the old physician. Their face were ghastly pale and their whole bodies were trembling in fear. It evoked more curiosity from the mass.

    They talked among themselves. "Is it really that serious?"

    "What are you talking about? For a princess to kill herself, of course, it¡¯s a serious matter!"

    "Why do they look so scared?"

    "It makes me feel more curious!"

    Yao Ling mumbled quietly, but it made the crowds gasp in surprise. She only said a few words, but it made the crowds be wilder at guessing.

    "Huh? The Han Emperor?" One of the onlookers said in a loud voice. He didn¡¯t deliberately spread the news, but he was too surprised ah~.

    "Why did the princess kill herself because of him?"

    "I heard that he is a doting father and kind Monarch... so what actually happened to drive the princess to do this?"

    "No one would lie when writing blood letter ah~ so, it should be true..."

    "The marriage? Maybe she already had a sweetheart?"

    Some people tried to guess and make their own assumptions, but they knew the answers were written on that blood letter. Although it was probably the royals¡¯ secret, they were too curious to stop asking about it.

    "Gu Niang ah~ is it really written by the princess?" One of the onlookers asked Yao Ling.

 Chapter 235 Lin Zhou: The Blood Letter 2

    Yao Ling was going to answer when her words were stopped by the old man¡¯s behavior. Without waiting for her, he quickly dashed inside the room and checked on the princess¡¯ body himself. He hoped that it was a fake blood letter ah~ He was a coward and he didn¡¯t want to be implicated with this matter!

    However, his hope was crushed when he saw the wound on Han Xiang¡¯s index finger. He even went as far by matching the pattern with the blood letter and the result was undeniable. "It¡¯s... it¡¯s real... It¡¯s really written by the princess."

    The crowds went silent once again, knowing that it seemed to be very dire. After all, the old man looked so scared that he almost peed on himself. Even if they left, it was already toote. they were too curious and already involved after witnessing the body. They might as well knew the truth and chose what they should doter.

    Yao Ling gave a signal to General Hu with her eyes, telling him that it was time to read the blood letter loud and clear. They knew that this matter wouldn¡¯t be able to bring down the Han Emperor, because it wasn¡¯t easy to change a Monarch --- especially, because he indeed was good at ruling the kingdom. His problem was for having a messy inner courtyard, but after all, it was also the Emperor¡¯s private matter and themoners or officials couldn¡¯t do much about it.

    At least, with this matter, they wanted people the open their eyes and maybe... the officials would make a petition for the Han Emperor to pay attention to his moral characters. They didn¡¯t believe that he would be able to block the mouths of themoners ah~ Unless, the Han Emperor wanted to kill all of them.

    General Hu cleared his throat and said, "I was also just like all of you --- before handling this mission, I have never once met a princess in a close proximity. At first, I misjudged the princess as someone that would be pampered and selfish. However, once I read this blood letter just now, I felt appalled. I never knew that the princess had gone through a lot in her life. I hope all of you will listen loud and clear, before I post this on the announcement boards and at the same time, I will make several copies and send it to the other two kingdoms."

    "Why do you want to tell the other two kingdoms, General?" One of the onlookers asked in confusion. Amoner wouldn¡¯t understand that this matter could beplicated. In their eyes, it was only a suicide. What the worst that could happen ah~?

    Someone answered from the crowds, "Of course to avoid war ah~ Another kingdom princess is dead in our kingdom. What do you think the other kingdom would think?"

    Someone gasped. "They will think that she¡¯s killed by our kingdom ah~ It can be a reason for war!"

    "True... true... if the other kingdom knows that it¡¯s a suicide case, then it won¡¯t implicate our kingdom..."

    "Yes ah~ our kingdom doesn¡¯t do anything towards the princess... we have to make this loud and clear..."

    General Hu nodded and he said with a magnanimous expression, "Yes... This is also the reason that I want to read this blood letter. I don¡¯t want to incite war."

    Yao Ling almost... rolled her eyes because she never thought that the man was quite opportunist. But, this was also fine, what he said would naturally clean up the mess and they didn¡¯t have to exin why they needed to spread the blood letter that involving the Han Emperor. After all, it was a taboo thing to do.

    However, would General Hu be able to live peacefully back at Han Kingdom? Oh well... she would look at his merit, if he¡¯s good enough, she would probably ask Yao Ying to snatch him and make him their subordinate.

    They didn¡¯t allow Xiao Fang to appear around this time, after all, her family was targeted by the Han Emperor. If she made a ruckus around this time, it would implicate her family. After reading her own letter, Han Xiang told her in detailed that the Han Emperor had started to make a move on Xiao Fang¡¯s family for a long time. He wasn¡¯t satisfied with the Left Prime Minister¡¯s good reputation that had surpassed him, making him feel jealous.

    The Han Emperor talked about it once in his drunken state while raping Han Xiang and it was embedded in Han Xiang¡¯s memories. However, she couldn¡¯t tell Xiao Fang about it because she kept being monitored when Xiao Fang went into the pce to meet her. She could only watch silently in despair.

    Xiao Fang started to realize whytely her family started to nag her not to go inside the pce and meet Han Xiang anymore --- however, she stubbornly went against their wishes. Not only that, her father and brother were busy handling a lot of things until they became thinner and they were rarely at home. She asked them the reasons for a few times, but they only answered with a smile and told her not to worry about anything.

    Was it because they already saw the Han Emperor¡¯s ambition? She didn¡¯t know whether she had tough or cry of how overprotective they were. She was indeed lucky for meeting them as her family, otherwise, she would live a life worse than death --- just like Han Xiang.

    After going back to the Han Kingdom, she needed to know their n and tell them that she had known the truth. Xiao Fang lost in thought while her gaze was looking at themotion in front of Han Xiang¡¯s room. She could only watch from afar while her best friend¡¯s body was shown to the world. She bit her lower lips tightly until it bleed... ¡¯I will get revenge for you, Han Xiang... Please rest in peace!¡¯

    Back to the crowd, they looked at General Hu in admiration. Despite risking his life, he wanted to tell the whole truth to them. If they knew the real reason, they would certainly vomit blood ah~

    "Read it now!" They eximed.

    "Yes... yes... we want to know!"

    "What the Han Emperor did to the princess?"

    "Yes... he must have been forcing the princess to get married!"

    They only wanted the juicy gossips, but they didn¡¯t know that what they heard would make them feel disgusted. They would spread the words to get justice for the pitiful princess... In contrary of Yao Ling¡¯s expectation, they would even make Han Xiang be so popr that they would build her statue at the Han Kingdom.

 Chapter 236 Lin Zhou: The Blood Letter 3

    General Hu nodded and started to recite the blood letter slowly so everyone could listen to every words clearly.

    ¡¯I want the world to know that I kill myself because of my father --- The Han Emperor... or should I say... My step-father?¡¯

    The crowd gasped in surprised when they heard that. It was a royal¡¯s secret ah~ Did the Shu woman make the Han Emperor put on a green hat?! This was an intriguing news!

    ¡¯I never know about this fact. Until one day... he came into my roomte at night when he was drunk... He talked gibberish at first, but it started to be clearer. I am not his real daughter! Someone swapped me with the real daughter. However, I didn¡¯t me the one who swapped us for being selfish... because the Han Emperor is truly a beast... I agree with my supposed-to-be mother, the Ce Fei... to leave him!¡¯

    "It¡¯s not the case of betrayal... instead, it¡¯s a switched at birth case ah~"

    "Wow... with this amount of hatred, I wonder what kind of life that the princess had lived?"

    "Why is it soplicated?"

    "Oh my God! What kind of beast is he? I¡¯m so curious!"

    "The princess even agreed with the Ce Fei¡¯s decision to run away?"

    "It seems the Emperor¡¯s inner courtyard is quite messed up ah~"

    General Hu listened to the people¡¯s words while continued reading the letter.

    ¡¯He didn¡¯t actually knew whether I was really the real daughter or not, but identally stumbled upon the fact from an unknown source, and yet... he believed it. I had a father-daughter rtionship for more than a decade, but not once... not once... he gave me his fatherly love...

    Do all of you know... what I had gone through? I was abused even by the eunuchs and maidservants, showing how low my standing in pce was. At that time, he still didn¡¯t know that I wasn¡¯t his real daughter... What more if he knew? The rumor about me being an abandoned daughter is true!

    After knowing that I was a fake, he gave me poison... that would make me lose my mind and even sumb to desire... He... he raped me!¡¯

    Han Xiang dropped the bomb with her blunt words and it made the crowds gaped at the news. The crowds couldn¡¯t believe what they had heard. Even if she wasn¡¯t her real daughter... but she was already living as one for such a long time ah~. The Han Emperor wasn¡¯t even sure whether it was true or not. Han Xiang tried to divert the attention of other people from Xiao Fang, so she decided not to tell them that she was a hundred percent sure that she wasn¡¯t the real daughter.

    After listening to this part, they were chilled to the bone by the realization of how cruel the Han Emperor was.

    "How could he do that?"

    "It¡¯s so disgusting!"

    "If he made a mistake, he couldmit incest ah~"

    "How could such a man could be an Emperor?"

    "Luckily, our Shu Emperor isn¡¯t like that ah~"

    Yao Ying secretly nodded his head, when people started to me the Han Emperor.

    ¡¯Do you know how many times I want to kill myself? He still needed to maintain his so-called good image in front of his retainers and civilians, so he would never let me go. The cycle always happened --- probably a thousand of times. Raped, pregnant, aborted the baby. It happened until I lost count of them. Death is even better than living in this hell...

    He even nned to clean up a few of his loyal retainers... Left Prime Minister, General Wang, General Wu, Lin Wang, and many more. They threatened his fame, thus, he targeted them. He didn¡¯t know that I heard him talking to someone about it... when he stayed inside my room. I couldn¡¯t move but my mind was still clear!¡¯

    "Oh my God! He even forced her to abort the babies!"

    "It would certainly ruin the young princess¡¯ future!"

    "She just reached a marriageable age... so how long the Han Emperor had raped her?"

    "So scary..."

    The crowds were bbergasted. The princess even leaked her kingdom¡¯s private turmoil in details. Despite only briefly mentioned, they understood about it clearly how important this information was. Why didn¡¯t she feel afraid that it would implicate her own kingdom ah? This could be a reason for revolting by the people that were named inside the letter. If they knew the Han Emperor was targeting them, wouldn¡¯t they retaliate?

    Yao Ling praised inwardly how clever Han Xiang was. In one letter, she was able to ruin the Emperor¡¯s reputation along with making a dent in his rtionship with those officials. Her suicide was the real proof that what she had written was indeed the truth.

    If this fell into the hand of the Emperor directly, the rumor would be easily refuted or even erased entirely. Too bad... this news was spread through the people first and his reputation would already be worse. This rumor started in the Shu Kingdom and by the time it reached the Han Emperor¡¯s ears, everything would be toote. This was a small revenge but it should be effective to make him angry...

    ¡¯I was only someone who was abandoned by him, so why should I care about him and his country? I didn¡¯t even know where I came from... Maybe I wasn¡¯t even a Han people, to begin with. If he gave me a little bit of love, everything wouldn¡¯t lead to this step...

    Being married to the Qin Emperor was the greatest thing that had ever happened in my life... However, my body was no longer pure. How could I face my new husband? Would he believe me if I said that I was tainted by my own father? I didn¡¯t think so! Every Monarch has his own¡¯s pride, so how would he react when he found out that I am not a virgin anymore?

    I couldn¡¯t trust men ever again since my supposed-to-be own father could also do that to me...

    I chose to kill myself rather than face the embarrassment... Who knew what kind of life waiting for me at the Qin Kingdom? That¡¯s why I chose to free myself from the shackle called life...¡¯

    The blood letter stopped there. The women already cried when they listened to what the princess had written. She must have been living a life full of despair to choose such an ending! She must have been so broken that she wasn¡¯t able to trust men anymore!

    An ordinary man would hate to have a non-virgin bride, what more an Emperor?

    Xiao Fang was satisfied when she saw that everyone was condemning the Han Emperor. The rumor was spreading faster than usual and in a few shichen, everyone at Lin Zhou and nearby cities had already known about this matter. They shared the story of how pitiful the princess was and condemned the Han Emperor without restraint. They were brave enough to do that because the Han Emperor could do nothing to them. After all, they were from different kingdom.

    Lin Jian copied the letter and posted it in the announcement boards on several cities inside the three kingdoms. Not only that, Yao Ling also used her connection with Hei Yue to spread it through his channel of information. Hei Yue didn¡¯t hesitate to help because this matter was in line with A Thousand Words¡¯ purpose --- a peaceful era between the three kingdoms. After all, he owed Yao Ling a lot.

    This would make the Han Emperor busy enough for the next few days. He must be feeling embarrassed because it was known to the whole three kingdoms. What could he do to them all? Nothing!

    With this, the trio had sessfully finished their Mi Hui¡¯s mission. Despite the princess killed herself to end the marriage, they managed to gain advantages in this mission. After news reached Wang Luo Hai¡¯s ears, he nodded in satisfaction and he gave them his permission to roam around for a little while. The couple didn¡¯t specify what would they do in the Han Kingdom but he trusted their judgment.

 Chapter 237 Lin Zhou: Qing Hui Woke Up

    When Wang Luo Hai received their secret letter, Lin Zheng was sitting beside him while calmly drinking a cup of tea. They read together Yao Ying¡¯s letter along with Lin Jian¡¯s letter. They sighed, knowing that the hot-blooded youngsters must have wanted to do something big at Han Kingdom. They were worried, but at the same time, they also couldn¡¯t forbid them. After all, they understood who they were trying to help.

    "Aren¡¯t you going to visit Xiao Fang?" Wang Luo Hai asked curiously. "I heard she¡¯s your beloved wife¡¯s daughter." When Wang Luo Hai heard the news, he was worried about Lin Zheng. Thus, he quickly tried to find the stoic man andfort him. Although they kept bantering, they really cared about each other deeply. He had been trying to find a trace of his beloved... however, he didn¡¯t know whether Lin Zheng would be happy with the news.

    Wang Luo Hai sighed. He understood that the woman wasn¡¯t willing, but it still hurt to know that his beloved was forced until she went into deep depression.

    Lin Zheng shook his head. "No, I¡¯m not. She¡¯s currently living happily with her own family and I don¡¯t want to make her choose between us and them --- after all, we are also in the same position as the Left Prime Minister of the Han Kingdom. We both aren¡¯t rted to her by blood." The only connection between them was actually his wife... How could he bear making the child feel confused? She never knew Lin Jian and him beforehand, it would be awkward to ask her to live with them. It was different matter if she was unloved by her family --- he would take her by force!

    "What you said is also true ah~ Did Lin Jian already ask your permission to go to the Han Kingdom?" Wang Luo Hai asked quietly.

    "Yes..." Lin Zheng answered.

    "You should have known what they are going to do, right?"

    "I know... they are going to help Xiao Fang¡¯s family..." Not only that, probably also targeting the Han Emperor. Lin Zheng silently added. The trio was quite stubborn...

    "What could those youngsters do ah? Don¡¯t you think they are too confident?" Wang Luo Hai asked, feeling worried.

    "They are already big enough to make a decision, so we should trust them. If they fail, we --- as their elders --- could only help them by cleaning up their mess. If they are sessful, we should be proud," Lin Zheng calmly said.

    Wang Luo Hai said, "That¡¯s true... However, this case... is a bit hard... this is rted to another kingdom. We don¡¯t really have many people there for their back-up..."

    "Let¡¯s just pay attention to their movement first! We will see how it is going..." Lin Zheng said. If this matter wasn¡¯t rted to his wife, he would already drag the three of them back. Somehow, he understood Lin Jian¡¯s feeling --- it was the same as his.

    "You have a lead about your wife... Would you try to look for her?" Wang Luo Hai asked carefully.

    Lin Zheng nodded his head. "Of course! I already sent people to go to the medicine valley... I hope there will be news in a few days..."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded in satisfaction. Although Lin Zheng¡¯s face still had no expression, he could see a slight excitement and longing in his eyes. He hoped that Lin Zheng would be able to find his happiness too.

    -------------

    Back to the trio, Yao Ling was currently trying to wake Qing Hui up. They had finished dealing with the matter at Lin Zhou and they couldn¡¯t stay there any longer. They hadn¡¯t discussed their n with Xiao Fang yet because they chose to finish helping Hei Yue first.

    "Are you prepared?" Yao Ling asked.

    Hei Yue nodded his head. He asked worriedly, "Will there a side effect?"

    Yao Ling waved helplessly. "The poison has been in his body for a long time, of course, there would be side effects ah~ However, I can¡¯t really predict what it will be. It depends on Qing Hui¡¯s own body."

    Hei Yue nodded, feeling ashamed because he asked for the obvious. Not waiting for his answer, she quickly woke Qing Hui up by piercing a few acupuncture points. When she felt Qing Hui started to move softly, she quickly pulled out the silver needles in one swift move.

    Hei Yue stood up beside the bed and when he saw Qing Hui started to regain his consciousness, he sighed in relief. Qing Hui blinked his eyes and he looked around, then his gaze finallynded on Hei Yue. "Hei Yue?" He asked softly.

    "Are you feeling okay?" Hei Yue asked.

    Qing Hui groaned because he felt his body was in pain. He had beenying on the bed in the same position for the past few days, no wonder if his body felt numb. "What happened to me?" Qing Hui rolled his eyes, feeling that there was no need to answer Hei Yue¡¯s dumb question. His whole body was hurting ah! He should have known about it...

    "What was thest thing that you remember?" Hei Yue asked.

    Yao Ling was quite bewildered. It seemed like the two weren¡¯t talking at the same tune, but somehow, it also looked like they were. They answered each other¡¯s questions with unrted questions, but they seemed to understand each other.

    "Thest thing I remembered? I drank something that was given by my wife and after that, it seemed like I have a really long dream," Qing Hui answered.

    "Do you remember what kind of drink was it?" Hei Yue asked curiously.

    "I don¡¯t remember... wine maybe? But it tasted a bit weird... Why?" Qing Hui asked in confusion.

    "What are you doing at that time?" Hei Yue asked. He had a gut feeling what event Qing Hui was referring to.

    "Aren¡¯t we attending the banquet together? It was yesterday, right? Why did you still ask me?" Qing Hui asked, feeling astonished.

    "It happened two years ago..." Hei Yue answered.

    "What?!" Qing Hui wanted to jump up, but he groaned in pain when he felt that his body was weak. He could only asked while widening his eyes. "Two years ago?"

    Hei Yue looked at Yao Ling helplessly. He didn¡¯t know how to break the news to Qing Hui. Yao Ling was the one who exined about the poison and Qing Hui¡¯stest condition to him. Qing Hui could only look dumbly at Yao Ling and Hei Yue while he was trying to contain his rage. He wondered what he had done in these two years, why didn¡¯t he remember anything at all?

    "It seems like Qing Hui thought of his memories so far as a dream. I have a bold guess, but I¡¯m not sure whether it¡¯s true or not. The basic poison of this spirit altering drug with Han Xiang¡¯s is basically the same, the difference is only the aphrodisiac," Yao Ling exined. "Maybe... it was provided by the same people?"

    Hei Yue shook his head in defeat. "I never know that someone could be this bold and cruel... I will try to investigate this and I will let you know once I find out something about it," Hei Yue said to Yao Ling.

    "Thank you," Yao Ling answered. It seemed like there was a probability that they had the same enemies. With Hei Yue¡¯s help, it would be easier to find information.

    Then, he turned to Qing Hui and asked, "Are you sure it was your wife?"

    Qing Hui nodded. "That¡¯s thest thing I remember."

    Hei Yue sighed. "I will notify Yu Wen about it, but it seems like it¡¯s true. After all, currently A Thousand Words is upied by your wife¡¯s people... she bes the leader. I heard it was you who gave her your token."

    Yao Ling asked in surprise. "But, you help me spread the news through A Thousand Words¡¯ channel..."

    Hei Yue answered, "Don¡¯t worry... I have my own way. I also have my people inside A Thousand Words. Yu Wen is the one who makes the preparation. He told me his suspicion and despite my refusal, he infiltrates the organization by himself. I¡¯m lucky that he has such a good insight."

 Chapter 238 Lin Zhou: They Led Her Astray

    Yao Ling nodded and it made her feel impressed towards the boy¡¯s ability. Despite his young age, Yu Wen had a smart mine and matured early. "I don¡¯t think I will involve myself with both of your organizations¡¯ internal matter, besides, I need to handle some other important matters." She already had too much problems at hand and she didn¡¯t want to add some troubles anymore.

    Hei Yueughed. "You already helped us a lot and this old man is beyond thankful." He also didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to be implicated in their business, because he knew that it would get messy. Hei Yue took a token out of his sleeves and gave it to Yao Ling.

    "This...?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. Why did he suddenly give her a token out of nowhere?

    "I owe you three secret information, right? Once you want to get some important news, you can show this token to our branches at Han Kingdom, or any other kingdoms," Hei Yue said.

    "Thank You, Uncle Hei Yue," Yao Ling grinned widely while cupping both of her hands politely. This token was a great bargain for her.

    Hei Yueughed when looking at the girl¡¯s excited face. "Not only limited to that, if you have an urgent help or in immediate danger, you can also use this token. It represents me in our organization," Hei Yue said.

    "But... I don¡¯t want to take advantage of you, Uncle..." Yao Ling said hesitantly. Three secret information were already good enough for them, but he suddenly gave her more benefits and she felt a bit embarrassed.

    "You have to let me show you my gratitude for saving Qing Hui. No need to feel burdened," Hei Yue smiled. Without her, he would have a fall out with his long-time friend and die in regret.

    Qing Hui was confused by Hei Yue¡¯s generosity. After all, that token was really important in their organization, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He would ask the detailster because he always trusted Hei Yue¡¯s judgment and decision.

    Before they parted ways, Hei Yue teased her, "What if Yu Wen are looking for his Pretty Jie-Jie?"

    Yao Lingughed and shyly answered, "For now, he can look for me at the Han Kingdom. If we have fate, we certainly will meet each other again..."

    Hei Yueughed and asked, "Can he search for you at Wang Fu?"

    Yao Ling was quite surprised but she masked her feelings quite well. She knew that no information could escape Hei Yue. While she was busy treating Qing Hui, he must have started looking for her background to know whether she could be trusted or not. She calmly smiled and said, "Yu Wen is a friend of mine and I treat him as younger brother, of course, he will always be weed at Wang Fu."

    Hei Yue just tested the water and he liked her calmness. She didn¡¯t deliberately cover her identity anymore and it seemed like they indeed started to form a friendship. "Good," Hei Yueughed. They had a tacit understanding about their conversations --- even though this was a goodbye for now, but they were still friends.

    Yao Ling left them after she gave Hei Yue the prescriptions that should be drunk continuously by Qing Hui for a few months --- until his body was fully healed. Despite the side effects, he was able to live his life like a normal person after the treatment had finished. After Yao Ling left, Hei Yue exined everything to Qing Hui and thetter understood why Hei Yue treated this girl in a special way. She indeed had helped him and saved his life ah~

    This certainly wasn¡¯t thest time they would meet with each other.

    -----------

    Back in their room, they held a meeting. Yao Ying asked Xiao Fang, "What exactly do you want us to help you with?" He asked about how Xiao Fang wanted them to help her family. If she said that she wanted to bring down the Han Emperor, it would be a wishful thinking. Even though Yao Ying had agreed to help her before, he would change his mind and directly refused to help her. They didn¡¯t want to involve themselves in a useless losing battle.

    "I just want my father to know the truth and... if they really have a fallout with the Han Emperor, please help me save them... Also... I want to get revenge for Han Xiang..." Xiao Fang quickly told them what she wanted to do.

    "Telling your father the truth is easy, because we have the blood letter as a proof... If they have a fall out, what do you n to do?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "Bring them out of the kingdom..." Xiao Fang trailed off, but remembering his father and brother¡¯s stubborn personality, she didn¡¯t know whether they would agree or not.

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows and he asked what Xiao Fang just thought about, "Will they agree? If they are loyal to the kingdom, it will be hard for them to leave the kingdom behind..."

    "I know..." Xiao Fang answered hesitantly, "Leave this matter to me! I will be the one who will convince them." She nodded confidently, but then, she added, "If they didn¡¯t want to, just use Yao Ling¡¯s sleeping powder and we will kidnap them..."

    The trio was dumbfounded when they heard what Xiao Fang said. Did she just n a kidnapping using Yao Ling¡¯s powder? And the target was her own family? This woman had been led astray by them ah~ After they were sober, they couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud, making Xiao Fang feel ashamed of herself.

    Yao Ling wiped the tears on the corner of her eyes, asking, "Why do you suddenly be so naughty? Where do you learn ah~?"

    Xiao Fang shyly said, "The three of you ah~ I saw how all of you cleverly made up so many brilliant ns, so the three of you should be responsible for teaching me bad stuff." After that she puffed her cheeks, making her look cuter and just like a little girl.

    The trio almost forgot that even if Xiao Fang had matured overnight, but after all, she was still her childish self. No one could change her or his personality that fast, so they understood that she was finally back to her old self. They could only shake their head helplessly but nodded in agreement. They were indeed responsible for it ah~.

    "Then... how about your revenge?" Yao Ying asked. He took a look at his tired wife and felt like they should quickly finish this meeting. She had been treating patient here and there, while executing their n. It seemed like it took a toll on her... After everything had finished, the tiredness started to catch up to her.

    Yao Ling winked at him and smiled, mouthing that she was okay. Although feeling unreconciled, he could only follow her wish to continue this discussion. After all, tomorrow they have to set off. They had achieved their goal at Lin Zhou and they heard from Mi Hui¡¯swork that the news spread like fire... Maybe because the letter¡¯s content was too juicy and shocking, everyone excitedly recited everything inside the letter at a fast speed.

    They didn¡¯t care whether it was involving the royals or not, with so many people talking at once, there was no chance for the Han Emperor to do anything. He took a hit on his reputation and it was irreparable, because the nature of his wrongdoing was too vicious.

    If around this time he was still trying to get rid of his loyal subordinates just based on his suspicion, it was highly likely his civilians and the officials who were mentioned in the letter would revolt. After all, he would be a notorious and cruel Monarch in their eyes... This would give them more times, after all, the journey to the capital of the Han Kingdom was quite far.

    There was even a probability that they would consummate the marriage there. Even though they preferred to be intimate in their own home, they weren¡¯t going to wait that long. Yao Ling didn¡¯t have the heart to let his husband be a monk any longer... They didn¡¯t talk it out loud, but when the times came, they would just go with the flow.

 Chapter 239 Lin Zhou: Do It The Second Time 1

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know how to answer the question. "About the revenge... do you have any suggestion?" Xiao Fang asked while grinning sheepishly.

    The trio was dumbfounded. Please don¡¯t tell them that she actually didn¡¯t have any n!

    Yao Ling blinked while asking, "You loudly say revenge full of confidence... but you actually don¡¯t have any n?" She didn¡¯t want to me Xiao Fang, but she couldn¡¯t help it ah~ Who was the one who was in fire when talking about revenge? How could the trio not be speechless after knowing this?

    Xiao Fang scratched the back of her head. "Please save me ah~ I rarely step out of my manor... In my household, there¡¯s only my mother so there was no scheming there... So, I really have no experience ah~" Xiao Fang exined.

    "So?" Lin Jian asked while rolling his eyes. He didn¡¯t want to admit that her innocence was the thing that attracted him the most.

    "If you want me to suddenly think of a scheme, I don¡¯t know how..." Xiao Fang admitted.

    The trio sighed. That was also true. Yao Ying and Yao Ling had to learn to scheme faster that Xiao Fang, because at Wang Fu, they didn¡¯t have a good standing. Lin Jian learned everything from his works. He needed to lead a troop, so he learned about scheming and nning to beat the enemies. However, Xiao Fang¡¯s family was the epitome of peaceful environment.

    Yao Ling said, "The Han Emperor must have been angered to death due to the rumor. But, I have one thing that we could do to make him angry once more."

    Yao Ying nodded. "I heard the new bridal dowries had been sent, but knowing it would take a long time for Han Xiang¡¯s death to reach the Han Emperor¡¯s ears, they probably already set off now."

    "So?" Xiao Fang asked, feeling confused about where this was going. They couldn¡¯t me her because she didn¡¯t know that the first robbery was actually their doing.

    Lin Jianughed. "What if the bridal dowries are robbed for the second time?"

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up and pped both of her hands, whileughing. She could imagine how that bastard would look like when he was angry and it made her feel satisfied. "That¡¯s a really good idea!" After that, Xiao Fang remembered something, "But... how should we do it? There are only a few of us..."

    "Don¡¯t worry about it! Let me deal with it," Lin Jian said proudly.

    "What will you do?" Xiao Fang asked curiously.

    "I will use my connection," Lin Jian patiently answered. Lin Jian thought that he would ask for his few close brothers in the army this time, after all, Mi Hui¡¯s mission had already finished and they couldn¡¯t use Mi Hui¡¯s people for personal use. His army brothers¡¯ skills were on par with Mi Hui¡¯s people, so he didn¡¯t feel worried at all. However, he needed to make sure that they knew this mission was dangerous and they couldn¡¯t use their identities as Shu people. They would use the same method by pretending as bandits, but they needed to scout and take a look the guards that were sent along with the bridal dowries first, Lin Jian had a feeling that they would increase the guards number and chose better ones after the first blow.

    "Can I join the mission?" Xiao Fang asked excitedly.

    Lin Jian looked at Yao Ling helplessly. This was a dangerous mission ah~ How could he bring Xiao Fang who didn¡¯t know any martial arts skills?

    Yao Lingughed while saying, "Xiao Fang ah~ we should probably wait for the good news from them. If wee with them, it will only hinder their movement. Besides, don¡¯t you feel afraid that one of them will be able to recognize you?"

    Xiao Fang pouted, knowing that what Yao Ling said was indeed true. It would implicate her family once more and it could be a reason for the Han Emperor to eradicate her family. "Well... alright then..."

    Yao Ling turned to ask Lin Jian, "Have you found out where the bridal dowries current position is?"

    Lin Jian nodded. "It already reached Luo Lan."

    Xiao Fang was stupefied. "That fast? It¡¯s only two days away from here. Do we have enough time? If you pretend to be Han Kingdom¡¯s bandits, you need to do it at Han Kingdom¡¯s region."

    Lin Jian answered, "Yes. The Han emperor is quite in a hurry, otherwise, his n would fail. Besides, he needs to save his face... Otherwise, the other two kingdoms will look down at him."

    "When will you go?" Xiao Fang asked.

    "Tonight... I will go with Yao Ying and some of my friends..." Lin Jian answered.

    "Do you want to take my guards?" Xiao Fang offered.

    However, Lin Jian tactfully rejected her offers. He knew that they were pugilistic world people, however, their skills were quitecking for this mission in his opinion, but he didn¡¯t tell that details to Xiao Fang.

    Yao Ling asked, "Where will you hide the bridal dowries? There will be many treasure chests and it will take a lot of spaces."

    Lin Jianughed. "Don¡¯t worry about that! I¡¯ve been sent guarding this towns a few times, so I have my own ce. Our Lin Manor has one house here and there¡¯s a secret passage there... Only my father and I know where it is."

    "Your friends... can we trust them?" Yao Ling asked, feeling worried. After all, this was a really important matter. If someone leaked this, it could result to their death. It was different from Mi Hui¡¯s people, the bridal dowries were split between Mi Hui and them. Those people were loyal to Mi Hui, so they wouldn¡¯t betray their oath. However, they didn¡¯t really know Lin Jian¡¯s friends.

    Lin Jian understood her worry and exined, "Don¡¯t worry, Sister-inw! Just believe in my judgment! They are my brothers that have been through life and death experience with me. We are loyal to each other to the bone..."

    Yao Ying patted Yao Ling¡¯s shoulder and said, "Trust Lin Jian."

    Yao Ling bit her lower lips but she finally nodded. They were in the same boat and she knew that she should trust Lin Jian, but being careful was also a must. After Yao Ying and Lin Jian promised her, she sighed in relief. They would set out that night while the women would be waiting in the inn.

    Yao Ying hugged Yao Ling¡¯s waist and said, "You should wait for me, okay? After this, we will have money to fund our people using the bridal dowries. Not only that, we can start the honeymoon phase soon..."

    Yao Lingughed, "Howe ah~? We still need to go to the Han Kingdom¡¯s capital!"

    Yao Ying smiled. "It will need more than one week to reach the capital at a leisure pace... We can take it as out honeymoon trip ah~" Besides, he would try to prepare some for Yao Ling and for this, he needed Xiao Fang¡¯s help. After all, she knew better than him about Han Kingdom. He wanted to find a romantic spot to confess his feelings.

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. "It¡¯s a good idea! I will wait for you tonight... so you should be careful, okay?" Yao Ling knew that this was an important mission, thus, she still felt worried for Yao Ying¡¯s well-being.

    "So... what will you do for me before I leave?" Yao Ying asked mischievously.

    Looking at Yao Ying¡¯s expression, Yao Ling suddenly became so shy and blushed. "What?" Yao Ling pretended to be dumb. She quickly ran away and jumped into the bed, hiding inside the quilt. "I¡¯m tired... so let me sleep..."

    Yao Yingughed and teased her, "You said that you will wait for me tonight... but now, you want to sleep... Which one is the correct one ah~?"

    "Sleeping first, then I will wait for youter," Yao Ling answered.

    Yao Ying just teased her because he knew how tired she was, besides, he had to save his energy forter ah~ He dived into the bed and opened the quilt, making Yao Ling looked at him in displeasure. "What are you doing?" She asked.

 Chapter 240 Lin Zhou: Fainted, Together Forever

    "I just want to sleep and hug you ah~" Yao Ying hugged her from behind and smelled her usual sweet smell. He felt calmer and bit her ear softly, "Sleep... I will be back once you wake up." He silently added to himself, ''I bet when I get back, you will be in a good condition already! By then, she would have the stamina to satisfy him.'' Yao Ying smirked inwardly, thinking about how they would have a good timeter.

    Yao Ying nuzzled her neck and said softly, "I miss you!" Yao Ying couldn''t spend his time leisurely with Yao Ling because of Qing Hui and General Hu... Now, he could have her to himself. the previous few days, they only met briefly and at night, they directly went to sleep.

    Yao Ling pouted when he bit her ears, and she acted coyly towards him. Her cheek and ears reddened, making Yao Ying feel how endearing his wife was. "You really have to wait for me tonight... or I will wake you up myself..." Yao Yingughed heartily.

    "Rogue!" Yao Ling gritted her teeth in mock anger. She turned around and hugged Yao Ying''s waist, trying to dived into his warmth. Just like Yao Ying, when she smelt his masculine smell... she felt safe. "You have toe back to me safely, okay?" She felt worried about his safety. The previous robbery, they dispatched Mi Hui''s people and didn''t join in with the attacking process. However, this time, it would be different.

    Yao Ying felt at home whenever he embraced his little wife. When she was worried about him, he felt his heart was brimming with love. He wondered if she would be happy when he made a romantic scene for his confessionter. "Yao Ling... what are your dreams?" He asked curiously. He had never once seen she made a fuss or did selfish thing for her own self... Sometimes, he forgot that she was still young... Surely, she would have a dream, right?

    Yao Ling was taken aback by his sudden question. After all, she was too busy to make money or take care of Yao Yingtely, so she didn''t have time to think of what she wanted. As a wife, her jobs were mostly to serve her husband. She pondered over it for a little while... One thing for sure, she just wanted to hold onto him tightly and spend the rest of her life with him. Not only because of her love to him, but without him, she had no one... She sighed inwardly. Why was her life soplicated?

    Yao Ling answered him honestly, "Hmm... There are so many things that I want to do. Finding out our past and mother''s... Stay blissfully at Wang Fu... and especially..." She looked at his eyes with a deep affection and smiled, "I want to be with you forever..." Yao Ling didn''t dwell on the ''what if'', at least for now, he belonged to her --- solely hers. Just let her enjoy this moment... She thought to herself.

    Thest part made Yao Ying felt her love... was it really true? ''Does she really love him?'' He thought to himself.

    "Me too..." Yao Ying answered her. Sometimes, there was no need for excessive romantic scene to tell the other half how important he or she was... They didn''t say love, but what she said tugged his heart string. Together forever? It sounded good to him. He could imagine their life in a few years... they would have babies --- lot of babies and build their own family in a loving environment.

    When he saw her seriousness, he couldn''t take it any longer. He kissed her deep on the lips and savored her lovely taste. It tasted so sweet --- sweeter than usual, probably because he just heard a sweet thing from her mouth. Yao Ying smiled to himself, but he didn''t stop his adventure. He was unable to restraint his feelings and his previously wild kiss turned into a gentle one. He really wanted this moment tost forever.

    Yao Ling''s feelings didn''t lose to him and she poured her heart over the kiss. She could feel his hot breath on her face, and somehow, it made her whole body feel warmer. He always gave her that effect... She gripped his robe tightly, seemingly afraid that he would leave her all alone. She was probably too tired and her feelings were in a mumble jumble, hence, her current unconfident self... She was clinging to him in desperation.

    Once their hunger for kiss was satisfied, they let go of each other, panting wildly. They were kissing too deeply that they even forgot to take a breath. However, something seemed to change in their rtionship --- for the better, of course. Yao Ling sighed blissfully while Yao Ying grinned widely. The atmosphere in the room became warmer and full of love.

    Yao Ying kissed the top of her head and ordered her in a doting tone, "Sleep!"

    Yao Ling nodded obediently because she was indeed tired, and she was falling asleep in no time. She felt reallyfortable in his loving embrace. Yao Ying looked at his sleeping wife and soon, he fell asleep too. They still had a few shichen before they would start the mission, so Yao Ying decided to rest for a little while and spend some times with his wife. Besides, Lin Jian was the one who did the preparation by meeting his army brothers.

    When he woke up, it was already at the evening. It was the right time to start moving. They already estimated the bridal dowries'' position and with their qing gong, they would arrive faster than the entourage at the designated position. Yao Ling was still asleep and Yao Ying didn''t want to wake her up. He kissed her forehead before preparing himself to leave. He changed into ck clothing and wore ck mask, while taking along the bandit outfit.

    Yao Ying didn''t have the heart to wake Yao Ling up, on the contrary, he let her sleep and left quietly. He told Xiu and Xiao Yu to guard and take care of Yao Ling when he was away. Then, he left with Lin Jian without looking back.

    "How is the preparation?" Yao Ying asked quietly.

    "It''s already finished. They only wait for us now. My army brothers have been scouting first..." Lin Jian exined. They continued their journey, but stop a few li [1] from the entourage''s camp. When they arrived, they were received by Lin Jian''s army brothers. They already wore the Han bandits'' clothing --- only Lin Jian and Yao Ying who hadn''t worn theirs yet. They quickly changed into theirs when they were sure that it was indeed the right time to execute the n.

    "How is the situation?" Lin Jian asked.

    "There are quite a few experts there, but it seems like their condition isn''t that good..." One of them answered.

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ying asked in confusion.

    "It seems like the previous robbery has made the bandits be conceited and this batch of bridal dowries has been attacked several times along the way. However, it leaves them with the best experts who have survived until now..." The man exined.

    Lin Jian nodded in satisfaction. "Then, it will be easier for us to attack them. However, we still need to be careful. We don''t know whether they try to look pitiful so we will lower our defenses or not."

    The others murmured their agreement. After listening to Lin Jian''s words, they started to be vignce --- just in case, Lin Jian''s premonition was true. When they got closer, Lin Jian and Yao Ying tried to feel the presences of hidden guards. They counted and it seemed like there were indeed only a few of them.

    They prepared themselves and waited for the right moment to attack.

    ----------------

    [1]. Li: a traditional Chinese unit of distance. The li has varied considerably over time but was usually about one third of an English mile and now has a standardized length of a half-kilometer (500 meters or 1,640 feet).

 Chapter 241 Lin Zhou: Fainted

    They found the right moment, then they attacked in one swift movement. In a few moment, they already subdued the enemies and they were surprised by their so-so skills. They felt suspicious and thought that it was too easy. Somehow, Yao Ying felt uneasy. They didn¡¯t believe that the Han Emperor would want to be robbed the second time easily. Yao Ying took a peek at the treasure chests and he realized something was amiss.

    Yao Ying was going to open his mouth and warn Lin Jian about the abnormality. Because of this, Lin Jian was distracted and he didn¡¯t feel that someone was sneakily getting closer to him from behind. Yao Ying looked up and surprised when he saw someone was going to attack Lin Jian from behind. Without a second thought, he pushed Lin Jian away to save him and his previous words to warn Lin Jian about the treasure chests were choked in his throat.

    Yao Ying tried not to shout when he felt the pain in his chest. He bit his lower lips tightly until it bleeds but he didn¡¯t make any sounds.

    Yao Ying was pierced by the assassin¡¯s swords and Yao Ying didn¡¯t hesitate to kick the man so that thetter couldn¡¯t pierce deeper. He ended the assassin¡¯s life by piercing his own sword¡¯s back. Blood spurted out from his wound and Yao Ying quickly covered up his wound while panting heavily. ¡¯Hah! No wonder Yao Ling was very worried. It seems like her gut feeling is right once again,¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself.

    However, he didn¡¯t have time to tend to his wound. There was more pressing matter to attend to...

    Lin Jian was surprised but he couldn¡¯t yell Yao Ying¡¯s name, afraid of exposing their identities. He quickly helped Yao Ying by kicking the man away. He was going to ask whether Yao Ying was okay or not, when thetter shook his head and told him to be quiet. Lin Jian quickly gave orders to the others to stop moving and pay attention to their surroundings.

    Yao Ying pointed at the treasure chests, telling him the abnormality. Lin Jian understood his meaning that something was wrong with the treasure chests.

    Yao Ying used his inner qi to make his sword harder so it could pierce into the treasure chest. After he finished channeling his energy, he quickly pierce it with one swift movement. There was muffled sound from inside of the treasure chest and there was a stain of blood flowing down from inside.

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t seem surprised, but his army brothers¡¯ eyes were widened. They were confused why they didn¡¯t feel those people¡¯s presence. No wonder there were more than one hundred treasure chests this time, previously the Han Emperor only sent less than that. They followed Yao Ying¡¯s movement and tried to pierce the treasure chests one by one. When they counted the ratio of the real treasure chests and the one with the people inside, they were 3:1.

    When they were finished halfway, one of the men inside yelled quite loudly and it attracted the attention of the rest of the people inside the treasure chests who were still alive. They quickly jumped out of their treasure chests and were surprised by the condition outside. They were given the orders to let them be brought to the enemies¡¯ir, hence when theirrades were attacked, they didn¡¯t make a move.

    Fortunately, Yao Ying was able to see through their n. Otherwise, the consequences would be dire. It could involve General Lin¡¯s manor, after all, the treasure chests were going to be put there.

    Another round of fight started once again, Yao Ying still moved with the same agility as before, however his strength was gradually weakened due to his injuries. He persisted even though a pearl-sized beaded sweat started to form on his body and his face became paler. However, he didn¡¯t dare to ck off. Probably because of the adrenaline, he didn¡¯t feel the pain... He became a killing machine.

    It was lucky for them that they had already killed half of these assassins, because their skill surpassed the previous ones. They had roughly the same numbers of people, but they were on par with each other. It took quite some times for them to finish killing the enemies.

    After everything had calm down and the loud shing sounds turned into silent, they sighed in relief. They checked on the treasure chests one by one and there were no assassins left. They left the bodies and the empty treasure chests there, but took the rest away. It contained a lot of treasures and the prices were much higher than the previous ones. Lin Jian grinned when he saw that. It seemed like they won big ah~!

    Probably because he ran out of his adrenaline, Yao Ying started to feel the pain on his chest. He looked down and the blood was actually leaking quite heavily. Before he could call Lin Jian, he felt dizzy. In the end, he fainted.

    When Lin Jian heard the loud bang behind him, he turned around. Lin Jian jumped up in surprise when he saw Yao Yingying on the ground, unconscious. When he saw Yao Ying¡¯s condition, Lin Jian felt angry... really angry. If it wasn¡¯t because of his carelessness, Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t be pierced by a sword! Not only that, he forgot to check on his condition after they finished killing the enemies.

    They had promised Yao Ling that they would be back safely and it made him feel guiltier. No one waited for him, so it would be fine if he was the one that was hurt. However, it was different for Yao Ying --- he had a wife! Lin Jian quickly asked two of his army brothers to take care of Yao Ying and bring him back to the inn. He told them to secretly search for Yao Ling.

    Lin Jian couldn¡¯t personally bring Yao Ying back, because he needed to handle the treasure chests --- dividing the profits and also hiding the rest. He sighed in worried, but there was nothing he could do at the moment.

    The army brothers, who were in charge of Yao Ying, quickly helped him binding his wound first. They knew basic medical treatment but they had no suitable medicine, but at least, it could help slowing down the flowing blood. By the time they arrived at the inn, Yao Ying¡¯s face was paler than before and he already lost a lot of blood.

    Yao Ling found him in this condition and she almost fainted when she saw Yao Ying didn¡¯t move at all! She wanted to cry but she knew she had to be strong. Yao Ling pped her own face to make her calmer. This act made Xiao Yu surprised and bewildered, however, she couldn¡¯t prevent her young mistress.

    Yao Ling nced at Xiao Yu before thetter could say anything else. She quickly ordered, "Xiao Yu, bring me a basin of clean water. I need to clean his wound. Xiu, please tend to the two saviors and ask them what¡¯s going on."

    She quickly opened the bandage and saw that it was already cleaned, although probably because they were in a haste, it wasn¡¯t clean to her satisfaction. She didn¡¯t want to risk infection, so she quickly cleaned it once more. Yao Ling frowned when she saw that the wound was quite deep, luckily, it didn¡¯t pierce any vital point.

    While Yao Ling gave him a powdered medicine, Xiu gave her the summary. She sighed in relief when she knew that the mission had been sessful and she turned her anger towards that despicable Han Emperor. She told Xiao Yu to brew several ingredients for Yao Ying in order to replenish his blood loss.

    When everything had finished and she could feel her heart started to calm down. When they were already alone, Yao Ling poked Yao Ying¡¯s forehead and pouted. "You said that you wille back just fine... but, look at you! Why did you let the enemy hurt you!"

    She could feel hot tears rolling down on her cheeks. All her pent up emotion came out... "You really make me worried! What would I do if you die, huh?"

 Chapter 242 Lin Zhou: Angry Yao Ling

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t dare to sleep beside Yao Ying --- just in case, she identally touched his wounds. So, she slept quietly on his side while sitting down on the chair. She didn¡¯t care whether it wasfortable or not. She didn¡¯t want to make it more painful for Yao Ying, besides, she had to stay vignce, just in case he got a fever.

    When Yao Ying woke up the next day, he felt the pain on his chest. "Ugh..." he muttered to himself. Thest thing he remembered was how they sessfully did their mission. His lips curled up for a little bit but then he realized that he was back to their inn. He wanted to quickly sit down. Would Yao Ling be worried about him? Somehow, he felt guilty.

    He turned his gaze to the side and was surprised when he found Yao Ling sleep ufortably in the chair. Her head rested on the bed beside him and he could see a hint of tears there. How could he not feel guilty after seeing that? He brushed away her messy hair that slightly covered her face and saw her creasing brows --- even in her dream, she was worried about him.

    Yao Ying caressed her face gently and he didn¡¯t forget to wipe the trace of tears away. He felt a pang on his chest... he didn¡¯t want her to feel sad.

    Yao Ling felt the callused hand caressing her face and it woke her out of her slumber. When she found that Yao Ying already woke up, she quickly jumped up and asked worriedly despite her numb body, "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"

    She had been waiting for him to wake up and because she was too tired, she unknowingly fell asleep.

    Last night, Yao Ying did have a fever. After drinking medicine, he was finally better and able to sleep peacefully. She knew that he should already be fine, but in her muddled state, she seemed at a loss and couldn¡¯t help but fuss over him.

    Her care made Yao Ying feel warmth. He patted Yao Ling¡¯s hand and said, "Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m fine... It¡¯s just a minor injury... See? I¡¯m alive, right?" He tried to lighten the mood by joking.

    What Yao Ying said made Yao Ling scowl in displeasure. The usually calm Yao Ling yelled at him in anger, "Yao Ying! You lied to me! You said that you are going to be just fine! It¡¯s just an easy task! But... look at you?! You came back bleeding and lost a lot of blood! You... you... liar!"

    Yao Ying was amazed by what he saw. His little kitten started to show him her ws ah~. Her face were red in anger, her small mouth made a cute pout. Yao Ling¡¯s fiery eyes made her look more lively than usual --- this was her side that he rarely saw and unconsciously, he smiled widely. She was too cute!

    When Yao Ling saw him smile widely, she almost throttled him. She was so angry at him and yet, he had the gall to smile?! What did he take her for?! It made her feel angrier and she pointed at Yao Ying while yelling louder, "Yao Ying! You still dare tough?!"

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know that her loud yell was heard by the people outside --- Lin Jian, Xiao Fang, Xiao Yu, Xiu, Han Yi, Han Er, and even General Hu. They were worried about Yao Ying and wanted to see him, but they never thought that they would be weed by such a loud shout! They couldn¡¯t believe that Yao Ling was able to get angry! The woman was usually behaving maturely and serenely ah~

    They couldn¡¯t help but grin to each other. This side of Yao Ling was indeed too cute. They wondered how Yao Ying¡¯s expression would be. Oh... they really wanted to see the scene, but they couldn¡¯t. They didn¡¯t dare to barge in and held back the thought of visiting Yao Ying. To join in with the fun, they could only try to listen from the outside.

    If Yao Ling knew that they eavesdropped their conversations, she would certainly be embarrassed to death! She could only see red at the moment and she really wanted to erase Yao Ying¡¯s smile. If he had a little bit remorse, then her anger would have been subsided. She didn¡¯t want him to belittle his own life ah~!

    Yao Ying blinked at her innocently, "I finally see my beautiful wife. How do you expect me not to smile ah~?"

    The people outside thought that Yao Ying was indeed a smooth-talker ah~!

    When Yao Ling heard what she said, she could only blush shyly. Why did he suddenly be so good with words ah~? Somehow, she didn¡¯t know what else to say. She behaved childishly and sat down in a thump on the chair once more, while pouting. This Yao Ying was too hateful ah~!

    "Come here!" Yao Ying called her.

    Yao Ling only turned her head away but she didn¡¯t answer him.

    Yao Ying knew that she was still angry... He tried once again, "Come here!"

    Still, there was no response. She only took a peek at him, but then turn her gaze away once more. She didn¡¯t have a slight inclination to go to him. Who wanted to listen to his order?!

    Yao Ying knew her weakness. He pretended to close one of his eyes, but he actually peeking with one of them. "Ouchh..." He groaned loudly, pretending that the wound started to hurt once more.

    Yao Ling looked up in surprise and quickly stood by his side, asking worriedly, "Are you okay? Does the wound start to hurt again?" She touched his wound lightly, trying to see why it was hurting again.

    However, before she could take a look at it, Yao Ying quickly catch Yao Ling¡¯s hand and he pulled her down so she couldnd on him softly. Yao Ling quickly dodged to avoid his wound, fortunately, she didn¡¯t fall directly there or his wound would identally be opened once again. She admonished him softly, "Look at you! What are you doing? Why are you behaving so childishly? Why did you pull me all of a sudden?" Her heart almost stopped when imagining that his wound would open once again.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t give her a chance to move or dodge him, he directly grabbed the back of her head and pulled her for a kiss. He didn¡¯t care about anything else, he just wanted to taste this sweet woman. Yao Ying gave her a soft loving kiss unlike his usual wild one.

    Yao Ling, who had been scared to death, was surprised at first. However, she couldn¡¯t resist him. She thought that this was the way to prove that he was still here --- beside her. He didn¡¯t leave her... After that, she could feel herself start to calm down. She kissed him back with the same loving emotion.

    When the people outside felt the sudden change of atmosphere --- from being scolded to kissing crazily, they looked at each other awkwardly. However, they had the same thing in mind... Yao Ying was very good at coaxing his wife ah~! They were too embarrassed to stay any longer there!

    Xiu and Xiao Yu had mentally prepared to this and it became a usual urrence for them, after all, their masters had quite vigorous intimate life. However, for Lin Jian and Xiao Fang who were listening to this for the second time, they still felt bashful. They looked at each other and when their eyes were identally met, they quickly looked away.

    Due the the awkwardness, they knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to visit Yao Ying. In the end, they decided to scatter away and back to their own routine. They could enjoy a few days here, after all, Yao Ying was still hurt and they would wait until he got better before they left to the Han Kingdom.

    While they were happily going out, Yao Ying and Yao Ling were still busy kissing each other lovingly...

 Chapter 243 Lin Zhou: Less Than Thirty Days Lef

    Because of his wounds, Yao Ling didn¡¯t allow Yao Ying to touch her or do strenuous activities. However, the man couldn¡¯t sit still after kissing hotly. Despite the pain on his chest, he could feel his arousal started to swell.

    Yao Ying¡¯s other hand started to roam on Yao Ling¡¯s body... Yao Ling who noticed this quickly asked, "What are you doing?!" She looked at him, feeling suspicious. "You are not well! Don¡¯t do naughty thing!"

    "But... I want to satisfy you..." Yao Ying honestly confessed his thought with a wide grin.

    Yao Ling blushed. "What are you talking about? Satisfy me? Why are you so crude?" She said in embarrassment. Yao Ying always used the word ¡¯satisfy¡¯, making her feel bashful. Satisfied you... satisfied me... So annoying ah~! She didn¡¯t know why, but he always avoided the words ¡¯sex¡¯ when he talked about their intimate things. Once she had asked why he had never used that word... or ¡¯making love¡¯? ¡¯Making love¡¯ was supposed to be a better term ah~.

    She remembered at that time he answered honestly, "The word ¡¯sex¡¯ is a bit rude, while the words ¡¯making love¡¯ couldn¡¯t really describe what we did..."

    "How so?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Making love is when we go all the way until the end ah~ Currently, we can only satisfy each other until the other ising..." Yao Ying exin mischievously.

    "Well... that makes sense..." That was what Yao Ling told him. However, she was still embarrassed whatever words that he used...

    Yao Ying, who was being told as a crude, justughed. He teased her back, "We used to be peasants ah~ You can¡¯t me me if I¡¯m a bit crude..."

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes in annoyance. She said while pouting, "Keep flirting! Keep flirting ah~! If your wound opens once again, I won¡¯t take care of you!"

    Yao Ying let out a crispyughter, making him cough in pain. "Ouch!" He groaned.

    "Look! In this condition, how do you expect yourself to satisfy me ah~?" Yao Ling scolded him once more, but she didn¡¯t move. She rolled around and slept by his side. Her headid on his shoulder while her hands were hugging his waist.

    Yao Ying knew that it was impossible, but he just like to tease her. What could he possibly do in this condition? His thoughts was wandering to the yellow book and there was a certain position that could be done to satisfy both of them at the same time --- however, Yao Ling was the one who had to move vigorously, while he only needed to enjoy her movement leisurely. [Guess what position was that? XD]

    Too bad, they still had less than one month to be able to make love to their heart content. He looked at Yao Ling... he just wanted to love this woman properly and eat her clean! He kissed the top of her head and basked in her sweetforting smell.

    "Ying..."

    "What?" Yao Ying asked softly. He looked at her expression and it seemed like she had something on her mind. "Is there something wrong?"

    Yao Ling wanted to ask... Did you already have feelings for me? Would you really leave me if you remembered your past? If you had another woman previously, should I fight for you? So many questions were swirling in her mind, but she didn¡¯t dare to ask.

    She thought that she almost lost himst night. When she saw his body was full of blood, she almost felt her life seem so meaningless. Everything seemed so bleak and a crazy thought passed by --- if he was dead, she would also kill herself. If her rationality didn¡¯t kick in because of Xiao Yu¡¯s loud yell, she probably would do something crazy...

    At that moment, she realized how important he was in her heart. His position in her heart had shifted. He wasn¡¯t simply her husband anymore --- he was her everything. Yao Ling bit her lower lips, but she didn¡¯t know how to bring it up.

    Yao Ying softly coaxed her, "If you have something in mind, don¡¯t hold it in! Just tell me what¡¯s on your mind..." He didn¡¯t want any secrets between them because it would certainly create a barrier in their rtionship.

    Yao Ling held herself back and decided to change her question, "How many children do you want?"

    "Our children?" Yao Ying asked, he felt bewildered with the sudden question.

    Yao Ling looked at him in disdain. "Of course! What? Do you want to have children with another woman?"

    Yao Yingughed and pinched Yao Ling¡¯s nose. "What are you talking about? Of course not! I was just too surprised by the sudden question..."

    Yao Ling looked at him in displeasure, "It¡¯s amon question between a married couple. Why are you so surprised?"

    Yao Ying mumbled. "We haven¡¯t done the deeds yet... so how could I think that far ah~?"

    Even though he said it in a low voice, Yao Ling was still able to hear it. She bit her lower lips and really wanted tough out loud. Indeed ah, there was still less than one month to go. She dared to bet that his mind must be full of the consummation of their marriage. Not only him, she also wait for it patiently.

    "So...?" Yao Ling asked impatiently.

    "Hmmm... at least, two boys and two daughters ah~" Yao Ying answered while imagining the scene vividly in his mind. Yao Ling embraced a baby boy, while Yao Ying was ying with his daughter. There were still two more kids ying around near them. It looked so warm and peaceful. His family... No, to be exact, their family...

    Yao Ling was the one who was dumbfounded. "That many?!" She asked in surprise.

    "Of course! I want us to have big family..." Yao Yingughed jokingly. Then, he seriously added, "Not only that... I also don¡¯t want them to be lonely. If one day I¡¯m not around, you will have them to apany you to grow old..."

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t refute when she heard that reasoning. However, she was feeling unsure about thest part. If one day he wasn¡¯t around... what did he mean by that? Would he leave her? She knew that she was being insecure and unreasonable, but she just couldn¡¯t get the thoughts away.

    "What do you mean you¡¯re not around?" Yao Ling asked while hiding her face from Yao Ying. She didn¡¯t want to see her slight reddening eyes...

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t see her expression and he didn¡¯t know she was being insecure. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t really talk about the time when he would remember his past. He answered, "I¡¯m just afraid that I¡¯m dead before you..."

    Yao Ling halted her insecure thoughts and quickly scolded him, "What are you talking about?! Pei... pei... pei...[1] We will grow old together! Don¡¯t talk this kind of nonsense anymore!"

    Yao Ying loved it when she said that they would grow old together. He looked at his wife lovingly, "En... Together forever."

    When Yao Ling heard his answer, her heart was blooming and she smiled beautifully. It made Yao Ying feel bedazzled. He grinned widely and without a second thought, he kissed her once again.

    They spent the dayzily and whispered sweet nothings to each other. Because of his current condition, they would dy their trip for a few days --- until he felt slightly better. Besides, it would take time for Lin Jian to take care of the treasure chests. He needed to tell his father as a back-up n --- just in case, something happened with those treasure chests when they were away.

    They would leave in two or three days...

    ---------

    [1]. Pei: The sound of spitting to remove a jynx or inauspicious words.

 Chapter 244 To The Han Kingdom

    They left the Shu Kingdom and started their adventure to the Han Kingdom. Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s rtionship was getting closer than before. While the other couples, Xiu and Xiao Yu, Lin Jian and Xiao Fang, still couldn¡¯t get past the flirting phase. They only looked at each other secretly and turned away when the others identally looked back.

    It made Yao Ying and Yao Ling want tough at their blushing face.

    On one of those rest days, Yao Ying met secretly with Xiao Fang. He asked a few pointers about the most romantic ces along the way to the Han capital. The Han Kingdom was consisted of deserts and wilderness, so there weren¡¯t many ces to do that. However, there was one good spot, so Yao Ying had only one chance to make it a perfect moment.

    Yao Ying already took a note about the ce and also made a secret n without Yao Ling¡¯s knowledge. It made his mood be better and when Yao Ling asked him whether something good had happened, he only answered that it was a secret. Yao Ling could only look at him in confusion, but didn¡¯t ask more. She just thought that he was being weird and didn¡¯t dwell on his weird behavior.

    Because they wanted to blend in at the Han Kingdom, they wore the Han Kingdom¡¯s traditional clothing. If they wore the Shu Kingdom¡¯s clothing, they would certainly ask their purpose of visit and it would be a pain in the ass to find an excuse each time.

    Yao Ling wore the sexy clothing that Xiao Fang gave her, making Yao Ying grit his teeth in anger. He was quite conservative and didn¡¯t really want other men to see her body, however, he could do nothing about it. Besides, all of the women wore the same type of clothing --- including Xiao Yu. If he didn¡¯t allow Yao Ling to wear the same, he would look so petty and unreasonable.

    However, he was indeed petty. He kept frowning the whole time, making Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry ah~! She was also helpless and feeling shy all the time, but she couldn¡¯t awkwardly try to adjust her clothing every moment.

    The men were wearing a set of clothing that was consisted of white long-sleeve shirt and also matching color of pants and vests. Generally, their clothing were in bold colors. Not only that, they also wore the same color of hat, making Yao Ying and Lin Jian feel a bit ufortable, but they soon got used to it.

    When the men watched their beloved women looked so alluring, they gulped and looked at them in awe. Somehow, their faces were blushing heavily --- except, Yao Ying whose face was darkened... If he could, he wanted to pack her up and put her inside his pocket so no one would be able to look at her...

    Yao Ling, who was actually shy, quickly tried to appease him and say, "Ying... Look! We wear a couple set of clothing --- we wore the same electric blue color..."

    Yao Ying noticed this and saw that indeed, in one nce, people would know that they were a couple and it slightly made his expression better. Yao Ling sighed in relief. After that, she heard Yao Ying said, "Then, you are not allowed to leave my side! We should tell the world that we are husband and wife."

    Yao Ling, "..."

    She was quite speechless. ¡¯This petty man!¡¯ She really wanted to put some senses into him, however, she also knew that the Shu people were far more conservative than the Han people. She helplessly answered, "Okay..."

    "Good!" After saying that, he hugged her waist to show the others his possessive side.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Then... should we glue ourselves together like this the whole way? She felt that this man was quite unreasonable, but at the same time, a bit cute...

    The others looked at their interaction and stunned. After a brief moment, theyughed out loud. However, Yao Ying red at them, trying to shut them up. The others pretended to cough and stopped theirughter, but it didn¡¯t stop them fromughing inwardly.

    Lin Jian and Xiu were actually also ufortable in seeing their beloved women wearing such clothing, despite their initial reactions. However... they were in no position to behave like a cave man, just like Yao Ying. They could only swallow their grievance inside.

    Just like that, they went off...

    To get to the romantic secret ce, it would take a few days. That was why the first few days, they enjoyed the trip happily. Due to the carefree attitudes of the Han people, they were weed everywhere with kindness and big smile. It was totally different with the way Shu people always needed to pay attention to polite talk with fake smile.

    In Han Kingdom, they could talk freely without any restraint. It made them feel sofortable and they could behave naturally with each other --- there was no obvious hierarchy here. They also treated Xiu and Xiao Yu just like friends which made thetter feel ufortable. However, after persuasion, they started to ept the different culture or else the Han people would be suspicious of their identity.

    Their first stop was Lon --- it was near the ce where they fought for the bridal dowries. When they passed by the ce, there were quite many people surrounded the treasure chests. Themoners were trying to see whether there were any treasures left, but they were disappointed when they realized that everything had been wiped clean.

    The local authorities already put on a barrier and the onlookers could see perfectly clear how scared the leader was. After all, this was the second time the bridal dowries has been robbed. Both times happened under his jurisdiction and the first time it happened, the Emperor had warned him. He knew that he couldn¡¯t run away from this hurdle the second time ah~! He knew very well how angry the Emperor ah~!

    He also heard about the princess¡¯ death. That was why he thought the bridal dowries must have been brought back by the Han Emperor. Who knew that it wasn¡¯t the case! He needed to find a scapegoat. He was a bit confused with the bandits¡¯ appearance, after all, there were only two low levels bandits gang in the area. He always maintained a good rtionship with them, after all, they gave him a big sum of money as bribes so he didn¡¯t capture them and turned a blind eye to their activities.

    He already talked to them and none of them attacked the bridal dowries. How could he find the culprit? He had a gut feeling that it was done by a big shot. They had tried to find any clues, but found nothing. The footprints had been wiped clean by the sand and there was no casualty from the robbers. There was no body that they could check for clues. It seemed like a professional work. This matter... really gave him a headache!

    Xiao Fang pretended to ask a man who stood beside her, "Da Ge, do you know what happened?"

    "Someone robbed the bridal dowries again," the man answered her question.

    "Was it done by the same people?" Xiao Fang asked curiously, trying to find out more. The others didn¡¯t dare to talk much with the people here, because the Shu and Han Kingdom had different ent. They were still learning the new ent and didn¡¯t dare brazenly talk, especially near the crime scene.

    "I heard it isn¡¯t so. Both of them have different style..."

    "Yes ah~ Probably the second one tried to rob because of the first sessful robbery. The first one already got a lot of treasures, so why would they take the risk again?"

    When Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian heard about their spection, they smirked inwardly. It meant that they sessfully didn¡¯t leave any trace and the in-charge official hadn¡¯t found any clues. They also felt relieved.

    Of course, it would look different... those two times were indeed done by different crews.

 Chapter 245 Lou Lan

    After getting the answer of what they wanted to know, they left that ce. The women didn¡¯t feel afraid because the corpse had been moved and covered with white clothes by the soldiers. However, they were still able to tell that there had been a fierce battle there. Yao Ling quickly held Yao Ying¡¯s hand tightly, trying to calm herself down. If they weren¡¯t in public ce, she would already pounce on him and hug him tightly. She really thanked Buddha for bringing Yao Ying back to her safely.

    Lin Jian whispered to Yao Ying on the way to Lou Lan, "We should probably try to find out how the local magistrate will deal with this case --- just in case, he tried to find a scapegoat that rted to our kingdom."

    Yao Ying nodded in agreement. "Sure. Judging from how urgent this matter was, I believe the answer should be announced tomorrow."

    Lin Jian nodded in agreement. They didn¡¯t afraid that it would lead to them, however, if they made the Shu Kingdom as a scapegoat, they would wreak havoc in Lou Lan. They decided to stay one night at Lou Lan.

    Lou Lan wasn¡¯t too big, well, basically... all the cities in Han Kingdom were small due to the nature of their kingdoms and mostly of their citizens were nomads. Nomads had moved their flocks and herds to wherever grazing was avable and oases had provided opportunities for a more settled way of life. Despite the harsh life style, the people were quite cheerful unlike the monotonous Shu people.

    Lou Lan wasn¡¯t built as sturdy as Shu cities, but it still had its own charm. The walls were made by stones that barely enough to hold on once a big sandstorms came. It was understandable, because the Han Kingdom wasn¡¯t that rich and sometimes, the people who lived in the borders were stealing resources from the Shu people --- especially foods...

    Inside the cities, there was a small market full-of-goodies and only one big inn where the chose to stay. The only majestic building in the city belonged to the local magistrate and it seemed like he umted his wealth through dirty means. How could such a barrennd have such a luxurious mansion?

    Lin Jian asked Yao Ying, "Do you think he would pour a dirty water towards someone else?"

    Yao Ying nodded, "I¡¯m pretty sure. However, I don¡¯t know who his target is... After all, we don¡¯t know the local magistrate well. We also don¡¯t know the details of how this kingdom works."

    Lin Jian pondered a little while, "Why don¡¯t we try to find out about it tonight? We can just spy on his house and find some interesting evidences."

    Yao Ying frowned. "Won¡¯t it be too dangerous? Besides, we are not from here, why should we meddle on this?"

    "I just don¡¯t want him to say that it¡¯s our kingdom. It¡¯s better if it¡¯s the other kingdom..." Lin Jian exined.

    "I dare to bet with you, a man who is as selfish as him, he would sacrifice one of his own contacts. I believe he wouldn¡¯t dare to incite war by naming the other kingdoms --- unless, this person is an idiot and at the same time, a lunatic," Yao Ying said. This ce was built near the border, so the magistrate would be the first one affected by the war.

    "That also makes senses. Then why did you agree to waste time here if you were so sure about it beforehand?" Lin Jian couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "I just want Yao Ling to rest better tonight. After all, we slept on wilderness and she seemed so tired. I didn¡¯t have the heart to continue this trip..." Yao Ying exined.

    Lin Jian, "..." He cursed inwardly. Why did this man keep giving him dog foods for the past few days ah~? It started to be so annoying! He couldn¡¯t even me him because they weren¡¯t really in a hurry. Their father had sent letters that they were allowed to take their times. As long as their father were there, they didn¡¯t need to think about their business matters.

    "I will still take a look at it though," Lin Jian finally decided.

    "Okay..." Yao Ying answered briefly.

    Lin Jian asked once again, "Aren¡¯t you going to join me?"

    Yao Ying smirked and said, "Nope..."

    "Why?!" Lin Jian whined.

    Yao Ying pointed at his wounds. "Don¡¯t you see this? This is the privilege of a wounded man, I can rest tonight..."

    Lin Jian, "..." He really wanted to punch this annoying man. He bet that he only wanted to spend a night with his wife ah~! He really made him want to vomit blood in anger!

    Yao Ying offered, "Why don¡¯t you bring along General Hu? He knows better the buildingyout of the Han Kingdom. I¡¯m sure it will be helpful for you. Who knows? Maybe he has information about this local magistrate or there¡¯s a possibility that he had been dealing with him in the past?"

    Lin Jian thought for a little while and he knew that it was actually a good idea. He nodded, "That makes sense. Then, I will look for General Hu." Before he ran way, he added, "Don¡¯t make my sister-inw too tired, okay?"

    Yao Ying blushed when he heard that. Yes, he liked to talk naughty things with his wife, probably because he was the one who took the lead, he had never felt embarrassed. He did it because he loved to see her blushing face. Her shy appearance made her look more endearing! However, to be teased like that by Lin Jian, he was the one who felt shy!

    Lin Jian was dumbfounded when he saw Yao Ying¡¯s blushing face, and he couldn¡¯t hold back his crispyughter. "Wow... my cute best friend is shy..."

    Yao Ying prepared to hit the man, but thetter had run away as fast as he could. Yao Ying could only grit his teeth and go back to his beloved wife. He trusted Lin Jian¡¯s capabilities to deal with this matter, so he didn¡¯t put any thoughts in it. What matters in his mind was... how fun it would be with his wife tonight.

    His wound was getting better and he believed he would be okay doing a little bit of vigorous activities, despite his wife¡¯s scolding. Well... to avoid that, he probably should make her feel satisfied first. Yao Ying walked back to their room while whistling happily.

    When he arrived at his room, he found that Yao Ling was taking a bath. She enjoyed a luxurious thing that could only be done when they were staying inside an inn. Yao Ying gulped, thinking that it would be good if they could do it inside the bath tub. He looked down and saw his wound, making him grit his teeth.

    Suddenly, he felt annoyed at the wound. After all, the wound shouldn¡¯t be exposed to water --- or else, it would be infected. How sad! What a bad timing to get hurt! Well... it wasn¡¯t like there was no other time to enjoy that pleasure! He could only wait patiently while drinking a cup of tea to calm the beast inside him down.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know that a beast was waiting for her to eat her clean. She was using a special medicine to make her skin smoother by rejuvenating her skin while soaking herself with water in the bath tub. Jiu Lan taught her to always pay attention to her skin care routine because it made her look younger and also would maintain her youth in the future. Hence, she always did this routine every day at Wang Fu. However, in this trip, she could only do this when they were staying inside an inn.

    She closed her eyes while enjoying the hot bath. Xiao Yu was massaging her shoulder softly to relieve her aching body. She had refused Xiao Yu¡¯s offer at first, however, it was fortunate of her to agree. This massage would help her pass through the night, but after one vigorous night, she would ache all over the next day.

    Well... it was happened, of course, because of a certain beast...

 Chapter 246 Do You Miss Him?

    When Yao Ling finished taking a bath, she came out from behind of the partition room divider. Yao Ying, who had waited patiently, was stunned by her beauty. She looked a little bit different than before. Previously, probably because of the dirt, her skin had be a bit dry. However, in a short time, her skin had back to the previous glow.

    After getting a hot bath, her face became tinted with alluring red dots on both of her cheeks making her look more attractive than usual. Her hair was flowing down and cupped her lovely face nicely. She only wore her thin inner garment and with only this kind of subtle provocation, Yao Ying could feel his little Yao Ying start to harden to the point of pain.

    He sighed. No matter how many times he looked at her, she was as beautiful as the first time he saw her --- his light...

    Yao Ling weed him with a smile, "Ying... I thought it would take you longer to go back inside the room. Aren¡¯t you going out with Lin Jian to check on the local magistrate matter?"

    Yao Ying shook his head. "No... he can take care of it by himself..."

    "Is your wound hurting again?" Yao Ling asked. Yao Ying usually would want to handle everything by himself. Did he change his mind because of the wound?

    Yao Ying shook his head. "No... I¡¯m fine..."

    Yao Ling sat down in front of him and poured herself a cup of tea. Xiao Yu was busy taking care of the bath tub with a few servants, hence Yao Ying could only wait patiently until they finished clean up everything. He could only wipe his own body with wet clothes and couldn¡¯t enjoy bathing time, however he always kept himself clean. Suddenly, he had a good idea.

    After the servant went out of the room, Yao Ying asked softly and used a weak voice, "Yao Ling, can you help me with something?"

    Yao Ling nodded and asked curiously, "Of course! We are husband and wife... we should help each other ah~ what do you need me to do?"

    Yao Ying asked once again, "Can you help me wipe my body? I feel ufortable, but I can¡¯t take a bath..." Yao Ying didn¡¯t tell her that he had already wiped himself before he went out with Lin Jian, so his body was actually clean.

    Yao Ling understood his difficulty and she didn¡¯t think that anything was weird about it. She quickly called Xiao Yu in and let her prepare a basin of warm water along with the wipe cloth. The servants needed to boil water first, so when they waited for it, they talked for a little while.

    "Have you thought of any n to help Xiao Fang get a revenge?" Yao Ling asked.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "We need to find out the situation in the capital first, just in case there is something different happens there. It¡¯s best if we don¡¯t involve ourselves too much. After all, we are not Han people and thew works differently for us. Father has warned me not to do anything crazy that could implicate our family and kingdom." Lin Jian also received the same warn and they should be conscious of their own identities.

    Yao Ling nodded. "I¡¯m sure Xiao Fang realize about this too. It will be best if we only supply the ideas, while Xiao Fang¡¯s people will do the works --- unless we are at a dead end."

    Yao Ying murmured his agreement.

    After that, Xiao Yu arrived with the water and Yao Ling quickly dismissed her. "I will serve young master by myself."

    "Yes, young mistress..." Xiao Yu quickly went out and wait outside until it was time to take the basin back. However, she would be waiting for no avail until for a long time, but well... at least, she could spend some times with Xiu ah~.

    Inside the room.

    "Ying, stand up first. I will help you remove your clothes..." Yao Ling ordered him softly.

    Yao Ying obediently followed her orders, while smiling. She started from the top first. Yao Ying had already removed his vest, so she only needed to take off his shirt. After that, she wiped his body slowly and thoroughly.

    Things would start to get tricky soon...

    After she dried his body, she turned her gaze to his pants. What awaited her there... was quite a stun. It seemed like the little Yao Ying started to be arrogant and he stood tall --- high and mighty~ Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry, she could only gape cutely while looking at the hardened body part...

    "This... this..." Yao Ling was speechless and she didn¡¯t know what else to say. She didn¡¯t know where to focus her gaze on, her eyes kept darting around, but in the end, her gazended on ¡¯that¡¯ part.

    Yao Ying grinned naughtily at him and teased her, "Why are you looking at my little Yao Ying like that? Do you miss him?"

    Yao Ling felt baffled by his sudden question. "What... what are you talking about? I¡¯m not!" Yao Ling whined in embarrassment.

    Yao Yingughed. "Don¡¯t lie to me! Look at your blushing face... I know that you miss him... If not, why do you keep peeking at him ah~?"

    "No... It¡¯s just your imagination!" Yao Ling lied. After that, she didn¡¯t dare to look at that part anymore.

    "Oh well... if you said so... Then, why are you stopping now?" Yao Ying asked.

    "Huh? What do you mean?" Yao Ling¡¯s mind became nk.

    "Aren¡¯t you going to wipe my body?" Yao Ying reminded her.

    "Oh yes..." Yao Ling looked down in embarrassment. She was too focused on ¡¯that thing¡¯ and she almost forgot what she should do. It seemed like Yao Ying¡¯s pervert nature had rubbed onto her ah~! She didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry...

    Yao Ling tried all her might not to look at that part, however, it was too noticeable. She closed one of her eyes, while helping him open his pants and peeking with the other eye. She totally forgot that Yao Ying didn¡¯t hurt his hands and he was capable of removing his pants by himself. Yao Ling was just too nervous and forgetting about that fact, especially when she felt like the little Yao Ying was ring at her...

    It pointed right at her face ah~!

    After she removed his pants, she quickly cleaned his legs and he still wore his inner garment. However, she could make out the shape and see for herself how hard it was. After finished wiping, she quickly stood up and with a red face, she said, "It¡¯s done!"

    Before she could run away, Yao Ying stopped her on her track by saying, "Yao Ling ah~ you miss one spot..."

    "What?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    Yao Ying pointed down at his hardness and said, "How about my little Yao Ying ah~? Why did you forget about him?"

    Yao Ling could feel her face darkened. She remembered perfectly well ah~ It was just she didn¡¯t want to clean that part... too embarrassing ah~!

    Yao Ling quickly said, "That part... you can clean it by yourself." She turned away once again, preparing to run away from the awkwardness.

    "Ouch..." Yao Ying used the same trick once again.

    Yao Ling started to get agitated and worried about him once again. "What happened?" She asked in distress.

    The man started to pretend to be pitiful and exined his lie smoothly, "I tried to clean myself, but when I wanted to bend over, I started to feel the pain once again..."

    Yao Ling looked at him, trying to gauge his reaction --- whether he was talking the truth or not. Yao Ying put on the right expression and Yao Ling could only helplessly believe in him. She gritted her teeth and said in a t tone, "Fine... I will help you!" However, her tone couldn¡¯t mask her shyness...

    She opened his inner pants slowly and when she sessfully opened it, there was a small ¡¯pop¡¯ sound... Little Yao Ying wasing out and still as hard as before. It swayed a bit up and down... up and down... Yao Ling gulped and her eyes followed its movement naturally.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud.

 Chapter 247 Show Me How

    Please note: This chapter contains the mature part. The mature part will start from the beginning until the end with cute interaction in between just like usual! If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.

    ---------

    MATURE PART!

    ¡¯Didn¡¯t she feel embarrassed just now? How could her expression look so cute? It looked like she wanted to devour his little Yao Ying ah~,¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. However, it was actually because Yao Ling was surprised by little Yao Ying¡¯s movement and she felt amazed while looking at it. She definitely never thought to devour it ah~!

    If she know Yao Ying¡¯s thoughts, she would feel wronged!

    It took a while for Yao Ling to be clearheaded and it was because Yao Ying cleared his throat a bit loudly and asked, "Are you done looking?" When he said that, little Yao Ying slightly twitched and made Yao Lin flinch in return.

    Yao Ling pretended that she hadn¡¯t heard his question, after all, she felt too embarrassed ah~! She quickly closed her eyes while wiping Yao Ying¡¯s little one vigorously.

    "Ouch... ouch... ouch..." Yao Ying yelled. "Yao Ling ah~ please be gentle! You will peel my baby¡¯s skin off ah~!" Yao Ling forgot that the wipe cloth was quite coarse and she used a lot of strength, of course, it would hurt him!

    Yao Ling flinched and quickly apologized, "I¡¯m sorry!"

    "It¡¯s fine... justpensate me!" Yao Ying said while grinning, despite the pain.

    "What do you want me to do?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Use your hand or mouth..." Yao Ying grinned. Then, he added mischievously, "Or... you can use both altogether..."

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes. She already had a gut feeling that this would be his request. She had felt suspicious when she knew that there was no dirt in his body and she had been waiting when he would start to ask for her help ah~!

    She shook her head... she really had a naughty husband ah~!

    "Fine!" Yao Ling muttered to herself. However, there was no displeasure in her face.

    Yao Ying sat back down on the luohan bed[1] behind him. He sat down and beckoned her toe to him. "Come here... I don¡¯t want you to get tired by squatting down. Justy beside me!"

    Yao Ling nodded obediently. Sheid beside him and because they had done this several times, she became better and automatically knew what to do without being told. She touched little Yao Ying with one of her hands and moved her hand up and down slowly. Yao Ying felt the pleasurable feeling shot up to his core and couldn¡¯t help but groan loudly.

    His little Yao Ying¡¯s skin was slightly dry due to the wipe cloth, but by Yao Ling¡¯s provocation, transparent liquid started toe out and it became slippery in a heart beat. The previous pain turned into pleasure.

    Yao Ying said with a low moan, "Use your mouth, please!"

    By this time, Xiao Yu who was waiting for outside could clearly hear the moaning sound. She blushed because she could take a guess what was going on inside. She quickly scurried away to a safe distance, so she couldn¡¯t hear anything that could contaminate her innocence.

    When she squatted down while blushing, Xiu passed by and he wanted to meet with the young master. He wanted to ask whether he should follow along with young master Lin Jian or not. However, he saw Xiao Yu¡¯s expression and he knew when this expression appeared, it was because of their vigorous masters ah~! They must have been doing the deeds!

    Xiu knew when young master didn¡¯t give him any explicit order about something, then it meant that he didn¡¯t need to follow young master Lin Jian --- he supposed. He decided to apany Xiao Yu by squatting beside her and chatting randomly with her. He needed to earn some browny points from his future wife, right? The man started to confidently thought inside his mind. After all, he could see that Xiao Yu had started to feel something towards him.

    Back to the room...

    Yao Ling followed Yao Ying¡¯s order obediently and she started by licking the tip of Yao Ying¡¯s hardness. He jolted up for a little bit due to the sudden electricity and he moaned in pleasure. This little minx started to get more experienced and the pleasure was unbearable. He remembered the first time that her teeth scratched his hardness, but now, she was so skillful that not once it grazed him.

    He was proud of her!

    If Yao Ling knew his thoughts, she wouldn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. Was this a good thing to be proud of?!

    Yao Ying gripped her hair softly while moving his hips up and down, along with Yao Ling¡¯s head movement. Yao Ying felt bad when he was the only one who received a pleasure. In between his gasps, he said, "Yao Ling... turned your body around..."

    "Huh?" Yao Ling asked. "What do you mean?" She removed her mouth from his hardness in confusion.

    Yao Ying remembered one of the pictures from the yellow book, where both of them could get the same amount of pleasure. He wanted to try that position. "Remember the second picture from the left on the fifth page of the yellow book? Let¡¯s try it!"

    Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying in disdain. There were so many pictures how could she remember which page and whether it was on the left or the right ah~? She was even too shy to look at the book and this man remembered every detail of it!

    "How am I supposed to remember ah~?" Yao Ling asked. "And also... do you keep looking at the book every day?!"

    Yao Ying shook his head... "Of course not ah~! I¡¯m not that crazy..."

    "Then, how do you remember clearly like that?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "It seems like I suddenly have a photographic memory... only for the yellow book. It¡¯s integrated inside my mind," Yao Ying grinned sheepishly.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Shameless! How could he be so shameless?! She didn¡¯t say that, but even she... felt ashamed on his behalf ah~!

    Yao Yingughed when he saw Yao Ling¡¯s disbelief expression. "I¡¯m just joking. Why do you take it so seriously?"

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes. She didn¡¯t believe that he was just kidding. This pervert! Yao Ling was also curious, so she couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What kind of position is that? Why don¡¯t you exin it to me, so I can imagine it vividly?"

    Yao Ying shook his head. "No... no... it will only waste our time.It¡¯s better if I guide you ah... But be careful! Don¡¯t press my wound with your body!" Yao Ying warned because he also didn¡¯t want her wound to open once again and hinder their trip. However, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from tasting her. She had made him aroused to the point of no return.

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement, but still said in worry, "You have to tell me when I identally press on it, okay?" Yao Ling was afraid that she was too hasty or too into this and forgot about his wound.

    Yao Ying answered, "Of course!"

    "Then... show me how to achieve that position..." Yao Ling said shyly, despite hermanding tone.

    -------

    [1]. Luohan Bed: It is also daybeds in nowadays ssification. During the Ming dynasty, Luohan bed, with moderate size and easy to move around, was usually ced in study room or bedroom for rxation.

 Chapter 248 Trying Out a New Position

    Please note: This chapter contains the mature part. The mature part will start from the beginning until the end with cute interaction in between just like usual! If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.

    ---------

    MATURE PART!

    Despite his slightly aching wound, Yao Ying was still strong and he pulled her up with a little bit of his strength. He attacked her lips with his without any mercy for a few moment, before finally releasing her. Their breath mixed together sensually...

    "Ling-er... open your clothes for me..." Yao Ying said in a hoarse voice.

    Yao Ling obediently opened her thin robe, along with her dudou and pants in a sh. Yao Ling shyly looked at Yao Ying, while covering her private parts and making her look more alluring than usual. Yao Ying smiled and asked, "Is there a need to be shy in front of me? Don¡¯t cover yourself! You are so beautiful..." He honestly praised her.

    Yao Ling shyly opened both of her arms and revealed her naked body to her husband. Yao Ying could see how her skin was as white as snow. Despite their tiring journey under the sun, she didn¡¯t be tanner at all. Her twin meat buns stood proudly while her sweetness down there... he could see very little hair, and it made him able to the shape clearly. He started to get more aroused and his little Yao Ying started to harden once again.

    "Come here..." Yao Ying called her.

    Yao Ling walked to him and sat beside him. Yao Ying quickly turned her over with a little bit of his strength, and directly put her face... facing his little Yao Ying and making Yao Ling surprised by the sudden movement. On the other hand, his face directly facing her sweetness down there. He didn¡¯t have the patience to wait anymore.

    He needed to devour her as soon as possible...

    Yao Ling could feel a burning gaze... staring right at her core and it made her flinch in awkwardness. This... this pose was a bit too embarrassing ah~ Yao Ying could see her sweetness clearly! Where should she put her face ah~? She could even feel her face hot and she knew that she must have been blushing furiously.

    She yelped and quickly tried to hide herself by closing both of her legs together until there was mo gap. However, before she could sessfully do so, Yao Ying held her thighs apart. How could she overpower Yao Ying? She couldn¡¯t, so she could only let him look at her core with a pitiful look on her face. She didn¡¯t know that her face made Yao Ying feel that he wanted to bully her.

    "Will... will we really do it this way?" Yao Ling asked shyly. She could even imagine vividly what they would do next. She really wanted to knock some senses into the yellow book¡¯s writer and painter... why did they create so many weird poses ah~? And also there was the matriarch too! Why did she give Yao Ying such a book ah~?

    Yao Yingughed at the bashful woman and answered, "Of course! I¡¯m sure you will forget about this position and enjoy this in no time..."

    Yao Ling could only groan in defeat.

    "Why don¡¯t you start first?" Yao Ying still wanted to tease Yao Ling, despite knowing her shyness.

    "No... no... you first..." Yao Ling quickly said. Yao Ying reallyughed out loud this time... his little wife was really cute!

    "Oh well... I already got your permission..." Without waiting for Yao Ling¡¯s answer, Yao Ying quickly opened her thighs wider and after that, he touched her forbidden core while opening its lips softly. Yao Ling yelped when she felt the cold air hitting her core.

    Before she could say anything, the cold air was changed into a warm tongue and made her jolt in pleasure. A sudden tingling feeling started to spread down there, making her moan in return. "Hmmm..." She hummed softly and the pleasure started to seep into her body.

    To prevent Yao Ling running away from his touch, Yao Ying hold onto both of her thighs tightly and Yao Ling had no choice but to hold both of Yao Ying¡¯s thighs in return just to hold and bnce herself up. She was in too much pleasure and she didn¡¯t realize that she hold onto him too tightly and scratched him with her nails. Yao Ying didn¡¯t mind about it for one bit. He didn¡¯t move away and let her do it to her heart content.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t stop his tongue movements and he did several things continuously --- licking her sweetness down there up and down, twirling his tongue around, everything. There was no spot inside her forbidden core that he didn¡¯t taste --- he totally ate her clean. Yao Ying could taste her transparent liquid which was sweet and tasty and that was the reason he couldn¡¯t stop himself from devouring her ah~!

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t stop licking when he talked to her in between his movement, "Yao Ling... don¡¯t forget about my little Yao Ying... Will you help me find a release too?" After that, without waiting for an answer, Yao Ying continued ying with Yao Ling¡¯s core. He knew that she would obediently do what he asked her to do.

    Indeed, not too long after that, he was able to feel her sweet tongue start to move on the tips of his hardness once again. Despite her shyness, Yao Ling knew that she also wanted to pleasure him, however, her mind was in a mumble jumble and she couldn¡¯t think straight. She didn¡¯t remember what she did to little Yao Ying --- she just did it naturally using both of her hands and mouth.

    Both of them were moving vigorously and it seemed like they were in apetition --- they didn¡¯t want to stop at all. When she felt that she almost came, Yao Ling quickly remove her mouth from Yao Ying¡¯s hardness, feeling afraid of biting him identally due to her excitement. Her moan became louder and Yao Ying used his finger to tempt her by moving it in and out of her sweetness while his tongue was swirling around her sweet bud down there.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t care about the lewd sound that she made, or the loud sound of Yao Ying¡¯s finger in her drenched sweet hole. Her shyness had long gone along ah~. She was too focused on the building pleasure inside her and it didn¡¯t take long until the pleasure reached its peak and finally... she found a release!

    "Hmmm..." She moaned loudly.

    Yao Ling could onlyy on Yao Ying¡¯s thighs tiredly, however, the man didn¡¯t stop his attack and another round started once again. Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to lose and she made the maning once. After that, she didn¡¯t have the chance to do that again.

    Why? It was because of her husband ah~!

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t stop by pleasuring her once, but instead, he made her get satisfying releases for a few times --- until she had no energy left ah~! The man was born evil! He kept teasing her to death until she couldn¡¯t open her eyes and fall asleep so soundly.

    Yao Ying lovingly kissed the sleeping beauty. He adjusted their clothing and called Xiao Yu to prepare a new basin of warm water. He helped Yao Ling to clean up and put on her clothing. He did it all by himself. After that, he didn¡¯t forget to clean himself and then fell asleep by embracing his lovely wife.

    They had a peaceful sleep ah~

 Chapter 249 The Deser

    One night had passed and a new day had begun...

    Yao Ying had a really blissful night and he woke up with a happy mood, even though his wound started to bleed once again. For him, the pain was worth it. When Yao Ling wasing, she identally kicked the wound open. Fortunately for Yao Ying, Yao Ling didn¡¯t realize this point. He quickly asked Xiu to help him change his bandage the night before and today, it was as good as new.

    He was afraid to be scolded by Yao Ling ah~!

    Lin Jian looked at the cheerful Yao Ying and the bashful Yao Ling, knowing that the former must have been bullying thetter ah~! When he came back from the local magistrate¡¯s house, he also saw Xiao Yu¡¯s red face and of course, he understood what happened inside the room. Lin Jian could only shake his head whileughing.

    Lin Jian needed to tell Yao Ying what he had found out the previous night and he called all of the personnel. They decided to meet up in Lin Jian¡¯s room.

    "What did you find out? Did I make a correct guess?" Yao Ying asked smugly.

    Lin Jian scowled at Yao Ying¡¯s conceited look, but he had to admit that thetter was indeed correct. Lin Jian could only nod his head under Yao Ying¡¯s proud look. "You are correct. He will sacrifice two of bandit groups that bribed him to avoid being punished by the Han Emperor," Lin Jian answered.

    General Hu said, "That local magistrate is so corrupt and disgusting!"

    Xiao Fang sighed. "We can see that from how his mansion looks like. It looks so luxurious, in contrast to the poor people that surround his mansion."

    Yao Ling murmured her agreement, but she reminded the others, "We shouldn¡¯t involve ourselves with this matter." She gave a pointed look at Yao Ying, Lin Jian, and Xiao Fang. They were involved with the original robbery and she didn¡¯t want to risk anything, besides, the three of them weren¡¯t even Han people to begin with.

    Yao Ying, Lin Jian, and Xiao Fang naturally understood her reasoning. However, General Hu didn¡¯t. He asked, "Why?" His perspective about the Han Emperor had changed, but he still loved his kingdom. How could he let such a corrupt officer away?

    Yao Ying shook his head and said, "You are the one who guarded the first bridal dowry and the local magistrate didn¡¯t recognize you because you put on a disguise. What if he knows that you are here? He will choose you as a scapegoat..."

    General Hu indeed had been wearing disguise after Han Xiang¡¯s death, after all, he would be the first one that had to take responsibility... the local magistrate weed him and the princess at that time, so he knew perfectly clear General Hu¡¯s face.

    General Hu naturally understood Yao Ying¡¯s point of view. Rather than sacrificing the bandits that were actually the local magistrate¡¯s source of money, the local magistrate would certainly prefer to sacrifice General Hu. General Hu sighed in defeat, "I don¡¯t feel good for abandoning the people."

    Yao Ling said, "General Hu, I don¡¯t think it means that you are fully abandoning the people. By sacrificing these two bandit gangs, it means there would be less citizens being robbed by them. Just think of the positive side!" Yao Ling tried to persuade him.

    They weren¡¯t saints and they couldn¡¯t help everyone... Survival was the basic instinct of every human...

    General Hu naturally understood this point and he knew that there was nothing he could do. He couldn¡¯t even protect his head, so how could he try to protect the others? It was just his own arrogant self talking...

    It seemed like this result was quite good. No war and two bandit gangs were eradicated. They didn¡¯t bother to continue staying longer in that small city and start their trip once again. Before that, Yao Ying and Lin Jian wore a disguise and deliberately hired a group of storytellers and performers to spread the news of Han Xiang¡¯s death and her blood letter to every ce that they passed by.

    That group had juste back from the Shu Kingdom and nned to go to the Han Capital. Of course, they were at a slower ce than Yao Ying¡¯s group, after all, they needed to earn money by performing in each ce that they stayed at. They had heard about the princess¡¯ sad life story and felt touched, thus, they were willing to do it despite the risk.

    They wanted the whole kingdom to know about their Emperor¡¯s misdeeds. Yao Ying and Lin Jian gave the storytellers¡¯ group a hefty sum of money, but they didn¡¯t forget to remind them... if there was a danger, they should stop spreading the news first before continuing when it was safe. After all, the Han Emperor must have wanted to silence them to save his reputation.

    General Hu and Xiao Fang didn¡¯t object their n, after all, their loyalty to such Emperor had been gone... If possible, they really wanted to change such an immoral Monarch. However, it was easier said than done. This Han Emperor was quite popr for his bravery and iron fist when ruling the kingdom --- so, it wouldn¡¯t be an easy feat.

    They spent the next few days on the desert and it was a tiring journey. The trio wasn¡¯t ustomed to the weather and they were tormented because of it. The Shu Kingdom had never been this hot and the sun pierced their skin, making them feel dehydrated all the time. It made their pace be slower.

    The water was limited and they kept feeling thirsty. General Hu and Xiao Fang didn¡¯t mock their condition because they understood their difficulty. They had ustomed to the weather, but it was still harsh on them too. They were the one who acted as the water guardians, so the water wouldst longer. There was no big city in a few hundred li, only small nomad tribes which were quite narrow-minded. They wouldn¡¯t wee them, so they had no other choice to build a camp themselves to spend the night.

    Yao Ying had inquired the wonderful ce in details, so he knew that soon... they would arrive there after they passed by the desert. After this wonderful ce, they would pass through another desert before they finally arrived at the Han Capital.

    However, they didn¡¯t know... Before they reached the wonderful ce where Yao Ying nned his confession... they would find out another big secret that would shake their world once again...

    Another truth...

    At the desert, they were targeted by a bunch of bandits. Due to their tiredness, they weren¡¯t as alert as usual and it became a chance for bandits to try to rob them. If they were careful enough, they should have been notice the bandits¡¯ presence a long time ago. The bandits had been following them for the past few days before deciding to make a move.

    They were attacked in the middle of the night. At that time, the ones who guarded their tents were a few of Xiao Fang¡¯s hired guards. They fell asleep and were killed easily by the bandits. Nothing happened before so they thought that the ce was fairly safe. They didn¡¯t seriously do their duty. Fortunately, Lin Jian woke up due to the nature calling and he found out about the abnormality of the camp.

    When he opened his eyes, he found that the camp was too quiet. The one who guarded the camp usually would chat to avoid falling asleep. He saw a few shadows that didn¡¯t belong to their group --- the shadows were of those big and burly guys. The body shape was too different than the Shu people and more like General Hu¡¯s.

    Lin Jian quickly gave a signal to the other with a loud whistle, making his ally wake up and know that they were being attacked. However, he also made the bandits alert at the same time. Fighting was unavoidable. General Hu had briefed them about the possibility of being robbed, so they had prepared a n beforehand.

    Once an emergency like this happened, the women needed to quickly hide while the men would fight to the death. This was actually a disadvantage to them, after all, the bandits had gotten used to with the desert¡¯s weather so they were in full power. On the other hand, they were weaker due to the vast different temperature between day and night. At night, the weather was very cold.

    However, they still needed to fight!

    The women quickly hid behind a big rock, but they had to be vignce just in case there were other bandits. The men quickly pulled out their swords and fought. The bandits smirked when they saw that there were only a few men in the camp and the bandits¡¯ number were two times more than their target¡¯s. Thus, they felt more confident.

    It would be a long night for Yao Ying¡¯s party and not to mention, another big revtion that would make them unable to sleep!

 Chapter 250 The Bandits

    The bandits didn¡¯t really have martial arts skills and they were merely using brute forces when robbing. They quickly attacked Yao Ying¡¯s party without mercy. Despite being weak, Yao Ying and Lin Jian were still able to retaliate and they had the advantage of using their inner qi to help them fight.

    It made their condition wasn¡¯t too bad and in turn, it made the bandits feel annoyed because their mission went awry. They thought that they would be able to swiftly kill all of them while they were sleeping.

    The bandit leader could see that one by one, his subordinate started to lose and they were killed mercilessly. On the other hand, their target didn¡¯t have any casualties --- except for those two people that they killed because they fell asleep while guarding the camp. It seemed like they picked the wrong target this time.

    The loss was too big if he didn¡¯t find out a way soon. He seemed to recall that there were supposed to be a few women in this camp. Where were they hiding? He sneaked away from the battle and tried to find out the women¡¯s hiding ce stealthily. He saw a big boulder and he slightly smirked. That was the only ce they could hide.

    ¡¯Find you all!¡¯ The bandits¡¯ leader thought to himself happily. It seemed like luck was still on his side.

    The big burly man quickly went behind the boulder and the closest to him was a woman who was wearing a veil. At first, the women stayed vignce. However, after a few moments, the fight hadn¡¯t ended yet and they started to feel worried. They kept looking at each of their own man and didn¡¯t really pay attention to their surroundings.

    Thus, the bandits¡¯ leader easily captured Xiao Fang. Thetter yelped in surprise, making the other women look at their direction. "No!" Yao Ling yelled, trying to pull Xiao Fang back. However, the leader was strong and Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help Xiao Fang. Instead, she ended up falling down with a loud bang because her body crashed to the boulder.

    The man quickly yelled at Yao Ying¡¯s party, "Hold it right there!" He used Xiao Fang as a hostage.

    However, no one stopped or paid attention to him. They were too busy fighting and thought the women should be fine with their arrangement, however, they miscalcted. When the man yelled once again, Yao Ying and Lin Jian turned around in surprise.

    They saw the man put the sword on Xiao Fang¡¯s neck and they gasped in surprise. Yao Ying and Lin Jian cursed inwardly but it was already toote.

    "Throw your sword away or I¡¯ll take this woman¡¯s life!" The bandits¡¯ leader said in a smug voice, knowing that the victory was his.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian gritted his teeth. They looked around there were only five bandits left --- other than the leader and they were heavily injured so they wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. They only groaned in pain and rolled around on the ground. There was no sign of them standing up despite knowing their leader had a hostage.

    Yao Ying¡¯s party had no choice but threw their swords away. Yao Ying made an eye contact with Yao Ling who was sprawled on the ground. His eyes squinted in anger because he knew it must have been the leader¡¯s doing. He dared to touch his wife! He would make sure that he would pay him back!

    Yao Ying gave her a signal and Yao Ling understood what he meant. She quickly stood up and tried to calm herself down. She was too agitated just now and also... made a grave mistake.

    Yao Ying already warned her to be vignce, but she forgot about it.

    "What more do you want?" Lin Jian asked the bandits¡¯ leader. The interaction between Yao Ying wasn¡¯t missed by him and he quickly distracted the bandits¡¯ leader. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the bandits¡¯ leader get Xiao Fang as a hostage and it made him realize that his feelings towards Xiao Fang wasn¡¯t simple...

    The bandits¡¯ leaderughed joyfully when he knew that he got the advantage. It seemed like this woman was quite important in this party. The bandits¡¯ leader looked at his surroundings and saw that there was no way he could gain anything from here, because he was the only one who wasn¡¯t hurt.

    He quickly said, "Let me go! After I¡¯m arrived at a safe distance, I will let this woman go!" He saw how weak hisrades were and he knew that they would only be his burden. He needed to run away by himself and only by doing it that way, he could make a new gang. Why should he bother with useless subordinates? His survival was the most important thing.

    Oh yes, he nned to throw away his own men --- just for his own safety.

    Yao Ying¡¯s party really looked down at this type of men --- sly, no loyalty, and cruel. The subordinates looked at their boss in surprise and asked, "Boss... what about us?"

    The leader just looked at them coldly and said, "I don¡¯t need useless men. Just sacrifice yourself for me and I will take care of your family."

    However, they weren¡¯t stupid and all of them knew that was a lie. He dared to leave his own subordinates to death for his own safety, how could he still remember about their family ah~? It was simply ridiculous!

    The bandits¡¯ leader didn¡¯t realize that he was feeling a bit agitated because deep within, he knew that he was betraying their trust. However, he was a coward and thought that he had no other choice. He forgot that the sword was already touching Xiao Fang¡¯s skin, because of his movement, it pierced a little bit of her skin and the wound started to bleed.

    Xiao Fang hissed in pain, but she tried not to make a sound. She didn¡¯t want the others to be worried about her.

    Lin Jian quickly said and threatened him, "If you dare to hurt her again, I will never let you go and I will search for you everywhere just to eradicate you!"

    The bandits¡¯ leader was taken aback by Lin Jian¡¯s fierce gaze and he quickly adjusted his sword, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt Xiao Fang. He didn¡¯t want more troubles toe on his way. He tried to ease the tension byughing and saying, "Huh?! This woman is wearing a veil, so she must be an ugly woman. Why should you care about her?! Never thought that you have such a low taste."

    The bandits¡¯ leader¡¯s mockery made Lin Jian be angry, but he tried to maintain hisposure. He indeed didn¡¯t know how Xiao Fang looked like and he even guessed that there was probably a deep scar on her face, however, he didn¡¯t care about superficial things like that. Xiao Fang was Xiao Fang. The things that made him feel attracted were her personality and innocence, so what the bandits¡¯ leader said... didn¡¯t affect him the slightest.

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t refute what the leader said, because it was better for him to think Xiao Fang as an ugly woman --- it would be safer for her. When Lin Jian took a nce at what Yao Ling was doing, he quickly diverted his eyes away and distracted the leader once again.

    The other bandits could actually see what Yao Ling did behind the leader¡¯s back and if they wanted to, they could warn their own leader. However, they didn¡¯t. Their heart turned cold because they knew the boss decided to abandon them and even if they helped him, what did they get? The boss wouldn¡¯t even save them, so all of them kept quiet. They might as well just perish together here...

    Yao Ling found a big stone and with the help of Xiao Yu, she slowly went behind the man and hit the stone to the back of the leader¡¯s head with all her strength. The leader could only feel then pain and he yelped in surprise. He loosened his hold at Xiao Fang and the sword almost fell out of his hand. Despite his dizziness, he was able to catch the sword once again.

    However... the sword was directed at Xiao Fang¡¯s face and...

 Chapter 251 Found Out The Truth

    However... the sword was directed at Xiao Fang¡¯s face and because of his dizziness, the bandits¡¯ leader didn¡¯t realize it. Lin Jian quickly used his qing gong to boost up his pace and held Xiao Fang¡¯s waist, then tugged her away from the bandits¡¯ leader¡¯s side. He was trying to save her. The sword identally pulled up Xiao Fang¡¯s face, so when Lin Jian pulled her... the veil was forcefully taken by the sword...

    Lin Jian twirled around in the air when he used his qing gong once again... however, his eyes were glued to Xiao Fang¡¯s face. At the same time, Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes also glued to Lin Jian¡¯s face. Such a short moment, but it was quite romantic for the onlookers. They were served dog food in the middle of robbery ah~!

    Xiao Fang¡¯s veil was gone...

    Her face was finally exposed...

    Lin Jian was stunned when he saw her face. She was so beautiful... Her face didn¡¯t have any scar or blemish, and her skin was as white as Yao Ling --- might be even paler for a little bit. However, it wasplimented with a small red cherry lips. She had willow eyebrows and round cute eyes. Her face was so small, might be smaller that Lin Jian¡¯s big palm.

    If Yao Ling had a graceful bearing, Xiao Fang was the pure definition on cuteness. Beautiful and cute, making her look far younger than her real age.

    If there was a doubt about her identity before, it vanished into a smoke. After all, Xiao Fang looked exactly the same like his mother! She was indeed his mother¡¯s daughter...

    When Lin Jian saved Xiao Fang, Yao Ying quickly pierced his sword to the bandits¡¯ leader¡¯s chest. This type of man... it was better for him to die than to contaminate the world. After pulling back his sword, Yao Ying kicked the bandits¡¯ leader away. Judging from his lifeless eyes, the bandits¡¯ leader had died and Yao Ying only sneered at the man¡¯s corpse.

    He quickly ran to Yao Ling¡¯s side and asked carefully, "Are you okay?" He was checking her condition and he sighed in relief when he found that there was no wound on her body.

    Yao Ling nodded his head, "I¡¯m fine."

    Yao Ying knocked her forehead softly, "What are you doing?! Why did you use a stone to hit the man? Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s more dangerous?"

    Yao Ling blinked her eyes in confusion, "Eh? If I¡¯m not using a stone, then what else should I use?"

    Yao Ying could only shake his head and said, "Don¡¯t you always bring poison along with you? You can use that ah~! If you use a stone, there¡¯s a possibility you will hurt yourself. I don¡¯t want that to happen..."

    Yao Ling also knocked her own forehead softly, "Oh yes! I forgot about that! I was too panicked just now and I couldn¡¯t really think straight!"

    Yao Ying nodded in understanding. Yao Ling had never been in life and death situation just like now, so it was understandable if she behaved like that.

    They turned together and saw the romantic scene between Lin Jian and Xiao Fang. They twirled around in the air, making Yao Ling sigh in envy. "How sweet..." She said softly.

    Yao Ying asked while kissing the top of her head, "Do you like it?"

    "Mmm..." Yao Ling answered unconsciously.

    Yao Ying nodded his head softly. He would take a note on it. He didn¡¯t really like doing something so cheesy, especially by copying Lin Jian¡¯s movement. However, his little wife already said that she liked it and he wanted her to be happy...

    They both didn¡¯t notice that Xiao Fang¡¯s veil had gone, but they paid attention to the twirling movement. After the two stopped moving, they saw how intimate their position looked like, but they didn¡¯tment on it and merely grinned.

    Yao Ling asked Xiao Fang worriedly, "Are you okay?!"

    Xiao Fang took her gaze away from Lin Jian and smiled at Yao Ling, "I¡¯m fine..."

    At this time, Yao Ying and Yao Ling finally realized that Xiao Fang didn¡¯t wear her veil. When both of them finally took a good look at Xiao Fang¡¯s face... their jaw dropped in surprise. ¡¯It... it can¡¯t be...¡¯ They thought to themselves.

    At the same time, they yelled, "Mother..."

    It... it was Jiu Lan¡¯s face! How... how could this be?!

    The four of them were frozen on the spot. All of them said at the same time with few different tones, "Mother?!"

    Lin Jian saw the abnormality at Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s expression and knew that they noticed something from looking at Xiao Fang¡¯s face. Did they know his mother?! He quickly asked their subordinates to clean up the mess and chase away the surviving bandits --- they didn¡¯t n to kill them.

    The quartet sat down in front of the fire, trying to warm themselves while talking. Xiao Fang blinked at the couple curiously and asked, "Why... why did you call me Mother?" She didn¡¯t wear her veil because they already knew what she looked like and she probably would start wearing it again the next day.

    Yao Ying kept looking at Xiao Fang¡¯s face intently and it made her eyes slightly reddened... she didn¡¯t realize how much she missed her mother. Although Xiao Fang looked much younger than her mother, she didn¡¯t care... it felt like her mother hade back. All of Yao Ling¡¯s movement made Xiao Fang felt a bit ufortable but thetter was also helpless ah~... Xiao Fang could only let Yao Ling look at her to her heart content.

    Yao Ling finally answered her, "You face... looks just like my deceased mother..."

    Lin Jian asked Yao Ling, "Is it your real mother?" Lin Jian only knew the fact that Yao Ying was saved by the mother-daughter pair, however, he didn¡¯t know the real details. If... if her mother was his mother too, didn¡¯t it mean Yao Ling was his sister? But... she just said deceased mother... if her mother was the same as his, didn¡¯t it mean his mother had already been...

    Lin Jian shook his head... No! He had to think positively. There must have been an exnation to this.

    Yao Ling shook her head, "No... she¡¯s my adopted mother... She... wanted to kill herself by jumping into the river, however... at that time, she found me..."

    Xiao Fang asked in surprise, "You were being sent away by your real family through the river?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I don¡¯t know whether it was my real family because I hope that it wasn¡¯t, but yes... she found me on the river..."

    Yao Ling¡¯s face didn¡¯t show any hurt at all, but Xiao Fang knew that she had said the wrong thing. From Yao Ling¡¯s answer, Xiao Fang could realize her own hastiness... She could put it a little nicer, but she didn¡¯t. "I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to..." Xiao Fang felt guilty and she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Yao Lingughed, trying to ease the tension. "I¡¯m fine... it¡¯s just that I¡¯m always convincing myself that there must be some troubles for my parents to let me go... It wasn¡¯t because they actually really wanted to abandon me..."

    The other three didn¡¯t know what else to say, they realized that this was Yao Ling¡¯s sore spot. Yao Ying could onlyfort her by kissing her forehead and hugged her waist from the side, "I¡¯m sure it is. Who would be able to let go such a lovely daughter like you?"

    Yao Ling smiled and kissed Yao Ying¡¯s chin. "Thank you..." She said softly.

    Lin Jian coughed awkwardly because he was forced to watch the dog food once again. He was dying to know about Yao Ling¡¯s mother and yet... the other two was busying themselves with lovey-dovey atmosphere ah~!

 Chapter 252 Jiu Lans Background

    The couple smiled sheepishly when their interaction was interrupted by Lin Jian¡¯s cough, and then finally back to business. Yao Ling said, "What do you want to know?" There were a lot of unanswered questions about Lin Jian¡¯s mother¡¯s whereabouts, could she possibly be...? She was curious as well.

    "Your mother¡¯s origin!" Lin Jian quickly said. Xiao Fang didn¡¯t say anything, but everyone could see the anxiousness in her eyes.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I don¡¯t know... I only knew that I¡¯m only an adopted daughter when she was on thest stage of her sickness..." Yao Ling said weakly. She started to realize that there were so many things that she didn¡¯t know about her mother... If her mother was alive and well, Yao Ling knew that she wouldn¡¯t tell her that Yao Ling was adopted. She merely told her, so she had a new task in life and not to drown herself in sorrow after Jiu Lan¡¯s death.

    Yao Ling asked hesitantly, "Does your mother has a twin?"

    Lin Jian shook his head. "No..."

    Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying, and with Yao Ying¡¯s encouragement, she asked, "Is... is it possible that my mother is also yours?!"

    Lin Jian couldn¡¯t believe that the truth could turn out this way. Did Heaven y a joke with their fate?

    Lin Jian answered sadly, "I don¡¯t know... I hope it¡¯s true and at the same time, it¡¯s not... If we have the same mother, doesn¡¯t it mean that mine and Xiao Fang¡¯s mother was already dead?"

    Yao Ling said, "If you want to say about appearance, Xiao Fang looks just like my mother. However, if you are still unconvinced, do you remember whether your mother has any distinguished characteristic or not?"

    Yao Ling thought that it was the only possible way to prove they had the same mother. Life was surely full of fate. The four people here... their life was actually connected from the start... They had the same mother... How funny was that?

    This revtion left them speechless. After all, they thought each other as best friends... It turned out their rtionship was more than that.

    Lin Jian finally answered Yao Ling¡¯s question, "I don¡¯t really remember much about it... However, one person could..." At that time, Lin Jian was still a little boy and based on his memory, he could only remember his mother¡¯s blurry face. If it wasn¡¯t because of his mother¡¯s painting that his father had, he probably would have forgotten what she looked like.

    Yao Ying said, "General Lin."

    Lin Jian nodded. "He¡¯s the one who will be able to answer this..."

    They had their suspicion, but actually... deep within, they already knew the answer. It was just Lin Jian didn¡¯t want to face it. He had long wanted to meet his mother once again, but if she was dead... he... would crumble... He could only close his eyes and sigh in defeat.

    On the other hand, Xiao Fang just found out that she had this mother. Now, she found out that she was probably dead. She didn¡¯t know what to think... At first, she didn¡¯t know whether she would admit the Ce Fei as her mother, but... now... she had no chance to know the woman at all. She was already gone...

    Yao Ying tried to make a concession by saying, "You can send a message to General Lin. Ask about your mother¡¯s distinguished character and we can match it up with Yao Ling¡¯s mother."

    Lin Jian nodded numbly. That was the only thing that he could do. However, there were so many things that he wanted to ask... He decided to ask, after all, they were good friends and he didn¡¯t need to feel hesitate, "How... how did she live all this time?"

    Yao Ling told him and Xiao Fang what happened back then. They lived in a small vige but didn¡¯t really blend in with everyone else. Jiu Lan had a good talent at embroidering and Lin Jian confirmed that her mother also had the same talent. She used to personally make clothing for Lin Jian and General Lin.

    Yao Ling also told him that Jiu Lan also had medicine skills that were quite good. Lin Jian said that his mother didn¡¯t have this talent. However, the Ce Fei went away with the medicine valley¡¯s entourage... so, there was a possibility that she learned everything from there. They didn¡¯t think that it was a coincidence.

    However, Lin Jian could sigh in relief. After all, at the lowest point of her life, she found Yao Ling to apany her. Despite his jealousy, he needed to thank Yao Ling for this. Lin Jian couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Was she... happy?"

    Yao Ling nodded. "She was happy..." However, after knowing that her mother was actually the Ce Fei, she started to realize a few small things... For example, she always stared nkly and seemed to be depressed... Yao Ling asked a few times what happened, but Jiu Lan never told her anything. After she was bigger, she decided to avoid her mother whenever this happened...

    She also noticed that on a certain day, her mother would feel pain all over her body and she looked frail. At this time, her mother shut herself inside her room and there was no sound in there... Yao Ling asked inwardly, ¡¯Mother... was it the time when the remnant of the poison¡¯s effect was acting up?"

    Yao Ling started to feel that she was unfilial. She was there... but, she didn¡¯t know anything at all!

    Now, she was regretting her unawareness...

    She should be there and apany her through her darkest moment! However, it was already toote. Her mother was gone.

    Yao Ling also remembered that her mother always pulled out a handkerchief that she loved so much every day... she always stared at it longingly... Because her mother never wanted to talk about it, Yao Ling didn¡¯t ask. She knew that her mother had her own secret and no matter how many times she asked, her mother only answered with a smile.

    ¡¯Mother... all of those time... did you actually miss General Lin?¡¯ She asked to herself. However, her mother was no longer able to answer her.

    Lin Jian asked, "Why... why didn¡¯t shee back to us? Why did she stay away and live amoner¡¯s life? Why...?" This was the part where he didn¡¯t understand the most! She had a family back at Shu Kingdom, but why... she didn¡¯t try to look for them?!

    There were so many why... however, who could answer them? They could only guess...

    Yao Ling sighed, "If we see it from political view, she didn¡¯t want to endanger your life and also the General. If you protect her, there was a possibility someone would use it against Lin Fu and if the current Han Emperor wanted to find a loophole, he would use it to start a war or ask the Ce Fei back..."

    The men nodded at the same time. They understood this point.

    "However... there is also another reason, but solely from woman¡¯s view..." Yao Ling said weakly. She nced at Xiao Fang and thetter nodded in understanding. Both were women and they knew the reason perfectly well.

    "What do you mean?" The men asked at the same time. There was also another reason? They tried to think of an answer, but they couldn¡¯t. Thus, they decided to ask.

    Yao Ling wanted to say something but she didn¡¯t know how to... She sighed and finally decided to be blunt, "We, women, are quite sensitive... I believe that my mother must have been very depressed back then and she felt that her body was dirty..." Saying this far, should be enough, right?

    Lin Jian stared nkly at Yao Ling and asked, "Dirty...? What kind of dirty?"

    Xiao Fang and Yao Ling felt helpless. They took a look at Yao Ying and even he... also looked puzzled.

 Chapter 253 What Did He Do Wrong?!

    Yao Ling exined, "Because of the poisonous drugs, she had been indulging herself with the prince sexually... It made her almost going crazy because she thought it was an disgusting act. She was afraid that General Lin would be dirtied by her if she came back. She wasn¡¯t as pure or innocent as back then. Everything had changed on her part, however, the general must have been stuck in the past."

    Yao Ling wanted to say that... her mother must have been afraid that the general couldn¡¯t ept her change. In her fragile state of mind, how could she dare to gamble once again? If she was hurt once again, she would crumble...

    Lin Jian and Yao Ying started to gain an understanding about it... Lin Jian asked weakly, "But... it wasn¡¯t her fault, to begin with..." However, he knew... the damage had been done. Even though his father would be willingly to ept her as who she was, thetter wouldn¡¯t necessarily thought the same...

    A barrier had been created between them and it would always exist. They only felt sad, because the Ce Fei didn¡¯t trust the general¡¯s love... Not only the general¡¯s love... but, their love...

    Lin Jian remembered something, "What¡¯s your mother¡¯s name?"

    Yao Ling answered, "Jiu Lan..."

    Lin Jian sighed and answered, "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s a need to confirm it again. It¡¯s my mother¡¯s name..." However, deep within, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t tell his father directly about this or thetter would get a heart attack.

    When the other three heard Lin Jian¡¯s words, they could only sigh too...

    The same mother, huh?

    That night, they bound to be sleeping restlessly... There were too many thoughts that were fleeting inside their mind... It was indeed a bittersweet truth...

    The next day, Lin Jian sent a message to his father and ask about his mother¡¯s distinguished character. Lin Jian deliberately didn¡¯t mention what he had found out... He wanted to make sure everything was indeed real before telling his father. Thetter had been through a lot and he didn¡¯t dare to let his hopes up unnecessarily.

    They continued their journey and the awkwardness from the previous day had been gone. They were back just like how they used to be, but something shifted in their rtionship. They became closer and felt a kinship with each other. They treated each other more than best friends, but also brothers and sisters.

    Naturally, this change didn¡¯t go unnoticed by the others --- such as Xiu, Xiao Yu, General Hu, and Xiao Fang¡¯s maids. However, they didn¡¯t bother to ask around and epted the change happily.

    When Xiao Fang knew that Yao Ling had her mother¡¯s love, she didn¡¯t feel jealous and hatred towards her. She felt that this world certainly had a way to bring happiness despite their bad luck when they were only babies. Xiao Fang received a new family that loved her wholeheartedly, on the other hand, Yao Ling survived because her on depressed mother and in turn, they became each other¡¯s source of strength to live.

    This made her determined to help Yao Ying when thetter did his confession. She only pointed at the best ce in their kingdom, but she didn¡¯t know what his n was. It certainly made her feel curious... One day left and they would arrive at that ce. Without the others¡¯ knowledge, Xiao Fang came over to him and asked, "Have you cooked up a good n?"

    Yao Ying felt ufortable when he saw Xiao Fang without a veil, after all, it felt like the one who asked this question was his mother-inw ah~! Yao Ying tried not to look at Xiao Fang¡¯s face while answering, "Yes..."

    "Can you let me know?" Xiao Fang asked.

    Yao Ying raised one of his eyebrows, "Why?" He wasn¡¯t a romantic person, to begin with. Doing this was his first time, he didn¡¯t want to let Xiao Fang know --- just in case he embarrassed himself ah~!

    "I just want to make sure that you will do the right thing. After all, Yao Ling is my sister!" Xiao Fang said righteously, making Yao Ying¡¯s face darkened. Yes, Yao Ling was indeed her stepsister, but Yao Ling was his wife ah~! Of course, he would do the right thing.

    However, he appreciated Xiao Fang¡¯s concern. He was afraid that the truth would affect both women¡¯s rtionship. It looked like it didn¡¯t and he could sigh in relief.

    Oh well... Having a second opinion wasn¡¯t too bad either...

    Yao Ying whispered his n to Xiao Fang and thetter was quite surprised by Yao Ying¡¯s thoughtfulness... The n was wholly romantic. "Where do you get such a good idea?"

    Yao Ying smirked, "I have my way..."

    "You need to prepare a lot of things... what about the materials?" Xiao Fang asked.

    "I already got it all covered." Then, he pointed at his own horse.

    Xiao Fang took a look at his horse and nodded her head. There were indeed more things added there, however, she didn¡¯t really pay any attention to it before. Xiao Fang nodded in satisfaction and knew that Yao Ling would certainly like the n.

    Suddenly, Lin Jian¡¯s voice came from behind, "What are you both doing?"

    Yao Ying and Xiao Fang jumped up in surprise. They looked each other guiltily and at the same time, answered him, "Nothing!" Their movement became so suspicious in Lin Jian¡¯s mind. Was something going on between the two of them? Why did they look so guilty?

    Yao Ying and Xiao Fang didn¡¯t want to tell Lin Jian their n beforehand, just in case thetter would identally blurt out their n. After all, when Lin Jian got too excited, sometimes the truth woulde out of his mouth even though it wasn¡¯t on purpose. His EQ was so much different with his IQ when he was handling things. When it concerned Mi Hui and military things, his mouth would be sealed tightly. However, when it was about his daily life or not so-important-matter in his mind, he couldn¡¯t keep a secret at all!

    Lin Jian cleared his throat and said righteously, "Don¡¯t betray my sister-inw!"

    Yao Ying and Xiao Fang¡¯s expression became ugly. What did this idiot talk about? Who wanted to betray who? Both of them red at Lin Jian and asked the same time, "Say that again?!"

    Lin Jian was surprised by their hostility and he meekly said, "I¡¯m... I¡¯m just kidding..." Even though he was serious before, who dared to say that in front of the two people¡¯s hostile face?!

    Yao Ying threatened him and said, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense! If Yao Ling hears about it, she will misunderstand. If that happens, I won¡¯t let you go!" After that, he went away in a humph.

    Xiao Fang crossed both of her arms in front of her chest and looked at Lin Jian angrily, "Hmph! Serve your right!" After that, she stomped her feet to show her anger and go away without turning back.

    Lin Jian looked at both of their receding back in bafflement. What kind of attitude was that?! He just warned them ah~! He didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry.

    Yao Ling looked at the scene in front of her with a smallugh. She knew that those two talked secretly a few times, but she knew that there was nothing romantic going on between them. Thus, she just let them be. Naturally, they would tell her their secret in the end.

    Who knew that Lin Jian would barge and warn them just like that? However, he warned them because he was worried for her ah~! Of course, she would feel touched. However, she also knew he had another reason... It was mainly because Lin Jian was jealous of the closeness between the two. Who didn¡¯t know that the man liked Xiao Fang?

    In the end, Yao Ling came to Lin Jian¡¯s side and patted his shoulder softly. She could only give an advice, "You should think before you talk..." After that, she left him.

    Lin Jian could only wail inwardly. What did he do wrong ah~?!

 Chapter 254 Crescent Lake

    Lin Jian scowled all the way till their next destination, however, it didn¡¯t dampen the spirit of the other three. They knew that he would only throw a tantrum for a little while. Who told him to talk a bunch of nonsense before?

    They saw ake from afar and Yao Ying knew that this was the ce that Xiao Fang had talked about before. It was called Yue Ya Quan, which meaning was Crescent Lake. It could be considered as a natural wonder of the Han Kingdom. Just as its name implied, theke appeared like a crescent moon and with its crystal clear water, resembled a turquoise or pearl iid in the vast desert. Some said it reminded them of the eye of a beautiful woman, lucid, beautiful and amorous. Others said it looked like the mysterious, gentle and seductive lips of a pretty woman, or a slice of a lush, sweet and crystal cantaloupe.

    When they saw the ce, they were in awe... The golden sand hill and the blueke cast a beautiful contrast in a harmonious existence. The scenery was beyond beautiful.

    Yao Ying asked to Xiao Fang in a whisper, "Can we stay there?" He knew that such a beautiful ce usually was reserved only for the royalties. How could they could get in as mere passerby?

    Xiao Fangughed. "Of course, we can."

    "How?" Yao Ying asked while furrowing his eyebrows.

    "I have the special pass... My father is the Left Prime Minister, remember? He made a great contribution once and he was given the special privilege to enjoy this oase for him and his family. All of you are part of my entourage, so it should be fine," Xiao Fang answered confidently.

    Knowing that, Yao Ying sighed in relief. They didn¡¯t bother to whisper, after all, it wasn¡¯t a secret that they were going to stay there. They were admiring the view... there were thick reeds swaying gracefully in the breeze at the southern bank of theke; as well as a group of elegant pavilions and temples dominating the skyline. All of those seemed so surreal and magical...

    Xiao Fang exined to them that there were variable scenes of theke from early sunrise to sunset; such as the soft glow of sunrise and the smooth mirror image at dusk. It was during thetter time that theke reflected the rosy clouds and golden dunes of the surrounding. In the evening, blue neon light encircled theke resembling the moon on the ground.

    They really wanted to stay there and enjoyed the view to their heart content.

    Yao Ling asked Xiao Fang, "Have you heard any news from your father? About what¡¯s happening in the capital?"

    Xiao Fang shook her head. "Father would only give me news when something isn¡¯t right there... So, I don¡¯t think that something major happens at the moment. However, the news about Han Xiang¡¯s death will soon reach the capital..."

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. Then, she asked hesitantly to the others, "Can we stay a few days here?" She looked at the ce longingly. They wouldn¡¯t be able to find such breathtaking view back at Shu Kingdom and she wanted to explore this ce to her heart content.

    Yao Ying quickly nodded. "Of course... Don¡¯t you remember that we should treat this trip as a honeymoon trip too?"

    Yao Ling nodded happily.

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang relented, besides, they weren¡¯t really in a hurry. Without the chaos from Han Xiang¡¯s death, Xiao Fang¡¯s arrival would be too conspicuous. They didn¡¯t forget how the Han Emperor wanted to use Xiao Fang as a scapegoat by helping Han Xiang run away. They wanted to use the chaos to blend in and go inside the Han Capital.

    When they looked at Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s romantic gesture, they knew that they would be fed with dog food the whole time they stayed at the Crescent Lake ah~! They felt a bit jealous, but happy for them at the same time.

    They clearly loved each other...

    "Come... I¡¯ll bring you in..." Xiao Fang said. She really wanted to rest and take a bath. A few days in the desert made her whole body feel itchy, and the same thing happened to Yao Ling as well. They couldn¡¯t find any ce to take a bath in the desert ah~!

    There were two guards standing guard and when they saw Xiao Fang¡¯s pass, they politely let her in. From the Left Prime Minister¡¯s family, the one who loved toe and stay at the Crescent Lake the most was Xiao Fang, so they didn¡¯t feel surprised by her sudden appearance.

    There was a small house that was built especially for the Left Prime Minister¡¯s family and everything had been prepared carefully by the servants there. They could directly check themselves in and Xiao Fang was the one who assigned them to their rooms. The house was big enough for all of them. They decided to rest for a little while before heading out together in the eveningter.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief... Because they stayed there for a few days, he had more times to prepare for the surprise. He would need Xiao Fang¡¯s help once again because this ce wasn¡¯t a ce where they coulde and go easily. He was afraid that he identally went inside to other royalties¡¯ ce, besides, he didn¡¯t really know the custom in Han Kingdom.

    When they were going to go out in the evening, Lin Jian asked, "Will we meet another royalty here?" He hoped that wouldn¡¯t happen, after all, it would be too troublesome.

    Xiao Fang answered, "People rarelye here unless they want to recuperate or there¡¯s a big event. But well... I will let Han Yi check it out, just in case someone is here before us." Xiao Fang gave Han Yi a signal and thetter quickly went out to find information.

    "Are there some ces that we aren¡¯t allowed to go?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She kept looking around happily. The building here was made just like the Shu Kingdom¡¯s, however, it was mixed with the Han Kingdom¡¯s characteristic. Thus, it became unique in her eyes.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Yes, there are several houses that are exclusively for the Han Emperor, Empress, Empress Dowager, the princes, and the princess. There are always people guarding there, so you will know the different atmosphere right away. Our ce are considered the outer part of the lodging. I will show youter."

    "What are we going to do now?" Yao Ling asked excitedly. Her eyes shone with happiness. It seemed like she really liked this ce, because it was the first time Yao Ying saw how carefree she was. It seemed like he had chosen a good ce to confess --- it would be ingrained in their memories forever...

    "We will eat dinner at a pavilion in the middle of theke..." Xiao Fang exined. "You will love the night view..."

    Yao Ling nodded excitedly. "I know I will..." Her reaction made the people around herugh, making Yao Ling feel embarrassed.

    Han Er already knew the head servant here and she already made the necessary arrangement for their dinner. They were brought to ¡¯Moon Pavilion¡¯ and luxurious foods had been prepared beforehand. They only needed to sit down, enjoy the scenery, and eat. From the ¡¯Moon Pavilion¡¯, they could see the whole Crescent Lake¡¯s view, including the houses that surrounded it. Just like what Xiao Fang had described, blue neon light encircled theke resembling the moon on the ground. Their eyes shone when they looked at the wonderful scenery.

    Xiao Fang pointed at the opposite side where they stayed and told them, "That¡¯s the forbidden ce. No one is allowed to step foot in there, unless they are granted permission by the Emperor, the Empress, or the Empress Dowager... Even the princes and princesses also need to ask for permission to stay there... If they are toozy to do that, they will stay at the houses around that ce because they are also rarely allowed to step in there."

    They all looked at the heavily guarded area in curiosity.

 Chapter 255 Sleeping Powder

    Lin Jian asked curiously, "What¡¯s with the secrecy? Is there a treasure in there?" He wondered why even the princes and princess aren¡¯t allowed to go in there. They could see how the ce was heavily guarded --- two guards in front of the door and several guards kept rotating around there. They could even feel a few hidden guards that couldn¡¯t be seen with naked eyes. What was so important in there?

    From the outside, it was just an ordinary pce and there was no special design or ornament that showed the importance of that ce. The ce where the prince and princesses stayed were even more grant than that ce. There was no light there and it gave the eerie vibe to the onlookers.

    If not for the guards, they would think that Xiao Fang was merely joking.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Yes, there is. However, no one knows exactly what¡¯s in there..."

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked at each other. They really wanted to know what¡¯s in there ah~! Yao Ying asked, "Is there really no gossip about that ce ah~?"

    Xiao Fang shook her head, but then... she remembered something. "It seems like there¡¯s a special smallke in there and it has a good healing power. Some said that it was made by a secret tribe, but no one is able to confirm whether it¡¯s the truth or not. Only those three people with the highest power who know about it," Xiao Fang exined. "That¡¯s just a rumor though... but I heard there¡¯s a temple in there..."

    She saw the eyes of both men were shining brightly and she quickly reminded them, "Don¡¯t be too greedy! There are a lot of experts guarding whatever in there... It¡¯s not worth it!"

    Lin Jian tried to ease the atmosphere and said, "We are only asking. This isn¡¯t our territory, so we won¡¯t make trouble for you or your family. Don¡¯t worry!"

    After listening to Lin Jian¡¯s answer, Xiao Fang sighed in relief. Yao Ying was interested, however, he cared more about his surprise for now. Thus, he didn¡¯t bother to inquire more about that ce. Lin Jian thought it was better for him to find information about the secret first and raid itter... They came in using Xiao Fang¡¯s family pass and he didn¡¯t want to involve the Left Prime Minister¡¯s household if something happened while he was trying to trespass into that ce. His naughtiness red up once again, probably because of the euphoria after sessfully robbing the Han Emperor twice!

    ¡¯Why don¡¯t they try it again?¡¯ He thought to himself. However, he kept the thought to himself.

    When they were eating, Han Yi came back in a hurry. She told them that no royalties hade to the Crescent Lake, however, there was indeed a special guest that would stay here in a few days. This special guest was highly regarded by the Han Emperor himself, so it was best if they didn¡¯t provoke this person.

    "Where does this person live? Is this person a man or a woman?" Xiao Fang asked. By knowing where the person lived, she would understand what kind of status this honored guest had.

    "I heard that it¡¯s a man and he is currently staying in the ¡¯Starlight Pce¡¯," Han Yi answered.

    Xiao Fang was quite surprised by Han Yi¡¯s answered and she thought that she had masked it well. However, the trio was able to perceive the change on her expression.

    "Is there something wrong?" Yao Ling asked.

    Xiao Fang sighed, knowing that nothing would escape their eyes. Even though she masked her expression well, they would still notice it anyway. "It seems like the guest is personal guest of the Han Emperor..."

    They understood this and it was better if they didn¡¯t entangle themselves with this dangerous person. They ate in silence... Despite of the wonderful scenery, they were indulged in their own thoughts about what they had just heard, so they didn¡¯t really pay attention to the lovely atmosphere.

    They decided to end the night and back into their own room. They still had a few days to stay and missing one night wouldn¡¯t make a difference. Yao Ling, who was excited beforehand, also stayed quiet. Her thought also went to the guarded ce just now. She seemed to see a familiar symbol, but she couldn¡¯t see it clearly. With her skills, it was impossible for her to see it... She sighed and it seemed like she needed to find a chance to explore the front door of that ce --- she just needed to see the symbol...

    Yao Ling decided not to tell Yao Ying first, because she wasn¡¯t entirely sure whether that symbol was important or not.. She was also afraid that by doing this, it would risk themselves to be noticed by the Han Emperor¡¯s people.

    When they were going to stay in this ce, Yao Ling already asked Xiao Fang whether the Han Emperor would be alerted by her presence or not. Xiao Fang exined that this ce was quite secluded from the pce, so it should be fine. Besides, Xiao Fang wasn¡¯t really a fugitive ah~!

    When they got back into their room, Yao Ling was still deep in thought. Yao Ying cleared his throat and tried to gain her attention. When he sessfully did it, Yao Ying asked Yao Ling, "Ling-er, do you have sleeping powder on you?"

    Yao Ling nodded. "Yes, I have quite a lot... why?" She asked curiously.

    "Can you give me a little bit?" Yao Ying asked.

    "For what?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Just to protect myself..." Yao Ying said.

    Yao Ling nodded and gave him a little bit. After that, she exined the dose carefully, because giving too much powder to one person, it would make the person sleep for a long time and it would affect the body in a negative way. If it was only a little bit, there would be no harm for the body. Yao Ying grinned and listened carefully to her exnation.

    Little did she knew, the sleeping powder would be used on her the next day. Yao Ying had an idea... it would be better for Yao Ling to fall asleep peacefully while he would prepare the surprise for one whole day... If she got angry because of it, he was pretty sure that the surprise would make it up. He just hope that Yao Ling would be magnanimous enough to forgive his crazy act.

    After finishing their breakfast, Yao Ying sprinkled the sleeping powder on Yao Ling¡¯s tea. He didn¡¯t give it beforehand, because he didn¡¯t want to starve Yao Ling ah~! He gave her enough dose to sleep until sunset.

    After he made sure that she already fell asleep, he prepared the surprise with Xiao Fang. Yao Ying told Xiao Yu to guard her young mistress carefully and not to let anyone bother thetter.

    Xiao Fang told her a deste corner that had a beautiful scenery at night and people rarely went there, so they could use that corner to their heart content. Xiao Fang would help him guarding the perimeter, so no one would bother them when the surprise happened.

    It took a lot of efforts for them to prepare anything, but at least, they didn¡¯t need to do it in secret. There were a lot of preparations that would be hard to do if Yao Ling was awake. Thetter was very curious about this ce and they were pretty sure that Yao Ling would certainly explore every part of the Crescent Lake. When would they get the chance to do the preparation if that happened ah~?

    When everything had finally ready, Yao Ying went back into his room. He gazed lovingly at Yao Ling and rest for a little while.

    It was almost sunset when Yao Ling started to wake up, and when that happened, he suddenly became so nervous. So many thoughts were fleeting inside his mind. His confidence started to plummet all of a sudden. Would she like his surprise? Would she really ept his feelings? He used to be confident that Yao Ling liked him too --- or even, loved him. However, when it was time for confirmation, he suddenly became so afraid...

    Would she reciprocate his feelings?

 Chapter 256 The Suprise 1

    He really wanted tough at himself. Yao Ying felt like he suddenly became a coward, but he really wanted to hold onto Yao Ling. His past should be damned and it was better if he didn¡¯t remember anything! His current life was blissful and full of happiness...

    Yao Ying started to realize something. In his heart, he had already chosen Yao Ling from the start. He wanted to hold onto his current happiness and not let his past ruin it!

    He carressed Yao Ling¡¯s lovely face, before finally pulling out the vial that held the liquid that would be able to wake Yao Ling up. He put it under the nose for a little while, before he put it aside. When Yao Ling woke up, she jumped out and pointed usingly at Yao Ying, "You... you... you dare to put me into sleep with my own sleeping powder!"

    Yao Ying tried to appease her, "There... there... please don¡¯t be angry, Dear! I have my own reasons!"

    "Reasons?! I don¡¯t care! Whatever reason that you will give must be a bullshit!" Yao Ling didn¡¯t hesitate to curse him. She even thought that the sleeping powder was for his own safety! How could she not feel hurt by what he had done?! She red at Yao Ying In unconcealed anger.

    Yao Ying held Yao Ling tighter and then kissed her lips wildly. He needed to calm her down and when she didn¡¯t want to listen to his exnation, he should cut off her thoughts first. And indeed, her mind was blown away by the sudden kiss.

    It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to use kiss as a way to keep appeasing her, but he wanted her to calm down first before they talked about their dissatisfaction towards each other.

    Yao Ying bit her lower lips softly, making Yao Ling yelp in pain. After that, the former decided to release her. "Have you calmed down?" Yao Ying asked. He scrutinized her expression carefully and her face was as red as lovely plum blossoms --- it was because a mixture of her shyness and anger.

    "Hmph!" Yao Ling harrumphed and turned her head away to the other side childishly.

    Yao Ying knew that it meant she was ready to listen to him. "I want to give you a surprise and I don¡¯t want you to see the preparation, because there are so many things to do..."

    Yao Ling turned to face him and asked in doubt, "Surprise? What kind of surprise?"

    Yao Ying smirked and said, "It¡¯s called a surprise, so it¡¯s a secret! Come on! We should eat dinner first and I will bring you there!"

    Yao Ling was still angry, but she couldn¡¯t help but be enticed by the so-called surprise. What kind of surprise was that? It must have been quite special, because Yao Ying dared to use the sleeping powder on her. Her husband wasn¡¯t a reckless person...

    "Hmph! If I don¡¯t like it, you will pay the price!" Yao Ling threatened him, however, her tone had softened considerably.

    Yao Ying nodded considerably and said confidently, "Of course!"

    His answer made Yao Ling be slightly rxed, on the other hand, his back became so sweaty. He started to feel nervous once more and thought about the consequences if she didn¡¯t like it. He shuddered at the result ah~!

    Yao Ying told Xiao Yu and Xiu to bring their foods in. They enjoyed the foods in silence. However, due to the pressure from Yao Ling¡¯s eyes, Yao Ying didn¡¯t have the mood to eat... He suddenly recalled that the only one who could make him afraid or nervous was the woman in front of him... It seemed like he couldn¡¯t underestimate her influence on him.

    Yao Ling thought inwardly, ¡¯Who told him to give her the sleeping powder?!¡¯ She would make him feel ufortable by ring daggers all the time --- until she got her surprise, of course!

    "Can you close your eyes?" Yao Ying asked softly, after they finished eating. It was time for him to bring her to see the surprise despite his anxiousness.

    "What?! So you can drug me again?" Yao Ling asked sarcastically. She wasn¡¯t ready to show him any leniency.

    "No... no... of course, not! I¡¯m just going to bring you to somewhere..." Yao Ying exined. After that, he added, "I¡¯m sorry... Can you please forgive me just this once? I won¡¯t dare to use the same trick twice... However, in order to make it so special, I can only resort to this... If you find out about it beforehand, it won¡¯t be special surprise anymore..." He knew that he was in the wrong and it seemed like he breached the trust that she had!

    Yao Ling listened to his exnation and said, "You promise me, okay? There¡¯s no next time! Otherwise, I will never trust you anymore!" She felt betrayed ah~! She needed to be stern on this matter, so Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t dare to do it again! People made a mistake and she could forgive him once --- but, not the second time. She needed to set boundaries on what he was allowed to do towards her! She needed his respect!

    Yao Ling knew Yao Ying wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was up to her as his woman to make him be a better man. It wasn¡¯t actually such a big mistake, if she saw the reason behind it. But still, she needed to do what she needed to do.

    Yao Ying quickly nodded and promised, "I promise! There will be no next time!"

    Yao Ling nodded in satisfaction and then, she closed her eyes. After that, she felt Yao Ying cover her eyes with a blindfold and it made Yao Ling¡¯s heart beat faster. What kind of surprise waiting for her?

    Yao Ying carefully led the way while holding Yao Ling¡¯s hand tighter. He brought her to a secluded corner and just like how Xiao Fang had promised him, no one would be able to bother them. There was no one along the way... it was just the two of them.

    This could only happen because the secluded corner was actually Xiao Fang¡¯s secret ce that she loved to go whenever she was at Crescent Lake and it was still around her father¡¯s territory. They didn¡¯t need to ask the Han Emperor¡¯s permission and they also wouldn¡¯t cross path with the honored guest --- unless thetter was specificallying to find them.

    Yao Ling felt that they had walked quite a long time and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Have we arrived yet?"

    "Almost... and also... prepare yourself!" Yao Ying said. However, he didn¡¯t give her time toprehend what he said.

    She wanted to ask him what she should prepare for, but before she could, he had already moved and brought her along with him.

    "Aaaaargh!" Yao Ling yelped in surprise. Yao Ying suddenly jumped up so high, making Yao Ling feel her stomach churn. She realized that she felt the shitty qing gong once again, however, this time she didn¡¯t feel as bad as before... probably because Yao Ying did it more carefully and smoother than before. He wanted to make it romantic, not to make her puke ah~!

    Theynded on something and judging from the feel of it... it seemed like they were standing on the branch of a tree? She could feel the breeze of the cold wind brushing her face. "Yao Ying... is... is this safe?"

    Yao Ying whispered softly on her ears and Yao Ling could feel the hot breath, making her shiver... "Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m here..."

    Somehow, after listening to his words, she became calmer. She nodded and then she heard Yao Ying asked her, "Can you stand by yourself? I want to open the blindfold and I need to let you go for a little while. Just don¡¯t move and you¡¯ll be fine..."

    Despite being scared, Yao Ling nodded her head. She was really curious ah~! What was with the secrecy? She knew that Yao Ying wasn¡¯t a romantic person... Thus, she really appreciated his effort.

    Yao Ying opened the cloth that covered Yao Ling¡¯s eyes slowly and when Yao Ling saw her surrounding she gasped in surprise. The scenery looked so magical and enchanting...

 Chapter 257 The Surprise 2

    In contrary of her expectation, they were actually not standing on a branch... but on top of the roof --- probably the roof of a pavilion. It was the highest ce in the secluded area and almost every part of the crescentke could be seen from there. In the darkness, everything was as clear as day due to the hundred bright rednterns that had been already lit previously by Yao Ying... it made the surroundings area be more charming and the atmosphere became so seductive.

    Yao Ling¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw the lovely view.

    The red color was in contrast with the blue neon light which encircled theke, unexpectedly the contrast bright colors were able toplement each other and they looked so beautifulbined altogether. It seemed like the redness gave an enchanting vibe on theke that resembling the moon on the ground.

    They were currently at the southern part of thekes and Yao Ling noticed the graceful sway of the thick reeds, dancing magically following the lead of the soft breeze. It added a charming look to the whole scenery. The crystal clear water mirrored the surroundings and it made a beautiful painting... mysterious and yet bewitching at the same time.

    "So beautiful..." Yao Ling gasped. The view was in contrast of the day view and the vibe it created was totally different. It was more romantic at night and of course, it was also because of Yao Ying¡¯s effort --- otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve such an oue.

    There was a pavilion that stood proudly in the middle of theke and it was the same as the previous pavilion where they enjoyedst night dinner. It was decorated with white flowers which reflected the light that came from the rednterns --- along with the sophisticated movement of thenterns, the white flowers seemed to look like they were changing color between red and white continuously.

    Yao Ying asked while pointing ahead, "Do you see that pavilion?"

    Yao Ling nodded vigorously. "Yes ah~! How can I miss such a lovely pavilion? Were you the one who decorate it?" She asked curiously.

    Yao Ying answered with a proud look on his face. "Yes!"

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes at his conceited appearance. "What about the pavilion? Is there another surprise waiting for me there?" Yao Ling asked out of curiosity. It seemed like Yao Ying had a lot of tricks on his sleeves, making her feel ted by the seconds.

    Yao Ying smiled and answered, "Of course, I have! After this, we will fly there..."

    "Eh? Why?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. Was there a need to do that? They could just walk hand-in-hand while enjoying this romantic atmosphere ah~!

    "To fulfill your wish..." Yao Ying said mysteriously with a wide grin on his face.

    "What do you...?" Before Yao Ling could say the word ¡¯mean¡¯, Yao Ying already held her waist tightly and flew right there using his qing gong skill. He didn¡¯t give her time to process his words at all, after all, where was the fun in that? With her smartness, she would be able to guess what he wanted to do in a sh.

    Yao Ling could only grab Yao Ying¡¯s shoulder tightly to bnce herself. They were flying quite high and she was afraid of falling down, thus, their position was quite intimate --- her twin buns were sticking to his chest when she hugged him tighter. They were practically glued to each other.

    Yao Ying recreated the romantic moment between Lin Jian and Xiao Fang... they were twirling around in the air. At first, Yao Ling didn¡¯t realize what Yao Ying meant until she looked at his eyes and saw the love in there. She froze and asked herself in doubt whether she saw wrongly or not. After all, that expression was gone in a sh.

    ¡¯Does he really love her?¡¯ She thought to herself.

    She remembered when she felt jealous of Lin Jian and Xiao Fang the previous day and also Yao Ying¡¯s question whether she liked that kind of thing or not. She connected the dots and grinned widely. The ambience made their twirling be more romantic.

    Suddenly, something fell down from the sky continuously.

    Yao Ling was surprised when she saw thousand of rose petals were pouring from the sky slowly, making the night be more fascinating. She could smell the subtle lovely fragrance of the rose wafting through her nose, tickling her senses pleasantly.

    Yao Ling felt touched...

    Her eyes were brimming with tears and this time, she felt that she was indeed being loved by this man... Her gaze at him became so tender, making Yao Ying¡¯s heart beat erratically. He seemed to see deep affection there...

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know that just to make the rose petals appeared at the right time, there were two people that made this happen behind the scene. Yao Ying already prepared a few baskets full of the rose petals and he ordered Xiu and Xiao Yu to throw the petals at them until all of the rose petals were finished.

    When their masters started to twirl around in the air, Xiu and Xiao Yu quickly appeared on the rooftop where they just departed from and hid there. Xiu used his qing gong while taking Xiao Yu along with him, however, he didn¡¯t dare to use the same twirling method like their masters. Their closeness already made him feel good enough!

    Besides, it seemed like he was copying their movement ah~ Where was the originality in that?

    Xiu and Xiao Yu watched their masters loving rtionship and somehow felt ted... They were happy for them. Truthfully, it was rare to find such deep affection nowadays... People mostly got married because they tried to climb the socialdder and ignore their own feelings.

    They delightedly did their job.

    By the time the rose petals stopped pouring from the sky, Yao Ying and Yao Ling arrived at the pavilion. They were still glued to each other when they enjoyed the sight. When he felt that Yao Ling started to get restless, Yao Ying made a swift movement using inner qi and the redntern started to fade away one by one.

    "Why did you turn off thenterns?" Yao Ling asked in surprise. "It was so beautiful just now..." She pouted because the romantic atmosphere was suddenly gone and they were engulfed by the darkness.

    "You will enjoy the next part. Don¡¯t worry!" Yao Yingughed and he started to feel calmer, because it seemed like she loved his surprise ah~!

    Yao Ying used inner qi once again and suddenly... candle lights started to appear one by one on theke¡¯s surface. Yao Ling squinted and it seemed like the candle lights were put in the middle of blooming lotuses. She didn¡¯t really pay attention to the lotuses beforehand and she would never think that there was such a trick ah~!

    She couldn¡¯t count how many times she gasped in surprise on one night.

    Yao Ling once again couldn¡¯t contain her gasp... The previous lucid atmosphere became serene and amorous. Yao Ying smiled happily when he saw Yao Ling¡¯s eye lit up with joyfulness. He couldn¡¯t tear his gaze away when Yao Ling closed her eyes and inhaled the sweetness in the air.

    He really wanted to ¡¯eat¡¯ her ah~!

    And, he did just that...

    He kissed her mouth tenderly and Yao Ling continued closing her eyes. She let her senses guide her...

    When Yao Ling was still closing her eyes and unaware of her surroundings, it was a cue for Yao Ying to do something else. Yao Ying knew that this was the perfect time for him to do the next part of his surprise...

 Chapter 258 Wo Ai Ni

    Yao Ying already put several big bottles on each corner of the pavilion and because of the darkness, Yao Ling didn¡¯t notice them. Even if Yao Ying put it in front of her, Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t pay attention to them... she was too busy enjoying the moment ah~!

    With a flip of his sleeve, Yao Ying opened the bottle lids with his inner qi and the things that were kept inside those bottles started to fly out one by one.

    When Yao Ling opened her eyes, she was weed by hundreds of tiny lights that were flying around her. She was astonished at first, but she paid close attention to those lights and she finally found out that those were actually fireflies... Her eyes reddened because she knew how much time and effort Yao Ying had put for this one night... She was pretty sure that it would take a lot of time to catch so many fireflies at once.

    Thus, Yao Ling couldn¡¯t me him anymore for using the sleeping powder on her. There would be no way such a bizarre movement could escape her eyes... She wondered when he was catching the fireflies, who helped him to achieve this romantic moment, but she decided not to ask. Just let the man keep his secret!

    She twirled around happily and tried to catch one of them. Yao Ying smiled when he saw how she behaved so childishly, but he really enjoyed this moment. She managed to catch one in her palm. When she opened her palm, the firefly started to fly away and join its friends.

    ¡¯So cute!¡¯ She thought to herself.

    "Ying... thank you..." Yao Ling choked up when she said that. She felt really touched...

    "This is the most beautiful moment in my life..." She spoke the truth, she never thought there would be a day she tasted the feel of love... In the past, she just thought this marriage as a necessity and based on mutual benefits, who knew... that she would be able to find happiness because of her mother¡¯s arrangement.

    Yao Ling nced at the man in front of her and she had the urge to kiss him, but she was too shy to follow her impulse.

    "What are you thanking me for? Making my wife happy is my job ah~!" Yao Ying humbly said, then he kissed the top of her head and said dramatically, "But... I haven¡¯t finished yet..."

    "There¡¯s still more?" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    "Mmm..." The man answered with a hum.

    Yao Ling started to get excited once again and asked, "What is it?" Her eyes were twinkling with happiness. Her merry attitude was contagious, making Yao Yingughed at her childishness.

    This was the time to start the climax of the surprise...

    When it reached this part, his back started to sweat once again despite his gentle smile. He knew that it would be now or never --- it was time for him to man up and tell her his feelings for real!

    It was time to confess...

    Yao Ying gulped and his anxiety started to appear once more. Despite of that, he knew that he must do it! He couldn¡¯t ruin his own n and back out at thest moment. This was the first time he felt like he was a coward.

    He closed his eyes, trying to calm himself down. When he opened his eyes, he regained his calmness. Yao Ying used his inner qi once again and with a gentle swoop of his sleeve... the fireflies followed his gentle nudge, then, they started to clutter together and form three words in the air.

    Wo Ai Ni.

    It meant I love you...

    The words were shining so bright in the middle of the dimmed environment and they looked just like the glowing stars in the night sky. How could Yao Ling prevent her tears from flowing like a river?

    She couldn¡¯t. It was just too beautiful and magical.

    Her emotions were in disarray, despite the happiness that she felt.

    Yao Ying saw her teary expression and quickly asked, "Are you okay?" He quickly hugged Yao Ling tofort her and he forgot to continue using his inner qi.

    Without the guidance of his inner qi, the lovely three words started to disperse once again. The fireflies started to fly away but it didn¡¯t dampen the atmosphere at all.

    ¡¯Does she feel happy? If yes, why does she cry?¡¯ Yao Ying started to feel agitated. He didn¡¯t intend to make her crying ah~! He thought she would be happy, well... at least. However, he would never expect that the woman would cry.

    Yao Ying quickly helped her wipe her tears away and kissed her forehead softly... trying to console the woman.

    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine..." Yao Ling finally managed to answer him. "Do... do you really mean it?" She asked in doubt because she was afraid that it was all just a dream. Maybe... she was still under the sleeping powder side-effect?

    Yao Ying nodded. "I really mean it... I won¡¯t lie about something that¡¯s so important. I really... really love you..." He gently whispered to her, making the woman blush shyly. His words seemed to tickle the deepest part of her heart and it made her heart swelling with happiness.

    Yao Ling bit her lower lips and she didn¡¯t know how to respond, so she just stayed quiet. Yao Ling didn¡¯t realize that Yao Ying had been anxiously waiting for her answer...

    Did she love him --- or not? Yao Ying continued ask himself that question. The man was almost dying out of curiosity.

    Yao Ling hugged his waist andid her head on his chest, embracing the man tighter... Yao Ling just wanted to feel his warmth, so she could make sure that this wasn¡¯t just a dream. At first, Yao Ling could feel his steady heart beat but suddenly it was beating erratically, and she started to realize that the man was actually nervous. She smiled softly...

    He loved her! He really really loved her!

    She wanted to shout and dance happily, but she knew how to behave. She needed to maintain her calmness --- as a woman, she needed to appear to be bashful ah~.

    This was the happiest news that she had ever heard!

    Yao Ying was still waiting but the naughty woman didn¡¯t say anything to him at all. But instead, she snuggled into his embrace in a spoiled manner. Yao Ling was trying to hold back her smile, but she couldn¡¯t. She was too happy ah~! Fortunately, the man didn¡¯t see her smile, so she could tease him!

    ¡¯Silly woman! Where is your answer ah~?¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. He decided to give her a little ¡¯push¡¯ to make her give an answer. He pretended to cough and asked, "So...?"

    "So what?" Yao Ling asked while raising one of her eyebrows. After knowing his feelings, she decided to tease him for a little bit.

    Yao Ying scowled when he saw the mischievousness in her eyes. ¡¯This little minx!¡¯ He thought to himself.

    He punished her by biting the tip of her ear and nibbling on it. It didn¡¯t make Yao Ling feel any pain, but instead, she shuddered... feeling a bit aroused all of a sudden. "Mmmm..." She couldn¡¯t hold back her moan.

    Yao Ying knew that it was her soft spot and he didn¡¯t n to release her anytime soon. He enjoyed their intimacy and while her mind was in a haze, he decided to ask, "Do you have something to say to me?"

    Yao Ling¡¯s mind was concentrated on the pleasure and the tingling on her sweetness down there, but she still managed to answer even though she was slightly breathless, "Yes..." She would never think that a kiss would affect her so much.

    "Tell me..." Yao Ying demanded in a stern voice.

    Yao Ling knew what he wanted know, and she smiled mischievously at him. "What a wonderful surprise..." She trailed off at thest moment.

    Yao Ying smiled inwardly, waiting for the good part. However, the naughty woman stopped talking right there... He bit her ear once again, a bit harder than before, seemingly wanting to punish her... However, he licked the part where he inflicted the pain just now.

    Yao Ling shivered not because of the cold night, but because of what he did to her. ¡¯This pervert!¡¯ She thought to herself. He really knew how to tease her ah~!

 Chapter 259 I Love You Too

    "Wait... wait... if you keep doing this, you will make me lose my mind!" Yao Ling said.

    "So?" Yao Ying raised one of his eyebrows, questioning her.

    "I will forget what I want to say!" Yao Ling threatened while smiling evilly. She didn¡¯t feel bad for teasing him.

    Yao Ying enjoyed their banter and pretended to be pouting. "You keep prolonging it anyway..." Then, he started to y all sort of things with her ear once again --- it was her weak spot ah~!

    ¡¯This man is really bad ah~!¡¯ Yao Ling scolded him inwardly.

    Yao Ling flinched and pushed him with all of her strength, she was too angry to care. She needed to have a serious talk with him, but instead, he turned into wolf ah~! Yao Ling knew he was looking at her like she was a prey.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t realize that they were standing on the edge of the pavilion due to her haziness. Yao Ying had be that experienced ah~! Yao Ying would never guess that Yao Ling was quite strong when she was angry, besides, he wasn¡¯t prepared by the sudden push. He was too busy ¡¯eating¡¯ his wife ah~!

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t regain his bnce and... *plop*... he fell into theke. The plopping sound was loud and crisp in the middle of the night. Yao Ling gasped when she saw this, but she was toote! She could only hold onto the edge of his sleeve and he was heavier than her, in the end... she was pulled along by Yao Ying.

    Both of them fell into theke!

    Xiu and Xiao Yu were going to hide once again, when they saw the scene. They were contemting whether they should save the couple or not.

    Xiao Yu asked curiously, "Is this a new game between our masters?" She wondered whether this was the next part of the surprise. Young Master didn¡¯t tell them anything, only gave them this job. Thus, they were at a loss at what to do.

    Xiu rolled his eyes and said, "I don¡¯t think so..." They had a warm andfortable room ah~! Why should they choose the coldke as a rendezvous ce?

    "What should we do now?" Xiao Yu asked worriedly. If they jumped out at the moment and there was nothing wrong with the couple, they would be med for intruding their romantic moment. If something was wrong and they didn¡¯te to save them, their life would be on the line ah~!

    Xiu was also worried, but he was able to think more clearly. "Young Master is good at swimming. Let¡¯s see for a little while... if there is still no movement, I will jump into theke and try to save them."

    Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t swim, so she could only agree with him. She bit her lower lips in anxiety and didn¡¯t dare to make any sounds, her eyes were solely focusing at theke where both of their masters fell into.

    Fortunately, Big Buddha was on their side. Xiu and Xiao Yu made the right choice for waiting. Not too long after that, both of their masters appeared. It was lucky for them that theke wasn¡¯t quite deep at the moment, usually the average depth of theke was around four to five meters. However, at this time, they could stand easily and the water only reached their chests. Theke was at the lowest point of its depth.

    When they appeared, both of their personal servants sighed in relief. They stealthily left that ce and considering their masters¡¯ condition, they quickly divided a few jobs between them. Xiao Yu would prepare ginger tea for them, while Xiu would be preparing their hot bath. They didn¡¯t want their master to get sick. After that, they prepared two thick coats and waited patiently at the entrance to the secluded ce.

    However, they didn¡¯t dare to take a peek at what their masters were doing. Because... they already had a hunch what they were going to at this moment. They could only look at each other and blush while feeling shy...

    Ah~ The amorous night.

    Back to the couple, they looked at each other then burst intoughter. They looked so silly and drenched like drowned cats. Yao Ling didn¡¯t wear thick clothes, so her fine figure was quite noticeable through the thin fabric. Yao Ying thought that they were going to be outside for a short time, so they didn¡¯t bother to change their clothes before going out.

    The same thing happened to Yao Ying, Yao Ling was able to see his muscles and her cheek couldn¡¯t help but redden.

    "Don¡¯t you feel cold?" Yao Ying asked. "Come on! We should go back into our room... I don¡¯t want you to get sick!" He felt worried that she would catch a cold. The desert had a low temperature at night and they were also attacked by the chilly night wind. He could already see Yao Ling¡¯s body slightly trembling.

    Yao Ling merely grinned at him and she somehow didn¡¯t feel cold at all when she saw his burning gaze --- despite her shivering body. How could he not on fire? Her slim figure made him feel aroused despite being in the cold water. His little Yao Ying didn¡¯t get softer, instead it became harder and harder. This was the thing that Yao Ling was able to make him feel --- he always wanted her and this had never happened even when he took a look at another woman.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t see his arousal because of the dimmed environment. After all, it was so cold and she didn¡¯t think it would be possible for his ¡¯thing¡¯ to harden ah~! If she had known her figure had provoked him, she wouldn¡¯t stay there any longer. Too bad, the woman didn¡¯t feel the danger at all.

    Yao Ling decided to go with the flow and tell him her real feelings, "Ying..."

    "Mmmm?" Yao Ying asked.

    She didn¡¯t dare to look into his eyes and she chose to lower her face while blushing shyly. In a soft voice, she finally told him her real feelings, "I love you too..."

    Even though she talked in a low voice, Yao Ying could hear it perfectly clear, after all... their surroundings were quiet. His heart became so ted that it beat faster... he almost thought that he would get a heart attack! He was afraid that he had heard her wrongly, so he asked once again, "What did you say?"

    Yao Ling gritted her teeth... she was too embarrassed to confess her feelings once again. She had already used up all her bravery just now and she didn¡¯t intend to repeat herself once more. She was pretty sure the man was able to hear what she said.

    "Oh... it¡¯s all right if you weren¡¯t able to hear it. It¡¯s nothing important anyway," Yao Ling smirked mischievously.

    Yao Ying squinted his eyes and decided to punish the woman. When Yao Ling saw the naughty glint in his eyes, she started to be scared. She turned around and tried to run away. Yao Ying saw her movement and grinned wildly.

    How fast could she be? Her movement was hindered by her wet clothes, so how far could she go?

    Yao Ying easily captured her waist and then he decided to tickle the woman. Yao Ling giggled loudly and her voice reverberated in the quiet night, making the atmosphere be joyous.

    "Mmm... do you remember now?" Yao Ying asked while tickling her mercilessly.

    *giggle*

    *giggle*

    "What? No?" Despite her giggle, Yao Ling was still persistent in teasing him.

    "Very well, then. I will continue tickling you until you repeat your words once again," Yao Ying grinned mischievously.

    Yao Ling gasped and felt out of breath. After a few moments, she decided to give up. "Okay... okay... I¡¯ll tell you..."

    Yao Ying nodded in satisfaction. "So...?"

    Yao Ling said shyly, "I love you!" After that, she buried her face in his embrace, too embarrassed to look at the man.

    Yao Yingughed happily then he kissed her on the lips. He slightly tugged the back of her hair softly and then dipped into her neck without any restrain. In Yao Ying¡¯s mind, her words kept echoing and he wanted to mark her.

    ¡¯She is mine!¡¯

    ¡¯Forever mine!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself.

 Chapter 260 What Are You Waiting For?

    Please note: This chapter contains mild mature part. If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.

    ---------

    With a glint of determination in his eyes, he became possessive. He needed to have her now! That was why he didn¡¯t hesitate to bite and suck on her neck. Yao Ling, who had been aroused from the start, was easily provoked by Yao Ying. After all, he already knew her soft spots ah~!

    However, the man was sober enough not to leave too many marks on her body, after all, Yao Ling would wear Han clothing which was sexier all the time. He didn¡¯t want to embarrass the woman or he would be punished by not allowed to touch her for a long time!

    "Mmm..." Yao Ling couldn¡¯t stop herself from moaning.

    If someone saw what they did, it would look like they saw a beautiful painting. The couple was standing in the middle of theke. The handsome man kissed the woman¡¯s neck, while the beautiful woman was leaning back and exposing her corbone in a seductive way. They were surrounded by the lotuses which emitted soft lights due to the candles. In the dark sky, there was a full moon and thousands of twinkling stars which added to the beauty of their reunion.

    "Ying..." Yao Ling called his name in a seductive voice. She was breathless due to his sudden attack.

    "Mmm?" Yao Ying asked through his sucking movement. He continued eating her neck without any restraint.

    "Can we change ce?" She asked meekly. She didn¡¯t think doing this in the open space was a wise movement.

    "Why?" Yao Ying asked while smiling to himself. It seemed like she suddenly became so shy... Despite knowing her embarrassment, he didn¡¯t want to stop.

    "You... you know why... This is a public ce!" Yao Ling started to feel agitated. What if someone found them by chance and saw them in this position ah~?! Where should she put her face if that really happened?

    "So?" Yao Ying pretended to be dumb.

    Yao Ling hissed at him while her eyes were shooting fire. "Someone could see us!"

    "I don¡¯t care!" Yao Ying said leisurely.

    "But I care!" Yao Ling said in annoyance. This man! She really wanted to throttle him because of his shamelessness.

    Yao Ying tried to distract the woman once again by tracing the outline of her breasts and he could feel her hard bud there... Then, he pinched in for a little bit, making Yao Ling start to lose her mind once again. "Mmm..." She mumbled. ¡¯This naughty man!¡¯ She thought to herself, but still her sweetness down there became wetter because of him.

    She was helpless ah~!

    "Don¡¯t you enjoy feeling the thrill?" Yao Ying asked in low hoarse voice. However, his hand didn¡¯t stop ying with her hard buds, he started to caress both of them with both of his thumbs --- slowly and seductively. Sometimes, in a circr movement...

    "What kind of thrill?" Yao Ling asked innocently. She didn¡¯t feel any thrill, she only felt scared! She wasn¡¯t as shameless as Yao Ying ah~! His movement made her mind start to be hazy with pleasure, but she still tried to persuade him not to continue this further.

    Yao Ying bit her ear once again and whispered tenderly, "Of course when we do it on an open space like this. Don¡¯t you feel you heart beating faster when you feel afraid that other people will see what we do?"

    Yao Ling bit her lower lips, trying to hold back her moan. She could only feel the tingling feelings on both of her meat buns and his hot breath on her ears. When she heard what Yao Ying said, she indeed started to feel the thrill --- but only for a little bit.

    "Where do you learn such a naughty thing?" Yao Ling asked.

    Yao Yingughed and said, "Do I need to say more? From the yellow book on page..."

    Before he could finish his words, Yao Ling stopped him. "No need to tell me more... I understand now!" Yao Ling felt that she really needed to burn that damn book! That yellow book made Yao Ying want to try everything in it ah~! And she became the victim! Well... victim wasn¡¯t the fight words... she enjoyed it too... so should she say a test subject?

    Seeing her pout, Yao Ying let out a crispyughter once more. "Rx... Xiao Fang promised me that no one woulde here, so just enjoy yourself."

    After hearing Yao Ying¡¯s confirmation, she became more rxed. Then, she realized something and asked, "Then... Xiao Fang knows what we are going to do?!" If yes, she would really find a hole to bury herself in it.

    Yao Ying rolled his eyes at the persistent woman. "She just helped me with the preparation for the confession and guarding the area, but whether we will end up doing this or not, I don¡¯t think she will know."

    ¡¯Well... she probably could guess ah~!¡¯ But, Yao Ying didn¡¯t say out loud what inside his mind was or the woman would start to nag once again.

    Yao Ling nodded in satisfaction. "Good!" After that, she was smiling cutely and asked, "If that¡¯s the case... what are you waiting for?" Her eyes were twinkling in excitement and she seemed to anticipate what would happen next.

    Yao Ying gaped at her and felt surprised at her sudden boldness. It was only a moment ago she was shy and her face was as red as tomato... "What do you mean?" Yao Ying asked and he even forgot to continue teasing her hard buds! Yao Ying looked dumbfoundedly at her change!

    Yao Ling looked seductively at him... When she felt that no one woulde to find them, she became more daring. She slowly licked her lips and said, "Continue what you are doing..." After that, she kissed him on the lips while looping both of her arms on the back of his neck. She became the teaser by slowly whispering to him coquettishly and encouraging him to go further, "Satisfy me! I love what you were doing to me..."

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ Yao Ying cursed inwardly. She became naughtier and what she said... made his little Yao Ying be harder. He bit her nose and said, "You naughty girl! See what I will do to you!"

    Yao Lingughed and the reason she became bolder, she knew it inside her heart. He loved him and he should ept her for who she was. She would never try to cover up her feelings once more. Even if he had a woman in the past, she didn¡¯t care. She loved him and she would hold onto him! If he didn¡¯t have the same feelings as her, she wouldn¡¯t bother to fight. However, everything changed now.

    He just confessed his feelings to her.

    He loved her too!

    Yao Ling would hold onto him tightly and she would shower him with the same intense love as him. She wouldn¡¯t give another woman a chance to snatch him away.

    ¡¯He is mine!¡¯

    ¡¯Forever mine!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t disappoint her... He started to work on her body ah~ The man was already beyond aroused because of her sudden encouragement. The woman looked at him daringly, trying to challenge him and he would ept it!

    ¡¯Let¡¯s see what I will do to her!¡¯ He thought to himself, while smirking evilly.

    There was a big boulder on theke and this part couldn¡¯t be seen when the water depth is high. It was lucky for them that they were able to use it that night. The boulder had a t surface, however, it was only enough for one person to sit on. Although the boulder was small, it was good enough for them.

    Yao Ying quickly princess-carried Yao Ling and let her sit there. With the gentle lighting from the lotuses, Yao Ying could see Yao Ling¡¯s body clearly. He licked his lower lips softly, he suddenly felt really thirsty and he wanted to taste her soft bud.

    ¡¯She is perfect!¡¯ He thought to himself.

 Chapter 261 How Silly of Me!

    Please note: This chapter contains mild mature part. If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.

    ---------

    From her thin clothing, Yao Ying was able to see the perk-up buds despite the lovely dudou that Yao Ling had worn. It couldn¡¯t cover her up entirely due to the wetness which outlined each of her body part. Yao Ying didn¡¯t hesitate to open the neck string of her dudou right after opening the upper part of her outer robe, and there they were... Yao Ling¡¯s meat buns were bouncing freely and enticingly. Yao Ling was blushing shyly, but this time... she didn¡¯t try to cover up herself.

    Yao Ying felt like Yao Ling¡¯s twins buns kept calling him to take a bite and taste them. He felt like drooling ah~! They were so alluring and his manhood became hard in a heart beat.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t wait anymore... He touched both meat buns in sensual manner and yed with them slowly. His eyes never left Yao Ling¡¯s face, he wanted to see her expression clearly and when he saw how her face was flushing red and how aroused she was... he felt really happy inside. She liked this... he thought to himself.

    Something had shifted in their rtionship after their confession.

    He didn¡¯t only want to taste her just because she was his wife... he wanted to be one with her, because he loved her. This wasn¡¯t only sex... this was making love. Their feelings started to intertwined with each other and it made their joining be more beautiful. It wasn¡¯t only about lust, but it was when two became one...

    "Ling-er..." Yao Ying asked softly. "How about we do it until the end?"

    "The end?" Yao Ling asked. "Didn¡¯t we always do it until we find a release?" She felt confused about what he meant.

    Yao Ying knew that his wife was quite innocent, but not to this extent. Was she joking with him? He finally muttered, "That¡¯s not the end. Finding a release is only a part of it. What I meant until the end is to consummate the marriage by joining my hardness and your sweetness." He decided to be blunt.

    This time he was serious.

    Yao Ling listened to his question carefully and contemted it for a little while. If they counted about their own promise before the marriage... then yes, it was already the time for them to consummate the marriage. However, if they counted their promise with General Lin, then... they still needed more time.

    What should she do ah~? Her answer decided everything.

    She decided to ask him, "What about your promise to General Lin?" They rarely broke their promise to other people and somehow, it didn¡¯t feel right to lie to General Lin.

    Yao Ying racked his brain and tried to find a loophole at what he promised him about. "General Lin merely said that I shouldn¡¯t make you get pregnant, not to be a monk!"

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry if he put it that way. "But... if we do this now, what if I get pregnant?"

    Yao Ying asked her, "Ling-er, aren¡¯t you studying medicine?"

    "Yes ah~!" Yao Ling answered. "Why?" She asked while furrowing her eyebrows.

    Yao Ying flicked her forehead lovingly after that he rested his head on her shoulder and said, "Don¡¯t you have medicine to prevent pregnancy? I heard you need to drink it the morning after making love."

    Yao Ling pped both of her hands excitedly and said, "That¡¯s a good idea! Why didn¡¯t I think of it before? How silly of me!"

    Yao Ying¡¯s eyes lit up. "So... you really have that kind of medicine?"

    Yao Ling nodded whileughing. "I know how to make it..."

    "So...?" Yao Ying asked full of hope. He chanted inwardly, ¡¯Please say yes... please say yes...¡¯

    Yao Ling looked at him awkwardly and said, "I want to make it, but I¡¯m not sure if they have the ingredients here..."

    Yao Ying quickly tried to persuade her, "Of course, they have! This is a ce for important people in the Han Kingdom, they must have keep many types of medicine here! You shouldn¡¯t have worried about such a silly thing!"

    Yao Ying knew the woman was still reluctant and he didn¡¯t have the heart to force her. If they made love, both of them needed to reach an agreement ah~! He didn¡¯t want to force her, but it didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t allowed coax her.

    Yao Ling understood this reasoning and oh well... they were indeed husband and wife. Why should she reject his advances? Besides, it would also bring them closer to a whole another level. While she was thinking, suddenly... a chilly night wind blew and she started to feel cold... She almost forgot that her upper part was already stripped naked by Yao Ying.

    "Ying... I¡¯m feeling cold!" Her body started to shiver, after that, she smiled seductively at him, "Let¡¯s do it then!" With his confession, there was nothing that could be a reason to hold herself back...

    Yao Ying naturally understood what inside her mind was because he felt the same, and with an evil smile, he said, "Then... let me keep you warm!"

    Yao Lingughed and said boldly, "Show me how!"

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t need to be told twice. He quickly kissed the woman hard and then bit her lips down. He was too happy because he had received her agreement. They would finally did it! He knew that he should at least pretend to be aloof, but he just couldn¡¯t stop grinning. This was the woman that he loved ah! How could he cover up his happiness?

    He just hoped that nothing would ruin their sweet moment.

    Yao Ying tasted every sweetness in her little mouth, and his hand started to move around once again, caressing her delicate and tender skin tenderly.

    Yao Ling felt her body started to be warm once again. The ce that he touched was like a burning me, covering up her whole body. Yao Ying grabbed one of her soft and perky meat bun, his fingertips rubbed against the sensitive flower bud. Under his touch, the flower bud bloomed and became firmer by the second.

    He released her lips and the heated kiss could no longer satisfy his desire. The wet and hot tip of his tongue started to begin its adventure by sucking her fragrant white skin, and he didn¡¯t hesitate to leave behind a few kiss marks on her lustrous skin.

    Yao Ying¡¯s gentle teasing made her whole body be hotter and the lust that she felt made her snow white skin tinted with an attractive blush. If Yao Ying didn¡¯t hold her body with a tight grip, she would probably fall into the water once again due to the sudden weakness that she felt. Yao Ying¡¯s teasing made her lose her strength.

    Yao Ling¡¯s tender body swayed from side to side and she identally rubbed against his hard muscle, making Yao Ying¡¯s body feel like it was also burned with fire. It provoked his lust to whole another level.

    Yao Ling became restless and her sweetness down there started to soak, mixing itself with the water. She wanted more, but she was too embarrassed to express her own desire. Even though she had be brave for a moment just now, but she couldn¡¯t change her shy personality. She twisted her body to the left and the right, eager for more.

    Yao Ying seemed to understand her bodynguage, he quickly dived into her flower bud and sucked them. After that, he bit them one by one with the tip of his teeth and not forgetting to lick them with the tip of his tongue.

    Whenever he freed one of the flower buds, he quickly changed his mouth with his hand without pausing. Using his fingers, he started to y by rubbing and twisting the firm buds.

    After he felt satisfied, he changed his target. His fingers trailed down and stopped in front of her trousers which covered her sweetness down there, feeling the sticky wetness with the tip of his finger. Yao Ling had been trying to hold back so she tightly clenched both of her thighs, trying to ease the tingling down there.

    "Mmmmm...." She moaned.

 Chapter 262 Their Climax 1

    Please note: This chapter contains mature part. If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.

    ---------

    Yao Ying said softly, "Open your thighs! Let me see you clearly!"

    Yao Ling blushed, but she didn¡¯t reject his demand and she slowly opened her most precious secret ce. Yao Ying touched it slowly, tracing it but didn¡¯t really touch it... teasing Yao Ling and making her whole body tremble in need.

    Yao Ling¡¯s trembling body made the burning desire that he felt start to be crazier, his hardness started to swell once again. He couldn¡¯t wait anymore and he covered her softness down there with his palm, then he rubbed it gently through the thin fabric --- which he wanted to wreak and let him see what¡¯s inside!

    "Mmm..." Yao Ling moaned and before she could moan louder, Yao Ying covered her mouth with his heated kiss. The sweet feelings from her mouth burst inside him and it filled him inpletely.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t hold back anymore, without a second thought, he tore the fabric away and let her glistening sweetness down there out in the open. It started to bloom due to the cool air. Yao Ling yelped when she felt the sudden coldness, despite already preparing her heart. She subconsciously mped both of her legs together, but Yao Ying prevented that from happening. He cleverly used his knee to divide her legs once more and not only that, he used a little bit more strength to make her legs open wider.

    He wouldn¡¯t let her close both of her legs.

    "So... beautiful..." Yao Ying looked at her glistening sweetness, making Yao Ling blush shyly. Her watery eyes made Yao Ling look even more alluring.

    Yao Ying¡¯s fingers brushed her sensitive sweetness softly and then lightly stroked it, until Yao Ling started to weaken even more. He let her head rest on his shoulder, then his finger went towards her charming sweetness hole. As soon as he touched it, his finger was weed by the sweet and sticky substances --- just like a glistened honey. He softly moved on the outer part and didn¡¯t forget to tease the flower bud, making her feel more sensitive by the seconds.

    "I will enter it with my finger," he warned her softly. "Rx yourself, so you won¡¯t get hurt!" He wanted to prepare her before his hardness plunged into her tender sweetness down there. Yao Ying heard that it would hurt so much the first time, thus, he was quite worried for her. Yao Ling became breathless and prepared herself for the worst. However, Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t let her that much pain.

    Yao Ying tried to ease her by release her head and quickly squatted down, so he faced her sweetness directly. He opened his mouth and licked her honey sensually, making a circr motion. Yao Ling could only twist her body weakly, her rapid breathing started to be hitched, and she bit her lower lips, trying to prevent a louder moan that threatened toe out.

    When he felt that Yao Ling started to feel rxed, he quickly plunged his finger into her flower hole and to his surprise, it was tight that it gripped his finger firmly. He could only enter for a little bit when he felt a barrier there. Her tightness stimted his desire further and his hardness became harder, making him want to quickly alleviate the pain by entering her.

    However, he calmed himself down. ¡¯She isn¡¯t ready,¡¯ he thought to himself.

    Yao Ling felt a slight pain and she furrowed her eyebrows, trying to hold back her yelp. Yao Ying once more concentrated on eating her sweetness while sucking her tender flower bud. Her pain started to turn into pleasure once more, knowing this, Yao Ying quickly pull his finger out and then dived it in once more with more strength --- but, he didn¡¯t try to breach the barrier.

    Yao Ling quickly gripped his shoulder tightly, without his support, she probably would fall into theke once more. She could feel that something started building inside her and it prepared to burst out. Yao Ying gripped both of Yao Ling¡¯s tender bottom, trying to prevent her from running away --- she had tried to escape his tongue a few times. The more she struggled and twisted her body around, the tighter his grip was. She could only sumb to his power and finally after a few struggle, she found her release.

    "Hmmm..." She moaned louder. However, Yao Ying didn¡¯t stop his attack and started to lick and suck her flower bud intensely once more, he didn¡¯t forget to move his finger in and out of her flower hole.

    "Aaaah... Ying..." Yao Ling moaned. Listening to her hitched voice, he let his tongue entered deeper while his finger still continued to pump in and out. More honey liquid came out of her sweetness and it moistened Yao Ying¡¯s mouth, but he didn¡¯t care... he kept ying with her sweetness down there.

    Yao Ling felt hot all over her body... She could feel that her sweetness started to have a rapid contraction and knew that her second climax wasing. Yao Ying felt it too and he quickly bit her flower bud softly... Yao Ling could only gasp when her whole body became stiff and more liquid rushed out and she could only arch her body up... finally... she came for the second time...

    Yao Ying felt that she was ready, so he quickly pulled out his finger. He stood up and took of his own clothes, he didn¡¯t forget to guid one of Yao Ling¡¯s hand to his hardness. "See? This is what you did to me..."

    Yao Ling was still in a haze and she didn¡¯t realize when she started to move her own hands up and down... Yao Ying groaned loudly and he quickly stopped her, "Ling-er, tonight... it¡¯s about you... Let me in..."

    Yao Ling heard from Jiu Lan and knew that it would hurt the first time it happened, but she nodded. She was ready for this and she was grateful for Yao Ying¡¯s tenderness.

    Yao Ying felt d for her agreement, so he held onto his own hardness that had been painful all this time. The tip of his hardness had been wet with his own honey. He looked into Yao Ling¡¯s eyes and with a burning desire, he slowly teased Yao Ling by Moving it slowly up and down at the outer part of her sweetness.

    Her flower hole and bud were still tingling due to the previous two time climax and she was still beyond sensitive. She couldn¡¯t help but moan louder and she didn¡¯t realize that she started to grind herself up and down --- following Yao Ying¡¯s movement in sync. Yao Ling felt that her body was honest enough to scream that she wanted him! So much that it hurt...

    She needed him! Really needed him! However, she wasn¡¯t bold enough to say it openly, hence she let her body do the talking --- even Yao Ling herself couldn¡¯t believe that she was able to behave this wantonly! Her mind was clouded with desire, so she didn¡¯t care about anything else.

    However, the naughty man kept postponing himself from entering her. Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling¡¯s aroused expression, it made him want to bully her and because of that, he teased her more!

    Yao Ling groaned inwardly... He really knew how to push her button ah~!

    Yao Ling looped both of her hands on the back of his neck andid her back on his shoulder to prevent herself from falling. She realized that she had started to move around too much because of her own burning heat... Yao Ying kissed the back of her head softly, but didn¡¯t stop his teasing movement down there.

    He identally took a look at the back of her neck and it seemed like he saw something shining there for a little while, but then... it was gone. Yao Ying thought to himself, ¡¯Was that just a figment of my imagination?¡¯

    He had seen the back of her neck a few times and Yao Ying was pretty sure... that there was nothing there before... how could there was something shining there?

 Chapter 263 Their Climax 2

    Please note: This chapter contains mature part. If you continue reading the mature part, please enjoy! >.

    ---------

    Yao Ying decided to forget about that shining thing for now. His thoughts were brought back to reality by Yao Ling¡¯s ws which scratched the back of his shoulder... It seemed like the woman was on the verge of being crazy in need and she didn¡¯t realize that she left some marks there.

    However, Yao Ying suddenly hesitated before doing thest step and thought to himself whether this was the right ce to do this or not. He decided to ask once again, "Ling-er, are you sure you want to fully consummate the marriage here?"

    Yao Ling groaned and thought to herself, ¡¯Isn¡¯t it toote to ask about it right now? They are only one step away from doing the deed ah~!¡¯ Her mind was clouded with lust, so she wasn¡¯t thinking clearly either.

    "Then, what do you propose for us to do?" Yao Ling asked curiously. Her voice slightly trembled, because he kept teasing her sweetness down there with his hardness, even though they were talking. She could even hear the lewd sound of their flesh ah~! Somehow, it made her face reddened.

    "Should we go back to our room?" Yao Ying asked. If she said yes, he would just use his qing gong to bring them back in a sh and suppressed his desire for her.

    Yao Lingughed. "I am fine being here. I¡¯m not too conservative and I¡¯m a little selfish. For me, I want my first time to be in this romantic atmosphere... under the moonlight and apanied by the dance of fireflies. I want to remember this ce as our first time... Although I never thought we will do inside theke, instead of the pavilion..."

    Yao Ying was dumbfounded by her open-mindedness. Was she always this blunt or was she always covering her real self up from him? He couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What¡¯s wrong with the bedroom?" He thought that woman would prefer bedroom with afortable bed toy down.

    "Oh please... every bedroom is the same shape and there¡¯s nothing special in it. Every woman might have lost their first time there... Let me ask you! How many women lose their virginity in theke, huh?" Yao Ling asked the question confidently.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry... Was he worried for nothing? "Yes... yes... yes... this ce is special for us..." He appeased her dotingly. They would always remember that their first time happened at the Crescent Lake and it became the witness of their union.

    Due to his surprise, he forgot to tease her. After gaining her approval, he moved his hips once again and grind her sweetness softly and sometimes pping her tender flower bud with his hardness, making Yao Ling moan once again. Seeing that she was ready, Yao Ying quickly thrust into her tight sweetness down there slowly.

    Yao Ying moaned when he felt how good it was.

    "Is it hurting?" Yao Ying asked in a low voice, feeling worried. However, he didn¡¯t stop thrusting in but he didn¡¯t dare to use a lot of strength either, in fear of hurting her.

    "No..." Yao Ling answered. However, her gritted teeth and teary eyes said otherwise. Despite the pain, she tried to hold on. Her mother already said that soon... it would be a pleasurable experience.

    Yao Ying changed his mind and felt that it was better to do it in one swoop, so she could only feel hurt once. Yao Ying painfully endured his desire and after making a decision, he quickly thrust it in one go. The sudden pain made Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but scream, tears started to fall down because of the thrilling pain. Her scream echoed in the quiet night...

    "Ying... It hurts!" She cried while biting her lower lips. She felt like her inside was being stretched by his big hardness and the ufortable feelings still remained even though he had already stopped moving for a little while.

    "I¡¯m sorry..." Yao Ying apologized, then he kissed her face tenderly --- he started the kiss softly from her forehead, down to her eyes, nose, and lips... "It will be fine soon... I promise," he coaxed her softly. Yao Ling nodded her head, but she couldn¡¯t even mutter a sound. She trusted Yao Ying and also her mother¡¯s exnation.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t give her a warning anymore and he quickly started to pump in and out deeply. Yao Ling felt the pain spread in her body, making her feel ufortable all over ah~! Yao Ying kissed her lips once more, but his body didn¡¯t stop moving rhythmically. Her tightness felt so good and it felt like his hardness was being massaged all over with her inner sweetness, his mind became hazy due to the pleasure and he couldn¡¯t control himself anymore.

    Just like a beast, he kept pumping in and out.

    The red blood was mixed with both of their sweet honey, and under his pumping, her tight flower path was lubricated. Gradually, Yao Ling felt that the pain was slowly turning into a tingling --- and finally, it turned into a pleasure.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t stop there, instead, he deepened his thrust and mmed inside her again, making her lose her sanity. She couldn¡¯t do anything else but hug him, feeling a pleasure that shocked her core.

    "Mmmm... Yao Ying and Yao Ling moaned at the same time.

    The pping sound of their flesh reverberated through the quiet night, along with their rapid breathing and gentle moaning... making the atmosphere be ambiguous. The smell of their union was floating in the air...

    When Yao Ying identally struck her sensitive point a few times in a row, Yao Ling couldn¡¯t stop her scream froming out. He started to be fiercer, repeatedly deepened his thrust while covering her lips to muffle her scream. Their tongues were entangling together and the same things happened to both of their secret ces... It entangled by the hard thrusting movement.

    Suddenly, she started to spasm and lose her mind... her sweetness down there kept shrinking and she started to feel it once again... She woulde once again...

    Yao Ling reached the third climax and she almost fainted, but Yao Ying was still vigorously moving. After feeling her climax, he quickly pulled out his hardness and turned her body around. The t boulder couldn¡¯t hold her whole body, so Yao Ying let Yao Ling use it as a medium to steady her body. After that, he quickly thrust his hardness into her sweet flower hole from behind once more.

    He took a look at the back of her neck and he saw nothing there. However, when he felt Yao Ling start to spasm once again and the meaning was clear... she was going to have another climax, something started glowing once again on the back of her neck.

    Yao Ling squinted his eyes but he didn¡¯t stop moving because he almost found his release too. It was a crescent moon-shaped birthmark. He wondered if the birthmark only appeared when Yao Ling had a climax? If they didn¡¯t make love in a dimmed environment, he would have missed it.

    ¡¯A crescent moon-shaped birthmark, huh?¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. However, he felt something building inside him and he momentarily forgot about the special birthmark.

    Despite her sensitivity due to her previous climax, Yao Ying continued using his burning hardness to pump in and out savagely, the sound of pping flesh and water entangled altogether...

    Finally, Yao Ying made a rough groan, and after onest thrust, he let out the scorching white liquid and shot it into Yao Ying¡¯s burning sweetness... He finally came inside her for the first time.

    They finally became one!

    Both of them were panting... They didn¡¯t dare to move while trying to regain their breathe once more. After they calmed down, Yao Ling could feel the tiredness hit her. She almost fainted a few times, but the cold water woke her up from time to time. However, after they finished consummate their marriage, she couldn¡¯t help but sleep.

    Yao Yingughed at her cuteness and kissed her head. After that, he cleaned her up with theke¡¯s water and hugged her tightly to give her warmth. After the passion ended, the coldness kicked in. When he princess-carried her, she heard her mumble, "Ying... I just remembered something... What if someone had seen us?! Does Xiao Fang leave her guards around here?"

    Yao Ying, "..."

    Wasn¡¯t it a bit toote for that?!

 Chapter 264 Louder Than The Roar of A Lion

    Yao Ying could only say, "I have no idea!"

    Yao Ling pouted, "Really?" If there were guards around, that would be so embarrassing to death ah~! Her whole body was being exposed just now, along with their first experience.

    Yao Ying was also too aroused just now, how could he still remember to use his inner qi to feel the others¡¯ presence? Xiao Fang had guaranteed for their peaceful night, however, he didn¡¯t ask what she would do about it. So, it would be better that he pretended that he was dumb. "I think so," Yao Ying said with a grin.

    "Come on! We have to go back to our room..." Yao Ying said softly because he knew that they already took a long time here and Xiao Fang must have been waiting for them toe out. Besides, he could see how tired Yao Ling looked and she was on the verge of sleeping judging from her look.

    Yao Ling helplessly nced at her own body. "You wreaked my clothes! How could I go back looking like this?" Her upper part was still fine, but her pants had been ruined by Yao Ying ah~! Until now, she could feel the chilly night wind attacking her sweetness down there and it was getting colder by the seconds.

    Yao Ying looked at her state guiltily, but looking at her bare flesh... he started to get aroused once more. Yao Ying quickly wore his pants and adjusted his own hardness, because he knew that she was still tender after their lovemaking. After that, he covered Yao Ling with her outer robe. As long as she didn¡¯t open her legs, no one would know that she was naked down there. When he checked, he only wreaked the crotch part so it should be fine for now.

    Fortunately, despite his muddleheaded state, he was able to save the pants --- a little bit. Otherwise, he didn¡¯t know how to cover up Yao Ling with their wet clothes.

    He used his qing gong and brought her out through the entrance. Xiu and Xiao Yu were waiting for them all the time there, when they saw their masters, their worry faces were apanied by red faces. Their worry changed into relief, but their red faces didn¡¯t diminish for one bit.

    Yao Ying asked, "Why are both of your face so red?" While asking that, his hands didn¡¯t stop working. He quickly took the towels that both Xiu and Xiao Yu had prepared beforehand and draped it over Yao Ling¡¯s body. He helped Yao Ling dry her body and hair, before finally dried himself. This was better than nothing.

    Xiu and Xiao Yu, "..."

    They were speechless.

    How should they answer that?! Their moans were even louder than the roar of the lions... Everything that happened in there could be imagined in their mind... How could they not feel embarrassed ah~?! They wanted to go far away, but they were afraid that when their masters came out, they would be frozen to death! This was really the painful experiences of servants ah~!

    They could only chuckle awkwardly, but didn¡¯t dare to answer Yao Ying¡¯s question.

    Yao Ling, who was already weak to begin with, decided to just pretend to be sleeping. However, her sudden red face betrayed her pretense, however, no one dared to point that out. Her red face was due to a mixture of embarrassment and anger.

    ¡¯This fool!¡¯ She really wanted to scold Yao Ying ah~!

    How could he ask that question to Xiu and Xiao Yu?! Wasn¡¯t the answer obvious? They knew what they were doing ah~!

    When they got back, Yao Ying praised both Xiu and Xiao Yu¡¯s thoughtfulness. They already prepared a tub of hot bath for them --- and it was also a big one! The two of them could fit into the big bath tub just fine!

    Yao Ying grinned and gave a thumb up to Xiu, "You are really smart!" He could enjoy their intimacy once more inside the bath tub.

    Xiu could only say thank you in embarrassment. He, himself, didn¡¯t understand what his young master meant by him being smart --- he was just doing what he was supposed to do. Before they took a bath, Xiao Yu gave them the ginger tea first. It would give a warm feeling from inside their body and prevent them from getting sick.

    "Young Master, Young Mistress, this servant will make another pot for you. It will be ready right after you finish taking a bath," Xiao Yu said.

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. "Quickly, go! After putting the pot here, you can just go to sleep with Xiu."

    What Yao Ling meant was they should rest at the same time, but when the others heard it, they somehow thought that the meaning was she should ¡¯sleep¡¯ together with Xiu. Xiu and Xiao Yu who just heard their loud moaning sound... couldn¡¯t help but blush once again. Their imagination ran wild ah~!

    This time, Yao Ying wasughing out loud! This was too hrious! However, Yao Ling looked at him in confusion. Thus, Yao Ying only patted her head and said, "Nothing... you should just rx... Come on! I will clean you up! I know that you are feeling tired..." He didn¡¯t tell her how ambiguous her words sounded like.

    Yao Ling nodded her head and smiled gratefully. "Thank you!"

    Yao Ying knocked her head softly, "We are husband and wife! Why are you so formal?"

    Knowing that their masters were going to take a bath, Xiu and Xiao Yu had already carefully withdrawn themselves. They didn¡¯t want to listen to the second round --- IF there was a second round.

    Back inside the room...

    Yao Ling onlyughed and she let Yao Ying put her inside the bath tub after removing her clothes. Xiao Yu was thoughtful enough to give rose petals on the water and it gave another romantic vibe to the couple.

    When she felt the warm water on the skin, she felt sofortable and moan blissfully. Yao Ying¡¯s hardness had started to be hard once again after he removed his clothes, however, he was holding himself back --- knowing that Yao Ling must still be in pain after their first time. But... this woman was really a pure temptation for him.

    After listening to her blissful moan, he felt like facepalming himself. Oh... the things that this woman did to him! He ignored his own desire and quickly went inside the bath tub too. He put Yao Ling on hisp and hugged her waist lovingly.

    "Do you feel better?" Yao Ying asked.

    "En..."

    After that, Yao Ying slowly gave a massage to Yao Ling. When his massage hit the right spot, she moaned seductively. When Yao Ying sat in the tub, he already calmed himself down and his hardness had softened. However, her moan brought his hardness back alive once more.

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ He cursed inwardly.

    Yao Ling felt that something was poking behind her and she knew perfectly well what that thing was. She quickly scooted away and said, "Calm yourself down! You... you insatiable beast!" She didn¡¯t forget to point at Yao Ying¡¯s hardness.

    Yao Ying waved both of his hands animatedly, faking his innocence, "I won¡¯t do anything to you! This happened because of you ah~!"

    "What did I do wrong?" Yao Ling pouted, feeling wronged.

    "My little Yao Ying loves your moan ah~!" Yao Ying answered with a grin.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    She was toozy to talk to this beast. However, she finally decided to warn him, "No more making love tonight! I just want to rest peacefully!"

    Yao Yingughed and nodded in agreement. "I know!"

    The man blinked innocently, but somehow, Yao Ling didn¡¯t trust him at all!

 Chapter 265 Really That Loud?

    Actually, Yao Ying wanted them to take a bath together despite knowing that he would be in pain was because of an important reason --- not because of his dirty thought. Before he told Yao Ling anything about the crescent moon birthmark, he just wanted to make sure that what he had seen wasn¡¯t fickle of his imagination...

    Maybe he was feeling too pleasurable at that moment until he was seeing things?

    Yao Ying removed Yao Ling¡¯s hair to the front slowly, so he could take a look at the back of her neck, trying to find a clue. He tried to do it without making Yao Ling feel suspicious. True enough, there was nothing there. He wanted to sigh in regret, however, when he squinted his eyes, he saw something there...

    Oh well... It seemed like he didn¡¯t see it wrongly...

    There was indeed a mark there at the center of the back of her neck. The mark was so thin and it appeared to be a bit transparent. If someone didn¡¯t deliberately look for it just like him, no one would notice its presence. He touched it softly and it was merged to the skin, so there was no possibility that someone carved the mark there.

    However... how could Yao Ling¡¯s birthmark be something this weird?

    Yao Ying looked at the birthmark, contemting while stroking Yao Ling¡¯s hair lovingly.

    What did this birthmark mean ah~? He wondered if this was a clue to find Yao Ling¡¯s real family or not... He had never heard about a shining birthmark beforehand, so he didn¡¯t know what to expect. For this kind of thing, he didn¡¯t dare to use Mi Hui¡¯s resources... If this was a great secret from Yao Ling¡¯s real family, he was afraid that he would identally alert an enemy. Unless he was sure about it, he didn¡¯t dare to make a move.

    Should he ask for Hei Yue¡¯s help secretly? He sighed in frustration because he didn¡¯t want to lie to Yao Ling! Well... not exactly lying, he just covered something up from her... Yao Ying felt at a loss at what to do...

    In the end, Yao Ying decided not to tell Yao Ling for now. They were both too tired and couldn¡¯t think clearly. Yao Ying decided not to ponder over this thing anymore and after drinking the ginger tea, they fell asleep in no time.

    Thest thing in Yao Ying¡¯s mind waster... he would tell herter...

    The next day, Yao Ying and Yao Ling felt that everyone looked at them in a different way --- they seemed to be a bit evasive and look away with a red face. Yao Ling stopped Xiao Fang who was going to run away from them --- her face was also red just like the others, but why?

    "Stop right there!" Yao Ling yelled while squinting her eyes, feeling bewildered.

    Xiao Fang could only stop and turned around. She smiled awkwardly and asked, "Yes...?" However, her eyes kept darting around. She didn¡¯t dare to look at the couple directly.

    "Xiao Fang, why does everyone look at me and Yao Ying weirdly?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t dare to look at Yao Ling¡¯s eyes directly or answer her... She felt at a loss ah~! How could she answer the question?!

    This time, Yao Ying was the one who understood the situation and he snickered when looking Xiao Fang¡¯s expression. However, he didn¡¯t dare to tell Yao Ling ah~! He didn¡¯t want her to get angry at him for that, but... she was the one who insisted to do it at theke --- so, she couldn¡¯t me him! Yao Ying could onlyugh inwardly.

    Yao Ling kept asking, "Xiao Fang, please tell us the truth!" She couldn¡¯t stand those pointed gazes, because it somehow made her shiver in nervousness. Besides, she was also really curious.

    "Both of you were too loudst night ah~! I already guarded the perimeter, but everyone was able to hear your voices!" Xiao Fang decided to answer honestly with a red face, but she didn¡¯t dare use the word ¡¯moan¡¯. Xiao Fang looked at the couple mingly, making the couple flinch in embarrassment.

    Yao Ling started to regret asking the question and she blushed in embarrassment --- both women¡¯s face was as red as a tomato. She whispered softly, "Really that loud?"

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Really... However, I didn¡¯t listen to you until the end... When I started to hear your er... ¡¯voices¡¯, I already asked the guards to disperse... so, it should be fine! We didn¡¯t see anything... we didn¡¯t see anything!" She added inwardly, but the whole guards already knew that you did the deed there... It was too obvious! However, Xiao Fang still tried tofort Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She decided to thicken her face and pretend that nothing happened the previous day. She should have epted Yao Ying¡¯s offer to go back to their roomst night, but it was toote. She could only me herself ah~!

    When she thought back... she was too aroused to think clearly ah~! She red at Yao Ying, ming him. However, thetter just shrugged his shoulder off. So annoying!

    The couple decided to thicken their faces together, albeit their nervousness. Although Yao Ying looked experienced, yesterday night was also his first time ah~! He also couldn¡¯t hold himself back... However, he didn¡¯t regret it for one bit though...

    Lin Jian kept grinning at them and sometimes... he teased Yao Ying by wiggling his eyebrows, but the couple pretended that they didn¡¯t see anything. Yao Ying felt like throttling him, but he held himself back. He could only re at Lin Jian, which replied with a taunting grin. That childish man was too annoying!

    Yao Ying could only grit his teeth and he would pay him back someday!!

    The couple along with Xiao Fang and Lin Jian enjoyed their afternoon by looking around Crescent Lake. They started to feel immune with the beauty, but still enjoyed it nheless. Other people were looking at the scenery, but Yao Ling didn¡¯t. She was still concerned about the symbol on the forbidden ce¡¯s gate.

    Yao Ling felt the familiarity and she wanted to see clearly the symbol in front of the forbidden ce, but she didn¡¯t know how. Their living ce was quite far away from there. She took a peek at Xiao Fang and knew that she was the only one who could bring them there.

    Yao Ling asked Xiao Fang cautiously, "Xiao Fang ah~ Can we pass by in front of the forbidden ce? I want to see the scenery around there..."

    Xiao Fang frowned. "It¡¯s not that you can¡¯t. You can pass by but you can¡¯t go inside. So, why do you want to go there? There¡¯s nothing that you can see or enjoy there." Xiao Fang asked in confusion. That ce had the same view as to where they currently stood, so what was the use of going there?

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t tell her what she wanted to do and merely said, "I¡¯m just curious ah~."

    Yao Ying noticed his wife¡¯s curiosity and he knew that she must have been feeling interested in something there... It made him be curious as well, so he didn¡¯t try to stop her.

    Xiao Fang asked softly, "Do you really want to go there?"

    Yao Ling nodded hesitantly. "Yes..."

    "It¡¯s not like there¡¯s no way... I used to pass by there sometimes, but it was only when I wanted to y around with a pet that was ced in front of the gate," Xiao Fang exined. The pet was quite majestic, but the beast tamer was in a good rtionship with her, so she could go there from time to time. Well... she hadn¡¯t visited him this time, so maybe she could introduce the trio to him?

    "Pet?" Yao Ling¡¯s eyes lit up. "What kind of pet?"

    Yao Ling never thought that she could meet the pet of royalty here! It must have been a precious pet ah~!

    Yao Ying rolled his eyes. He knew that Yao Ling loved animals. Back at their vige, she loved to help wounded animals and take care of them. However, after they got better, Yao Ling set them free to the wilderness once again. He still remembered how tender she was with the animals and it sometimes made Yao Ying feel envious...

    "Well... I will bring you there to see it!" Xiao Fang said.

 Chapter 266 Uncle Qiu

    Xiao Fang warned her. "We can go there if you want, but you need my presence there, so the guards won¡¯t feel suspicious. Don¡¯t attract their attention, okay?"

    Yao Ling nodded and grinned happily. "I won¡¯t attract their attention..." She just wanted to take a look at the symbol --- that was it!

    Just like what she promised, Xiao Fang brought them there. She already asked Han Yi to search for the beast tamer¡¯s whereabouts. By luck, the man was going to examine the sacred pet and invited Xiao Fang to join him. The quartet quickly went to the pet¡¯s cage.

    Before they reached the pet¡¯s cage, they would pass by the forbidden ce¡¯s gate. Yao Ling somehow felt nervous and both of her hands became sweaty. She didn¡¯t know why but she had a gut feeling that something would happen. Bad or good... she didn¡¯t know, but she knew that it must be something big.

    Yao Ling sighed, knowing that they really had no time to rest! Troubles kept looking for them one by one.

    Yao Ying, who had paid close attention to Yao Ling¡¯s behavior, felt worried because she didn¡¯t look like her usual self. He quickly gripped her hand tightly, trying to give her his support and also to calm her down. He could feel how cold her hands were and he was confused about what made her behave so strangely. She insisted to go near the forbidden ce, so there must be something there that sparked her interest.

    He felt confused and tried to make a guess what made her behave this way, but he couldn¡¯t find a reasonable exnation.

    The closer they were to the gate, the more agitated Yao Ling was. She forgot that she held Yao Ying¡¯s hand and due to her nervousness, she almost crushed Yao Ying¡¯s hand because she used too much strength. However, thetter only flinched a little while and chose not to stop her from doing it.

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang didn¡¯t notice Yao Ling¡¯s reactions because they were too busy at talking and whispering to each other. It seemed like ever since the romantic twirling fiasco, they became closer and could ovee their shyness. Thus, they finally had a little bit of progress.

    Yao Ling tried not to look suspicious when they passed by the guard, she tried to see if she could take a look at it clearly with a nce! If she couldn¡¯t, she knew that she needed to do something to distract the guards. However, there would be a greater chance that she attracted the guards¡¯ attention and she would avoid that scenario if possible.

    Fortunately, the symbol was quite big. Probably because of the Cresent Lake name, but the symbol was actually also the shape of Crescent Moon. The symbol was a thin, curved shape that¡¯s thicker in the middle and tapers to thin points at each end, like the little sliver of the moon in the sky. However, this symbol was being climbed and twined around by green vines. Not only that, there were a few weird written symbols that Yao Ling couldn¡¯tprehend. She tried to recall those weird symbols, but she couldn¡¯t remember where she had seen it before.

    How could such weird symbols be familiar to her?

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t see it clearly and she wanted to copy that symbol, but how?

    Yao Ying, who held her hand, tugged it for a little while. With his finger, he wrote a few words on her palm, "Do you want the drawing of that symbol?" He was able to see that Yao Ling was fully intrigued by those symbols.

    Yao Ling looked at him in surprise and asked, "How...?" She wanted to ask how did he know what she wanted to do, but from one look on his face, she already knew how. Just like him, they were used to reading each other¡¯s expression and deciphering what they were thinking about.

    "I will help youter," Yao Ying said. They couldn¡¯t do it at this moment because it would be too conspicuous with the guards around. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to let Lin Jian and Xiao Fang know about this matter too. After all, Yao Ying could see that the symbol was simr to the birthmark on the back of Yao Ling¡¯s neck. He had a gut feeling that this symbol was connected to Yao Ling¡¯s real family.

    He didn¡¯t know Yao Ling¡¯s real background and it was better to be safe by not telling the others. The symbol appeared on a forbidden ce and it must hold some secrets or important meanings that even the Han royal family had guarded for so long.

    He wondered... what kind of family that Yao Ling had? Why did they send her away? Was she actually being abandoned or her family was actually trying to save her life? There were so many unanswered questions revolving around this.

    Yao Ying really wanted to hug her and shield her from the darkness of the world, but he knew, she was just like him. Both of them wanted to uncover the truth of their past, no matter what the cost was. They just wanted to make sure that nothing from the past would bite them and ruin everything that they had at the moment.

    After she was reassured that Yao Ying would help her, Yao Ling became calmer and she didn¡¯t try to take a peek at the gate more intently anymore. The guards already looked at them in an unfriendly way, so it was better if they didn¡¯t provoke them at the moment.

    They passed through the gate and they saw a big cage with beautiful decoration. It seemed like the Han Emperor quite put importance to the animal, because the cage was made of gold and the design was quite luxurious. They couldn¡¯t see clearly what kind of animal it was unless they went closer to the front part of the cage.

    Xiao Fang was greeted by a middle-aged man who looked at her warmly. It seemed like they were indeed in a good rtionship. "Xiao Fang, you visit us again!"

    Xiao Fangughed. "Of course! This is my favorite ce ah~! Besides, you are here! I miss you!" She said in a spoiled tone.

    Lin Jian asked in a whisper, "What¡¯s your rtionship with the man?" He knew he was being unreasonable, but Xiao Fang looked that she was quite close with the middle-aged man. He whispered in a low voice and the middle-aged man might not hear him, but Yao Ying and Yao Ling were right behind him, so his words were as clear as day to them.

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes, knowing that Lin Jian must have been feeling a bit jealous. On the other hand, Yao Ying snickered at Lin Jian¡¯s panicked look.

    Xiao Fang nced briefly at Lin Jian but she didn¡¯t think that there was anything wrong with his question, thus, she introduced the man to them, "This is my father¡¯s best friend. You can call him, Uncle Qiu. They hit it off when father visited this Crescent Lake and he¡¯s my Godfather."

    Lin Jian looked embarrassed because of his unreasonable jealousy, luckily, Xiao Fang didn¡¯t notice it. However, when his eyes identally met Yao Ying and Yao Ling, his face turned red. This time, the couple paid him back by looking at him tauntingly.

    The trio greeted Uncle Qiu politely.

    "Are they your new friends?" Uncle Qiu asked curiously. Xiao Fang might look like a cheery girl, but it was hard for her to have new friends. Not because she was arrogant, but she honestly told Uncle Qiu that she hated pretentious people. The only friend she had that Uncle Qiu knew was Princess Han Xiang, thus, he felt quite a bit surprised when she brought them to meet him.

    Xiao Fang knew her Godfather was quite entric and he rarely treated other people as nice as now. He was probably kind to them just for Xiao Fang¡¯s sake.

    Xiao Fang nodded happily, "Yes ah~, Godfather..."

 Chapter 267 They Met Again

    Uncle Qiu snickered when he saw the look on Lin Jian¡¯s face. He could see that the young man was infatuated by his Goddaughter. However, who was this youngster? It seemed like he had never seen this man in the Han Kingdom¡¯s noble circle. Even though he was called as a beast tamer here, he was actually an official who was only one rank lower than the Left Prime Minister.

    Uncle Qiu just chose left all those behind him and as an official, he wasn¡¯t as harmless as he looked like at the moment. No one would be able to be an official without being shrewd.

    He loved animal and it was his own decision to choose to stay here as a beast tamer. He could easily go back to the capital and get his position back, however... he was toozy to do that. Only a few things that could spark his interest, this sacred pet, and Xiao Fang. He even didn¡¯t really care about his own son --- the man had grown up and held an official position himself, so he reckoned that his job for raising him had finished. His son already had his own family and his wife had already dead for so long. Thus, he chose to stay at Crescent Lake and enjoyed his life there.

    "Where did you meet them?" Uncle Qiu asked softly. He tried to look as mild as possible, but he couldn¡¯t mask his cold gaze towards Lin Jian. He felt the hidden intention that the youngster had towards his Goddaughter and he didn¡¯t like it at all. For him, no man deserved to have his perfect Goddaughter.

    Xiao Fangughed. "Why don¡¯t we talk about it at lunch? I want to meet Bao Bei [=Precious] first!"

    "Who is Bao Bei?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Bao Bei is the name of the sacred pet," Xiao Fang exined with a soft smile on her face. It seemed like she also liked this sacred pet.

    "Why is it called a sacred pet?" Yao Ling asked excitedly. She had never heard about it before and it sparked her curiosity.

    "It¡¯s a tribute from a faraway kingdom beyond the sea. A foreign ship was stranded to our kingdom by mistake and to show their goodwill, they presented the sacred pet to our kingdom," Uncle Qiu exined. He didn¡¯t tell them that after they got the tributes, the Han Emperor didn¡¯t hesitate to kill the whole ship and raid everything inside. He didn¡¯t behave like a monarch, instead, he behaved like a robber!

    The Han Emperor was quite an iron fist and he became suspicious easily, thus, he was able to kill those people easily. This was also the reason Uncle Qiu left the officialdom behind, he had a disagreement with the Emperor because of this matter and he became disappointed with the result. Uncle Qiu was broadminded and he wanted them to make a treaty peace with the foreign kingdom. If they could, they could make a business partnership which could improve the lives of their citizens. But... he failed to convince the Han Emperor and he couldn¡¯t disobey his order, so there was nothing else he could do.

    If he knew that the Han Emperor had started to target Xiao Fang¡¯s family, the man would be beyond angry and spit on that shitty Emperor! In his mind, the Han Emperor didn¡¯t have a good image.

    "Can we take a look at it?" Yao Ling asked, feeling full-of-hope.

    Uncle Qiuughed. "You are Xiao Fang¡¯s friends, so I will allow you to take a look at it. I believe you will not harm Bao Bei."His meaning was actually quite clear, not all people are allowed to look at the sacred pet and thest sentence was said just to warn them. He only gave a face to Xiao Fang, but the trio didn¡¯t mind for one bit. They understood the meaning of the word ¡¯sacred¡¯.

    While they were brought to the front of the cage, they didn¡¯t realize that someone was looking at them from afar with an intense gaze. If Yao Ying and Yao Ling didn¡¯t too focused on the gate¡¯s symbols, they would notice the intense feelings of being looked at. Too bad, they missed it.

    "Young Master... isn¡¯t that...?" The man¡¯s subordinate asked a question. However, before he could finish his question, the man held up his hand to make him stop talking. He could see it for himself and he didn¡¯t need his subordinate to remind him.

    "I know..." The young man smirked to himself. "It seems like we have a fate with that person." The man looked intrigued by the group¡¯s presence. It seemed like his trip to the Han Kingdom¡¯s capital would be a fun one. He would never guess that he would be able to meet that person so soon.

    The young man gave an order to his subordinate, "Take a look at their group and find their real identities as soon as possible." He thought theirst meeting was only by chance... She showed up by herself without him needed to look for her, so he could only say that it was because they had a fate.

    "Yes, Young Master," his subordinate answered politely, then he quickly executed his order. In a sh, he was gone while the young master was still looking at the group --- to be exact, only one person attracted his attention. He couldn¡¯t take his eyes from each of her movements. Every part of her made him feel mesmerized.

    The young man mumbled softly, "We meet again, huh?! What a coincidence!" However, he noticed something different from that person. She became more beautiful and mature in such a short time. He wondered ifst night¡¯s passionate voice came out from her mouth. He felt regret that he didn¡¯te out to that secluded cest night. There was only their party who was staying here... so there was a possibility thatst night alluring voice was made by that woman.

    He remembered how passionate and sexy that voice was.

    The young man looked at his target intensely and wondered how it would feel when the woman submitted to him. It would be interesting to make her moan under him and call his name passionately.

    After staring for a little while, he went away and went back to his room. He decided to wait for his subordinate¡¯s report before making a move. He needed to know his target first, besides, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to make her his... Not only that, but he also loved the challenge. He was very confident that sooner orter, she woulde to him herself. No woman was able to resist his charm, yes... he was that confident.

    If Yao Ying knew that his wife was targeted by a mad man, he would certainly kill that man!

    The group had finally arrived in front of the sacred pet¡¯s cage. They gasped in surprise at how beautiful the sacred pet was. It was actually a horse --- however, this horse seemed to be special. The color was pure white and it was a rare breed. There was a myth about this white horse in which connected to the heroic figures and it also stood for the bnce of wisdom and power. Some also said that white horse symbolized prosperity, good luck, and purity.

    That was why the Han Emperor loved it so much.

    Not only that, there was a temple that was built especially because of white horses --- it was called White Horse Temple. ording to tradition, this was the first Buddhist temple in the Han Kingdom. That was why a white horse was seen as a sacred pet by the Han people.

    Hence... people didn¡¯t feel so surprised with the special treatment for Bao Bei. To Han People, Bao Bei was worth it because by having him, it meant a prosperity symbol for their kingdom! He was specially sent to Crescent Lake because only a few people could gain ess to this special city, thus, it was safer to put Bao Bei here.

    Yao Ling whispered to Yao Ying, "Don¡¯t you think she¡¯s a good candidate for Bao Bao[1]?"

    Yao Ying, "..."

    ------------------------

    [1]. Bao Bao: Yao Ling¡¯s new horse that needed to be tamed before their journey. Just a reminder for readers who forgot about him! XD

 Chapter 268 So... It Was Indeed The Truth

    Yao Ying knocked Yao Ling¡¯s forehead softly and whispered, "Don¡¯t talk nonsense! This is a sacred pet! How could she easily be given to random horse ah~?!" Yao Ying rolled his eyes... Did she think that Bao Bao was a good breed? Yes, indeed he looked majestic, but his breed was far from the sacred pet in front of them ah~!

    Generally... the Han Emperor should be looking for the same pure white horse as its sweetheart, so it would maintain the horse¡¯s descendants purity. So... there would be no way Bao Bao would be able to be its sweetheart ah~! That was practically just a dream on Yao Ling¡¯s part...

    Yao Ying knew that sometimes his wife was quite stubborn and he could only warn her, "Remember what Uncle Qiu said? Don¡¯t try to harm Bao Bei, okay?"

    Yao Ling asked, "Who said I want to harm Bao Bei ah~?" Inwardly, Yao Ling thought, ¡¯I just want to ask her hand in marriage for Bao Bao ah~!¡¯

    Yao Ying gave her a pointed look without saying any words and Yao Ling seemed to understand his meaning perfectly clear.

    Yao Ling pouted and sighed in sadness, but she decided to relent. "Alright... alright... ah~!" However, she still looked at Bao Bei sadly with a glint of stubbornness in her eyes. In their kingdom, there was no such belief. Thus, Yao Ling didn¡¯t really treat Bao Bei as a sacred pet, but a normal one.

    Yao Ling had already promise Bao Bao for a sweetheart if he was being a good boy. However, she also knew that this was a bit impossible at the moment --- she indeed had an untouchable target. Who knew... there might be a chance in the future, right?

    Bao Bei, who was sitting leisurely and enjoying her sweet moment, felt a chill on her back. She neighed and looked around anxiously, but couldn¡¯t find that something was wrong around her. Thus, she decided to scoff and close her eyes. Bao Bei didn¡¯t know that she had been targetted by a certain someone for her own horse...

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s intimacy wasn¡¯t missed by the young man who gazed at them from far away. That was why he came to the conclusion thatst night moan must have beening from Yao Ling. No maidservants or servants would dare to do such an obvious thing on theke, after all, this ce belonged to the royal family.

    The young man also saw that Lin Jian and Xiao Fang weren¡¯t really in a lovey-dovey rtionship. Despite liking each other, they didn¡¯t make skin contact with each other. That was why he decided not to make an appearance and see who those people were first. He was a cunning fox who loved to lure his target slowly...

    When Xiao Fang was busy attending Bao Bei and Lin Jian was busy currying favor with Uncle Qiu, Yao Ying and Yao Ling whispered to each other. They seemed to talk sweet nothing from the outside, but in truth, they were talking about serious matters.

    "Ying... what is your n to get the drawing?" Yao Ling asked curiously while chewing her lips in nervousness at the same time. She knew that she was too hasty this time, but she couldn¡¯t stop the nagging feeling that she had. She felt that she had to get her hand on the drawing as soon as possible. She also didn¡¯t understand what was going on, but she trusted her gut feelings.

    Yao Ying noticed her agitated state and answered her seriously, "Why don¡¯t we do it tonight? You should bring your various powders. I will ask Xiu to pay attention to the guard and see when is the time they will change shift."

    Yao Ling nodded and trusted Yao Ying¡¯s arrangement. They couldn¡¯t possibly do anything about it at noon anyway and she decided to try to forget about it for now.

    After she calmed down, she started to enjoy ying with Bao Bei. The white horse really had a majestic temperament --- she was so calm and elegant with the bearing of a Queen. No wonder she could be referred to as ¡¯sacred¡¯. In this aspect, if shepared her with that stubborn Bao Bao... well... their gap was indeed too far. However, she had indeed fallen in love with Bao Bei ah~! She was really the perfect candidate to be Bao Bao¡¯s wife.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t realize that she behaved like a mother who searched for a daughter-inw, especiallybined with her satisfied expression when she looked at Bao Bei. Yao Ying was speechless and could only shake his head helplessly. It seemed like his wife still didn¡¯t give up on the idea of bing the horses¡¯ matchmaker. However, he knew that they could do nothing about it. If they dared to do something to the white horse, they would certainly be killed ah~!

    Yao Ying believed that his wife should have calcted about it too and wouldn¡¯t do anything rash.

    Yao Ling knew that Uncle Qiu must have a say in Bao Bei¡¯s marriage, thus, she asked softly, "Uncle Qiu... have you ever thought to let Bao Bei get married? She must have been lonely to be caged here all the time..." When she said thest part, she felt a bit sad. No matter how beautiful a cage was, it would still restrain Bao Bei¡¯s freedom.

    Uncle Qiuughed. "Once in a while, I will mount her and take her for a ride. She¡¯s not always cooped up in here. I always try to lessen her suffering as much as I could. As for the marriage..." Uncle Qiu sighed. "I also want this littledy to have her own family, but the decision shoulde from above..." He exined softly while looking at Bao Bei with love.

    The meaning was clear... he needed the Han Emperor¡¯s permission. No matter what the Han Emperor was still the big boss ah~!

    "What if there¡¯s an ident?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "What do you mean?" Uncle Qiu was taken aback due to the question and he didn¡¯t quite understand what kind of ident that she meant.

    "If somehow Bao Bei finds a horse that she likes and she¡¯s pregnant with a baby..." Yao Ling asked with an excited face.

    Uncle Qiu just thought that it was a question out of mere curiosity and a joke on Yao Ling¡¯s part, hence he answered with a cheerfulugh with the same joking manner, "If that really happens, I will be the one who is happy ah~! The Han Emperor won¡¯t be able to me me, after all, Bao Bei is the one who chooses her own husband."

    Actually, Uncle Qiu was also just kidding. If that really happened randomly, the Han Emperor would be angry even though there was nothing the Han Emperor could do to prevent the mating process. The me would surely be thrown to his underlings. However... he didn¡¯t know who would be med under those circumstances --- but he was quite sure that one of them would be him ah~! After all, he was its direct caretaker!

    "Uncle Qiu, when do you usually take her for a ride?" Yao Ling asked with a wide grin. She looked so innocent that people wouldn¡¯t guess that she was actually cooking up a naughty n in her mind.

    "Why? Do you want to ride together with us?" Uncle Qiu asked while smiling at Yao Ling. He really liked this cute girl and it seemed like she was a good friend for Xiao Fang.

    Yao Ling nodded excitedly. "Yes!"

    "Then, let¡¯s go out tomorrow!" Uncle Qiu offered. Bao Bei¡¯s schedule was supposed to be two days from now, but he could adjust it for Xiao Fang¡¯s friends. Besides, he also knew that Bao Bei would be happy to have an extra day out.

    Lin Jian looked at Yao Ling in confusion, after all, he knew that she didn¡¯t like to ride a horse. Besides, she wasn¡¯t really good at it! He wanted to say something, but looking at the calm look on Yao Ying¡¯s face, he just swallowed his words. If her husband didn¡¯t feel worried, why should he? So, he just let the matter go and didn¡¯t think much about it.

    Uncle Qiu didn¡¯t know that because he answered with joking, his beloved Bao Bei would end up pregnant for real! Poor Uncle Qiu!

    After they felt satisfied, they ate lunch together with Uncle Qiu. There were so many things that Xiao Fang wanted to tell him, but she didn¡¯t know where to start. She didn¡¯t know whether Uncle Qiu knew that she was really an adopted daughter or not.

 Chapter 269 How Do You Know?

    "Uncle Qiu... how long have you been with best friends with my father?" Xiao Fang softly asked while they were eating. She never asked this question before and she only knew that they were best friends for a long time. Uncle Qiu was always there from the beginning and she had gotten used to his presence when she was growing up.

    "Long before you were born, Kid!" Uncle Qiu said with a smile. He felt a bit weird with her sudden question because she had never seemed to feel curious about this thing before.

    "Godfather... I need to confirm something with you first before I ask my father about something..." Xiao Fang asked seriously. However, she bit her lower lips, trying to hold back her nervousness. She was afraid to hear the truth...

    Uncle Qiu rarely saw Xiao Fang this serious and somehow he felt that she was going to ask an important question. Did she finally... know something? He didn¡¯t dare to think about it if she found out the truth. He just hoped that it wasn¡¯t about that...

    He sighed and asked, "What do you want to ask me?" His heart was beating faster, suddenly feeling afraid of Xiao Fang¡¯s next question.

    "Am I really not my father¡¯s real daughter?" Xiao Fang dropped the bomb without beating around the bush.

    Uncle Qiu closed his eyes in despair, knowing that she had indeed learned the truth. If possible, he wanted to shield this little girl forever... It was better if she was oblivious for the rest of her life, but fate seemed to disagree with him. She found out about it by herself.

    He asked in a hoarse voice, "How... how do you know?"

    He had already made an agreement with Xiao Fang¡¯s father that they would tell her the truth if she found out about it someday. He never thought that ¡¯someday¡¯ would be this soon...

    "So... it¡¯s really true..." Xiao Fang sighed sadly. When the trio saw her disappointed face, their hearts felt the ache for her.

    Even though they had the evidence that she was indeed the Ce Fei¡¯s daughter, Xiao Fang was actually still in denial state. She might look calm on the outside, but all this time, her heart was in turbulence... When she saw her Godfather¡¯s expression, her heart sank. So... it was indeed the truth...

    Everyone knew about that... She was the only oblivious one...

    Uncle Qiu sighed once more. It was fortunate that she decided to ask him first, otherwise... he knew his best friend would be heartbroken. His best friend loved this little girl so much ah~!

    "Tell Godfather... how did you find out about it?" Uncle Qiu asked once more. He needed to get the bottom of it.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t talk for a little while because she wanted to sort her mind. When the trio wanted to open their mouth and try to offer their help to tell her Godfather, she shook her head. This was her life and she should be brave enough to face it. Despite being the Ce Fei¡¯s real daughter, she wouldn¡¯t abandon her current identity.

    She hade to this conclusion after a few days of deliberation.

    After all, her current family treated her with love... Once a family always a family. If she had that thought in mind, she felt better... She would just treat it as gaining a new family. The Ce Fei might have sent her away because of her selfishness, but she got a happy life because of that decision. If she stayed in the pce, there was a possibility that Han Xiang¡¯s fate would be her too.

    In a way, the Ce Fei also saw the ugly environment and she showed her a bit of love by sending her away.

    Xiao Fang started to recite what happened to her and Han Xiang --- one by one... She always had a great rtionship with Uncle Qiu, thus, she never kept a secret from him. The trio trusted Xiao Fang¡¯s judgment and let her tell everything to Uncle Qiu. When Xiao Fang unraveled the trio¡¯s identity, they didn¡¯t mind for one bit.

    They could see how Uncle Qiu looked at Xiao Fang tenderly --- just like how a father looked at his own daughter dearly. This guess wasn¡¯t wrong. He didn¡¯t have a daughter and always yearn for one, thus, he treated Xiao Fang just like his own daughter. This kind of look was hard to fake...

    Uncle Qiu could only gape at her when she had finished telling him the full story. He knew that there must be something big had happened on her journey. If not, how could she find out about that secret? But he could never guess it would be this big!

    "Pri... Princess Han Xiang was dead?!" He could only ponder over the matter in disbelief. Crescent Lake was quite a secluded ce and nomoners would be able toe inside here, thus, he rarely updated himself thetest news at a fast speed. He usually waited for his subordinates to bring the news from time to time. It seemed like even his subordinates hadn¡¯t gotten this news as well! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t wait to tell him ah~!

    The quartet nodded their heads in unison and confirmed that she was really dead.

    "The matter about the Han Emperor¡¯s wrongdoing... was it really true?" Uncle Qiu looked at them in disbelief.

    Uncle Qiu knew that the Han Emperor wasn¡¯t a good person, but his inner courtyard always looked so peaceful from the outside. His women usually appeared so peaceful from the outside, were they just acting for the sake of their image? He would never think that something so despicable would happen inside his inner courtyard!

    "Disgusting! Truly disgusting! I never knew that he is such a cruel person!" Uncle Qiu yelled in anger while pping the table with his hand.

    Uncle Qiu tried to calm himself down before he continued asking questions.

    "Do you have any proof?" Uncle Qiu asked. He knew that he shouldn¡¯t ask this, but he truly couldn¡¯t believe that he served such a person loyally all this time. Despite his disagreement to take his old job back, it didn¡¯t mean that he was disloyal to the Han Emperor. He merely sulked and the Han Emperor understood his temperament very well, thus, he let him stay here to calm down.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "We have one and a lot of people also saw the proof," Xiao Fang grinned widely. "We won¡¯t let the Han Emperor destroy the evidence!" With so many onlookers, he couldn¡¯t dismiss what happened to Han Xiang as a baseless rumor.

    "What do you mean?" Uncle Qiu asked.

    "We have Han Xiang¡¯s handwritten blood letter," Xiao Fang said. After that, she didn¡¯t forget to tell Uncle Qiu the things that had transpired after Han Xiang¡¯s death and how Han Xiang made a decision to tell the world about the truth! She had said that she didn¡¯t want to die in vain and it would be better if she could bring the Han Emperor down with her!

    Uncle Qiu listened to everything that happened and his heart felt an ache for Han Xiang. After all, he had seen her grown up too! He thought that she had told him everything, but he didn¡¯t know that Xiao Fang would still drop another bomb next...

    Xiao Fang hesitantly added, "There¡¯s something more..."

    Uncle Qiu was taken aback. "More? What do you mean more? Is there something else that the Emperor has done?"

    Xiao Fang shook her head. "No... it¡¯s not about something that he has done, but instead, it¡¯s something that he will do in the future..."

    Uncle Qiu furrowed his eyebrows, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t like what Xiao Fang was going to say next. He prepared his heart and asked, "Tell me! What is it about?"

    Xiao Fang told Uncle Qiu about the Han Emperor¡¯s paranoid tendency and how he wanted to get rid of several officials. Among those names, Xiao Fang¡¯s father was one of them.

    Uncle Qiu shook his head sadly. He thought that the future n was about the Han Emperor¡¯s harem... but it was more than that... Who knew that Princess Han Xiang was able to find out such a crazy secret?

 Chapter 270 My Name Is In The List Too, Right?

    People might ask why they fully believed in Han Xiang¡¯s words... there was also a reason behind it --- not only because Han Xiang was Xiao Fang¡¯s good friend. It was also because of her handwritten blood letter.

    There was a phrase that could describe this belief. ¡¯Lies written in ink can never disguise facts written in blood¡¯ [1]. The tradition of writing in blood was especially present in Buddhism and the Han people were a full believer of this tradition. That was also why Han Xiang resolutely left a blood letter, despite the need to bear the pain while writing in between herst breaths.

    Han Xiang wanted to tell the world the ugly truth of that disgusting man and she needed an irrefutable proof for them to believe her side of the story. Thus, she dared to take her life as a gamble. Besides, she couldn¡¯t live that long anyway. Why didn¡¯t she use her life to save other people¡¯s lives?

    Uncle Qiu said with a hurt expression, "I always know that the Emperor is a paranoid man, but I never know that he is going to try to eradicate so many people all at once. Does he really want to put his own puppets to be his ministers and be a sole ruler? That is one crazy idea because it will ruin our kingdom!"

    Uncle Qiu knew if this continued, he would die out of anger. This Han Emperor seemed to be more and more unreasonable. He knew that a monarch always felt paranoid that someone would try to take his position, but this farce and this n... he was quite speechless and felt at a loss.

    The Han Kingdom wasn¡¯t in a stable condition for a long time already because of its poor weather and scarce resources. They needed to curry favor to the Shu Kingdom to get important resources ah~! The Shu Kingdom was so powerful that it could actually crush their kingdom easily if there was no Qin Kingdom to bnce the three kingdoms. The Shu Kingdom was strong enough to destroy one kingdom, but not two kingdoms at once.

    If they were having an internal struggle around this time, wouldn¡¯t it be this kingdom¡¯s loophole? It could be a chance for the other kingdoms to wreak havoc. Other kingdoms would be able to attack them because their defense became weak ah~!

    How could he be so selfish?! He wanted an endless power and his greed would only ruin his own kingdom. Didn¡¯t he care about the civilians?

    Uncle Qiu believed they needed two parties who bnced each other in the court and they were needed to make suggestions and give pieces of advice whether it was good or bad for the Emperor. He would be able to make a decision with a clear understanding of the pros and cons. However, if it was only the Emperor¡¯s own decision, it would be dangerous for their kingdom because there was a chance that the Emperor would be blinded by power and use it unwisely.

    The Han Emperor wanted to be a tyrant.

    Was that his sudden decision? Or someone had influenced him?

    Xiao Fang looked at Uncle Qiu and didn¡¯t know how to say the next bit of news. Uncle Qiu saw her hesitation and decided to ask, "Why? Do you have something else to say to me?"

    "Godfather..." Xiao Fang said weakly. Xiao Fang knew that she couldn¡¯t hide her thought away from him...

    Uncle Qiu asked softly, "My name is on the list too, right?"

    Xiao Fang closed her eyes and nodded, "Yes..." She knew that Uncle Qiu would certainly feel disappointed --- not only Uncle Qiu but her father too...

    Uncle Qiuughed in disbelief. "I have secluded myself here for quite some times and he still tries to eradicate me! Such a hypocrite!" It seemed like this kind of Emperor would be dangerous to keep, but he didn¡¯t want to n treason. After all, it would lead to an internal struggle. Besides, this Han Emperor was also quite powerful in his own ways.

    Was it so easy to n treason out of nowhere?

    The answer was no.

    The quartet didn¡¯t know what to say tofort the man and they could only keep their silence. They didn¡¯t know how deep the feelings of Uncle Qiu towards the Han Emperor and they were afraid to say something --- just in case they said something wrong and made him feel more hurt.

    Uncle Qiu sighed and finally said, "Princess Han Xiang indeed did the right thing. She gave out those important lists and with so many people already knew about it, the Han Emperor wouldn¡¯t dare to kill the people on those lists. If he really did that, he would admit his wrongdoing towards Han Xiang too... He wouldn¡¯t dare to smear his own image any more than this."

    The quartet nodded in agreement. The Han Emperor would definitely need to abandon this n or he would make a lot of people revolt. In the end, he wouldn¡¯t get any benefits too.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t notice these points before and she admitted that Han Xiang was actually very smart. Why didn¡¯t she notice this before? Did she n all this at the little time when she was sober from the drugs? If that was true, her heart was aching for her.

    Not only Xiao Fang, but the trio also started to realize this point and they also admired Han Xiang for her sharp mind.

    Xiao Fang decided to ask Uncle Qiu one more thing, "Uncle... do you know my real identity?" This part... Xiao Fang hadn¡¯t told him yet.

    Uncle Qiu was taken aback by her sudden question. "I don¡¯t know... I only know that your father found you by ident." After that, he furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Is there something more?"

    If Xiao Fang said yes, he didn¡¯t know if his heart would be able to take it.

    Xiao Fang saw that Uncle Qiu was tired and she decided not to tell him for now. He had been bombarded by so many truths all at once and it was enough for now.

    From Uncle Qiu¡¯s expression, it seemed like he didn¡¯t know that she was the Ce Fei¡¯s daughter. Did her father not know about this matter too? She started to feel suspicious because his father would never let her go out if she didn¡¯t cover her face with veil.

    Besides, the trio confirmed that she looked a lot like the Ce Fei. She shuddered at the thought the Han Emperor would find out about her identity! What if he was crazy enough to treat her just like her mother --- by making her as her mother¡¯s substitute?

    That would be so disgusting!

    It would be better if Uncle Qiu didn¡¯t know about this matter until the end --- otherwise, she would also implicate him if one day... the Han Emperor found out about her real identity.

    After that, they decided to go in separate ways. Xiao Fang apanied Uncle Qiu and decided to talk happier things about their past. The trio didn¡¯t want to intrude and they decided to go back into their own room.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling didn¡¯t tell Lin Jian about their n at night. They wanted to do this by themselves. When they arrived at their own room, Xiu was already there and he wanted to give them the result of his investigation.

    -----------------------

    [1]. This phrase came from the 20th-century Chinese writer Lu Xun. Here the phrase "written in blood" is metaphorical ¡ª Lu Xun was talking about the killing of student protesters ¡ª but resonates with Chinese history, as China does actually have a tradition of writing in blood.

 Chapter 271 Her Stubborness

    "Have you finished investigating?" Yao Ling asked in surprise. She wondered how could he did it so fast?! Yao Ying just told her that he would order Xiu to investigate about it at noon and after lunch, they already got the result.

    Xiu nodded. "Yes, Young Mistress. They follow the same pattern every day, so it was easy for me to take note of."

    "Every day?" Yao Ling raised one of her eyebrows. Judging from Xiu¡¯s answer, it meant that he had paid attention to their schedule before today.

    Before Xiu could answer, Yao Ying cut him off with a single sentence, "Ling-er, I will exin about it to youter."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to contradict him in front of Xiu, so she quickly agreed to him and didn¡¯t make it difficult for Yao Ying. She just wanted to listen to the report.

    Yao Ying asked Xiu in a serious tone, "What did you find out from the investigation?"

    Xiu exined, "If Young Master wants to go inside that gate, it will be hard..." Xiu honestly told them his finding without sugarcoating anything.

    "Why?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "Because it¡¯s being guarded by several hidden guards which martial arts skills are higher than us," Xiu tried to probe by subtly channeling his inner qi and the other party was quick to find his whereabouts. Fortunately, he was clever enough to use a cat as a diversion.

    This confirmed what Yao Ying had felt back then.

    Yao Ying started to realize that what was guarded inside there was very important. It was his mere curiosity to find out the treasures inside, but he wasn¡¯t an unreasonable person. Yao Ying always calcted the pros and cons before he made a decision, thus, he wouldn¡¯t behave rashly at this time.

    Yao Ling only wanted to see the symbols on the front gate, so it should be easier to obtain. "What about the guards who are guarding the gate?" Yao Ling asked.

    Xiu exined to them the time when the shift was changing and it would ur in a few shichen after this. The guards who were put in front of the gate didn¡¯t really have high martial arts skills. As long as Yao Ying was working fast on copying the symbols, then those guards wouldn¡¯t find out anything amiss. However, they just needed a diversion for the hidden guards.

    "Do the hidden guards always stay close to the gate?" Yao Ling asked.

    Xiu shook his head and answered, "Not really..." From his observation, Xiu found out a few things about the hidden guards. They weren¡¯t always in a specific ce, so it would be hard to track them down --- especially because they could hide their inner qi very well, even better than them.

    They always moved in a group of two or three at one time and even Xiu wondered... what kind of things were hidden in there.

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding and her heart was secretly in relief. At least, they had a chance to get closer. They didn¡¯t need to get inside, so she didn¡¯t really care about the hidden guards.

    Yao Ying made a n and decided to quickly execute it that night. That n excluded Yao Ling froming with Yao Ying and Xiu. However, Yao Ling didn¡¯t agree with them.

    Yao Ling hesitantly asked, "Ying... can I go along?" Yao Ling knew her request seemed a bit unreasonable. After all, she knew no martial arts and they still needed to be wary of the hidden guards. She could hinder them, but something was telling her to go. She wasn¡¯t sure why but the familiarity kept making her feel the goosebumps.

    Yao Ying knew that the symbols were important to her, but if she risked her life for it, was it really worth it? He didn¡¯t think so! Hence, he was the first one who said his objection.

    "Xiu, you go back first. I will call you backter," Yao Ling quickly gave an order to Xiu.

    Xiu was at a loss... He looked at Yao Ying, feeling conflicted whether he should follow the young mistress¡¯ order or not. Yao Ling¡¯s lips slightly twitched and she asked Xiu in a stern voice, "What? So you don¡¯t want to listen to my order now, huh?"

    Xiu didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. He didn¡¯t mean it that way ah~! Maybe the young mistress had gotten her period, so she was easily offended. He just asked confirmation from his young master ah~! No matter what he had to listen to Yao Ying first...

    Yao Ying knew that Yao Ling started to get irritated and he didn¡¯t want to put Xiu in an awkward position, so he could only let Xiu go for now by nodding at Xiu. Thetter felt like he was being pardoned and quickly ran away. He didn¡¯t want to be in the middle of the couple¡¯s fight ah~!

    After Xiu left, Yao Ying asked, "Why?"

    Yao Ling sighed and exined everything, but Yao Ying was still adamant in not letting her go along with them. "Don¡¯t you think that it¡¯s dangerous? I can¡¯t even guarantee my own safety... what more if I have to protect you too?!" Yao Ying exined to her in frustration. This was a basic logic, how could she not understand this?!

    "I know! But I really can¡¯t stand the nagging feeling that I have! There would not be another chance for me to get closer to the gate anymore! It seems like those symbols keep calling me to get closer and... and... touch it!" Yao Ling knew that she seemed unreasonable, but this feeling was also killing her!

    Yao Ying started to realize that it seemed like all this time Yao Ling¡¯s gut feeling wasn¡¯t as simple as it looked like. "Is there a difference between your current feeling with the previous nagging feeling?" Yao Ying asked.

    Yao Ling nodded. "Yes! This time, the feeling is more intense and my heart keeps beating at a fast pace. And... and there¡¯s also a mixture of yearning... I... I don¡¯t know how to exin it..."

    Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a rash person, but this time, she really couldn¡¯t help it. Yao Ying sighed when he looked at his agitated wife. He knew that she was actually a calm person when making a decision, however this time... haiyah~! He couldn¡¯t choose a word to describe it...

    Once she started her stubborn streak, there was no use to persuade her. He was more afraid that she would choose toe out and go there by herself, if he was still adamant to let her stay behind.

    He almost said yes when Yao Ling decided to use her charm. She looked syly and said, "Hubby..."

    "Huh?" Yao Ying felt surprised by her sudden change of behavior.

    "I will give you a benefit if you bring me along..." Yao Ling said in a seductive voice which made Yao Ying gulp. What was this? Did she try to bribe him?

    "What kind of benefit?" Yao Ying asked curiously. This woman was quite shy beforehand, but she turned into a sly fox after tasting the full course ah~...[1].

    Yao Ling whispered a few keywords to Yao Ying and it made thetter lit up. If Yao Ling spoke louder, people would be able to hear that she said ¡¯bathtub¡¯ as one of the keywords.

    She cleverly used her woman charm to seduce the poor man ah~! Well... as long as she achieved her goal! Besides, he was her husband, right?

    ----------------------------------------------

    [1]. The full course referred to how they already did the deed until the climax --- in term of making love.

 Chapter 272 The Final Words

    Yao Ying, who had actually agreed inwardly, didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. What man didn¡¯t like being coaxed seductively just like this? Oh well... he was the one who got the benefits anyway, so why should he refuse it? At least, the woman started to realize that she liked the act of intimacy too.

    "Fine," Yao Ying answered with a conflicted face. He sighed and looked like that he was in difficulty for agreeing with her demand --- he looked like he was being forced to submit by Yao Ling, which made Yao Ling feel kind of bad.

    However, Yao Ling sighed in relief because she finally got what she wanted, not knowing that she was actually being tricked by Yao Ying. If she knew, she would probably vomit blood in anger. She even offered herself, in turn, ah~!

    Yao Ying who was being slyughed inwardly. At least, he got something good from this. After being smug for a little while, his face turned grim once again. He cared about her wellbeing --- more than he wanted to be pleased by her.

    "No matter what! You need to follow my instruction, okay? You are not allowed to move by yourself, how is that sound?" Yao Ying tried to make apromise.

    Yao Ling nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, Hubby!" After that, she quickly hugged Yao Ying in a spoiled manner, "I love you!"

    Yao Ying could only shake his head helplessly. ¡¯This woman... really... ah~!¡¯ He thought to himself.

    After that, they called Xiu back in. Xiuughed inwardly because he knew that sooner orter the young master would lose to the young mistress. This was just like what he had expected --- the young mistress would follow them along that night.

    They came up with a n and waited for a few shichen until it was time for the change of the shift. Yao Ling followed along Yao Ying and Xiu by wearing ck clothes with a mask on. They hid behind the closest bushes and waited for the right time to move.

    Yao Ling whispered softly, "Where are the hidden guards?" She didn¡¯t know how to use inner qi, so she could only ask others.

    Yao Ying motioned for her to stop talking and shook his head --- it meant that they shouldn¡¯t talk at a times like this. Instead, they had to use their bodynguage. Yao Ling was a fast learner and she quickly understood what Yao Ying meant.

    Yao Ying used his inner qi softly anddy luck was on their side, the hidden guards were patrolling around the area but not around the gates. It seemed like that so far... no one dared to break through the front, hence thest ce that they would guard was the front gate.

    Yao Ying already brought a piece of paper, brush, and ink to draw the symbols. They had started to draw all that they could see from afar, so it would lessen their time to draw in front of the gate. Yao Ying was actually good at drawing and it would take him only an incense stick of time to finish everything if he counted the time correctly.

    When the time to change shift arrived, they quickly readied themselves. Once the guards were out of sight, Yao Ying used his qing gong to bring Yao Ling along with him. Yao Ying quickly drew the rest of the symbols, on the other hand, Yao Ling was paying attention to the symbols carefully.

    The closer she got to the symbols, the louder the calling was. The symbols seemed to enchant her and calling her to touch it. Yao Ling was hesitated at first, after all, it was too risky. However, it seemed like she was being hypnotized, because her right hand moved on its own.

    Yao Ying finished drawing and quickly rolled the paper up. Without a second thought, he put it inside his sleeves, then he turned around to look at Yao Ling. He was surprised at what he had seen... Yao Ling¡¯s eyes looked like that it was nk and lifeless --- it looked like that she was in a trance. She tried to touch the gate without any hesitation.

    Yao Ying was afraid that her touch would trigger the hidden guards --- he wouldn¡¯t win the fight with Yao Ling around and it would be bad news for Xiao Fang too! After all, she was the one who brought them here.

    "Yao Ling!" He called her once softly in a hurry, but there was no reaction from her. Her hand continued moving forward.

    "Yao Ling!" He called once again, but still, she was still the same.

    He knew that something was definitely wrong!

    Yao Ying quickly tried to pull her back by holding her waist, however, to his surprise, Yao Ling didn¡¯t budge. ¡¯What the heck happened?¡¯ He thought to himself. Yao Ying had tried several times, but the result was still the same! It was like she was rooted on the spot.

    Yao Ying tried a few times but he still failed. Until finally... she touched the symbols on the gate. At first, Yao Ying sighed in relief when nothing happened to it. However, he was surprised by what happened next!

    The weird symbols suddenly activated and it glowed in the middle of the dimmed light. ¡¯This is bad!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. If this continued, he was pretty sure that they would attract unnecessary attention from the hidden guards.

    He had tried to pull Yao Ling away once again after the symbols started glowing, but it was still the same result! She was still standing there --- feeling entranced... despite the weird glow. However, her nk stare changed and it showed how contented she was. Her face became serene.

    How could these symbols affect her so?!

    Yao Ying sighed and he started to be panicked by the seconds. The longer they stayed there, the more troubles would be brought upon them.

    Suddenly, something more magical happened. The symbols seemed toe alive... The crescent moon with the vines was still there, but the weird symbols started toe out of the gate and it started to form words. It seemed like it was actually a random stroke of Chinese words which were being scrambled and now... it was being arranged in order.

    Yao Ying was surprised, but he didn¡¯t care about it at all. Their safety was the main thing that he cared about. Not only that, Xiu had given them a signal by copying a bird¡¯s chirping, telling them indirectly that the ordinary guards wereing!

    Yao Ling gave a signal back to let Xiu deal with them with Yao Ling¡¯s special sleeping powder. They didn¡¯t want to create amotion from a fight, thus, they already prepared beforehand. Xiu quickly did his job and before the guards managed to let out a yell... they already fainted. Xiu prayed that they could work faster, after all, he didn¡¯t know when the hidden guards would randomly go to the front gate.

    Xiu also saw the glowing symbols and he felt amazed by what had just happened, but he didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on it. It seemed like he could only stand by at the moment and protect the couple if the unavoidable happened until they finished dealing with the symbols.

    Yao Ying knew that Yao Ling seemed not to realize that something happened to her, thus, he paid attention to the movement of the symbols, waiting to see what the final words would be...

 Chapter 273 How Do You Know It Was Me?

    The glowing weird symbols almost formed two words... if Yao Ying wasn¡¯t mistaken. However, before it could finish forming, Xiu gave them another signal with a chirping sound. There was no time left! They couldn¡¯t stay there any longer. Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to hurt Yao Ling, but there was nothing else he could do. He hit the back of Yao Ling¡¯s neck to help her get out of the trance and... make her unconscious.

    Yao Ying felt regretful that they couldn¡¯t see the words formed. Two words, huh? It was fortunate that he paid attention to the details. Later, he would try to recreate what happened just now and guessed what kind of words would appear.

    When Yao Ling lost her consciousness, the bright glow suddenly diminished and everything went back to normal. The surroundings became quiet and the darkness came back just like usual --- only apanied by the dimmed light of twonterns.

    Yao Ying knew that this symbol and whatever things that were kept inside that pce, they were connected to Yao Ling in a certain way. He furrowed his eyebrows, contemting whether this was a good or bad thing for his wife.

    He could only feel certain when Yao Ling had woken upter... His head got a headache when he knew that he had to confess that he was the one who hit her just now. Yao Ying felt afraid of her reaction, but oh well... it was better than being captured by the enemies.

    After she fainted, Yao Ying quickly princess-carried her and ran all the way back to their own room. Xiu gave him a report... not too long after they vanished, the hidden guards came. They seemed to be attracted by the sudden glow of the gate¡¯s symbols.

    "Did they find out anything abnormal?" Yao Ying asked. He was concerned about the fact that they found out about the glow. The glow was quite bright, but he hoped they wouldn¡¯t find out about it.

    Xiu sighed. He told Yao Ying that he wasn¡¯t sure about it himself, he wanted to inquire about that matter, but they seemed to realize his presence and he could only run away --- before they found out about his identity.

    They heard themotion on the outside and Yao Ying understood what it was all about. All of them already changed back to their usual clothing, thus, they weren¡¯t in a hurry. He gave an eye signal to Xiu and let him go back. After that, he looked at Yao Ling and thetter still fainted.

    Yao Ying felt a bit worried because it took quite a long time for her to wake up. He went outside and saw that there were a lot of guards were roaming around out there. He pretended to be innocent and stopped one of the guards, then he asked, "What happened?"

    The guard only looked around before whispering to Yao Ying, "Someone is trying to trespass the forbidden gates." The guard that Yao Ying stopped was a new one and he thought that Yao Ying was a part of Xiao Fang Gu Niang¡¯s entourage, thus, he had beening here for several times before. That was why the guard lowered his guard in front of Yao Ying.

    "Huh? Who dared to do that?" Yao Ying looked at the guard in surprise. His expression was so real that the guard fully believed that he indeed didn¡¯t have any connection or involved with the trespassing matter.

    "That¡¯s why we are trying to search the perimeter," the guard admitted that they hadn¡¯t captured the culprit yet.

    "What kind of people you are trying to search? Can you give me the description?" Yao Ying tried to find some information about it.

    "Why do you ask?" The guard asked, suddenly feeling a bit suspicious.

    Yao Yingughed and tried to appease the seemingly-innocent guard, "I just want to know --- just in case, I see people with a fitting description. Well... I just want to help ah~!"

    The guard nodded and whispered, "Actually... we also don¡¯t know!"

    Yao Ying, "..."

    He really wanted tough out loud, but he could only swallow it inwardly. He really wanted to ask them... how did they n to catch him if they didn¡¯t know anything? Somehow, it made him feel a bit relieved.

    Yao Ying could only helplessly say, "I can¡¯t help you then..."

    The guard nodded vigorously. "I understand how you feel... after all, I also feel the same way ah~! However, I have to do what I have to do." He seemed to be a bit disappointed because he had to keep searching, despite having no clues at all!

    Yao Ying could only pat the guard¡¯s shoulder and said, "I will help you look out for suspicious people. If I find one, I will let you know, okay?"

    The guard nodded and said, "Then this one will thank Gong Zi beforehand."

    When the guard moved away and continued searching, Yao Ying slightly curled up his lips. He turned around, wanting to go back inside his room and see how Yao Ling¡¯s condition was. However, he didn¡¯t realize that someone was behind him.

    Yao Ying jumped up in surprise when he saw Lin Jian standing there without making any sound. "What are you doing by standing there so stealthily?!" Yao Ying hissed at Lin Jian. Thetter could onlyugh mockingly at him.

    "I need to talk to you," Lin Jian said seriously.

    Yao Ying was in a dilemma... He was worried about Yao Ling¡¯s condition and he needed to go back into their room. Should he bring Lin Jian to his room? They could sit and chat at the front room --- it wouldn¡¯t affect Yao Ling¡¯ reputation. He remembered that they were in the Han Kingdom that had more freedom than their kingdom. After he finally reached a decision, he invited Lin Jian to go to his room.

    "What do you want to talk about?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    Lin Jian asked without beating around the bush, "Was it you?"

    "Huh?" Yao Ying asked in confusion. He got the gist of what the question was all about, however, he still pretended to be dumb.

    Lin Jian gritted his teeth because he knew that Yao Ying was hiding something from him. Was he really thinking of him as his best friend? They had been through several troubles together and yet, he dared to keep mum about such an important matter and keep it from him?

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ying asked.

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t bother to answer his pretentious question. He directly asked him, "Do you think of me as your friend? If yes, please don¡¯t lie to me!"

    Yao Ying sighed. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe in Lin Jian, however... this secret belonged to Yao Ling. If thetter didn¡¯t n to tell the other, then he would also zip his mouth.

    Yao Ying sighed. "Yes!"

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me?" Lin Jian asked. "I could help you and not only that, if you didn¡¯t allow me to help you, at least... I wouldn¡¯t be surprised when such amotion happened!"

    "It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t want to tell you, but it¡¯s not about me. So... it¡¯s not my secret," Yao Ying exined.

    "Then... who...?" Before Yao Ying could answer, a sudden realization hit Lin Jian. He mumbled, "Oh..." The only person that could make Yao Ying protect her until the end was only Yao Ling ah~!

    "You... really... really couldn¡¯t tell me?" Lin Jian asked.

    "If she makes a decision to tell youter, then I will be the first to tell you about it, okay?" Yao Ying tried to cheer him up. In fact, he felt a bit touched by Lin Jian¡¯s care.

    Yao Ying asked in confusion after a little while, "How do you know that it was me?"

 Chapter 274 Are You Dreaming?

    Lin Jian rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I saw the expression from your eyes that day... when you are looking at the forbidden pce..." Lin Jian squinted his eyes at Yao Ying whileughing sarcastically.

    "What happened to my eyes?!" Yao Ying asked, feeling dumbfounded. He didn¡¯t even realize that he had betrayed his thought from his eyes ah~!

    "Gah! Stop pretending to be innocent! You have the same expression on your eyes just like me... That was why I knew back then that we had the same thought." Lin Jian gritted his teeth while looking at the pretentious Yao Ying. He knew that thetter was trying to hold back his smirk.

    "I don¡¯t understand!" Yao Ying still insisted that he was the innocent one.

    Lin Jian couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and he pointed at him while frowning, "It was a mixture between greed and curiosity!" They were both the same type of people, thus, he understood Yao Ying best. Both of themid their eyes on the so-called treasures inside that forbidden ce.

    Yao Yingughed a crispyugh. "Yes... You got it right!" He didn¡¯t try to deny it anymore. After all, the closer he was to Lin Jian, the better they knew how each other thought.

    Lin Jian just rolled his eyes in annoyance once again. "So... this really didn¡¯t have anything to do with the treasures?"

    Yao Ying answered, "Really... I won¡¯t lie to you about something important like this." In his mind, he added, ¡¯I just didn¡¯t tell you about it! It¡¯s different, right?¡¯

    Lin Jian knew that there was no point in forcing Yao Ying anymore. At least, no one knew that this had something to with Yao Ying and Yao Ling. However, even though they didn¡¯t know who that person was, they had a few ways to confirm that matter.

    They didn¡¯t know that what Yao Ling had done... actually had serious consequences. They unknowingly had attracted two powerful forces... One of them was the Han Emperor who had been waiting for someone toe and wake the symbols up --- it meant the person that they had been searching for all this time hade.

    Even though the hidden guards didn¡¯t see the glow, but two people were able to feel it... One was the Han Emperor¡¯s underling and the other one was a hidden force.

    When the symbols started glowing, someone suddenly awoke from the slumber. "She has finallye..." The person said worriedly. This person had hoped that no one would be able to wake the symbols up but it seemed like fate didn¡¯t agree with her... She needed to hide this person¡¯s existence from the Han Emperor as soon as possible. She needed to trace that person whereabouts and exin everything before it was toote.

    On the other hand, someone smirked and said happily, "Hahaha... That person has finallye out! I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time!" The man frowned to himself, thinking whether he should tell the Han Emperor about this progress or not. He wasn¡¯t really the Han Emperor¡¯s underlings... they only had an agreement. That was all...

    He had heard about the princess Han Xiang who had left a blood letter containing about the stupid Emperor¡¯s deeds! He was so annoyed at that useless person. It seemed like he didn¡¯t really need this chess piece anymore. Thus, he decided not to tell the Han Emperor about this new person¡¯s movement.

    Besides, he needed to find out the woman¡¯s whereabouts first and confirm that he got the right person. After done exploiting her, then he would kill her! So, what was the use of telling the Han Emperor for now?

    No use!

    Both people quickly worked secretly to find out Yao Ling¡¯s whereabouts by sending out their own forces --- one was trying to protect her and one was trying to kill her. If Yao Ying knew about this, he would certainly regret bringing Yao Ling along with him...

    After Lin Jian came out of their room, Yao Ying waited for Yao Ling patiently for her to wake up. However, she still didn¡¯t wake up. He furrowed his eyebrows, after all, he didn¡¯t hit her that hard... so how could she still not wake up yet until now?

    At this point, he became worried.

    Was there something to do with the previous glow? However, he didn¡¯t know who to look for --- after all, they were doing it in secret!

    One night... he would wait for one night... if she was still not waking up at that moment, he would search for help secretly. The one who was good at medicine was only Yao Ling in their group and he realized how important her skills were. He needed to consider this point... he should search one person with medical skills to apany them after this, just in case something happened to Yao Ling. At least, that person would be able to identify his wife¡¯s conditions.

    Not like this... he was feeling helpless!

    That night... Yao Ying didn¡¯t sleep at all! He could only look at Yao Ling¡¯s sleeping face carefully all the time. She looked so serene, but... she didn¡¯t move for one bit. Several times, Yao Ying tried to feel her breath and once he felt that she was still breathing, he sighed in relief.

    Only two more shichen... if she hadn¡¯t woken up in two more shichen, he would find Lin Jian and Xiao Fang --- then, he would need to tell them everything. Yao Ling shouldn¡¯t me him about it, after all, they had be best friends and he needed their help. He couldn¡¯t just lead them by the nose without telling them the truth --- Lin Jian would certainly kill him if that happened!

    Two shichen came in the blink of an eye and Yao Ling still hadn¡¯t woken up yet. Yao Ying started to be more and more worried. He told Xiao Yu and Xiu to call Xiao Fang and Lin Jian as soon as possible --- of course, secretly. He didn¡¯t want people to connectst night¡¯s event with Yao Ling¡¯s sudden unconsciousness. Xiu and Xiao Yu understood this point really well and called Xiao Fang and Lin Jian carefully.

    Both of them quickly came when they heard that something happened to Yao Ling. Lin Jian was better at masking his face despite feeling worried, on the other hand, Xiao Fang kept biting her lower lips and furrowing her eyebrows. She let her feelings show on her expressions.

    They arrived inside Yao Ling¡¯s room at the same time, Xiao Fang asked, "Yao Ying... what happened to Yao Ling?"

    Yao Ying sighed and quickly told them what had transpiredst night. Both of their jaws dropped in awe. Xiao Yu had the same expression when she was told about it by Xiu the first time, but now... she could ept it calmly.

    Xiao Fang asked softly, "How... How did that happen? Was that some kind of magic?"

    "Glowing?!" Lin Jian looked at Yao Ying like he was a lunatic. After that, he touched his forehead and asked once more, "Are you dreaming? Or... are you crazy?"

    Yao Ying swatted his hand away in annoyance. "What are you doing? Do you think I dare to make up something like that or joking about Yao Ling¡¯s life?!"

 Chapter 275 He Should Know Something About I

    Lin Jian knew that Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t dare to do something like that. But... a glowing symbol? How could he believe in such a farfetched thing?! "Can you swear about it?" He still asked in disbelief, making Yao Ying rolled his eyes in amusement. He wouldn¡¯t believe it too if he didn¡¯t see it with his own eyes ah~!

    "I swear. If I lie, I will be struck by lightning!" Yao Ying swore seriously. He didn¡¯t lie so he didn¡¯t feel afraid to swear for real.

    With this, Lin Jian could only believe him. Chinese people took their oath seriously and wouldn¡¯t lie just to risk their lives.

    "Now... she¡¯s not waking up..." Yao Ying finally told him the thing that he was worried about. "I don¡¯t think this happens because I hit the back of her head, after all, I only did it lightly. She was supposed to wake up a long time ago... I have a gut feeling that it has something to do with the glowing symbols... I don¡¯t know who to turn to for this matter to be cleared up..."

    Yao Ying was also afraid that this happened because he stopped the forming words to be able to fully finished assembling itself ah~!

    Yao Ying admitted the reason he called them was that he needed their help. Lin Jian quickly turned to Xiao Fang, because this matter was rted to the Han people so maybe she would know something. "Do you know something about that forbidden ce?"

    Xiao Fang shook her head helplessly. "Since I was a little girl, it has been imnted in my mind that it¡¯s a forbidden ce. Thus, I never really inquire about that matter. It¡¯s not connected to me anyway, hence I never pay special attention to it. Besides, Uncle Qiu always tells me not to inquire about that matter."

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian sighed. They were also at a loss at what to do. Yao Ying suddenly had an idea and he quickly asked Xiao Fang, "Do you have any idea whether Uncle Qiu would know something about this or not?"

    Because of Xiao Fang¡¯sst words, Yao Ying was pretty sure that Uncle Qiu should know something about it!

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up prettily. "I don¡¯t know about that! However, I can try to inquire about it to Uncle Qiu." She knew that Uncle Qiu used to hold an important position in the court, so... he should know something about this matter, right?

    Yao Ying was feeling a bit worried whether Uncle Qiu could be trusted or not, after all, this matter was quite important for Yao Ling. Because it was connected to the treasures inside that ce, he knew that there was a possibility it would be a danger to Yao Ling, if this matter was known by the wrong person. He felt a bit worried about asking to an involved person regarding this glowing symbols.

    However, they had no other choice. Uncle Qiu was the only person that they could be trusted at this point. Who else that they could turn to except for him?

    Yao Ying gave a little warning to Xiao Fang, "Can you only inquire a little bit what inside that forbidden ce is first? Don¡¯t mention anything about Yao Ling... or what happened to her. Can you do that?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t try beat around the bush which made Xiao Fang quite taken aback.

    Xiao Fang nodded hesitantly. "Yes, I can. But why? Shouldn¡¯t I ask him as clearly as possible to know how to wake Yao Ling up?"

    Lin Jian understood what Yao Ying meant, thus, he agreed with his thoughts. "Xiao Fang, I agree with Yao Ying. It¡¯s not because we can¡¯t trust Uncle Qiu, but walls have ears. You certainly have to find Uncle Qiu around Bao Bei¡¯s cage, right? I¡¯m afraid that random people would identally hear your conversations. Not only that, you see how many people are searching for Yao Ling, right? They must have paid a closer look to other people¡¯s movement..."

    Lin Jian could only give this reason to appease Xiao Fang. They might not trust Uncle Qiu, but he was Xiao Fang¡¯s Godfather and Xiao Fang must have trusted him a lot. They couldn¡¯t hurt her feelings by saying it to her face ah~! That stupid Yao Ying! Lin Jian grumbled to himself.

    Xiao Fang was able to ept this reasoning and she nodded in agreement. She knew that she couldn¡¯t talk aboutst night¡¯s matter --- even to Uncle Qiu at the moment.

    "I will go now..." Xiao Fang quickly made a decision and directly tried to find Uncle Qiu.

    Xiao Fang found him near Bao Bei¡¯s cage --- just like what Lin Jian had predicted before. Thus, she knew that Lin Jian was correct. "Godfather, are you busy?" Xiao Fang asked with a wide smile.

    "Ah, Xiao Fang... not really... Is there something that you want to ask?" Uncle Qiu asked her directly. Judging from Xiao Fang¡¯s curious look, she must have something to talk about.

    "Godfather... how do you know?!" Xiao Fang asked in surprise.

    Uncle Qiu rolled his eyes. "You are my goddaughter. I watch you grow up from small until now ah~ How could I not understand your expression?"

    "Ah... that¡¯s also true," Xiao Fangughed in embarrassment.

    "So... what is it about?" Uncle Qiu asked.

    "Godfather ah~ what is actually inside that ce?" Xiao Fang pointed at the forbidden ce. "You have been here for a long time, so you should know something about it, right?"

    Uncle Qiu furrowed his eyebrows. "You have never asked this question before. What¡¯s with the sudden question?"

    Xiao Fang admitted truthfully. "I be curious because ofst night¡¯smotion ah~... Suddenly, there were a lot of guards anywhere..."

    "You asked them about it?" Uncle Qiu asked. He didn¡¯t want Xiao Fang to be involved in this matter, but it seemed like it was toote. He had tried to prevent the guards froming to Xiao Fang¡¯s courtyard, so howe she knew about this?

    Uncle Qiu didn¡¯t calcte wrongly. Xiao Fang actually didn¡¯t know anything about it because she didn¡¯t hear anymotionst night. She only knew about this matter from Lin Jian just now.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Yes, my friend identally met those guards and he asked about that matter. I be curious... that¡¯s why I asked you about it..." She exined briefly. It would be better if she answered him honestly because it would be easy for him to inquire about what she had just said.

    Uncle Qiu sighed. He almost forgot about her new friends. Even though he had prevented the guards from letting them know, if they went out of their room on their own... there would be no way to suppress the news. After all, the whole guards were mobilizedst night.

    Uncle Qiu nodded his head. He knew about the treasures inside that forbidden ce and this matter was only known to a few people that the Han Emperor had trusted. Should he tell Xiao Fang about it?

    It wasn¡¯t a good thing to know about the thing inside. A lot of people had been killed by the Han Emperor because they identally knew about the secret. Because he stayed here, the Han Emperor also gave him a side job --- to pay attention to the forbidden ce.

 Chapter 276 The Bai Yue

    "Xiao Fang ah~ It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you... But... it contains the secret of our kingdom. I can¡¯t divulge it easily!" Uncle Qiu admitted. He finally decided to add, "Besides... it would be a danger to everyone who knows about this matter!"

    Uncle Qiu was more worried about Xiao Fang¡¯s wellbeing if she knew about this secret matter.

    Xiao Fang gulped when she heard that, however, they didn¡¯t have any other choice. Even though she was scared, they needed to find out about it so they understood what happened to Yao Ling. She gritted her teeth, trying to calm herself down. She knew that Yao Ling needed her.

    "Godfather... you can trust me!" Xiao Fang said heartily. She was trying to look as innocent as possible, so her godfather wouldn¡¯t feel suspicious that she had another hidden motive.

    Uncle Qiu flicked her forehead softly, "You ah~! You are always so mischievous like this! It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t trust you..." He really felt helpless when he faced Xiao Fang... He had always been strict at his own son, but he had a different attitude towards Xiao Fang --- he spoiled her rotten.

    "Godfather..." Xiao Fang could onlyugh at that because it was the truth. She had always been mischievous since she was only a little girl.

    "Come with me!" Uncle Qiu ordered in a small voice. He knew that it wasn¡¯t safe to talk there, after all, their ce was near the forbidden ce itself. Not only that, the guards were scattering everywhere.

    While walking to Uncle Qiu¡¯s courtyard, Xiao Fang asked curiously, "I¡¯m curious about the things inside because it seems like the guards haven¡¯t captured the culprit yet."

    Uncle Qiu knew that it was impossible to hide this from Xiao Fang at this point. He could guess that if he didn¡¯t tell her anything, she would try to find it out by herself. However, her position at the moment was different from before. The Han Emperor hadid his eyes on Xiao Fang¡¯s family and he was afraid that this matter could be the catalyst of their doom.

    He knew that the Han Emperor would use this reason to eradicate Xiao Fang¡¯s family. Thus, it was better to give her a little hint so she could let this thing go.

    When they arrived at Uncle Qiu¡¯s courtyard, Uncle Qiu told his subordinate to prepare tea and snacks for them --- their talk would take quite some times.

    "If I tell you something, you are not allowed to be more curious and try to find it out by yourself, okay?" Uncle Qiu gave her a warning first.

    Xiao Fang nodded, "Yes, Godfather."

    "Promise me!" Uncle Qiu said seriously, after all, this wasn¡¯t a joking matter.

    Xiao Fang nodded hesitantly, but in the end, she really made a promise. Otherwise, she knew with her godfather¡¯s stubborn nature, he wouldn¡¯t tell her a thing without it. "I promise, Godfather..." However, in her heart, she knew that the ones who would investigate this matter further weren¡¯t her --- but Yao Ying and Lin Jian, so it didn¡¯t count as a lie, right?

    Xiao Fang pouted and asked, "Godfather... I already made a promise, so you should at least tell me something, right?"

    Uncle Qiu really got a headache because of Xiao Fang, however, he still indulged her and told her something about the forbidden ce. "Have you ever heard about the term, Bai Yue?"

    "Hmmm...?" Xiao Fang blinked a few times in confusion because she had never heard about it. Thus, she shook her head and answered honestly, "No. Why?"

    "Let me exin it to you then, "The Bai Yue, Hundred Yue were various indigenous non-Chinese peoples who inhabited our kingdom."

    Xiao Fang looked up in surprise. "Do they have something to do with Bao Bei?"

    Uncle Qiu nodded, "Yes. In truth, not everyone in the ships was killed that day."

    Xiao Fang gasped in surprise and then, she cautiously asked, "Was that matter has something to do with you, Godfather?"

    Uncle Qiuughed. "Indeed. The Han Emperor found out about it too, that might be the reason why I am on the list. In a way, I indeed had betrayed the Emperor¡¯s trust beforehand." Afterughing bitterly, he sighed. "However, I never regret my decision for doing that. After all, they are human too and their lives are as precious as ours."

    Xiao Fang nodded in understanding. What Uncle Qiu said made her admire him more and more. This was also the reason Uncle Qiu got along well with her father --- they had the same visions and kind hearts.

    "Are the Bai Yue people living inside the forbidden ce?" Xiao Fang asked curiously.

    Uncle Qiu shook his head. "No... I already sent a lot of them away. The ship was quite big and it could contain a lot of people. The Yue tribe gradually assimted themselves to our people back then."

    "Then, what¡¯s the connection between this forbidden ce with the Bai Yue ah~?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion.

    "There is only one of those Bai Yue people who lives in that ce," Uncle Qiu finally exined.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. She never thought that she would be able to guess it right. "But why should the Han Emperor make that person lives in secrecy here? He even guards this person tightly like this?"

    Uncle Qiu sighed and told her slowly about the things that had happened in the past. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to save those many people all by himself. The Bai Yue people also needed to have something that they could bargain for... After all, the Han Emperor wouldn¡¯t need a bunch of useless people.

    One of them had a special power and it was said that she could foresee the future --- a irvoyant. She went along with the journey because she already had a feeling that there would be brewing troubles in thisnd. Her gut feeling proved her right.

    "Godfather... is it some kind of magic?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion. She really didn¡¯t know what to believe... she had just heard about the glowing symbols and in her mind, it was already weird enough. Now... there was a irvoyant. If this wasn¡¯t magic... then what it was called?

    "Not really... We also have people that could predict the future --- however, this person could predict more urately and with more details... It¡¯s just that she has never revealed this part to the Emperor, she only tells him something that he wants to hear and won¡¯t hurt a lot of people," Uncle Qiu exined. She did it several times which finally made the Han Emperor believed in their skills.

    The woman only told this part to Uncle Qiu and thetter knew that the Han Emperor was quite greedy... thus, he never revealed this part to him either.

    Xiao Fang was in awe when she heard that. A irvoyant?! Then, what was the connection between the woman and Yao Ling? No wonder she was being guarded heavily. Being able to predict the future, she could be said as their national treasure. She wasn¡¯t a part of their kingdom and that was why the Han Emperor couldn¡¯t fully trust her...

    In a way, she had be an eternal prisoner of their kingdom.

    Xiao Fang started to dread what would happen to Yao Ling if she had a connection with this person. Xiao Fang asked curiously, "Godfather, how old the woman inside is? What¡¯s her name?"

 Chapter 277 Aunt Yue

    Uncle Qiu sighed, knowing that she wouldn¡¯t stop asking until he told her all about it. "She¡¯s almost a hundred years old. Back then, she had already old enough but insisted on following the other Bei Yue people to find a newnd --- just to protect them. She only wants to be called Aunt Yue. I don¡¯t know her real name too!"

    Such a person tended to have a weird temperament, how could she tell her enemies her real name?

    Xiao Fang looked up in surprise. "Almost a hundred years old?! It¡¯s so rare for people to be able to live that long ah~!"

    Uncle Qiu nodded. "Indeed..."

    Xiao Fang wanted to know the rtionship of Aunt Yue with the glowing symbols, however, she didn¡¯t know how to ask the questions. After all, she had been warned by Yao Ying and Lin Jian not to ask directly and say anything about Yao Ling¡¯s condition. Her godfather had denied that those things were rted to any kind of magic.

    It seemed like he also didn¡¯t know about the glowing symbols. So... how should she ask for an information about it? If they wanted to fish out more information about it from Aunt Yue... it was impossible too. After all, she was guarded heavily inside the forbidden ce.

    After having an intruder, she was pretty sure that they would increase the defense of that forbidden ce. She realized that the old woman was an important person for the Han Emperor and he wouldn¡¯t let her go. Xiao Fang was at a loss...

    Truth to be told, this was the first time she tried to fish up information from other people and it wasn¡¯t as easy as it looked like ah~! It seemed like she didn¡¯t have what it took to be a spy... Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know how to continue the conversation with Uncle Qiu.

    Uncle Qiu calmly looked at her while drinking tea. It seemed like there were a lot of things in his goddaughter¡¯s mind. Was she in shock because of the news? He believed so... After all, this little girl was quite innocent and simple-minded.

    "Godfather, what usually happened when Aunt Yue got a prediction about the future?" Xiao Fang suddenly asked. She was curious and she hoped that Aunt Yue would have something weird happened when she got an insight --- maybe... a glowing something? She looked at Uncle Qiu, feeling full of expectation.

    "What do you mean?" Uncle Qiu didn¡¯t really understand what she meant.

    Xiao Fang pretended to look excitedly at him and said, "Han Yi used to tell me a story that happened in the market when I was a little girl. There was always something magical with a popr fortune-teller on the street..."

    "For example?" Uncle Qiu became curious as well.

    "A magical thing happened such as having a mystical ball..." Xiao Fang said. She was just talking nonsense actually and she made up the story on the spot. She started to think that she was getting better at lying and she shuddered at the thought. Besides, she also felt guilty ah~!

    Uncle Qiu didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. He didn¡¯t know what kind of things ran inside her mind ah~? He looked at Xiao Fang, feeling doubtful.

    "Really?" Uncle Qiu furrowed his eyebrows. He seemed never heard about this kind of thing before, but he trusted Xiao Fang. Girls usually liked a fortune teller to predict their future, so maybe what she said was true.

    Xiao Fang nodded her head vigorously with a wide grin, "Really!"

    Uncle Qiu tried to remember something, but he shook his head. "Nothing weird had happened back then... I¡¯m not really sure though. I only saw she did it once, after that... I never involved myself with Aunt Yue. The Han Emperor doesn¡¯t trust me enough to put me in charge of Aunt Yue because he¡¯s afraid that I will help her run away. However, once in a while, I¡¯m allowed to meet her..."

    "Eh? Howe?" Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. There was a chance that she could meet with Aunt Yue! That woman literally became her idol now!

    "This is a special request by Aunt Yue," Uncle Qiu admitted. Otherwise, with the Han Emperor¡¯s distrust, how could that possibly happen? Especially now... he understood that he had be a thorn in the Han Emperor¡¯s eyes and he was no longer an important official in his eyes --- just like how he used to be. However, he didn¡¯t regret it for one bit.

    Serving such a despicable man was also against his conscience. He realized that he had made the right choice back then.

    "What do you always do when you meet with Aunt Yue?"

    Uncle Qiu answered, "Nothing really. I just sit down and chat with her. After all, being imprisoned... she always lives a lonely life. The only person she knows in this kingdom is me, so naturally, she chose me to apany her once in a while back then. If the Han Emperor didn¡¯t permit her request, then she wouldn¡¯t tell him anything about what she saw in her insight..."

    Xiao Fang nodded in understanding. "You helped her and her people, thus, she is thankful to you. Not only that, Godfather... If she wasn¡¯t impressed by you back then, she wouldn¡¯t ask for this request."

    Listening to such sweet words, it made Uncle Qiu feel quite happy. Who didn¡¯t like being praised? His expression became slightly better. It was true... this happened because he was the one who fought for the Bai Yue people back then. Well... not only him, but also Xiao Fang¡¯s father. Maybe the seed of the doubts had been nted in the Han Emperor¡¯s mind because of this matter ah~!

    "How many times do you visit her in a month?" Xiao Fang asked curiously.

    "Why do you ask so many questions ah~?" Unce Qiu asked her back.

    Xiao Fangughed. "You caught me! I want to go along with you when you meet with her, Godfather!"

    Uncle Qiu shook his head helplessly. "Xiao Fang ah~! I already told you that it¡¯s better if you aren¡¯t involved in this matter. I usually meet her once a week, but I don¡¯t think I can bring you in."

    "But why?" Xiao Fang whined.

    "Because it¡¯s our nation¡¯s secret... It¡¯s dangerous for you to be involved in it." Uncle Qiu was quite adamant with his belief --- he didn¡¯t want Xiao Fang to know more. He indeed covered up a few things just to make her give up. He knew that there was something special happened when the old woman got her insight, however, he wasn¡¯t going to tell Xiao Fang that. Or else, she would be more curious.

    Uncle Qiu failed to realize that this matter was really important to Xiao Fang. If he just told her about it, she wouldn¡¯t create problems for him in the near future!

    Just look at this! Even without knowing those intriguing things, she was still curious and wanted to follow him. What more if she knew about it?

    "Uncle Qiu, were you always going there all alone?" Xiao Fang asked with a mischievous smile.

    "Not really. Once in a while, I brought someone else with me. However, those people are always my chosen subordinates... I know that she wouldn¡¯t have entertainment in there, so once in a while, I would prepare gifts for her and I needed people to help me bringing those gifts..." Uncle Qiu exined.

    "Then, it¡¯s great!" Xiao Fang said excitedly.

    Uncle Qiu suddenly had a really bad premonition when he looked at her excited expression. He somehow knew what she would say next.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t disappoint him, she really talked about the dreaded request, "Then, can I go along with you?"

    "I already said no!" Uncle Qiu answered sternly.

    "But... I can pretend to be your maidservant ah~, Godfather! It should be fine, right?" Xiao Fang asked pleadingly.

    "No... it¡¯s too dangerous..."

    "Godfather, please..." Xiao Fang kept begging him.

    Uncle Qiu answered exasperatedly, "You are quite popr around here. You stay here a few times and each of the guards already knows how you look like. So, it¡¯s not a good idea!"

    "I have an idea, Godfather! No one will find out that it¡¯s me!"

    "What idea?" Uncle Qiu looked at her suspiciously.

 Chapter 278 Beggars Couldnst Be Choosers

    "I can disguise myself!" Xiao Fang answered with a smug face.

    Uncle Qiu, "..."

    What was the difference between her new idea and her previous one? Wasn¡¯t those two things the same? Both of the ideas were about how she would disguise herself as a maidservant or servant, right? Uncle Qiu was quite surprised by her naivety. He was pretty sure if she was the one who came along with him --- she would be found out in a sh. After all, her disguise skill was also quitecking.

    He had to admit that his best friend really spoiled this daughter of his and she was good at four arts skills, but not for other things. However, judging from Xiao Fang¡¯s family condition, she needed to be trained and toughened up a little bit. What if something happened to him and her father?

    Should he agree with her request? Uncle Qiu had never felt so conflicted in his life ah~!

    "Let me think about it for a day!" Uncle Qiu finally relented. "I will let you knowter, okay?"

    Xiao Fang nodded happily. At least, she got him to think about it and she was pretty sure that she would get a positive answer.

    Uncle Qiu suddenly remembered something, "Where is your friend, Yao Ling?"

    Xiao Fang looked up in surprise by the sudden question, "Why are you asking about her?"

    Uncle Qiu furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and asked her back, "Didn¡¯t she want to y with Bao Bei? I already told her that I will bring Bao Bei out for a ride today, so why didn¡¯t shee along with you? I almost forgot about it!"

    Xiao Fang almost forgot about this too! She heard about their conversation yesterday, thus, she answered, "I¡¯m not sure about that. Let me check on her! What time will you take Bao Bei out for a ride?"

    Uncle Qiu answered, "Around Shen Shi [modern timing: 3 pm- 5 pm], so the weather won¡¯t be too hot."

    Xiao Fang nodded in understanding. After that, Xiao Fang decided to go back to Yao Ling¡¯s room and asked them what kind of excuse she should use to avoid Uncle Qiu¡¯s suspicion. She just hoped that Uncle Qiu would buy her reasoning.

    Once she went back to Yao Ling¡¯s room, Lin Jian and Yao Ying were still waiting for her there. They nodded in agreement when they heard that Xiao Fang wanted to meet along Aunt Yue because it seemed like she was the only one who knew what was going on --- probably she also understood what made Yao Ling faint until now.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t forget about the Crescent Moon birthmark on the back on Yao Ling¡¯s neck. He started to connect the dots, even though he didn¡¯t really sure about his guesses. Was she one of those Bai Yue people? He felt a headacheing because of this confusing matter.

    Yao Ying asked Lin Jian, "Is it wise to tell Uncle Qiu that Yao Ling is sick?"

    Lin Jian sighed while looking at Xiao Fang. "We can trust Uncle Qiu, but what about the others? If someone knows something about the glowing symbols, won¡¯t they also know the effect for the person who triggered the glowing symbols?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "This is what I¡¯m afraid of. Yao Ling was very healthy yesterday. If she gets sick around this time, there is a possibility that the involved people will start to be suspicious of her. I¡¯m afraid... it will be hard to cover up this matter!"

    "If she doesn¡¯t appear at the designated time, Uncle Qiu will feel suspicious as well. After all, Yao Ling was the one who begged him to bring her along," Xiao Fang said.

    Yao Ying got an idea, "You don¡¯t need to tell him that she¡¯s sick!"

    Xiao Fang asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

    Yao Ying smiled, "Just tell him that she¡¯s suddenly feeling unwell. When she smells a certain smell, she feels like vomiting. I¡¯m pretty sure that Uncle Qiu will be able to guess what it is all about."

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang understood what he meant --- this was the only exnation that was safe! Sure enough, when Uncle Qiu heard what Xiao Fang said, heughed heartily. "It seems like there will be a piece of good news soon!" Uncle Qiu said cheerily.

    Xiao Fang tilted her head to the side, "Why?" She pretended to be oblivious.

    Uncle Qiu shook his head. "Nothing! I merely guess but I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s true or not. It should be better if they are the ones who tell youter..."

    This reasoning indeed made no one be suspicious of Yao Ling¡¯s sudden disappearance. Thetter was currently sleeping soundly without any symptoms that she would wake up anytime soon.

    Yao Ying stayed vignce by her side, waiting that some kinds of miracles would happen soon. He didn¡¯t know what he would do if she didn¡¯t wake up forever... Yao Ying was afraid of losing her. They just professed their love from each other and yet, something like this happened. How could he not feel that his heart was broken?

    He caressed her face slowly and said, "Ling-er ah~! When will you wake up? You won¡¯t leave me all alone, right?"

    Yao Ying hoped that there would be a sign. Any sign! A flutter of her eyshes... a tear... a twitch of her finger... anything! However, there was nothing. She was stillying on the bed quietly.

    Yao Ying could only sigh helplessly... What should he do to make her wake up? He had tried several ways --- wiping her face with a cold towel, trying to tickle her, and he even tried a few stupid ways! And... nothing worked!

    His only hope was that Aunt Yue... If thetter didn¡¯t know anything or didn¡¯t want to tell them anything, then there was nothing else that they could do ah~!

    Looking at Yao Ying¡¯s haggard face, Lin Jian and Xiao Fang pitied him. However, they could only wait for Uncle Qiu¡¯s decision. Xiao Fang didn¡¯t dare to force him to let herself follow him, because she knew how stubborn Uncle Qiu was.

    At the evening, Uncle Qiu sent one of his subordinates to call Xiao Fang over. Because of Yao Ling¡¯s predicament, he also postponed Bao Bei¡¯s free time. He made a special arrangement to take Bao Bei out for the day because Yao Ling had asked him. However, because Yao Ling couldn¡¯te, he decided to follow Bao Bei¡¯s usual schedule. Who knew that Yao Ling would already feel better at that time?

    Xiao Fang asked him directly when she finally met Uncle Qiu, "How is it, Godfather?"

    Uncle Qiu looked at her excited face and smiled, "I will bring you along tomorrow, but you are not allowed to talk at all! Is that okay?"

    Xiao Fang pouted when she heard Uncle Qiu¡¯s requirement, however, beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers. She agreed outwardly but feeling indignant inwardly. She would definitely need to ask several questions to Aunt Yue.

    "I will let my people prepare your disguise. I will send her to your courtyard in the morning and you should be careful. Don¡¯t let anyone find out that you are gone around the time when I visit Aunt Yue. Can you do that?" Uncle Qiu asked.

    Uncle Qiu gave a warning for Xiao Fang, so she could manage her people to cover up her disappearance too! Xiao Fang nodded in understanding, "I can!"

    Uncle Qiu nodded in relief. He decided to bring her along after long deliberation.

    They just need to prepare themselves for the next day!

 Chapter 279 The Forbidden Place

    True enough, a woman came to Xiao Fang¡¯s courtyard early in the morning and she was the one who was in charge of Xiao Fang¡¯s disguise. A forty years old woman named Auntie Mao.

    Xiao Fang only let Han Yi and Han Er inside her room, she let the others do other works. She only needed her trustest people around.

    Uncle Qiu decided not to turn her into a servant but stayed as a woman by bing a maidservant. However, Auntie Mao added a hideous scar on arge part of Xiao Fang¡¯s smooth face, making no one would recognize Xiao Fang¡¯s real face. Not only that, the scar was scary enough to make people unintentionally trying to evade looking at her face directly.

    Xiao Fang was quite satisfied with Auntie Mao¡¯s works. Another subordinate of Uncle Qiu exined that there was indeed a maidservant that had the same hideous scar as her and she was shunned by the others, thus, she rarely appeared outside. Uncle Qiu already arranged that maidservant to be hidden, so she wouldn¡¯t suddenly appear and ruin their n to infiltrate the forbidden ce.

    After that, she went to Uncle Qiu¡¯s ce. Uncle Qiu almost couldn¡¯t recognize his own goddaughter and it proved that Ah Mao hadn¡¯t lost her skills despite being stranded in this ce along with him.

    "Master... with a scar as big as mine, won¡¯t it scare that person?" Xiao Fang asked. She had started to get into the role and that person referred to Aunt Yue. She didn¡¯t know what she should call Aunt Yue, thus, she could only call her that person for now.

    "She¡¯s not a small-minded person, so it should be fine," Uncle Qiu answered leisurely. "You can call her ¡¯The Sacred One¡¯. This is how the Emperor wants her to be called by us --- just to show Aunt Yue that he respects her talents." Uncle Qiu said thest part in a sarcastic way because he could see how hypocrite the Emperor was.

    "This maidservant... did she ever go along with you?" Xiao Fang asked curiously.If the answer was yes, she needed to know how this maidservant was usually behaving. Fortunately, Uncle Qiu said that she had never followed him there and it meant... she could just be herself.

    Xiao Fang knew that she needed to do the mission more seriously, after all, this was for Yao Ling --- her best friend. Yao Ying had brought the news that Yao Ling hadn¡¯t woken up yet and it somehow made Xiao Fang be concerned and worried at the same time. The sooner she could ask Aunt Yue, the better.

    Uncle Qiu only brought her along and Xiao Fang needed to bring the gifts for Aunt Yue. He didn¡¯te in from the front gate where Yao Ling made the symbols glowing, instead, they went in from a side door --- which very small and this was the door where the maidservants in the forbidden ce used toe and go.

    The guards who were guarding the forbidden ce asked them, "Da Ren, are you bringing a new maidservant today? You usually bring a few more people... howe there are only the two of you?"

    Uncle Qiu merelyughed, "I don¡¯t bring many gifts this time, hence one person is enough to apany me."

    The guards nodded their head and they didn¡¯t really pay attention to Xiao Fang¡¯s face, because they were disgusted by her scar. They just thought to themselves, ¡¯Why bring such an ugly maidservant to meet the person inside?¡¯

    They were mere ordinary guards, so naturally, they didn¡¯t know who was being confined inside the forbidden ce. Not only that, Aunt Yue was old and she had never roaming around to the outer courtyard.

    The guards let them in and Uncle Qiu quickly led her inside. She whispered to Uncle Qiu, "Godfather, can I ask her about my future?"

    Thetter only shook his head helplessly. "What kind of things inside your head? Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Aunt Yue only says something that she wants to say..."

    Xiao Fang nodded in understanding, even though she was slightly disappointed. Uncle Qiu saw that her hands were a bit shaky and he reminded her, "Don¡¯t drop the gifts!"

    "Yes, Master," Xiao Fang said politely. After that, they didn¡¯t talk anymore because they knew that a few hidden guards were loitering around there. They didn¡¯t bother to show up in front of Uncle Qiu, because this was indeed his schedule to meet with Aunt Yue.

    Xiao Fang thought that the forbidden ce would be decorated luxuriously, however, whatid in front of her eyes was quite different from her imagination. The garden was quite lush with greenery, however, that was it. No decoration like a fountain, a small statue, or a lovely gate. It gave her the feeling that they went inside an unkempt forest.

    Unlike her courtyard, this forbidden ce was deste from any servants or maidservants. No one cleaned up the ce where Aunt Yue stayed and it made the whole ce look so dusty. How could anyone live in this ce? She even saw a few cobwebs here and there.

    She had thought that there would be an imaginable treasure inside this pce, however... in reality, Aunt Yue only lived in a small old house. What pce? What treasures? It was a mere exaggeration.

    "Master, is... is this where The Sacred One lives?" Xiao Fang asked in disbelief.

    She realized that this forbidden ce was only luxurious from the outside just for the sake of an appearance. It showed how the Han Emperor treated Aunt Yue --- he didn¡¯t even pretend to treat Aunt Yue kindly. She was a mere prisoner in his eyes, nothing more. Xiao Fang shook his head, knowing that the more she saw the truth... the more she felt disgusted by the Han Emperor¡¯s pretentiousness!

    Uncle Qiu nodded at her question. "Yes... I have tried to ask several times for the improvement of Aunt Yue¡¯s treatment, however... it fell into deaf ears until I became tired of asking." He sighed sadly when he looked at the old woman¡¯s living ce.

    There were limited things that he could do and he already did everything that he could. Uncle Qiu exined that there were two loyal maidservants that stayed by Aunt Yue¡¯s side, but they were already dead... That was why the current condition of Aunt Yue was worse than before. Thus, she lived all alone. Her sight had been damaged and how could she clean up her own courtyard with her half blind condition?

    There were no maidservants that would make their presence known, that was why Uncle Qiu said in a loud voice, "Aunt Yue... I¡¯m here..."

    A soft voice came from inside the house and there was an excited tone in it, "Little Qiu? Come in! Come in!"

    Uncle Qiu and Xiao Fang quickly came inside the room. The inner part of the house looked better than the outside. At least, there was no dust and the decoration made it look warm. There was a woman sitting on a luohan bed. Xiao Fang had guessed that the old woman must have looked so... old, but contrary to the expectation... she looked so young! She looked half her real age!

    Uncle Qiuughed crispily and said, "Aunt Yue ah~! You look younger every time I see you!"

    Aunt Yue let out a chuckle and said, "You always have such a sweet mouth! This old bone already can¡¯t see things clearly ah~! Only you stay by my side all this time!" She felt grateful that the youngster was willing toe and chat with her once in a while. Even though she got the Han Emperor¡¯s permission, if Little Qiu wasn¡¯t willing to fulfill it, then there was nothing that she could do.

 Chapter 280 What Happened to Your Friend?

    Xiao Fang paid attention to Aunt Yue¡¯s appearance. Her skin was slightly wrinkled on a few ces but it didn¡¯t diminish her stunning beauty --- even her watery eyes made her look more attractive. If it wasn¡¯t because of a few gray hairs here and there, Xiao Fang wouldn¡¯t even realize that she was quite old. Even her guess of her age would have been wrong! After all, she was much older than that...

    Despite her living situation, it seemed like she maintained her youthfulness quite well. Xiao Fang really wanted to ask how she did it, but before she could open her mouth, Uncle Qiu gave her a pointed gaze which made her flinch and shut her mouth. She almost forgot her ce.

    "How are you, Aunt Yue?" Uncle Qiu asked softly. They had interacted so much thest few years and if not because of her youthful look, he would treat this old woman as his own mother. However, she even looked a bit younger than him, thus, he removed that idea from his head. It would be too weird!

    "Just like usual ah~!" Aunt Yue smiled softly. She squinted her eyes and asked, "Are you bringing a new maidservant today?"

    "Yes..." Uncle Qiu answered while sweating. He didn¡¯t want Xiao Fang to get closer to Aunt Yue, but he knew that his goddaughter seemed to idolize the old woman. He knew that he was contradicting himself, but he just felt worried for Xiao Fang.

    Aunt Yue and Uncle Qiu were chatting animatedly, while Xiao Fang only looked at them. She was still holding the gifts that Uncle Qiu had prepared beforehand. She gritted her teeth in annoyance.

    ¡¯Godfather ah~! Do you forget about me?!¡¯ Xiao Fang whined inwardly. The gifts were quite heavy ah~! She tried to wink a few times at her godfather --- just to remind him about the gifts. Unfortunately for her, Uncle Qiu didn¡¯t even take a look at her because he was too engrossed in their chat.

    Actually, thetter noticed her predicament, but he decided to keep quiet. This was just a simple punishment for Xiao Fang. She wanted to meet Aunt Yue and he wouldn¡¯t make it easy for her. He knew that Xiao Fang must have had other motives for her to be this patient. If it wasn¡¯t an important thing, he knew that Xiao Fang would refuse to add a scar on her face --- even for the sake of disguising herself.

    Uncle Qiu deliberately let Auntie Mao paint the scar on her face, just to gauge the level of importance of her wish to meet with Aunt Yue. He wanted to ask directly, but he knew that Xiao Fang wouldn¡¯t tell him. If she really wanted to tell him, she would already tell him from the start. He was curious but he was also patient enough to wait for Xiao Fang¡¯s confession.

    Uncle Qiu and Aunt Yue didn¡¯t talk about anything important and it made Xiao Fang feel bored. She finally couldn¡¯t take it anymore and decided to cough a few time, trying to remind Uncle Qiu that she was there ah~!

    Inwardly, she chanted, ¡¯Quick, Godfather! I can¡¯t hold onto it anymore! These things are getting heavier ah~!¡¯

    Uncle Qiu pitied her, so he decided to stop doing his petty revenge. He said, "Ah... Aunt Yue... I almost forgot about something!"

    "What?" Aunt Yue asked curiously.

    "Your gifts! I will put the gifts on the table, okay?" Uncle Qiu said and then he motioned for Xiao Fang to put the gifts on the table. Xiao Fang quickly did what she was told and then she quickly tried to seize this chance to do her works.

    Aunt Yueughed, "I already told you a few times... no need to bring me any gifts! I won¡¯t be able to use it for long anyway!"

    Uncle Qiu softly said, "Don¡¯t say that, Aunt Yue! You will live a long life!"

    Aunt Yue merely smiled and didn¡¯t say anything else. Uncle Qiu knew that he had said the wrong thing. Even though she was able to live a long life, what would she get? A prolonged time as a prisoner? Her closest confidantes also left this world... what else she could hold onto now?

    However, if he paid attention closely, it seemed like Aunt Yue was in a better mood than usual. Did something happen? However, before Uncle Qiu could ask about it. He heard a loud yelping out from Xiao Fang¡¯s mouth.

    Seeing that Aunt Yue was all alone without any maidservant, Xiao Fang saw her chance. Among the gifts that were prepared by Uncle Qiu, there was an essential oil with a bright red color that quite lucid. She put all the gifts slowly but she deliberately let the vial that contained the essential oil fell down on Aunt Yue¡¯s clothes. The vial was identally opened and the lovely scent of rose burst into their nostril, not only that, the red color left a stain on Aunt Yue¡¯s white clothes.

    Uncle Qiu could only gape at the scene. He wanted to reprimand Xiao Fang but it was an ident, so he could only apologize to Aunt Yue, "I¡¯m sorry, Aunt. This servant is a new one. Please forgive her clumsiness!"

    Aunt Yue waved her hand and she heard that the little servant was apologizing profusely. "A small matter. No need to fret! Just help me change my clothes!" Aunt Yue has a good temper and she didn¡¯t bother with such a small thing.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard thest part... this was what she was waiting for! A chance to be all alone with Aunt Yue. She took a ce at her godfather¡¯s expression and she flinched when she saw the anger there. She felt sorry but she was in a hurry to help Yao Ling ah~! She knew that she would have to hear an earfulter... but honestly? She didn¡¯t really care. Uncle Qiu was easy to coax anyway --- she thought naughtily.

    "Yes, The Sacred One," Xiao Fang answered politely.

    Uncle Qiu regretted that he brought Xiao Fang here! However, he could only swallow his grievance and go out of the room. Aunt Yue wanted to change clothes, how could he stay there? He could only wait outside patiently.

    When Uncle Qiu was gone, Xiao Fang looked at Aunt Yue hesitantly. She didn¡¯t know how to ask the question, so instead, she helped her change her clothes while thinking hard inwardly.

    Aunt Yue softly asked, "Do you need to ask me something?"

    Xiao Fang was too surprised and she identally blurted out her thought, "How... how do you know?"

    When she heard the young girl¡¯s silly nature, Aunt Yue couldn¡¯t help butugh. She liked this little servant. To be exact, she wasn¡¯t a little servant. When she helped her change her clothes, Aunt Yue could feel that her hands brushed over her body a few times... her hands were so smooth, showing that she had never worked a day before.

    If she didn¡¯t have something in mind, she wouldn¡¯t dare toe inside here with Little Qiu¡¯s help. Aunt Yue answered, "I have my own way..."

    "You are so amazing!" Xiao Fang looked at her with starry eyes.

    Seeing her excitement, Aunt Yue could only helplessly smile. However, this girl really brought a lot of smiles for her today. "Do you want me to look at your future?"

    Xiao Fang wanted to say yes loudly, but she knew that Yao Ling was in a dire situation at the moment. Thus, she shook her head and answered, "No... It¡¯s a tempting offer but my friend needs you more."

    "Oh..." It piqued Aunt Yue¡¯s interest. It seemed like this girl was quite loyal. "What happened to your friend?" She even sacrificed her chance to be read by her for the sake of her friend.

    Interesting.

 Chapter 281 Will I Get My Own Happy Ending?

    "The sacred one..." Xiao Fang gulped, not knowing where to start after she called Aunt Yue. If she wanted to ask Aunt Yue about Yao Ling, she had to reveal everything. Yao Ying and Lin Jian had given her their permission, but she was still unconsciously hesitant. Would it be wise to reveal everything?

    She didn¡¯t know where her hesitancy came from and somehow, she felt at a loss. Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know that it meant she was growing up and learning to be more cautious... If it was the previous Xiao Fang, she would tell Aunt Yue everything without any considerations.

    "Just call me, Aunt Yue... I don¡¯t like being called The Sacred One... It¡¯s too formal for me," Aunt Yue said.

    ¡¯The Sacred One? That is just a joke! When does the Han Emperor ever treat her like one? It is just an empty title!¡¯ Aunt Yue thought to herself.

    "Au... Aunt Yue..." Xiao Fang called her softly. After she felt morefortable, Xiao Fang asked, "Aunt Yue... how do you determine that a person is a Bei Yue?"

    Aunt Yue furrowed her eyebrows and her previous smile was gone. She became more vignce, after all, the old woman was always protective over her own people. She exchanged her whole life to protect her people, so Xiao Fang¡¯s question made her attitude change a little bit. Her previous warmth slightly diminished.

    However, Aunt Yue didn¡¯t hear any malicious intent from the young woman¡¯s voice. She only heard a mixture of curiosity and nervousness.

    Thus, she decided to ask softly, "Why do you want to know?"

    "My friend got into trouble and I think it has a connection with Bei Yue people," Xiao Fang answered hesitantly.

    "How so?" Aunt Yue wanted to know the details of the matter. The trait of Bei Yue people was cautious and they were always smart at hiding deep inside the society. She didn¡¯t believe that her people would easily make trouble --- especially near her.

    Xiao Fang thought about where to start and she decided to tell the truth but before that, she decided to warn Aunt Yue, "Aunt Yue... what I will tell you is a secret. Please don¡¯t tell anyone about it!"

    "Why?" Aunt Yue asked, feeling bewildered. "If it¡¯s a secret, why do you dare to tell me?"

    "Because... you are the only person who can help my friend..." Xiao Fang answered honestly.

    Aunt Yue¡¯s curiosity was piqued. "I promise... Besides, I¡¯m being held up as a prisoner here... who can I tell about it?" Aunt Yueughed, trying to pass it off as a joke.

    "That¡¯s true but just now..." Xiao Fang trailed off.

    Aunt Yue understood what she meant and she nodded. "I won¡¯t tell Little Qiu too... Don¡¯t worry!"

    Getting her promise, Xiao Fang sighed in relief. "Aunt Yue... you must have known that there was amotion in front of this forbidden ce two days ago, right?"

    Aunt Yue started to get excited when she heard Xiao Fang¡¯s question. She would never think that she would find out about it this soon! "I know. Tell me! What happened to your friend?!" Aunt Yue asked in a voice full of agitation.

    Xiao Fang bit her lower lips. Somehow, she felt the agitation inside Aunt Yue¡¯s voice and she was supposed to be a irvoyant, right? Shouldn¡¯t she know something without being told first? Xiao Fang chose to be cautious at this point.

    Xiao Fang decided to ask, "Aunt Yue... can¡¯t you read it with your skills?"

    Aunt Yue answered in a stiff voice, "Although I¡¯m a irvoyant, my sight alwayses and goes on its own without a certain pattern. Besides, I¡¯m not a Goddess... How am I supposed to know everything in this world?"

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know whether she should believe this woman or not, but what she said was making sense. She started to feel hesitant when she heard the weird tone that came from her voice. Her agitation... was it because she was worried or... something else?

    She wasn¡¯t as clever as the trio and she couldn¡¯t make a guess in such a short time. Xiao Fang really wanted to cry... for the first time, she finally felt that she was indeed so stupid! ¡¯What should she do? What should she do?¡¯ She asked herself inwardly.

    Aunt Yue could feel Xiao Fang¡¯s hesitation, thus, she asked, "You are doubting me, aren¡¯t you?" She didn¡¯t beat around the bush.

    Xiao Fang answered truthfully, "Yes, I am."

    Aunt Yueughed at her bluntness. "I will prove it to you that I¡¯m indeed a Bei Yue --- the real Aunt Yue..." Just now, she was just too excited because she finally would be able to find her... That was why she couldn¡¯t control her emotion. She had been waiting for too long...

    "How will you prove it to me?" Xiao Fang asked carefully.

    "Don¡¯t you want me to read your fortune?" Aunt Yue asked confidently.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. It seemed like she was killing two birds with a stone this time. She thought that her chance to be read would be gone forever, it seemed likedy luck was on her side ah~!

    "I want!" Xiao Fang answered excitedly.

    "Good! For your future, I will need a certain sight, so I will tell you about it when I get one... I will read about your past and present first... my insight sometimeses when I do that, but I won¡¯t give you any guarantee," Aunt Yue exined how her insight worked to Xiao Fang.

    Xiao Fang nodded in agreement. After all, she couldn¡¯t prove whether Aunt Yue predicted her future correctly or not until she experienced it herself. It was different if she could predict her past and present state correctly! If she was able to do it correctly, it meant Aunt Yue was indeed the real deal ah~!

    Aunt Yue merely needed to touch Xiao Fang¡¯s right hand and she closed both of her eyes. Suddenly, Xiao Fang was able to feel a sudden heat on her right hand, making her flinch. However, Aunt Yue stopped her from moving.

    "Rx... Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to read anything," Aunt Yue said in a stern voice.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s hand slightly trembled before it became steady. She would never think that the reading process was quite... magical. She wasn¡¯t sacred but feeling a bit shocked by the sudden heat. After a few moments, Aunt Yue opened her eyes and sighed.

    She lightly patted Xiao Fang¡¯s hand and said softly, "I don¡¯t know whether I should say that you are lucky or poor..."

    Xiao Fang was dumbfounded by what Aunt Yue said, but when she heard Aunt Yue¡¯s exnation... she understood what she meant. What she said about her past and present hit her right on the spot. She was living happily until she found out the truth about her real family. It seemed like Aunt Yue pitied her, thus, she called her poor when they reached this part. Who wanted to be told that she was adopted all of a sudden? Everything had changed in her life because of this...

    Aunt Yue could even exin everything in details, making Xiao Fang believe in her power. She even told her in details that she finally had her spring time[1] at this moment...

    When Xiao Fang heard thest part, she was blushing profusely. She asked meekly, "Will I get my own happy ending?"

    Aunt Yueughed at the woman¡¯s shyness... She knew that Han women tended to be very bold when expressing their feelings, but it was refreshing to see a shy one.

    ------------

    [1]. Spring time is connected to the season of love in China.

 Chapter 282 A Bei Yue or Not?

    Aunt Yue answered confidently, "You will... however... whether you will end up happy or not... you still need to work hard while living your life to the fullest. I will tell you a secret... sometimes... a change in the future could also change the result of my reading. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t rely heavily on the reading result without working hard, okay?"

    Not many people understood this point... They just blindly trusted her words. Just like what she did to the Han Emperor, in a way, she was in the upper hand in controlling the way he behaved towards her people using her power. Lately, she didn¡¯t have the inclination to help him because she found that her people already assimted them perfectly in this kingdom. It would be hard to differentiate them with the local people.

    Aunt Yue had seen a lot of people ruined their own life because she had told them everything that would happen in the future when she was young... they relied on her reading heavily and became greedy, thus affecting their real fate. After that, she learned how to choose her words carefully. She saw Xiao Fang¡¯s several futures, but she decided only to tell her two of them. The good ones and also a little bit of a warning.

    She had already told her about her happy ending love and Aunt Yue was going to tell this little girl another one. "You should cherish your current friendships and don¡¯t make the wrong choice when somethinges upter. The key is only one --- trust!"

    Xiao Fang furrowed her eyebrows, contemting. She guessed that Aunt Yue was referring to her friendship with the trio when she talked about the first, but what about herst sentence? What did it mean by that? She didn¡¯t know that the word ¡¯trust¡¯ would be the guidance on everything that would ur in the future and save her!

    Xiao Fang was going to open her mouth and asked a question, however, before she could say anything... Aunt Yue waved one of her hands and said, "No need to ask more! I won¡¯t answer any of your questions... I already told you about the most important things in your life. If you do as I told you to do, then you will have a blissful life. That¡¯s all!"

    *sigh*

    Xiao Fang knew... once Aunt Yue said that, thetter wouldn¡¯t tell her anything more. She was able to see the stubborn streak on Aunt Yue¡¯s eyes and Xiao Fang should be content with the fact that she was kind enough to read her fortune. However, the result of her fortune reading was actually quite good! It was also the reason why she felt satisfied and ready to quickly move on to the next subject.

    "Did I prove myself enough?" Aunt Yue asked confidently with a small smile on her lips.

    "Yes... yes..." Xiao Fang answered cheerily while nodding vigorously.

    "Can you tell me without beating around the bush now?" Aunt Yue said bluntly.

    Xiao Fang felt embarrassed with her previous doubtful behavior toward Aunt Yue, fortunately, thetter didn¡¯t really mind it. Instead, it gave Aunt Yue a good impression of Xiao Fang. At least, it meant that the little girl was being cautious --- not arrogant.

    "Aunt Yue... there¡¯s a weird symbol on the front gate of this ce, right? My friend touched that symbol..." Xiao Fang trailed off at thest part.

    Aunt Yue nodded. After listening to Xiao Fang¡¯s opening words, she understood what it was all about. Aunt Yue¡¯s heart was beating faster... she would know who it was soon! Aunt Yue tried to calm herself down because she didn¡¯t want to scare Xiao Fang once more.

    "Then... what happened to her?" Aunt Yue felt anxious when she asked the question.

    Xiao Fang exined Yao Ling¡¯s condition carefully and how she fell into aa. Aunt Yue furrowed her eyebrows. This went out of her expectation. At that time, an old illness of her was ring up. Despite her youthfulness on the outside, her body had been very old and she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.That was the reason why she couldn¡¯t determine who the woman was... At the same time, she didn¡¯t fully grasp what had happened back then too!

    However, despite the pain at that time, she was able to feel her body resonated to the glowing symbols and she knew... that person had finallye and she would be the one who would make her rest in peace! When she could calm her illness, the woman had been gone from the front gate.

    Aunt Yue missed the chance that she had been waiting for so long!

    She thought that the woman had fully gotten the inheritance, but it seemed like she hadn¡¯t yet --- because she was being forcefully interrupted halfway. If she was at her best health at that time, she would able to protect that woman. Aunt Yue could only feel regret about that matter.

    Aunt Yue could do something about Xiao Fang¡¯s friends, but she needed to meet up with the woman personally to judge her current situation carefully.

    Aunt Yue frowned. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to meet an outsider and she wondered what she should do about it.

    "Aunt Yue... Aunt Yue..." Xiao Fang tried to call Aunt Yue for several times. It seemed like after she exined everything, Aunt Yue¡¯s mind was elsewhere. She wanted to know whether this matter had a connection with Aunt Yue or not. Not only that, Xiao Fang wanted a confirmation whether Yao Ling was a Bei Yue or not.

    Aunt Yue¡¯s mind cleared up by the time Xiao Fang had finished calling her. She said, "I know what happens to her, but... I can¡¯t tell you anything about it..."

    "Why?" Xiao Fang asked in surprise.

    "This is the secret of our people, thus, I can¡¯t tell you anything. If I¡¯m not mistaken, your friend is supposed to be a Bei Yue too. However... I need to meet her face to face first before I can make a correct judgment," Aunt Yue exined briefly.

    Xiao Fang naturally understood what Aunt Yue had implied just now. Even though she was curious, she didn¡¯t pursue the matter any further.

    She sighed, "Aunt Yue... I also understand your predicament. But... my friend is currently unconscious... I have no idea how to bring her here! There are so many hidden guards inside this premise! Without Qiu Da Ren¡¯s help, I won¡¯t be able toe here in the first ce."

    Aunt Yue furrowed her eyebrows and started to notice something, "What is your rtionship with Little Qiu?" She understood that this little woman wasn¡¯t an ordinary servant and for Little Qiu to help her... she might be an important person to Little Qiu.

    Xiao Fang knew that her cover had been blown up, so she didn¡¯t hesitate to admit, "I¡¯m his goddaughter."

    Aunt Yue¡¯s eyes lit up. "If you can get him to help us, it will be easier for me to take a look at your friend."

    Xiao Fang shook her head. "I didn¡¯t tell the real reason why I want to meet you to my godfather, because he doesn¡¯t want me to involve myself in this dangerous thing. How could I convince him to help us?" She added inwardly... if he didn¡¯t punish her, it would already good enough ah~!

    Aunt Yue looked at her helplessly. "I can save her, but I need to do it face-to-face with her!"

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. "Really... you can save her?!"

    Aunt Yue nodded. "I can... but you have to find a way to let me meet her... Otherwise, there¡¯s nothing I could do..."

    Xiao Fang felt helpless at that moment... What should they do? She needed to consult on Yao Ying and Lin Jian first about this...

    Before they could talk more, they heard Uncle Qiu knocked on the door and asked, "Are you done?"

 Chapter 283 She Had Become His Sole Happiness

    They knew their times were limited because Uncle Qiu kept knocking on the door when there was no answer from the inside. Aunt Yue tried to pacify him by saying, "Wait for a little while, Little Qiu! I¡¯m almost done..." After that, Uncle Qiu ceased his knocking.

    Aunt Yue quickly said to Xiao Fang, "Make a decision soon! I will be waiting here!" Aunt Yue knew that this young woman would be smart enough to choose the correct decision. "For the hidden guards, I can help you tame them for three shichen at most!"

    Aunt Yue had paid attention to the hidden guards¡¯ movement and pattern because she was too idle in her courtyard. Who knew that it would help her in the future? It would be easy for her to use a little something to make them fall asleep for a little while.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "How... how can I let you know when we will bring my friend here?"

    When Aunt Yue heard the word ¡¯we¡¯, she knew that there would be a few more people came with Xiao Fang, however, she realized that there was no way Xiao Fang could bring a grown woman all alone here. Aunt Yue answered, "Light up this thing at the chosen day around Xu Shi [modern timing: 7pm-9pm]! Then, you can directlye here through the side door at the beginning of Zhi Shi [modern timing: 11pm-1am]... I will take care of the hidden guards. Remember you need to do this as soon as possible! The longer she stays that way, the lesser her chance to wake up!"

    When Xiao Fang heard thest part, she became worried. Aunt Yue answered the door and she continued chatting with Uncle Qiu. Uncle Qiu saw that nothing was wrong, so he sighed in relief. At least, Aunt Yue didn¡¯t notice this little impostor¡¯s real identity.

    Xiao Fang, who just heard that Yao Ling should be healed as soon as possible or else she would be forever in aa, became really nervous. She felt that both of these old people talked way too much and too long ah~! She kept fidgeting in the corner because she wanted to go back to the trio as soon as possible. Aunt Yue naturally understood her feelings and she really wanted tough at her cuteness, on the other hand, Uncle Qiu felt annoyed at the little girl¡¯s restless movement.

    They decided to end their chat early. Usually, Aunt Yue would feel sad when her little Qiu had to leave earlier than usual. However, her mood was quite good this time which puzzling Uncle Qiu, but thetter didn¡¯t ponder over it. He just wanted to bring Xiao Fang out of there. Thetter had made him feel embarrassed enough.

    True to Xiao Fang¡¯s expectation, she got an earful from her godfather after they went out of the forbidden ce. Xiao Fang usually would coax him and pretend to be pitiful or throw a tantrum, however, she just stayed quietly on the side at this moment. Uncle Qiu felt that something wasn¡¯t right with her, but he didn¡¯t ask anything. He could only sigh and let Xiao Fang go.

    He felt that he had had enough of her at the moment. When he gave her a little bit of a scolding, she just stood there obediently which made him feel that whatever he said... she wouldn¡¯t listen to it anyway.

    Xiao Fang grinned when she was out of Uncle Qiu sight. The best way to be released early was pretending to listen quietly while zoning out. She quickly found Yao Ying and Lin Jian in Yao Ling¡¯s room ---after that, she exined everything that Aunt Yue had said, but not including her fortune. It was her little secret.

    After Xiao Fang finished speaking, the trio looked at the sleeping Yao Ling. If they didn¡¯t know better, they would think that she was only sleeping. Although she was in aa, herplexion still looked quite healthy. She even had rosy cheeks and red alluring lips.

    "Should we trust Aunt Yue?" Xiao Fang asked carefully. The one who had the most say in this matter was Yao Ying, Yao Ling¡¯s husband. That was why she directed her question at him.

    Yao Ying sighed and answered, "Do we have another choice? Yao Ling is in a dire state and the only one who is rted to the symbols is Aunt Yue. We can only gamble and trust her. I¡¯m also afraid that Yao Ling will stay this way forever... I can¡¯t let anything happen to her!"

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang looked at each other. They understood Yao Ying¡¯s feelings, thus, they trusted his judgment. "It has already passed Xu Shi, so we can¡¯t do it today. Tomorrow... we will do it tomorrow," Yao Ying said decisively.

    Postponing this matter further would only affect Yao Ling¡¯s health. The sooner they did, the better. Yao Ying waited impatiently for the next Xu Shi toe, but the more he waited impatiently, the longer he felt how the time passed. He had no choice but to hug Yao Ling¡¯s while sleeping --- just to make him sleep better. With her warmth inside his embrace, he could feel that she was still alive... she was still there with him.

    He would never guess that there would be a time that he would find out that his wife... was more important than his own life. She had be his sole happiness.

    The next day, several people that hade in contact with them kept asking about Yao Ling¡¯s condition and they could only answer the same way... she was vomiting right after eating. They offered to call a physician for Yao Ling but Yao Ying politely declined. He told them that Yao Ling was quite good at it and she was able to diagnose herself.

    Yao Ying knew that it kept continuing like this, those people would be suspicious. The guards were still looking around for the people that tried to trespass two days ago and he knew that this matter wouldn¡¯t end until they found them.

    When Xu Shi had arrived, Xiao Fang lighted up the signal and Aunt Yue was able to see it clearly. Thetter could feel a bubble of happiness inside her heart--- she was going to meet her! Soon... Without further ado, she quickly prepared the medicine that would make the hidden guards fall asleep for a little while. As long as there was no major event, they wouldn¡¯t wake up easily.

    It was almost Zhi Shi, Yao Ying quickly princess carried Yao Ling and went to the forbidden ce with Lin Jian and Xiao Fang. Lin Jian used his inner qi to feel the presence of the hidden guards, true enough, he couldn¡¯t feel them but he knew that they were still there. Judging from the feelings that he had gotten from his own inner qi, it seemed like the hidden guards¡¯ inner qi were in a dormant state.

    "It seems like they are being drugged," Lin Jian told the other two.

    Yao Ying and Xiao Fang nodded at what he said. It seemed like Aunt Yue was actually capable of getting out of this cage if she wanted to. If she didn¡¯t sacrifice herself for her people, she would be able to live freely. They had a gut feeling that she wanted to help Yao Ling because she was a Bei Yue...

    The more they thought of this, the more they thought that this old woman mustn¡¯t only have an ordinary rank in Bei Yue¡¯s society. Well... They will get to know it sooner orter. They just prayed that Yao Ling¡¯s new identity wouldn¡¯t bring any danger to her!

    They wondered how could Yao Ling suddenly be a Bei Yue?!

 Chapter 284 Would Break The Taboo

    The trio quickly came into the forbidden ce¡¯s courtyard through the side door when they realized that they didn¡¯t have to fight the hidden guards and the coast was already clear. They did just like what Aunt Yue had instructed them before. They felt a bit uneasy due to the quietness but they still continued walking ahead.

    When they arrived at Aunt Yue¡¯s house, they looked around carefully. Because the ce wasn¡¯t really being cared for, it looked a little bit eerie at night. There was no light being lit up on the outside of the house, and the darkness seemed to swallow the house. The only source of light they could see was a dimmed light thating from inside of the house. Without that light, it would take a little while for them to find the house.

    The night chilly breeze made their whole body shiver. For the men, this was still alright because they used to do a mission in this kind of environment. However, to Xiao Fang, this was the epitome of horror. She was so scared of the uncanny surroundings and she couldn¡¯t help but stay vignce... just in a case, a ghost would appear out of nowhere.

    "Come on! Knock on the door!" Lin Jian ordered Xiao Fang in a soft voice. He gave a pointed gaze towards the closed door.

    "Why should I?" Xiao Fang asked in displeasure. He was the man ah~! How could he let her do the knocking?!

    Lin Jian rolled his eyes. "Yao Ying is currently princess carrying Yao Ling, so his hands are full. I¡¯m looking around to protect all of us just in case an ambush suddenly appears out of nowhere. So... you are the only one who is idle..." The meaning was clear... she wasn¡¯t the only one who did nothing, so what he told her to do was reasonable.

    Truth to be told, Lin Jian knew that no danger was lurking around. He just wanted to tease Xiao Fang because the woman looked like she would faint any moment due to her own fear. He snickered at her and when Yao Ying saw his expression, thetter knew that Lin Jian¡¯s naughtiness appeared once more.

    Yao Ying rolled his eyes, as long as they didn¡¯t waste too much time, he would let them be.

    Xiao Fang understood what Lin Jian meant and she could only resign to her fate. She cleared her throat and quickly went ahead of the others. Before she knocked on the door, she looked back and gulped. She saw how Lin Jian nodded at her, encouraging her... her fear decreased a little bit. At least, she wasn¡¯t all alone here.

    However, before she could knock on the door, the door suddenly opened out of nowhere. Xiao Fang jumped up in surprise and she would have screamed out loud if Lin Jian didn¡¯t close her mouth with both of his hands. Her heart was beating faster and faster. What surprised Xiao Fang the most was the fact that Aunt Yue appeared with antern on her hand... thentern shone on her face, making her face look so scary --- like a ghost!

    When Lin Jian found that she already calmed herself down, the former slowly let her go. Xiao Fang sighed in relief but her face turned red in embarrassment. She felt lucky that it was dark all around her --- or else, they would be able to see her blushing face. She felt like pping her own mouth! What if her scream woke up the hidden guards? That would be bad!

    Xiao Fang quickly tried to amend the situation and apologized sheepishly at Aunt Yue, "I¡¯m sorry, Aunt Yue. I was just too surprised!" She didn¡¯t dare to say or admit that she thought Aunt Yue as a ghost just now.

    Aunt Yue merely smiled but said nothing. She understood that the little girl was a bit timid, so she didn¡¯t me her. Aunt Yue moved to the side and let them in, "Come in! Everything will be ready soon."

    She turned back and walked inside the room first. "Can you introduce us?" Aunt Yue asked even though her back was facing them. She was busy preparing the ingredients that were needed to wake the young woman up.

    Xiao Fang introduced Aunt Yue to Yao Ying and Lin Jian. When Aunt Yue turned around, she nodded briefly to the two men. She merely took a nce at them and her gazended on Yao Ling and she could feel a slight pull towards the sleeping woman.

    Aunt Yue couldn¡¯t help bute to her and touch her face tenderly.

    Aunt Yue could feel a small vibration on her hand.. right at the ce where she touched Yao Ling. Something was resonated between them and she knew that she had found the chosen one. She paid more attention to Yao Ling¡¯s face and she found familiarity in it... Was she... that person¡¯s child? If yes, there would be no wonder why this young woman would be able to make the symbols reacted and glow.

    One thing for sure... This young woman was one of them --- A Bei Yue.

    Their race had a way to find each other and there was a subtle connection between each of them. The resonation between their blood was already a good proof that the woman was one of them. If Aunt Yue wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure about it before, she was now.

    "What¡¯s her name?" Aunt Yue asked softly.

    "Yao Ling..." Yao Ying was the one who answered her this time.

    "What a beautiful name," Aunt Yue praised.

    Yao Ying murmured his agreement. Of course... everything about his wife was beautiful!

    "I can save her... but you need to bring her away from here as soon as possible after that... Can you do that?" Aunt Yue talked in a stern voice.

    "What do you mean, Aunt Yue?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion.

    "I can¡¯t tell you that much... but no matter what happens inside this room after you leave, all of you must go. Don¡¯t turn back or involve yourself in it. Do you understand?" Aunt Yue needed them to listen to her advice, otherwise, she couldn¡¯t save their lives.

    The trio understood the gravity of the situation after they saw Aunt Yue¡¯s expression. It was a mixture of worry and fear, thus, they nodded in agreement.

    "We understand," the trio answered at the same time.

    "Good!" Aunt Yue said. She took a few letters from her sleeves and gave it to Xiao Fang. "Xiao Fang, these letters... I entrust them to you. One should be given to Little Qiu and one should be given to Yao Ling. Give the letters to them tomorrow, okay? You have to give it to them tomorrow! Otherwise, it will be toote..."

    Xiao Fang received the letters and nodded her head, despite not understanding the riddles that Aunt Yue just told her. Why did it have to be tomorrow? She had a bad feeling about this... why did it look like Aunt Yue was saying goodbye to them. She softly touched Aunt Yue¡¯s hand and asked worriedly, "Aunt Yue... will you be okay?"

    Aunt Yue was feeling touched because of Xiao Fang¡¯s concern and sweet gesture, she smiled at her and answered, "I will be fine."

    Aunt Yue thought inwardly to herself, ¡¯I will finally be free...¡¯

    Aunt Yue touched Yao Ling¡¯s forehead with her index finger and the part where she touched was glowing for a little while. When that happened, Aunt Yue was able to see Yao Ling¡¯s memories. Everything that happened from Yao Ling was born until that moment... could be seen by Aunt Yue.

    "Poor child..." She murmured to herself. "At least you already find your happiness... however..." Aunt Yue sighed to herself. Her connection with Yao Ling was quite strong and she was able to see her future... It wasn¡¯t an easy one --- especially around the time when her husband regained his memories in the future.

    Aunt Yue looked at Yao Ying and said, "Don¡¯t you ever let her down!"

    Yao Ying could feel her prating gaze and the fact that she was warning him out of nowhere... made him feel bewildered. However, he understood that Aunt Yue was showing some concerns about Yao Ling, thus... he nodded his head and promised her, "I won¡¯t!"

    Aunt Yue nodded in satisfaction at his answer. She would lose her power when she helped Yao Ling pass through this hurdle. However... seeing that there were a lot of things that she wanted to talk about with her, Aunt Yue decided to do something that was even crazier than her previous decision.

    She would break the taboo for her.

    There was a heavy price that she would pay after she was using the forbidden technique, but they did not have much time. She needed to interact with Yao Ling...

    Aunt Yue looked at the trio and warned them, "Whatever happens in this room shouldn¡¯te out of this room. Keep it to yourself as a secret! When I¡¯m trying to heal her, don¡¯t bother me or break my concentration!"

    "What will happen if you lose your concentration, Aunt Yue?" Xiao Fang asked, feeling worried.

    "Once I lose my concentration, the result will be dire --- not only towards me but also towards Yao Ling," Aunt Yue answered seriously. "The price will be too heavy..."

    The trio understood what she meant... any kind of interference could make them die... They were feeling more worried when they heard what Aunt Yue had just said, but they could only nod their head helplessly.

    They were worried about what would happen next.

 Chapter 285 Only In Three Shichen

    Aunt Yue touched Yao Ling¡¯s forehead once again, however, she didn¡¯t try to read anything from her this time. Instead, there was a thin golden thread that was trailing over the white glow that had appeared first. The golden thread seemed to move slowly from the tip of Aunt Yue¡¯s finger to Yao Ling¡¯s forehead.

    The trio could only gaze at the amazing scene in front of them in a mixture of awe and disbelief. They had never heard the Han Kingdom or the Shu Kingdom had this kind of magical things. What was so special about the Bei Yue race? How could she have such power? Did all of them have this kind of power... or only Aunt Yue?

    This scene led to so many questions ah~! However, they were tactful enough by not asking any questions during this critical time.

    Aunt Yue used her power to go inside Yao Ling¡¯s subconscious mind. She rarely used this technique because it would be able to exhaust her inner qi and take a toll to her body, but this was an important thing to do at the moment. She was willing to gamble her life just to meet this young woman face to face.

    Whether they had enough time to talk about everything or not was another matter, at least, she could get to know her. Aunt Yue¡¯s heart was bursting in excitement when she felt that she was sessfully intruding Yao Ling¡¯s subconscious mind.

    This was it! She thought to herself.

    Even if she went inside Yao Ling¡¯s mind, it was only her soul that came inside. Her real body was still on the outside world, staying at the same position and as long as she was in there, the golden thread would still connect both of their bodies. Aunt Yue¡¯s real body was just like Yao Ling --- still breathing, but not moving the slightest. She was still standing there while her index finger kept touching Yao Ling¡¯s forehead.

    The trio noticed that Aunt Yue had ceased moving once the golden thread reached Yao Ling¡¯s forehead. A few moments had passed but there was still no movement. Aunt Yue didn¡¯t tell them anything and truthfully it made them feel quite anxious.

    Lin Jian couldn¡¯t stop his curiosity. He stood on Aunt Yue¡¯s side and moved his hand up and down in front of Aunt Yue¡¯s face, but thetter didn¡¯t even blink. Honestly, it was quite scary! He tried to find some reactions from her by poking her shoulder softly, but nothing... nada... Lin Jian didn¡¯t dare to use too much strength, just in case his movement would make her hand move and it would disturb Aunt Yue¡¯s concentration.

    There was still no movement on Aunt Yue¡¯s part and at the same time, he could feel that his finger that was used to poke Aunt Yue¡¯s shoulder was being electrocuted. He quickly pulled his hand back and looked at his own hand in amazement. This was the craziest thing he had ever seen in his life! He turned to look at Yao Ying and Xiao Fang in amazement, then asked, "What¡¯s going on? It seems like her soul is leaving her body...? Her body electrocuted my hand just now!"

    Yao Ying also noticed that abnormality but because of this, he understood the reason why Aunt Yue told them not to let anyone bother her. He quickly said, "Stand back! Don¡¯t bother Aunt Yue¡¯s body anymore... we should just let them be and guard their bodies."

    Lin Jian agreed. He should stand back or else... he would be a lump of dead meat.

    Xiao Fang asked worriedly, "Will they be okay?" She bit her lower lips due to her nervousness and she finally could ept the fact that Bei Yue people was indeed abnormal. But still... she couldn¡¯t help but feel worried.

    Yao Ying answered confidently, "They will..." He could only hold onto this hope. If he didn¡¯t believe in Aunt Yue, then he would have no hope left anymore! This was just a way for him to convince himself that Yao Ling would certainly survive the ordeal!

    After listening to what Yao Ying said, all of them decided to be quiet and stay vignce --- just in case, the hidden guards suddenly woke up and attacked them. They could only pray to the Big Buddha inside their heart and hope that nothing would go wrong.

    They looked at Aunt Yue and Yao Ling¡¯s direction intently, waiting patiently.

    Aunt Yue saw that Yao Ling was currently in a deep sleep. The glowing symbols had awakened something within Yao Ling but because of the sudden interference, her inner qi and mind were conflicted with each other --- making her inner body in disarray. Aunt Yue¡¯s job was to make the disarray gone and turn her body back into normal.

    After that, she couldmunicate with her until it was time to say goodbye.

    Aunt Yue quickly used her power to try to calm Yao Ling¡¯s inner qi first, so that her inner qi would stop attacking her subconscious mind. She took a deep breath and chanted a few ancient Bei Yue¡¯s words, in a sh, Yao Ling¡¯s inner qi started to calm down. It was swirling around Aunt Yue¡¯s soul and thetter gave a little bit of her power so, in the future, Yao Ling was able to control her own inner qi with ease.

    After the awakening of her power, Yao Ling would need guidance to control her power. However, Aunt Yue didn¡¯t have much time left so she used the simplest way but yet consumed Aunt Yue¡¯s life energy --- she made Yao Ling¡¯s body to be able to subconsciously recognize the way how the power worked so Yao Ling could manage it once she woke up.

    Aunt Yue could feel that her old bone was getting tired, fortunately, before she started this healing process, she had already concocted a potion and drank it. It was just a simple potion to give her a burst of energy, not only that... but her body would also be back at the peak of her life in an instant. However, this could only work for the next three shichen. That was why she told Xiao Fang that she could only hold on for three shichen the previous night.

    Aunt Yue¡¯s whole body was sweating and her breathing had be erratic, but she didn¡¯t stop there or give up. She started the awakening process of Yao Ling¡¯s power first, after that, she would try to meet Yao Ling in her subconscious mind. Aunt Yue knew that this would make the symbols on the front gate start to glow once again. She sighed when she realized that she forgot to warn the trio, however... it was already toote.

    There was nothing they could do, she just hoped that one of them would notice the glow and covered it up.

    While all of these happened, the man who had tried to hunt Yao Ling and used her to his heart content started to realize that something weird was happening inside the forbidden ce. He knew that this must have something to do with Aunt Yue because he felt a trace of her power, even though it was only a subtle one.

    Aunt Yue had already prepared a barrier beforehand but she knew that her movement would still be noticed by the man. She casually made a distraction that could only be perceived by that man --- she looked as if she was using her power to make a fortune reading about the Han Kingdom¡¯s fortune. When she stayed in this forbidden ce, she had only used her power for this purpose. She had long given up hope to find her sessor... who knew that she would suddenly appear out of nowhere.

    She could only do that much to deceive that hateful man. However, once the man saw the glowing symbols, this distraction wouldn¡¯t work anymore.

    Aunt Yue just hoped that it wouldn¡¯t happen! The man was far too dangerous!

 Chapter 286 An Inseparable Bond

    The man indeed took Aunt Yue¡¯s bait and thought that she was doing the usual thing, so he calmed himself down. He wasn¡¯t able to find the young woman who had woken up the symbols, so how could that old hag find her first? After all, she was confined in that forbidden ce without any henchmen.

    Who would be able to help her?

    The man smirked to himself and called one of his subordinates, "Find her as soon as possible! If you fail to find her in two days, you might as well kill yourself!"

    The subordinate knew the man¡¯s cruelty and he could feel his whole body sweating, however, he still answered politely, "Yes, Master!" After that, the subordinate vanished and quickly tried to find Yao Ling as soon as possible. He had already searched inside Crescent Lake, but no one fitted the description! It seemed like he had to search carefully once more.

    If the man knew he couldn¡¯t find a trace of the young woman because she was in aa, he would certainly vomit blood! After all, the woman was right under his nose the whole time ah~!

    ---------

    Aunt Yue tried to calm herself down and she just hoped that Yao Ling had smart and clever friends. If only Yao Ling had a husband, that husband would be able to feel something wasn¡¯t right. Aunt Yue had never confirmed that Yao Ling had a husband, thus, she didn¡¯t know that Yao Ying was actually Yao Ling¡¯s husband.

    The reason Aunt Yue said that was that once Yao Ling had a husband and made love with him, there would be an inseparable bond that was naturally created between them. They could feel an indescribable feeling of uneasiness when there was an immediate danger that would attack the other. That was why even though Bai Yue people were only a few, but they were able to survive. However, this applied only to women with pure Bai Yue blood.

    That was right! From the start, Bai Yue people were dominated by women. The Han Emperor only knew that Aunt Yue was the fortune teller, but she was actually the leader. It pained her that one of her men had to sacrifice himself to pretend that he was the leader. He told her good-naturedly that it was all for the Bei Yue people... Her own son... sacrificed himself for the greater good of their people.

    Aunt Yue frowned in contemtion but she decided to close her eyes and take a deep breath, calming herself. If this young woman had the luck, she would be able to pass this hurdle. With that in mind, she was back to her serene self.

    Aunt Yue knew that she couldn¡¯t let her own mind stray away, after all, it would affect Yao Ling too. She sighed and continued chanting the ancient words continuously while her hands didn¡¯t stop moving at making several weird hands gestures. She started to use her power once more and hope that it wouldn¡¯t attract that beast¡¯s attention.

    While Aunt Yue was busy healing Yao Ling, the trio¡¯s eyes were glued to Aunt Yue and Yao Ling¡¯s bodies. Once in a while, they would look around cautiously.

    Yao Ying was looking intently at Yao Ling when he had a sudden foreboding feeling. He clenched his fist tightly and somehow he felt that he needed to do something for Yao Ling. But what?! His whole body became sweaty like something inside him was trying to warn him. He had never felt this way before, so what was actually going on here?

    Yao Ying was confused, but his anxiousness was getting out of hands. His whole body was sweating and he even needed to bite his lower lips quite hard to regain his senses.

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang identally looked at Yao Ying¡¯s face and they asked at the same time, "Are you okay?"

    Yao Ying merely nodded his head, but he didn¡¯t say anything. His heart was in too much agitation to answer them. He gritted his teeth, trying to reign in his disarray feelings.

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang decided not to pursue any further, even though they could see that Yao Ying¡¯splexion suddenly turned bad --- probably because he was too worried about Yao Ling.

    Yao Ying suddenly stood up and said, "I need to get a breath of fresh air!"

    Without waiting for their answer, he quickly went out of the house. Lin Jian and Xiao Fang could only look each other in confusion and shrugged off their shoulder... Oh well, it seemed like they would be the one who took care of their bodies.

    Yao Ying was never that impulsive so they were sure that something must have happened. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have the heart to leave Yao Ling all alone.

    Yao Ying was circling around the courtyard while trying to calm his nerves. He could find the unconscious hidden guards here and there. He noticed that there was indeed no abnormality there --- Aunt Yue had handled everything perfectly well. But why were the nagging feelings still there?

    Yao Ying sighed, but when he was going to go back to Aunt Yue¡¯s house, he suddenly remembered something. He quickly ran to the front gates and he could see that the ordinary guards were still standing guard there. Still... nothing was amiss.

    However, Yao Ying¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. The symbols started to glow once more, currently, it was still at the beginning stage and it was only a dimmed glow, hence the standing guards didn¡¯t find out that something was wrong. Yao Ying made a quick decision by hitting the back of the guards¡¯ head with two swift movements.

    How could ordinary guards bear that? They didn¡¯t have any inner qi and they quickly fell down, unconscious. Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows, even if there were no guards left, but the glow would be brighter just like the previous one. It would certainly attract other people¡¯s attention... He couldn¡¯t leave this glow alone, but he also didn¡¯t know what to do.

    The previous time, Yao Ling as the trigger. What about this time? Did this have something to do with what Aunt Yue did? If yes, how could he cover up the bright glow ah~?! He felt at a loss too! He realized one thing though... his indescribable and ufortable feelings were suddenly gone... was it because he found out about this bright glow? Somehow, he was in disbelief. However, he didn¡¯t have time to ponder over this matter.

    The most important thing was preventing people to see this abnormality.

    He opened his outer robe and quickly covered the symbols up with his robe, however, it could only cover up the dimmed glow. Once it became brighter, it certainly couldn¡¯t cover it up anymore. He cursed inwardly, but he was still looking around and trying to find something else to cover up the symbols.

    He let his robe cover it up, fortunately, there was a little bit protruding ce on the carving of the symbols to hang the robe and he could leave it for a little while to get something else. He was just afraid that the wind would be able to blow the robe away. There was no wind at the moment, but who knew? The weather in the desert was quite unpredictable and a strong wind could appear out of nowhere.

    Yao Ying used his qing gong and went inside Aunt Yue¡¯s house. He was in a rush so he didn¡¯t care to be polite... besides, the owner¡¯s soul went somewhere else, how could he ask for permission? He rummaged through Aunt Yue¡¯s desk and tried to see whether he could find something useful there.

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang were surprised by his sudden reappearance, especially with the way he was rummaging like a lunatic.

    Lin Jian asked in a pretty loud voice, "What are you doing?!"

 Chapter 287 In A Way, He Was Gambling

    Yao Ying¡¯s hands still moved around, while he was exining what happened outside. Lin Jian and Xiao Fang were surprised, but they quickly tried to help Yao Ying too.

    Xiao Fang looked at Lin Jian and said, "I will be the one who helps Yao Ying. You should just stand guard there! I don¡¯t know any martial arts and can¡¯t tell you if anyone is approaching! Only you can do that."

    Lin Jian thought that it made sense, so he obeyed Xiao Fang¡¯s words. He started to regret going here just with the three of them. They werecking people, they should have brought Xiu along! They were in a hurry and forgot about such an important thing!

    Yao Ying and Xiao Fang were rummaging for a little while before they finally found the things that Yao Ying needed.

    Xiao Fang said, "Go! I¡¯ll clean up here!" She knew that there was no time left, thus, she quickly pushed him away and dealt with the aftermath.

    Yao Ying nced at her and murmured his thank before he went out of sight once again. Lin Jian and Xiao Fang could feel that their heart was beating faster, due to the adrenaline kicking and it was alsobined with worry. They just hoped that Yao Ying would be able to handle it.

    Yao Ying arrived at the gate in no time. He made a low whistling sound and Xiu appeared in a sh. Even though he didn¡¯t bring Xiu, fortunately, he had a good subordinate. Lin Jian might not know it, but Yao Ying understood his subordinate¡¯s character best. Xiu had been following around because he felt worried about the young mistress¡¯ condition --- of course, it was also influenced by Xiao Yu, thetter kept nagging him to follow their masters, just in case something happened to them.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief that he had told Xiu and Xiao Yu beforehand that he would be gone in a while to seek treatment for Yao Ling. Otherwise, Xiu wouldn¡¯t be here.

    "Xiu, you need to hold onto this robe and try to cover the glow!" Yao Ying quickly ordered Xiu. Xiu looked at the glowing symbols and felt lucky that the symbols were only slightly bigger than his palm, otherwise, there would be no way for them to cover up the whole big gate.

    "Yes, Young Master!" Xiu quickly did as what he had told to do.

    When he saw what Yao Ying was going to do, he asked hesitantly, "Are you sure this is going to work, Young Master?" His lips slightly twitched when he saw what the young master was holding. Was his young master being serious?! He didn¡¯t think that it would work ah~!

    "I hope that it works too!" Yao Ying said while sweating profusely. He could only think of this and in a way, he was gambling too!

    "Eh... sure, Young Master!" Xiu felt helpless --- he didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. This idea was quite ridiculous ah~!

    Yao Ying brought out a big brush and ck ink. While Xiu was covering the symbols with Yao Ying¡¯s robe, Yao Ying was busy painting the symbols so it would be covered by the nk ink. Xiu could only gape but didn¡¯t dare to say what was on his mind. This glow happened because of a magical thing, could it be easily covered up by ck ink?

    However, the ck ink was actually able to make it dimmer but not entirely stop the glow. Yao Ying looked at his work and became smug because it looked like that this method was working. They could just cover it up with the robe and all would be fine!

    Xiu looked at the scene in front of him in disbelief! How could such a stupid method work?! He could only admire his young master¡¯s luck ah~! The once majestic and precious looking symbols became... er... how should he exin it? Became as dark as charcoal... Nothing could be seen but still... the glow was leaking here and there, although it wasn¡¯t as bright as before.

    However, suddenly something changed... the glow was getting brighter --- far brighter than the previous glow which Yao Ying stopped by hitting the back of Yao Ling¡¯s head. But now... what should they do?

    That was the question that Xiu asked, "Young Master, what should we do? The ck ink couldn¡¯t hold it back and there¡¯s a sign that the ck ink is melting!"

    They really needed to think another way to solve this. Yao Ying gritted his teeth and boldly made a decision... if he couldn¡¯t stop the glow, why didn¡¯t he take the symbols away from the gate and bring the symbols along with him somewhere else?

    Yao Ying pulled out his sword from its sheath and said to Xiu, "Continue covering it up!"

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t need to see what Xiu was doing because he trusted him. He gathered his inner qi to the sword and he tried to make a dent on the gate. He tried several times before he got any result because the gate was quite sturdy. Once he was sessful, he quickly sliced the gate in a circr motion and took away the symbols --- leaving behind a big hole on the front gate.

    He didn¡¯t use any protection when he touched the symbols and he could feel his hand was burning because of it. Yao Ying paid no attention to the hot feeling and quickly brought the symbols inside of Aunt Yue¡¯s house --- naturally, Xiu was following him from behind.

    Before he arrived at Aunt Yue¡¯s house, something weird happened once again. Even though he felt the burning feeling on his hand at first, it didn¡¯t hurt him --- just made him feel slightly ufortable. However, the symbols¡¯ temperature suddenly dropped and turned into warm, then the warm feeling enveloped his whole body... when it happened, the glow started to diminish. After a little while, the warm feeling was gone and the symbols stopped glowing altogether.

    What the heck just happened?

    Yao Ying and Xiu looked at the symbols in confusion. They didn¡¯t understand what had just happened. Xiu asked softly, "Young Master... why did it happen? Because you touched it or... because you took it from the gate?" However, he believed in the former case than thetter. After all, there was no abnormality happened when the young master sliced the gate just now.

    Yao Yin looked at the symbols and his own hand in confusion. He honestly didn¡¯t understand what was going on too! He probably needed to ask Aunt Yue about it, but one thing for sure... he felt like hacking the symbols on his hand. If it only needed him to touch it, then why did he need to paint on it or slice the gate with so many difficulties?!

    He could just touch it from the start!

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ Yao Ying cursed inwardly.

    After the danger had passed, Yao Ying started to get a headache. He was in a hurry just now and didn¡¯t think of any precaution! What should he do about the hole in the front gate? He couldn¡¯t attach the symbols back ah~! He knew that he needed to do something about it or else... people would notice that something was amiss in this forbidden ce.

    Yao Ying was speechless! He really wanted to pull his own hair in frustration! He turned to look at Xiu and said in a righteous tone, "Xiu... I will give you an important job."

    Xiu nodded and asked, "Yes, Young Master?"

    Yao Ying threw the symbols on his hand at Xiu and said, "Attach this to the front gate once more!"

    After that, without waiting for Xiu¡¯s answer, Yao Ying directly ran away without looking back using his qing gong and went inside Aunt Yue¡¯s house. Xiu was bbergasted when he saw the symbols on his hand. He cried inwardly, ¡¯Young Master ah~! How do you want me to attach this back to the gate?!¡¯

 Chapter 288 Yao Lings Dream

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t feel an ounce of guilt when he pushed the responsibility to Xiu. He believed in the man¡¯s ability, besides, he wanted to get back to Yao Ling¡¯s side as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t throw the job away because he was toozy to do it! Yes, that wasn¡¯t the real reason ah~!

    When he saw Yao Ling¡¯s peaceful face, he sighed in relief and he was able to let himself rx for a little bit.

    Lin Jian asked, "Are you finally done?"

    Yao Ying nodded. "It¡¯s done." He didn¡¯t n to tell Lin Jian anything, after all, he knew that thetter would mock him for sure. After knowing that Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t tell him anything, Lin Jian didn¡¯t bother to ask about it anymore. At least, the matter had been dealt with by Yao Ying.

    The three of them watched over Aunt Yue and Yao Ling¡¯s bodies silently, waiting for both of them to wake up in anxiousness.

    When would they wake up? More than one shichen had already passed ah~!

    --------------

    Aunt Yue realized that someone was touching the front gate and he stopped the glow by merely touching it. The core of the symbols was actually connected to her, thus, she was able to perceive what had just happened outside. She looked at Yao Ling in surprise, knowing that thetter must have been married. She sighed in relief --- it seemed like thisss had a reliable husband.

    She previously saw a glimpse of her past and Aunt Yue knew that Yao Ling had found her happiness, but she just thought that they were still at the beginning of their rtionship. It turned out that she had married that man. Somehow, it made her happy and feel relieved at the same time.

    At least, she wouldn¡¯t be all alone in this world.

    Aunt Yue closed her eyes and continued healing Yao Ling. When she was finally finished it took two shichen and she had only one shichen left. That was the only time she had to wake up Yao Ling¡¯s subconscious mind and talk to her.

    Aunt Yue¡¯s soul jumped into Yao Ling¡¯s subconscious mind and shended inside Yao Ling¡¯s dream. She was currently dreaming of her wedding day with Yao Ying. What Aunt Yue saw when she looked at people¡¯s memories were only bits and pieces, but from Yao Ling¡¯s dream, she could see everything vividly. This was the part that she hadn¡¯t seen before...

    It confirmed that Yao Ling was indeed already married to that handsome young man and fortunately, she had the time to give him a warning just now.

    She could see how the ceremony was only a solemn one --- no one attended, except the two of them. When Aunt Yue looked at their condition, she really wanted to cry. She was really a poor child! It was fortunate that she found this man, otherwise, she would lead a hard life all alone in the vige. Aunt Yue didn¡¯t realize that she had already shed a few tears until she touched her own face.

    Aunt Yue really wanted to see the rest of the child¡¯s life, but she didn¡¯t have much time left. They were currently racing with time.

    Aunt Yue could only erase Yao Ling¡¯s dream and turn it into a white nk canvas. Yao Ling noticed that her surroundings had be white and the previous scene had changed in a sh. She looked around in confusion and wanted to get back to her wedding day! When she looked back, despite the mourning period, it was one of the happiest days in her life!

    Yao Ling looked around in nervousness, wondering what was actually going on.

    Before she could yell out loud to call Yao Ying¡¯s name, suddenly... a woman appeared in front of her. She had never seen this woman before. "Who are you?" Yao Ling asked in a voice full of suspicion.

    Aunt Yue smiled softly at her but didn¡¯t directly answer her. Instead, she asked, "What does thest thing you remember?"

    "Me? My wedding day!" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "Child... Try to remember... Don¡¯t lose yourself in your dream! Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to leave this ce!" Aunt Yue gave her a warning. If she stayed in this state, then she would be in aa forever. This was the test that the symbols had given to Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows and thought about the nonsense that this woman was talking about! She tried to remember thest thing that she did but it incurred a headache that made her almost faint. It seemed like there was a barrier that preventing her from remembering. What was going on? Yao Ling felt confused.

    She massaged her own forehead, trying to make her headache better. Yao Ling wanted to ask a question to the woman, but she didn¡¯t know how to call her, so she politely asked, "At least, can you tell me your name? I don¡¯t know how to address you."

    "Just call me Grandma Yue," Aunt Yue said. Aunt Yue was always appreciating the kinship between her own n and she believed that Yao Ling was one of them, thus, Yao Ling should call her with the correct term. The younger generation usually called her Grandma Yue.

    Yao Ling looked at her in surprise and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from gasping. She really thought that this woman was a bit delusional or maybe... a bit not right in the head, hence she asked, "You are so young! How could I call a beautiful woman like you as Grandma?"

    "I¡¯m almost a hundred years old, so naturally, I¡¯m already old enough to be your grandmother," Aunt Yue said lightly.

    Yao Ling was speechless. Really? Almost a hundred years old? Was this woman ying a joke with her? However... her face was quite serious ah~! She really needed to ask her beauty routine! Yao Ling didn¡¯t know that Xiao Fang had also thought the same thing as her --- both were envying Aunt Yue¡¯s youthfulness.

    Yao Ling could only relent and call her in a soft voice, "Grandma Yue!"

    Aunt Yue nodded in satisfaction. "What do you want to ask about?"

    "I can¡¯t seem to remember thest thing that I did!" Yao Ling honestly said. She remembered the part when she came to the Crescent Lake, but whenever she tried to remember what she did at the forbidden ce, her mind became blurry and it seemed like something was blocking her mind, trying to prevent her from remembering something.

    Aunt Yue gave her a little hint, "Did you touch something?"

    The closer she was to the answer, the crazier her headache had be. "Argh!!" She yelled in pain, but Aunt Yue didn¡¯t do anything. Thetter didn¡¯t try to help Yao Ling lessening the pain. She had already helped her enough and she needed to remember it by herself...

    Yao Ling closed her eyes and gritted her teeth, trying to bear with the pain. She seemed to remember that Yao Ying was beside her in front of the forbidden ce. In the midst of her pain, she seemed to see herself trying to reach something. Her hand was moving on its own, but... but... what thing? Yao Ling couldn¡¯t think clearly due to the pain and she fell down on her knees.

    Aunt Yue was looking at her in worry, but she couldn¡¯t interfere and could only look at her helplessly. She tried to encourage her, "You can do it! You can remember everything!"

    Yao Ling gasped in pain but she tried to be strong. She noticed that Grandma Yue said that she would stay here forever if she couldn¡¯t remember. She wanted to meet Yao Ying and hugged him. She missed him. They only had each other and she didn¡¯t want to leave him all alone. She knew how much pain it would bring her husband. Thus, it gave her a sudden burst of strength.

    The memories moved at a fast pace and she remembered at how she touched the symbols that were attached at the forbidden ce. Suddenly, it was shining brightly and then she was unconscious. She remembered that she felt the pain at the back of her head --- to be exact, her neck.

    Who dared to hit her?

 Chapter 289 Yao Lings Identity

    Even though she couldn¡¯t remember everything clearly, but she was able to recall that Yao Ying was the only one who was behind her! She was hit by a sudden realization... Was... was it him?! Was it really Yao Ying¡¯s doing?

    Her eyes widened in surprise!

    How dare he?!

    If it was really him, she would really kick him out of her bed ah~! How dare he do that to her? He might have had a good reason, but still... hitting her?! Her?! It seemed like this man was getting bolder and she really needed to put him on his ce!

    Yao Ling could only pout in anger, after all, the man wasn¡¯t here. She couldn¡¯t vent her anger at the moment ah~!

    Aunt Yue saw her change of expression and asked, "What happened? Are you okay?" The young woman looked angry...? But why? Aunt Yue knew that she had stopped midway when receiving the blessings from the symbols but didn¡¯t really pay attention to the reason, so naturally, she didn¡¯t know that Yao Ling was getting angry at her husband.

    There would be no way Yao Ling told such an intimate thing to Grandma Yue, so she shook her head softly and calmed herself down. She forced a smile and said, "Nothing! I just remembered something back."

    "Oh..." Aunt Yue mouthed.

    Yao Ling cursed inwardly and thought, ¡¯Yao Ying! Just you wait!¡¯

    Aunt Yue didn¡¯t really believe her, but she didn¡¯t pry any further. But instead, she asked once again, "Do you remember about it now?" This matter was more pressing and she needed Yao Ling to remember as soon as possible.

    Yao Ling hesitantly nodded, "I do! Do you have something to do with it?"

    Aunt Yue didn¡¯t answer her, but instead, she asked, "Did you feel a pull toe and touch the symbols back then?"

    Yao Ling nodded. She started to notice the stubborn and weird personality of this woman --- she only answered the questions that she wanted to answer. She felt at a loss when meeting such a person, after all, there were so many questions that she wanted to ask ah~!

    "Do the two words ¡¯Bei Yue¡¯ remind you of something?" Aunt Yue asked.

    Yao Ling tried hard to remember about it, but in the end, she shook her head. "What¡¯s that?" She had never heard about those words before. When Xiao Fang told the others about Bei Yue, Yao Ling was in aatose state. At that time, she couldn¡¯t hear them.

    Aunt Yue sighed, knowing that the young woman was indeed clueless. The matter of Bei Yue was only known to a few rted people in the Han Kingdom back then, so naturally, it was understandable if she had never heard of it. It was just wishful thinking on Aunt Yue¡¯s part.

    "I will exin it to you!" Aunt Yue said. She basically repeated everything that she had told the others.

    Yao Ling was surprised that there was a hidden n called Bei Yue and it was rted to her. Her eyes lit up when she realized that it meant... Grandma Yue probably knew something about her identity. She quickly asked, "Grandma Yue... do... do you know who I am? Or maybe... my parents?"

    Yao Ling remembered how looked alike Xiao Fang with her mother, thus, they quickly understood the rtionship between them. Maybe... maybe Grandma Yue would remember someone that resembled her? She knew the chance was quite small but she didn¡¯t want to give up. Judging from her story, the Bei Yue people that came here weren¡¯t that many... so the chance should be higher, right?

    Aunt Yue was a bit hesitant to answer this question, thus, she didn¡¯t know how to answer her question as well. She knew... she knew perfectly well who her parents were. However, if she didn¡¯t tell her right now, no one would be able to tell her about her parents in the future. She was in a dilemma.

    Yao Ling looked at Grandma Yue, feeling full of hope. When she saw the hesitancy in Aunt Yue¡¯s eyes, she understood that Grandma Yue really knew something. She just needed to give her a ¡¯push¡¯ so she would forget about her hesitancy.

    "Grandma... please... I¡¯ve been searching for so long," Yao Ling begged while tears were started to brim on the corner of her eyes. After that, she pulled out the only remembrance that was left by her birth mother from her hair and showed it to Grandma Yue. She wasn¡¯t really sure that Grandma Yue would recognize the hairpin, but at least, she tried.

    Yao Ling said, "This is the only thing that my mother left for me..."

    Aunt Yue looked at the hairpin in a sh but double-checked it again when she felt that it looked familiar. She would never forget about this hairpin!

    "This... this..." Aunt Yue said. She was still in a dilemma, but when she saw the hairpin... she couldn¡¯t help herself back and tears started to pour down from her eyes. If it was merely a guess before, but at the moment, she knew for sure that her guess was correct!

    "This... is the only thing that connects me to my birth mother. My adopted mother gave this to me so I could have a lead when searching for my real mother... Please... I know that you know something. You are the only one who can help me," Yao Ling continued to beg, hoping that Grandma Yue would pity her and finally decided to tell her the truth.

    Grandma Yue didn¡¯t say anything but her gaze never left the hairpin, it seemed like she was remembering something about this hairpin. Yao Ling asked once again, "Grandma Yue... you know who this hairpin belongs to, right?" Yao Ling knew that she was too excited, but she didn¡¯t care. She would force an answer from Grandma Yue!

    Aunt Yue closed her eyes and wiped the tears away. It seemed like fate really brought both of them together. She should tell her the truth! She sighed and answered in a low voice, "I know... I know it very well... Because that hairpin used to belong to me!"

    Yes, that hairpin was hers. So, how could she not remember about this hairpin?

    Yao Ling looked at Grandma Yue, feeling bbergasted. It was hers? This hairpin used to belong to Grandma Yue?! Somehow, she was still at disbelief...

    Yao Ling blurted out the question that kept nagging her, "So... you are my mother?"

    Aunt Yue flicked her forehead tenderly and finally, she was able to force a smile out. She answered, "Silly you! How could that be? I already told you that I¡¯m almost a hundred years old. If you are my daughter, I must have been pregnant at the age of eighty."

    Yao Ling gaped at her and she started to feel what she was being silly. "I... I thought... you were joking when you told me your age, Grandma Yue!" Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but stutter.

    "I never lie," Aunt Yue said briefly.

    "So... will you tell me now?" Yao Ling asked cautiously.

    Aunt Yue¡¯s attitude started to change for the better. She became more tender andpassionate towards Yao Ling. She touched Yao Ling¡¯s face and caressed it softly. "Dear... when I pay more attention to your face... you look like both of your parents... Your eyes and nose look just like your mother, while your mouth looks like your father... You are beautiful..."

    The more Yao Ling heard about it, the more she wanted to cry. She said softly, "Thank you, Grandma Yue..." She almost choked by her own tears.

    She finally would find out about her parents¡¯ identities.

 Chapter 290 A Secret Letter

    Aunt Yue nodded. "To tell you the truth, I think you are my granddaughter!" She dropped the bomb right away, making Yao Ling gape at her. She would never guess to hear that answer from Grandma Yue.

    Yao Ling looked at Grandma Yue in teary eyes... No wonder she kept feeling that she had a kinship with this woman. She was indeed surprised by the appearance of this unknown woman, but she didn¡¯t feel scared but instead, there was a hint of familiarity. She didn¡¯t pay attention to those points because she was too agitated just now.

    Now... everything made sense...

    "Grand... Grandma... You are really my grandma?" Yao Ling asked softly. She couldn¡¯t believe what she had just heard. She touched her grandmother¡¯s face with a trembling hand.

    Aunt Yue nodded her head. Without a second thought, Yao Ling quickly jumped into her embrace and both women were crying. They were just too happy to meet each other! Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether Grandma Yue had told her the truth or not, but there was no reason for her to lie. That was why she decided to trust her.

    After several moments, Yao Ling released her hands and looked up to Grandma Yue. They had no resemnce with each other but Yao Ling still decided to trust her. She was only an ordinary woman with no background or power, so there was no reason for Grandma Yue to say that she was her granddaughter for benefit purpose.

    Yao Ling cleared her throat and asked, "Grandma... why did you leave our real home and choose to go to the Han Kingdom?" If they didn¡¯t leave their home, wouldn¡¯t it mean that she was able to stay together with her family? Yao Ling knew that she was being unreasonable, after all, if that didn¡¯t happen, she wouldn¡¯t meet her adopted mother and Yao Ying. But still... there were some regrets in her heart.

    Human tended to be selfish once in a while. Yao Ling was only human and she was entitled to think of herself. After all, her life wasn¡¯t really smooth sailing too. If she could choose, she wanted to live a simple and carefree life.

    Aunt Yue sighed and exined. It wasn¡¯t because they were curious about the outside world, even though they lived in a secluded ce. However, a gue had terrorized the ce where they used to live. If they continued to stay there, all of them would be dead for sure. That was why they took a gamble and chose to leave their home. They wanted to have a better life, although that was only one of the main reasons.

    However, it seemed like fate wasn¡¯t on their side.

    They were stranded at the Han Kingdom and many of them were killed... before Uncle Qiu stepped up and tried to help them. Fortunately, Aunt Yue had several readings about the Han Emperor and what she said about his past and present were correct. Thus, the Han Emperor believed in her power. Otherwise, the Han Emperor would already wipe them out. They fell to the hands of a cruel monarch.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but ask, "What about my father and mother? Were theying with you too?"

    "Yes, they were..." Aunt Yue trailed off at thest part and it made Yao Ling¡¯s heart beat faster. She was curious... very curious.

    Yao Ling asked once more, "Then... then... where are they now?"

    They were together at that time, so Grandma Yue should know her parents¡¯ whereabouts, right? Yao Ling¡¯s hopeful face really pierced through Aunt Yue¡¯s heart. She didn¡¯t know how to exin everything to her because it was also a bitplicated.

    Yao Ling seemed to pick up her hesitancy once more and she sighed in disappointment. She decided to go with the soft approach, "Grandma... if it¡¯s hard for you to say, will you just tell me whether both of them are still alive or not?"

    However, Aunt Yue was still staring at the hairpin, looking like she didn¡¯t hear what Yao Ling had just said. It really made Yao Ling feel baffled. Before she could yell in frustration, Aunt Yue finally decided to answer, "I¡¯m not sure about your mother, but this hairpin... it can give us an answer."

    "Huh? But how?!" Yao Ling asked carefully. She always looked at this hairpin whenever she had the chance and she had never found that something was amiss with it.

    Aunt Yue showed Yao Ling carefully that there was a small secretpartment that could be opened when she turned the bird to the right. Yao Ling would never guess about it! She treated the hairpin as a precious heirloom, so she would never try to do that! She was afraid that she would break the hairpin and there was nothing left for her that could connect her with her birth family.

    When Aunt Yue turned the bird, there was a small ¡¯click¡¯ sound and something opened... The smallpartment was ced in the body of the hairpin --- no wonder it was thicker than usual hairpin, it served another purpose altogether. Yao Ling was in awe when she saw it.

    "Why did you make something like this?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She had never heard anyone in the Shu Kingdom made something like this before, thus, she knew that this hairpin was one of a kind.

    Aunt Yueughed bitterly. "The ce we used to live was quite dangerous. If I can honestly say, we are from the royal family of the n. Your grandfather had a lot of women and I am one of them. I¡¯m a noble consort... The rtionship there was quiteplicated and this hairpin was made as a way to secretlymunicate with the others," Aunt Yue exined the big picture.

    Yao Ling understood what she meant and she didn¡¯t dare to pry more about it. After all, it was already in the past and she also saw the pain in her grandmother¡¯s eyes. She didn¡¯t want her to relive those memories once more.

    "I get it..." Yao Ling said softly while patting Grandma Yue¡¯s hand softly. She tried tofort her. If someone was thrown to the royal family, there were bound to be schemes and conspiracies everywhere. They became more creative --- just to protect themselves. This hairpin was included.

    Yao Ling decided to change the direction of their conversation and point at the hairpin once more. "Grandma, look! There¡¯s a small scroll of paper in there." Yao Ling felt excited when she saw it... it must have been written by her mother!

    Yao Ling felt lucky that she went to the Han Kingdom along with Xiao Fang. If she stayed in the Shu Kingdom, there was no guarantee that she would be able to find the Bue Yue people --- her identity would be buried forever. She really needed to pray to the Big Buddha for the grace that he had given her.

    Aunt Yue nodded and she pulled out the letter, while her hands were trembling. She wondered what kind of news that she would get from Yao Ling¡¯s mother --- her daughter-inw. She opened the letter. At first, she wanted to let Yao Ling read it out loud, but when she saw the letter... she knew that it was impossible. After all, it was written with their secret code.

    Aunt Yue didn¡¯t know whether she would have the chance to teach Yao Ling about this secret code. However, she remembered that she saved the scroll about it somewhere --- she could just give it to her.

    Even if Yao Ling found out about this letter beforehand, she wouldn¡¯t be able to read it because of thenguage barrier. Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows when she saw the letter and asked, "Grandmother, can you read it for me?"

    The letter wasn¡¯t that long, so Aunt Yue skimmed over it for a little while before she finally opened her mouth and told Yao Ling what was written in there...

 Chapter 291 A Letter From Her Mother

    Aunt Yue cleared her throat before she started to read the letter in a soft and melodious voice...

    ------------------------

    Dear daughter,

    When I write this letter, I suppose that I¡¯m not by your side anymore. I send you away... not because I want to abandon you --- but because I want to protect you. Our Bei Yue¡¯s blood is quite strong and we have be the target of bad people. They took me as a prisoner because they want you... Someone whose veins are flowing with the pure blood of the Bei Yue royal family, just like your grandmother and father.

    I ran away when it was time for me to give birth to you, so I can set you free once you are born... Don¡¯t worry about me! I¡¯m alive somewhere... Don¡¯t search for me because they are lurking around me! I know they will use me as a bait to capture you and with that, they won¡¯t let me die.

    Live for yourself and find your own happiness!

    I love you.

    Remember your father and I --- we both love you. Don¡¯t ever think that we didn¡¯t want you!

    Your mother,

    Su Wan.

    ------------------------

    ¡¯Su Wan... her mother¡¯s name is Su Wan. Such a beautiful name...¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. She felt ted when she heard that she was still alive. It was written a long time ago, but if she was used as a bait, then there was a possibility that she was indeed still alive.

    When Aunt Yue finished reading the letter, both women started to cry once more. They could imagine what happened back then --- how Yao Ling¡¯s mother tried so hard to give birth to her all alone while being chased by the enemies. Yao Ling remembered that Jiu Lan had once said that she was sent away right after birth because she could see a hint of dry blood here and there. It seemed like the one who cleaned her up was in a hurry, but she was trying so hard to make her as clean as possible in a short time...

    There was no hint of abuse, so the perpetrator should have done it tenderly. She made sure that the baby Yao Ling was bundled in a warm cloth so she could survive as long as possible. Jiu Lan had told her a few times that the perpetrator didn¡¯t really want to let her go, but Yao Ling was feeling doubtful about it. She only thought that Jiu Lan said that because she pitied her, but it didn¡¯t seem so now.

    Now... Yao Ling understood the reason.

    Her birth mother loved her and didn¡¯t want to be separated from her, but she had to let her go because she wanted her to live a happy life. If Yao Ling followed her mother, she would be imprisoned along with her mother and from the look of it, she would be used just like her grandmother.

    Yao Ling really wanted to cry when she understood her mother¡¯s predicament. It must have been the hardest choice that she had ever made in her life. Yao Ling could feel the warmth of her mother¡¯s love --- even before meeting her in person.

    In a way, her birth mother and adopted mother both had lived a hard life... their lives were quite simr. Both made a difficult choice and live with it, despite the pain. She admired how strong both women were.

    She shook her head and started to think clearly... At least, Yao Ling knew that her mother should be alive somewhere. Su Wan... Her name was Su Wan... Her mother. She engraved the name inside her heart and she resolutely wanted to find her --- no matter what the consequences were.

    Aunt Yue couldn¡¯t believe what her daughter-inw had gone through, she thought that she had sessfully escaped back then. Thus, she surrendered herself to the Han Emperor. Was the one who captured her daughter-inw was the Han Emperor? However, Little Qiu never said something about it, so she didn¡¯t think that it was possible. But who? Who was the culprit?

    It seemed like things weren¡¯t as simple as she thought. Their enemies weren¡¯t only the Han Emperor. Aunt Yue massaged her aching forehead and she suddenly felt tired... she had been fighting for her whole life --- inside her n, her family, and even in this foreignnd. She wanted to escape to live happily, but instead, she got into another trouble and became a prisoner.

    She looked at Yao Ling and sighed. It seemed like the burden would be ced on her in the future. Once she epted the inheritance, her life wouldn¡¯t be as peaceful as before... Aunt Yue didn¡¯t know whether she should involve Yao Ling or not...

    Yao Ling cleared her dry throat, trying to gain her grandmother¡¯s attention. She asked, "Grandma... why did my mother all alone? What about my father? Is he...?" Yao Ling couldn¡¯t bear to say the word ¡¯dead¡¯, so she could only trail off at thest part.

    Aunt Yue answered, "In a way, he was dead. But could also be said as not..."

    Yao Ling looked at her grandmother and blinked confusedly. What was that supposed to mean? Dead yet not dead? Was there really a need to use a riddle at this point?

    Yao Ling could only try to guess and ask, "Is he in aa?"

    "No..." Aunt Yue shook her head.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Yao Ling was speechless, she didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. What didn¡¯t her grandmother exin anything to her clearly as soon as possible? Instead, she chose to do it in a roundabout way. She could see that her grandmother had a weird quirk, but why did she have to apply it right at this moment?! If she wasn¡¯t her own grandmother, she might use her poison to quickly find the answer herself!

    Yao Ling calmed herself down and asked in a soft voice, "Grandmother... Can you exin to me about it more?" She bit her lower lips in anxiety... when would her grandmother answer the questions?!

    Aunt Yue actually wanted to answer her questions, but she was just too shocked about the sudden news that came from her daughter-inw. If she was still alive, she would need Yao Ling¡¯s helps to save her own parents --- but, Yao Ling¡¯s father¡¯s life was a bitplicated at the moment!

    Yao Ling¡¯sst question brought Aunt Yue back to reality. She didn¡¯t really hear what Yao Ling had just said, thus, she asked, "Sorry... Can you repeat the question once again?"

    Yao Ling who was already feeling anxious could only repeat her question once again. "Can you tell me what actually happened to my father?"

    Aunt Yue nodded her head despite her disarray heart. If she wanted Yao Ling to help, she needed to tell her everything. However, it would also make Yao Ling¡¯s life be a bit moreplicated. She remembered how her daughter-inw wanted Yao Ling to forget about her real identity and live a happy new life.

    Telling Yao Ling everything... wouldn¡¯t it be against what Su Wan had wanted?

    Aunt Yue sighed and she decided to let Yao Ling choose her own life. Whether she wanted to live a little bitplicated life or a simple life --- it was definitely up to her. Aunt Yue didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to be forced to live the life that she didn¡¯t want. She also wanted her granddaughter to live a happy life.

    However, she was also a bit biased... she also cared about Yao Ling¡¯s parents. What if... with Yao Ling¡¯s presence, they would be able to find happiness once again? In a way, this was a gamble!

    "Let me ask you a question first... After I know your answer, I can make a decision whether I should tell you the truth or not," Aunt Yue said.

    "What question?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. She just wanted to know her parents¡¯ whereabouts ah~! Why was it so difficult?

    "Do you still want to know your father¡¯s whereabouts even if you will be involved in a bigger conspiracy?" Aunt Yue asked.

 Chapter 292 Rong Qiu

    Yao Ling looked at Aunt Yue in confusion and blurted out, "Bigger conspiracy? What do you mean?" The more she heard, the more confused she became.

    Aunt Yue gave a little hint, "Your father is indeed still alive but he assumes another identity..." She added inwardly, ¡¯His identity wouldplicate the matter further!¡¯

    Yao Ling gasped in shock. "Another identity?" Her curiosity was piqued more and more.

    Aunt Yue nodded and she waited for Yao Ling to give her an answer.

    Yao Ling pondered over the matter, but she still chose to know her parents¡¯ whereabouts. She had gone so far, how could she easily give up about it? Besides, she also didn¡¯t have it easy before. It was just that her luck had gotten better after she met Yao Ying. That was all! She had already involved herself with Xiao Fang¡¯s matter which was also a big conspiracy, so who cared if she added one more?

    Life was hard, to begin with. It was also full of up and down! She could bear with it.

    At least, she had Yao Ying by her side. When she thought of her husband, subconsciously she smiled tenderly.

    Yao Ling nodded her head and answered resolutely, "I¡¯m willing to be involved. I know my mother wants me to stay oblivious and be happy, but I can¡¯t. Even though I lead a good life, I will still feel that something is missing if I don¡¯t know my own birth parents. I... I need to know my root!"

    Aunt Yue nodded, feeling happy with her choice. She was proud of her granddaughter who didn¡¯t feel afraid of hardship. Yao Ling didn¡¯t try to run away, but instead, she chose to persist in finding her own roots. She might be young, but she was a strong one. Her stubborn nature really resembled her father.

    She didn¡¯t forget to ask, "What about your husband? Do you think he will agree with your choice?" She wanted to gauge the rtionship between the couple by asking that question. She didn¡¯t really want to pry about it, but she just wanted to know whether that young man treated her granddaughter well.

    Yao Ling waved one of her hands leisurely. "He will agree with everything that I choose," Yao Ling answered confidently. She understood Yao Ying¡¯s personality best and he would understand why she chose the hard path. They had been through thick and thin together after they got married, so she didn¡¯t doubt her own choice at all.

    Aunt Yue nodded. It seemed like her granddaughter was in an equal position in their marriage, she was just afraid that Yao Ling was being bullied by her husband. She felt relieved when she heard her answer.

    "Then... I will be d to tell you everything..." Aunt Yue said with a smile.

    She started to tell her everything from the start. Aunt Yue was betrothed to Yao Ling¡¯s grandfather from a young age. However, it was purely political and there was no love between them. Aunt Yue¡¯s ability was inherited from her predecessors and the n leader would need it for the benefits of the n.

    However, Yao Ling¡¯s grandfather wasn¡¯t really a good man. Yes, he was a good leader, but his heart was easily swayed by beautiful women. That was why he had so many concubines, hence it made Aunt Yue¡¯s heart turned cold. She still did her job as a shaman of their n and because of that, Yao Ling¡¯s grandfather didn¡¯t dare to act overboard in front of Aunt Yue.

    He respected her, but he only touched her so he could have a sessor. That was how she was pregnant with Yao Ling¡¯s father on her stomach. She didn¡¯t really expect the n leader¡¯s love, instead, she could get a pure love from her own child. In her mind, there was nothing purer than the love of a child. Thus, she spent her time more with her son and didn¡¯t care about how the n leader spent his time.

    Aunt Yue might not care about her husband¡¯s affection, but the concubines cared. They wanted to have children but the rules didn¡¯t allow them to, hence they were trying so hard to kill Yao Ling¡¯s father. After all, the n leader¡¯s affection always went to him.

    "Yao Ling ah~! Your father¡¯s name is Rong Qiu," Aunt Yue almost forgot to tell her his name.

    Finally, Yao Ling found out his name and she captured it inside her heart --- Rong Qiu.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t ask any questions and just listened to everything that her grandmother told her. She gripped both of Grandma Yue¡¯s tighter, just to give her a sense offort.

    Aunt Yue smiled when she understood that the young woman was trying tofort her. Her gentleness reminded her of Su Wan. The woman might look soft and harmless, but she was actually strong and protected her beloved really well. Aunt Yue patted the back of Yao Ling¡¯s hands and smiled, then she continued on with the story.

    That hairpin was one of the ways shemunicated with her trusted aides. She made several looked alike hairpin and gave them to them, whenever they met, they could exchange the information by exchanging the hairpin.

    Long story short, she had known that there would be a terrifying gue. However, she didn¡¯t tell anyone about it. She prepared herself and her trusted aides for a way out, then she left the n behind. She didn¡¯t feel any remorse when she left and she only thought of their bright future.

    Her power was greater when she lived inside the n due to the soil there. Once she left there, she could only keep three and a half of her power. There was a restriction when she went out of theirnd and for the first few weeks, she wouldn¡¯t be able to use her power. The day they were raided by the Han Emperor¡¯s party was thest day of the restriction.

    If only... if only she had her power at that time, she would be able to avoid the cmity. They could only bear the consequences. Yao Ling¡¯s father pretended to be the leader because he wanted to protect her own mother. He didn¡¯t state that he had a wife because he knew that Su Wan was pregnant with Yao Ling, thus he made up the lie that Su Wan was actually his servant.

    Their n wasn¡¯t that big, so the clothing between the royal family andmoners were actually simr. It made the Han Emperor¡¯s people didn¡¯t feel suspicious at all. However, because of that Yao Ling¡¯s mother and father were separated from each other.

    Aunt Yue really felt regret about this matter. If it was one dayter, they would be able to avoid the whole fiasco and they wouldn¡¯t be separated. Little Yao Ling would still be by her side, living a good and happy life. She knew that it was wishful thinking and sometimes, she hoped that she would be able to turn back time --- but she couldn¡¯t. Her power was also limited, after all, she wasn¡¯t a God.

    Aunt Yue and Rong Qiu were taken as hostages and put at the same ce, thus, they were able tomunicate with each other. They were put under house arrest, but they were treated better than the others. It made Rong Qiu feel worried about his wife --- after all, she was around three to four months pregnant at that time.

    On the other hand, themoners were treated differently. They were put in prison and the condition was pretty bad there. However, at least, they didn¡¯t know that Su Wan was pregnant with the direct descendant of the pure Bei Yue blood. Su Wan understood this point, hence she didn¡¯t refuse to be treated as a servant.

    This was what made Aunt Yue wondering in confusion... How could someone know that Su Wan was pregnant with a pure Bei Yue blood child? Did they have a traitor? Bei Yue people was a loyal person, but who knew...?

 Chapter 293 So Magical

    Aunt Yue warned Yao Ling about this matter and told her to be careful in the future. She wasn¡¯t allowed to tell other people her real identity --- just in case, the enemy got the wind of it. It would be dangerous for her if Aunt Yue¡¯s spection was right. It was hard to find the culprit because they were hidden in the dark --- unlike them.

    There must be a traitor among them! It was the most possible exnation. Aunt Yue emphasized this matter a few times until she felt satisfied and saw that Yao Ling understood the consequences if other people found out her real identity as a pure Bei Yue.

    After warning her, Aunt Yue started the continuation of the story once again.

    Aunt Yue and Rong Qiu tried to make a n together, but thetter was pretty stubborn and kept trying to choose to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Rong Qiu was a good leader, but he was too honest. Su Wan was usually the sly ones between the couple if Aunt Yue really admitted it. Despite her gentleness, Su Wan was very smart!

    Aunt Yue got a headache because of her son¡¯s stubbornness, thus, she decided to make a side n which Rong Qiu didn¡¯t know about.

    Yao Ling started to grasp what her grandmother was going to say. However, she chose to listen because she didn¡¯t know whether her guess was correct or not. "Grandmother, what happened next? My parents were separated since that moment, right? Have they ever meet each other again after that?"

    Aunt Yue sighed and admitted, "You are so clever! Indeed, they were separated since your mother went to prison. And no... they have never met each other ever again after that."

    "How?" Yao Ling asked in a low voice.

    "The Han Emperor had been told about my power, thus, the separation urred. They deliberately used themoners¡¯ life to force me to submit to them. I can only promise them that I will use my power the next day," Aunt Yue exined. Aunt Yue had prayed to the Big Buddha that her power really would be unlocked the next day --- after all, it was just a guess that her power would be locked for a few weeks. No one from her family had ever tried to leave their homnd, thus, Aunt Yue was also gambling back then.

    The Han Emperor didn¡¯t fully believe in Aunt Yue¡¯s power but he was also curious. If he was able to control Aunt Yue, he would be able to take over the world. Without those pieces of knowledge and hopes, he would kill all of the people in the ship in one swoop.

    "And then? Was your power unlocked the next day?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Fortunately... yes," Aunt Yue answered. If it wasn¡¯t, she would also feel at a loss...

    "Then... how the Han Emperor reacted?" Yao Ling felt really curious about the old man¡¯s expression.

    "Once I disyed a little bit of my power, he was entranced and I could see the greed in his eyes... He promised me that he would quickly let go of all the people that were confined in the prison if I worked for him. If I refused, he would show no mercy. Finally, we made a deal!"

    After all... Aunt Yue had no other choice but epted the deal...

    Yao Ling sighed in pain --- she felt that she could understand how desperate the situation back then. Her n¡¯s future was on the hand of her grandmother... what if the power was still locked? She believed that her grandmother would die in regret.

    "Did he really release the prisoners?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Aunt Yue nodded. "I saw it with my own eyes. Little Qiu was the one who helped me make sure that the Han Emperor was really following his part of the deal. However, he wouldn¡¯t let go of your father! The Han Emperor was quite clever... if he released Rong Qiu, there was a chance that I would mislead him and didn¡¯t tell him the real reading..."

    Yao Ling started to understand her parents¡¯ personality and she asked, "Did my father ept the arrangement?"

    "That was actually the problem... Rong Qiu was a proud person and he chose to die rather than be a puppet," Aunt Yue exined in a sad voice. She fought a lot with Rong Qiu about it... It made Aunt Yue feel a massive headache back then. Aunt Yue wanted them to stay there quietly at least for a few years and observed what happened to their people.

    However, Rong Qiu disagreed. Not only because of his stubbornness, but he was also worried about the pregnant Su Wan. Once Rong Qiu knew that his wife was able to leave, he insisted that they should only pretend to submit to them. Once the right time came, they should leave and try to find Su Wan. However, since when running away was easy?

    They were in a foreign kingdom and didn¡¯t know anything about it. Not only that, if they were hastily running away, what if the Han Emperor hunted the rest of their people and killed them?

    In this matter, Yao Ling found that her grandmother was more clearheaded than her father. She asked, "Why...? Why did my father seem to be so muddleheaded?" In Yao Ling¡¯s mind, if he was the future leader, he should think of his people first.

    Aunt Yue sighed. "It can¡¯t be med solely on your father..."

    Yao Ling looked at Aunt Yue in confusion. Her father was the one who made such a decision, then who else could they me ah~?

    "You need to know about the real reason because it will affect your life too," Aunt Yue said softly. "Once you get married and make love... you will have a bond with your spouse."

    "Bond? What kind of bond?" Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. There were so many pieces of information that she needed to digest in one go and she started to understand how Xiao Fang had felt back then.

    "When you made love... have your husband ever told you that something weird happened back then?" Aunt Yue asked curiously.

    Yao Ling shook her head. They just consumed the marriage a few days ago and then she touched the symbols. After that... she started to realize something, she didn¡¯t know where she was! Suddenly, her grandmother appeared out of nowhere! Yao Ling gasped and asked, "Grandmother... what actually happened to me?! Where am I? Where is Yao Ying?"

    Aunt Yue noticed that her granddaughter was in a panic, thus, she exined everything. Yao Ling felt her knees go weak. She couldn¡¯t believe that she was actually in aa and her grandmother was meeting her inside her dream!

    What kind of weird thing was this?!

    Yao Ling asked, "But why does this dream feel so real? I can feel my own heartbeat and even feel pain!"

    Aunt Yueughed, "Because, in a way, this can be said as a different reality... this isn¡¯t just a simple dream... I used my power..."

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. Then, she admitted, "We just consumed the marriage the day before I touched the symbols, so even if there was something weird happened, my husband wouldn¡¯t have the chance to tell me."

    Aunt Yue merely gaped at her. No wonder Yao Ling seemed to be oblivious to everything, hence Aunt Yue decided to exin once again. "You should ask your husband whether there was a shining birthmark on your body. The shape should be a crescent moon," Aunt Yue said.

    "What¡¯s the connection between the birthmark and the bond?" Yao Ling asked. She couldn¡¯t believe that there was a part of her body that actually could glow! What kind of crazy thing was that? For her real n, it must be an ordinary thing. But for Yao Ling who lived on the outside world, she felt that it was so magical!

 Chapter 294 A Legend

    "There was a legend in our n..." Aunt Yue started the story in a softpelling voice.

    In that legend, it was specifically said that the pure Bei Yue could activate her power once she mated to her one true love. How could they know whether it was really her one true love or not? It was from the glowing birthmark, of course. The Bei Yue n had an affiliation with the moon, especially the crescent moon. That was always the symbols of their n from generation to generation.

    If Yao Ling made love with another person and he wasn¡¯t her one true love, then the birthmark wouldn¡¯t glow. They wouldn¡¯t be able to activate her power and their bond and it seemed like this was used to prevent that people would use Yao Ling¡¯s body just to achieve his ambition.

    Unfortunately, Aunt Yue didn¡¯t have the luck to experience that one true love with her current husband. She fell in love once and that person was the n leader¡¯s brother --- the one that supposed to be the n leader. They had promised to marry each other and make love, but... that person was dead... She had to follow the rules and marry the next n leader... that was why there was no mutual love between Aunt Yue and her husband.

    "So... if yesterday I hadn¡¯t made love to my husband, did it mean even if I touched the symbols on the front gate... nothing would happen?" Yao Ling asked.

    Aunt Yue nodded and answered, "Precisely!"

    Yao Ling nodded her head, feeling amazed. "Grandmother... why are the symbols are put on the front gate? What¡¯s the purpose?"

    Aunt Yue answered, "I needed to build the exact same gate like the one at the n, so it will be easier for me to adjust with my life here. That gate was the symbols of our n, besides... I hope that one day my sessor would appear... It was just wishful thinking on my part, but who knew that I could be so lucky and you appeared!"

    Aunt Yue had lost hope a long time ago, but it seemed like fate still wanted to bring them together. The Bei Yue n wouldn¡¯t perish here...

    Yao Ling was able to see how Aunt Yue missed her homnd and her people, but it was understandable. Without that kind of hope, any sane people would be crazy if they were imprisoned for such a long time.

    "Grandmother... what do you mean by bond?" Yao Ling almost forgot to ask this question.

    "Hmm... it can be said that you can feel it in your heart when the other is in danger. However, I¡¯m not too sure myself... I don¡¯t have the luxury to bond with my one true love. Your father probably knows about it better," Aunt Yue said sadly.

    "Rong Qiu doesn¡¯t have the power like us because he¡¯s a man. The legacy of the power can only be inherited by a woman descendant, however... the bond was still there... I supposed you should ask him when you are able to meet him in the future. Or... you can explore it by yourself..." Aunt Yue exined everything and Yao Ling started to understand her father¡¯s irresponsible behavior.

    "Father did that... because of the bond, right?" Yao Ling asked confidently. There was no other exnation, but this!

    Aunt Yue nodded. "Indeed... maybe the bond makes them couldn¡¯t bear to be apart from each other, maybe because he was able to feel that your mother was in danger. Your father never exined anything to me... That¡¯s the reason why I told you that I¡¯m not really sure about it myself."

    However, Aunt Yue could remember that he became more easily agitated and angry... Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. Did it mean she had to glue herself to Yao Ying all the time? She shuddered at the thought... If that really happened, how could they handle all the matter at Wang Fu ah~!

    Well.. they probably should explore this matter, so they would be able to set their boundaries about what they should and should not do.

    "Then, what happened next?" Yao Ling asked. It was important to know about her father first at this point.

    Aunt Yue started to reminisce once again.

    Of course, the Han Emperor had been guessing what their next move would be. Someone gave the Han Emperor a piece of advice --- he should separate the mother-son pair just in case they would n out something else because after the prisoners were released, they didn¡¯t have any more bargaining chips.

    Thus, it was decided that Rong Qiu would be taken as a hostage in the capital. They promised to treat him good but who knew? Judging from the Han Emperor¡¯s lecherous behavior, he didn¡¯t seem to be the type who would keep his promise.

    To prolong it, Aunt Yue had told them that she needed the special soil from her homnd to be able to predict the future with a better chance. If Aunt Yue couldn¡¯t predict urately, then she would be rendered useless. Thus, they didn¡¯t separate them but they constricted their movements by assigning a lot of guards --- triple times from the current guards.

    The Han Emperor sent his men to take a big amount of soil, even though he had been warned that there would be a gue there. He didn¡¯t even care whether his own men would die because of it, as long as he got the soil then other things didn¡¯t matter. He didn¡¯t even tell his men that there was a gue there. Yes, he was that selfish and yet, he said that it was for the greater good of their kingdom.

    This was why the forbidden ce was built at Crescent Lake. The soil under this forbidden ce was especially taken from their homnd and it waspatible with this ce.

    The people that were sent there some were dead due to the gue and some were able to survive --- but they were already contaminated by the ugly gue, so once they arrived back at the Han Kingdom, they were dead too. Only the soil was left...

    Aunt Yue sighed, "This ce was built with people¡¯s blood..." She didn¡¯t lie to the Han Emperor about the soil, but she still felt guilty about it. Since then, she could tell the fortune more urately than before. However, she couldn¡¯t sleep soundly at night for several months because her mind kept thinking about those victims.

    "After that... did the Han Emperor really take my father to the capital?" Yao Ling asked. If the answer was yes, she would certainly look for him too when she arrived there. At first, she only wanted to help Xiao Fang and didn¡¯t have a special attachment with the Han Emperor, but now... it was different. She had a personal grudge towards him... he was the one who ruined her family!

    Even if it was instigated by other people, he was still the one who got the final say! Yao Ling¡¯s eyes were burning with hatred! The Han Emperor was really hateful! He was the incarnation of the devil! She would do everything to help Xiao Fang seek her revenge! No... not Xiao Fang¡¯s revenge... but hers too!

    Aunt Yue sighed... this was theplicated matter started... her son didn¡¯t know anything about it, because this was a side n that she had concocted on her own... "I will tell you more shocking truth..." Aunt Yue said. She was afraid that Yao Ling would hate her for doing this... but she had no choice back then. Her son was the most important people in her life. She would sacrifice anything for him. Anything!

 Chapter 295 Rong Qius Identity

    "The Han Emperor indeed wanted to take your father to the capital, but I did something before that," Aunt Yue admitted hesitantly.

    "What did you do?" Yao Ling asked. Somehow, she felt that from the somber atmosphere that there was more to it.

    "Your father... didn¡¯t go to the capital... he¡¯s still here... right beside me," Aunt Yue said briefly.

    "What do you mean?!" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    Aunt Yue answered, "Do you remember about how I said Little Qiu kept helping our people back then?"

    "Errr... Little Qiu?" Yao Ling didn¡¯t seem to remember this person. But a figure fleeted in her mind... was it Uncle Qiu? Xiao Fang¡¯s godfather?

    Aunt Yue nodded. "He was sent to retrieve the soil as well..."

    Yao Ling gasped in surprise... "Grandmother, do you mean...?"

    Yao Ling remembered that her grandmother had said... everyone was dead after the expedition --- including, the one that was able toe back.

    Aunt Yue nodded. "The real Little Qiu was dead at that time!"

    "But then... how... how...?" Yao Ling was bbergasted. Was Uncle Qiu who was Xiao Fang¡¯s godfather... her father or the real Uncle Qiu? This matter was confusing to her. She didn¡¯t know how Xiao Fang would react when she heard about this matter.

    Aunt Yue exined to Yao Ling. At that time, the real Uncle Qiu knew that his time was limited. He had no wife, but he had a son and he needed someone to take care of his son. He knew that the Han Emperor would take Rong Qiu as a hostage, thus, he offered a deal. He would give his identity to Rong Qiu, but he had to raise his son with love. After all, if he was dead, his unreliable family would certainly devour his wealth and kill his son.

    That was why he met up with them before his demise.

    Yao Ling asked, "Did father agree? Didn¡¯t he want to leave and find my mother?"

    Aunt Yue looked down guiltily. "This is the tricky part..."

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes widened and she gasped in surprise. "Grandmother... Don¡¯t tell me... Oh no!" Yao Ling covered up her mouth when she realized what her grandmother had done.

    Aunt Yue nodded her head. "I... I deliberately make him forget everything and assumed the real Little Qiu¡¯s identity..."

    Yao Ling felt a headacheing. "This..."

    Yao Ling understood how worried her grandmother actually was. She did this selfishly, but she was thinking of her father¡¯s wellbeing. But what about her mother and her? Did it mean that she had already abandoned them at that time?

    "Grandmother... did you...?" Yao Ling didn¡¯t know how to ask the question whether she had abandoned Su Wan and her or not.

    Aunt Yue sighed. Without needing Yao Ling to say anything else, she understood what Yao Ling meant. She shook her head sadly, "I don¡¯t have a n to abandon both of you, after all, I have loved you even before you were born. The real Little Qiu has taken the job to take care of your mother. However, I can¡¯t let her be seen together with your father --- or else, people would start targeting you. But... I¡¯m also not sure what went wrong back then. I thought both you have been living safely together..."

    Yao Ling noticed her grandmother¡¯s predicament, but she knew that she thought of everything not only as a mother but also as the leader of the Bei Yue n. Could she me her? No, she couldn¡¯t. If it was Yao Ling who only stayed at the vige without any experiences, she would certainly me her grandmother.

    However, once she stepped foot into Wang Fu and involved herself with the Mi Hui and Xiao Fang¡¯s matter, she naturally understood that she couldn¡¯t see everything from one perspective. Each person would make a different choice and the pros and cons that they thought also would be different.

    Yao Ling hugged Aunt Yue andforted her, "It¡¯s okay, Grandma..."

    Aunt Yue felt the warmth when Yao Ling hugged andforted her. How long had it been since thest time she felt this way? She always yearned her family, but Rong Qiu didn¡¯t remember about her at all --- their interaction was quite awkward sometimes, but she still appreciated that he was still alive.

    "What about the person that became the hostage?" Yao Ling asked.

    "All of it was handled by the real Little Qiu," Aunt Yue admitted. Without the real Little Qiu¡¯s help, they couldn¡¯t do anything even if the Han Emperor took away Rong Qiu.

    "What about the face?" Yao Ling asked. She didn¡¯t believe that there was a crazy coincidence in which they had the same face --- that would be crazy!

    Aunt Yue answered, "I changed Rong Qiu¡¯s face so he looked like the real Little Qiu by embedding a human skin on his face and he didn¡¯t realize it due to my power too..."

    Yao Ling felt that it was all too magical, but she couldn¡¯t refute it. After all, the proof was right in front of her eyes ah~! Everything made sense now... why Uncle Qiu decided to stay here, instead of hanging around with his own son in the capital. But... didn¡¯t he forget about everything?

    "Grandma... why did fathere here to guard the sacred pet? Didn¡¯t he forget about everything?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Even though he doesn¡¯t remember anything, he is still able to feel the familiarity with me and Bao Bei," Aunt Yue exined. Bao Bei was actually Su Wan¡¯s beloved horse and Rong Qiu was Su Wan¡¯s childhood sweetheart, so naturally, he was also close to Bao Bei. Not only that, even if he was in the capital, his heart would always yearn for this soil --- the soil of his homnd. That was also the reason why Aunt Yue agreed to the real Little Qiu¡¯s arrangement, because sooner orter... Rong Qiu woulde back to her side, even though he didn¡¯t remember anything.

    "Will my father be able to remember his past once again?" Yao Ling asked seriously. She wanted his father¡¯s love and she hoped both of them could find her mother together, but she also needed to pay attention to Xiao Fang¡¯s feelings.

    "Yes, he can. I will teach you how," Aunt Yue said.

    "Why don¡¯t you do it yourself, Grandmother?" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    Aunt Yue smiled softly and patted Yao Ling¡¯s head, "I don¡¯t think I have that much time left..."

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ling asked.

    Aunt Yue touched Yao Ling¡¯s forehead and let her fall asleep, she gave her a little imprint so she would know how to break the spell that she had given to Rong Qiu. While talking, Aunt Yue had been using her power all the time to wake Yao Ling up and thetter didn¡¯t even realize that there was a surge of warmth that kept rotating inside her body, because she was too engrossed in their talk.

    Aunt Yue actually had already exhausted almost all her power and she knew that she couldn¡¯t hold on much longer. She still needed to preserve her energies, knowing that man woulde and attack them if they were toote. She could try to cheat his senses, but her power had grown weaker. In the end, he would have known that something wasn¡¯t right in here.

    Aunt Yue changed her mind and decided to just imprint everything in Yao Ling¡¯s mind about their power, not only how to wake Rong Qiu up.

    She used her final power to push Yao Ling away from her dream and finally... Yao Ling woke up from heratose state.

    The trio was surprised when they saw an abnormality on Aunt Yue and Yao Ling¡¯s body... The white glowing like with the golden thread on it vanished all of a sudden.

    They quickly stood beside the bed and looked at both of them more clearly.

 Chapter 296 Go! Quickly Go!

    Yao Ying quickly touched Yao Ling¡¯s cheek tenderly and felt that something somewhat had changed. He could see that her eyes started to flutter softly and it made him happy. ¡¯She¡¯sing back!¡¯ He thought to himself. True enough, not too long after that, Yao Ling opened her eyes slowly.

    Even though he had prepared himself, Yao Ying still jumped in surprise and quickly asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

    Yao Ling smiled and nodded her head. In a hoarse voice, she asked, "Where is my grandmother?"

    Yao Ying was confused. "Grandmother? Who is your grandmother?" He didn¡¯t forget to help her up and pour her a cup of water, which Yao Ling drank in one go. She was beyond thirsty.

    "Aunt Yue..." Yao Ling answered softly. "She¡¯s my grandmother!"

    Yao Ying turned around and pointed at Aunt Yue. He was quite surprised by the sudden turn of event, but he didn¡¯t make anyment on it. He knew that she would tell him about itter.

    Aunt Yue also opened her eyes at the same time, but her legs suddenly became weak like jelly. She almost fell down, fortunately, Lin Jian caught her in time. Thetter had already seen Aunt Yue¡¯s pale face the moment Aunt Yue opened her eyes, that was why he decided to go closer to Aunt Yue --- just in case she needed help. True enough, she really needed his help.

    Xiao Fang heard what Yao Ling had said and she became curious. She really wanted to ask about why Yao Ling said that Aunt Yue was her grandmother. Were they really blood-rted?

    However, before she could ask anything, Aunt Yue said in a hoarse voice, "Go! Quickly go! Don¡¯t let him find out about you. Yao Ling, you must erase your presence here. Close your eyes and it wille to you how you should do it! I already imprinted everything that I know into your mind! Go, quickly go!"

    Aunt Yue was still able to cover up their trace, but it wasn¡¯t going to be long. Her power started to diminish at a fast speed and the quartet could see that her face started to age really fast too. They were surprised by the sudden change and almost... almost gaped at Aunt Yue, but they understood that it was impolite. Thus, they tried to maintain their calmness.

    "No, Grandma... No!" Yao Ling yelled. She wasn¡¯t going to leave her behind, after all, she had just found her!

    Aunt Yue tried to smile despite her pain. "Yao Ling, be good! Our people can only prosper with you around. Also, remember your parents. Go find them! I¡¯m already too old and it¡¯s time for me to go!" She tried her hardest to coax Yao Ling.

    Aunt Yue coughed and she covered her mouth with her hand. She could feel the bloody taste inside her mouth and she wasn¡¯t able to hide it from everyone. They could see that she was coughing out blood and they knew that her internal injuries were quite severe.

    Yao Ling quickly jumped up and hugged her grandmother, "No! Grandmother, you will be fine! We will live happily ever after! Together with my parents!"

    Aunt Yue looked at Yao Ying and pointed at her desk with a trembling hand, "Take the scroll inside the first drawer... everything... it will be helpful for Yao Ling..."

    Yao Ying quickly took it and asked, "Are these the scrolls?"

    Aunt Yue nodded. Yao Ying stood a bit closer to her and Aunt Yue gripped his hand tightly, "Please... Take care of my granddaughter! Make her happy!"

    Yao Ying nodded solemnly. "I promise you, Aunt Yue!"

    Then, Aunt Yue turned her gaze to Yao Ling. She pulled out a small bottle from her sleeve and gave it to Yao Ling, "This is the soil of our homnd. We only need this much to be able to predict more urately. Keep this well!" She exaggerated the amount of the soil that she needed to the Han Emperor back then, but she had to tell the truth to Yao Ling. Thetter would need it in the future.

    After saying that, Aunt Yue coughed out blood once again. Yao Ling still stubbornly didn¡¯t want to leave Aunt Yue behind. The trio was at a loss at what to do because they actually didn¡¯t know what happened or what kind of knowledge that Yao Ling gained by talking to Aunt Yue. However, they could clearly see the importance of taking Aunt Yue along with them for Yao Ling. Thus, they couldn¡¯t leave her behind.

    Yao Ling had a gut feeling... that once she left her grandmother behind, she wouldn¡¯t be able to see her anymore. That was why she was being anxious and didn¡¯t realize that she was crying like a lunatic. It seemed like Aunt Yue was saying herst words to them.

    ¡¯No... no... no...¡¯ She just found her grandmother and didn¡¯t want to lose her ever again!

    Aunt Yue could see how stubborn her granddaughter was and she felt the warmth when she said she didn¡¯t want to leave her. It was already good enough for her. Meeting her erased the regret that she had felt all this time --- after all, she also loved her daughter-inw. She was thankful that Yao Ling was alive and there was also a possibility that Su Wan was alive too.

    Aunt Yue knew that with Yao Ling¡¯s stubbornness this wasn¡¯t going anywhere and the clock was ticking. She turned her gaze to Yao Ying and said in amanding tone, "Take her away!"

    "But...!" Yao Ying couldn¡¯t bear to see his wife crying and feeling disappointed of him. If he took her away at the moment and something happened to her grandmother, he knew that she would never forgive him! He didn¡¯t want that to happen.

    "If all of you stay here, he will kill you!" Aunt Yue warned them. It was very dangerous and she needed them to understand.

    "We will stay together with you, Grandmother!" Yao Ling said resolutely.

    Aunt Yue sighed, knowing that this stubborn trait was reminding her of Rong Qiu. Aunt Yue waved her hand and Yao Ling suddenly felt so sleepy, she suddenly couldn¡¯t open her eyes. She weakly said thest words, "Don¡¯t leave me alone again, Grandma!"

    Aunt Yue bit her lower lip and cried when she heard that, but she hardened her heart. She would save Yao Ling at all cost. This life... she had owed her too much...

    Yao Ying caught the sleeping Yao Ling and asked in surprise, "Aunt Yue, what are you doing?" He red at Aunt Yue angrily. Even though he realized that Aunt Yue might possibly be Yao Ling¡¯s biological grandmother, he didn¡¯t appreciate how she handled his wife.

    "I¡¯m sorry but I have to do that. If all of you continue to stay here, all of us will perish together. Let me hold him back! But you mustn¡¯t let people know that Yao Ling is a Bei Yue. Yao Ling already knows everything and she will exin it to you allter. Remember! All of you are never here... Go!" Aunt Yue yelled louder just to let them know that she was being serious.

    Yao Ying understood the gravity of the situation and quickly nodded. "But Aunt Yue, you..." Yao Ying didn¡¯t know what to say.

    "Tell Yao Ling that I love her! Remember... make her happy!" After that, Aunt Yue used her power to push them out of the forbidden ce in one swift moment and she erased their trace inside the house. Feeling satisfied, she staggered and fell onto her own bed. She gasped for breath, knowing that she had be useless at this point.

    She couldn¡¯t even protect herself. Aunt Yue touched her own face and felt the wrinkle... ¡¯Ah... she¡¯s already this old,¡¯ she thought to herself. Once she lost her power, every part of her body went back to normal but she didn¡¯t regret it. She knew that it was time to say goodbye and she had lived long enough.

    Aunt Yue turned her body around and looked at the ceiling, knowing that she would meet him soon. She felt that Yao Ling must have been in a safe distance, thus, she retracted her power and rxed her guard.

 Chapter 297 The One and Only

    Just like what Aunt Yue had predicted, the man that she had been waiting for started to realize that something was amiss from the forbidden ce.

    ¡¯Why did that woman¡¯s power suddenly be so weak? Wasn¡¯t she only doing her routine reading just now?¡¯ The man couldn¡¯t help but feel that something was indeed fishy. He needed to find her as soon as possible!

    The man quickly used his qing gong and went to the forbidden ce and what he had seen... shook him to the core. He almost fell down when he saw the condition that Aunt Yue was in --- she was weak.. very weak... and it seemed like she had a hard time to even breath!

    He ran to the bedside and asked, "Yue Yue... what happened to you?!" It seemed like the man didn¡¯t have an ordinary rtionship with Aunt Yue, judging from how intimate he called Aunt Yue.

    Aunt Yue nced at him andugh weakly, trying to look as calm as possible. "I be so old now... So ugly, right?" She felt conscious of her face, after all, she used to look very beautiful and young. No matter what... a woman always wanted to look beautiful, right?

    The man shook his head and answered honestly, "No... no... you are not ugly! What are you talking about? You are the most beautiful woman in my eyes."

    Aunt Yueughed and she started to cough up blood once more, "You are always the sweetest. Sorry that I can¡¯t follow your wish! I couldn¡¯t keep my promise to you..."

    The man looked worried when he saw the blood. His heart was beating faster, feeling afraid that she would suddenly be gone. "Yue Yue... what happened?! Why did this happen? Why are there so many bloods?!" His hands were trembling. He was afraid... afraid that she would leave him all alone.

    "My Yue Yue... How...? How did this happen?" The man kept asking while sobbing. He couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions anymore.

    His gaze turned colder when he analyzed everything and realized something. "You¡¯ve found her, right?" He asked her in a ming tone. "Why... why didn¡¯t you tell me?! WHY?!" He started to feel angry and raised his voice in frustration.

    Aunt Yue smiled softly despite her pale face and the pain that she felt, but she didn¡¯t deny his words. She couldn¡¯t deny it because it was the truth. Sooner orter... he would find out about it. Besides, she needed him to do something for her.

    "Why?" The man asked in a trembling voice once again but in a softer voice. He tried to coax Aunt Yue to give him an answer.

    "Rong Jie... it¡¯s time to let me go!" Aunt Yue said sadly. "You should ept my fate! It¡¯s almost time for me to go!"

    "No... I won¡¯t! I will kill her! I will kill her!" His eyes were red due to his heartbreak and anger. He tried to jump out of the room and found the source of the troubles! However, Aunt Yue gripped his hand tightly, preventing him from running away.

    "It¡¯s toote! Even if you kill her, I won¡¯t be able to retrieve back my power..."Aunt Yue tried to appease him, even though she knew that she would fail. The man was beyond heartbroken.

    "Yue Yue... you already knew the consequences beforehand... and yet, you went along with it?! Why? Have you decided to abandon me from the start?" Rong Jie couldn¡¯t help but cry. "Don¡¯t you know how much I love you?!" The man confessed his feelings without beating around the bush.

    "No! How could I abandon you?" Aunt Yue vehemently denied his usations. She did that because she had no other choice! "I know... I know that I hurt you... but... Rong Jie ah~! She¡¯s my granddaughter. I can¡¯t let anything happen to her," Aunt Yue exined.

    Rong Jie froze when he heard what his Yue Yue just said. "Your granddaughter... Our...?" He was surprised by this revtion. He thought they only had each other in this world! Their son didn¡¯t remember anything, so how could they count on him? Besides, he was a selfish man. The most important thing in this world was his Yue Yue!

    Aunt Yue nodded her head. "That¡¯s why I can¡¯t let you kill her!" Aunt Yue said sadly. She had made a difficult choice and she had to stick with it. Her granddaughter had a bright future ahead, while she was already this old. Her decision was very obvious!

    Rong Jie didn¡¯t know what to say. "But..." He felt at a loss. What would he do if he lost his beloved Yue Yue?! He also couldn¡¯t let his granddaughter be harmed! He really wanted to me the cruel fate!

    Aunt Yue naturally knew what he thought and she bit her lower lip. "Rong Jie... don¡¯t follow me to hell, okay? Please help me... Help me take care of my granddaughter! Our... our granddaughter..."

    If Aunt Yue let Yao Ling meet Rong Jie before he calmed down and knew the truth, he would certainly kill Yao Ling on the spot and she couldn¡¯t let that happen. Rong Jie didn¡¯t have a bad intention, he just didn¡¯t want her to lose her power and die. She also didn¡¯t want to leave him, but she also needed to save her granddaughter.

    Their fate had ended here and she hoped that they could meet each other in the next life!

    She could only be selfish and made him feel disappointed.

    "No! How could you make me do that?!" Rong Jie asked in a sad voice. "I will follow you wherever you go --- even to hell!" He said resolutely. He never knew that his Yue Yue could be this cruel!

    Aunt Yue shook her head. "No... Please listen to myst selfish request! Please..." Aunt Yue said weakly. Her life force was almost gone, but she needed to convince the stubborn old man.

    How could Rong Jie not see her struggle? He couldn¡¯t make her feel disappointed at this moment. He kissed Aunt Yue¡¯s mouth lovingly and his tears fell down. Aunt Yue was able to taste the salty tears and she couldn¡¯t help but cry too... She knew that he was a loyal and passionate man... she didn¡¯t want to leave him... But, she knew that she didn¡¯t have much time left.

    She gripped his robe tightly, feeling unreconciled that she had to let him go. However, it was their fate and they must ept it.

    "I will... I will listen to you! But you have to live, okay? We have made a promise that we will live together forever!" Rong Jie remembered the promise that they had once made back then when they were young. "

    Don¡¯t leave me!" Rong Jie couldn¡¯t help but beg her in tears.

    Aunt Yue knew that he was always good at concealing his feelings, but this time... he cried. The man that was always so strong in her eyes... cried because of her. It sliced her heart, making it hard for her to breath!

    She could imagine the pain that he felt, after all, she felt it too!

    "Promise me! You promise me that you will take care of our granddaughter!" Aunt Yue said in an urgent tone. If she didn¡¯t make him promise, she was afraid that he would search for Yao Ling and kill her just to release his anger. He wasn¡¯t a cruel man... but who knew what he would do in this heartbroken state?

    Once she was dead, their bond would start to upy his mind and make him desperate! Rong Jie was a man of his promise and once he had promised something, he would never break it. She could only gamble on this.

    "I... I promise..." Rong Jie could see the desperate look on his Yue Yue¡¯s face and he didn¡¯t want to disappoint her. He had to agree to her request no matter what.

    Aunt Yue sighed in relief when she heard that. After she got his promise, she felt that it was time for her to let go. Her life force started to diminish at a fast speed and she said her final words, "Her name is Yao Ling. Protect her! I love you, Rong Jie. I always love you... You are the only one since the beginning..."

    ¡¯The one and only...¡¯

 Chapter 298 The Helpless Hidden Guards

    After saying that, Aunt Yue could feel her body organs were failing one by one and the end was near.

    Rong Jie was going to say that he loved her too when he felt that she had be lifeless. She... had stopped breathing...

    "No..." He yelled loudly, piercing the quiet night. His whole body was trembling in grief and he was desperately tried to wake her up.

    "Yue Yue... please... please stop joking! You are only fooling me, right?" He kept begging, however, the woman didn¡¯t even move an inch. She justid there quietly... like she was sleeping. The man could only sit there weakly because he still couldn¡¯t ept reality.

    It took him a little while before he could gather himself together. If he didn¡¯t make a promise, he wouldn¡¯t fight the beast inside him and follow along its demand to kill the one who had taken her power... his own granddaughter --- Yao Ling.

    Without a second thought, he took his Yue Yue¡¯s body away. He needed to get away from this cursed ce!

    He was feeling angry at their fate! It was so tragic!

    What if back then his brother didn¡¯t conspire with the others to kill him just to take his title? They threw his body away to the sea mercilessly. Not only that, but he had also taken his Yue Yue! If someone didn¡¯t save him back then, he would have been dead.

    If he knew it would be this painful to be left by his Yue Yue, he should have just died back then. However... he also didn¡¯t have the heart to let his Yue Yue bear this pain. He knew what made his Yue Yue persist to continue living was their bond. Their bond knew... that he was still alive...

    "Yue Yue... if that didn¡¯t happen back then, would we live a happy life?" He asked her lifeless body, even though he knew that she wouldn¡¯t be able to answer him. His gaze became nk and he could only see a bleak future.

    If only... she didn¡¯t force him to make a promise...

    ¡¯Yue Yue... I never knew that you could be this cruel!¡¯ Despite feeling anguish, he still didn¡¯t have the heart to me her.

    That night, Aunt Yue¡¯s body and a man named Rong Jie vanished from the forbidden ce. Someday... he would appear and protect Yao Ling from harm --- just like what he had promised his Yue Yue. After all, Yao Ling was also his granddaughter.

    He had already epted that fact.

    Someday... For now, he needed to take care of his Yue Yue¡¯s body and lick his own wounds.

    Rong Jie didn¡¯t forget to burn down the little house so it would remove every trace there. Everything was gone in a heartbeat, but there was no regret in Rong Jie¡¯s heart. He had wanted to burn this prison a long time ago.

    ¡¯Yue Yue... you are free now... When I finish the task that you have given me... I will certainlye to find you... wherever you are...¡¯ Rong Jie made a promise to himself.

    After that, he went away without looking back...

    ------------

    When the little house was burning because of the fire that Rong Jie had created, it started to spread to its surroundings. There were a lot of trees around the house and with the help of the night chilly wind, it would be weird if the fire didn¡¯t spread out.

    The unconscious hidden guards woke up due to the hot sensation that they felt. When they woke up, they almost fainted in fear. They knew if they kept sleeping, they would have been burnt along with them.

    They couldn¡¯t believe what the saw. What did they miss? Where did the firee from? After a moment of muddleheaded state, they started to remember. What about the prisoner in there? They needed to find out about her whereabouts and save her!

    If something happened to Aunt Yue, they would be held responsible! Judging from the Han Emperor¡¯s cruelty, there was only one punishment that they would get --- death.

    They quickly tried to put off the fire but it was already toote. Everything was gone... They didn¡¯t even have the time to pay attention to another thing but trying to find Aunt Yue. If there was a corpse, it would be better. However, there was nothing.

    So... where did the old woman go?

    The hidden guards looked at each other, wondering what they should report to the higher-up.

    Because of themotion, the ordinary guards outside of the forbidden ce also woke up. They felt the pain on the back of their neck and they were in a state of confusion. They were surprised by the fire, but they had another thing that they should care about. Why should they help the hidden guards if they were also in big trouble?

    They felt helpless when they saw the hole on the front gate, knowing that the symbols had gone missing too! They wanted to cry but no tears were able toe out! The thing that they guarded wasn¡¯t Aunt Yue... but the gate... to be exact this symbol. Where did it actually go?!

    ¡¯What... what kind of situation is this?!¡¯ The guards gaped at the big hole and they knew that they were in deep shit this time!

    Xiu who was supposed to be put the symbol back to the front gate again... actually felt at a loss at what to do. Thus, he tried to search for something to stick it back while bringing the symbol along with him! However, he couldn¡¯t find anything suitable.

    When he was going to just put it back anyhow, the fire happened. Thus, he missed the chance to stick it back and the only thing that he could do was to bring the symbol back with him. He just hoped this symbol wouldn¡¯t bring them any trouble! What if it was suddenly shining out of nowhere?

    His young master would certainly me him ah~! However, he also didn¡¯t dare to throw it away. He could only look for his young master and ask her what he should do with the symbol.

    Back to the hidden guards... They were at a loss at what to do. Because something had never happened to Aunt Yue before, thus, the Han Emperor had never assigned one of his people to lead them. Their order was only to guard Aunt Yue. That was why when such a big thing happened all of a sudden. They didn¡¯t know who they should turn to.

    "What should we do?"

    "We need to tell someone about this... But who?"

    "There¡¯s only Qiu Da Ren here... should we go to him?"

    Uncle Qiu was only there for Bao Bei, and his other job was to chat with Aunt Yue once in a while. He wasn¡¯t assigned to the hidden guards¡¯ matter, but he was the only people that they could turn to ah~!

    The hidden guards reached an agreement and they quickly tried to find Uncle Qiu in his courtyard. Thetter had just woken up because of themotion when the hidden guards found him.

    They quickly reported everything to Uncle Qiu. Thetter could only listen to them with a surprised look on his face, after that, it turned into worry. "How?!" He muttered to himself. "Everything was still fine yesterday!"

    Uncle Qiu would never think that yesterday was thest time he would meet with Aunt Yue.

    Even though he was only taking care of Bao Bei, but he had a good rtionship with Aunt Yue, the guards hoped that he would know something. However, when they saw Uncle Qiu dumbfounded look, they knew that thetter also didn¡¯t know anything.

    It made the hidden guards feel that they had lost all hope.

    Uncle Qiu quickly told them to find Aunt Yue¡¯s trace everywhere. The most important thing was finding her! They should look around inside the Crescent Lake, if they couldn¡¯t find her in here... they should find to the nearby cities. Uncle Qiu promised them that he would send a message to the Han Emperor as soon as possible.

    Uncle Qiu could only look at the forbidden ce sadly...

 Chapter 299 Was This A Coincidence Or...?

    In just one night, the forbidden ce had been ruined and turned into dust. Uncle Qiu who looked at the result suddenly felt lost. There was a tingling pain in his heart but he didn¡¯t know why. Why did he feel so sad that he wanted to cry?

    He was in a good rtionship with Aunt Yue and thought of her as his own mother, but was it supposed to be this painful? Uncle Qiu was confused, but he could only help to search Aunt Yue¡¯s whereabouts.

    Uncle Qiu even tried to ask Xiao Fang whether she saw Aunt Yue or not, but thetter shook her head. It was fortunate that Lin Jian had guessed with such a big matter happened, the hidden guards would certainly find Uncle Qiu. Xiao Fang had gone there the previous day, so naturally, Uncle Qiu would look for her. Thus, Lin Jian told her to go back to her room first.

    She had just arrived and changed her clothes to her sleeping gown when Uncle Qiu asked to meet her.

    Not only Xiao Fang, but Lin Jian also went back to his own room --- just in case, they wanted to search his room. They promised that they would gather once again the next day in Yao Ying¡¯s room --- they were worried about Yao Ling¡¯s condition too.

    Uncle Qiu had tried to find Aunt Yue¡¯s body, but he could find nothing. The hidden guards that were dispatched also couldn¡¯t find any trace at all! She had gone missing whether they wanted to admit it or not.

    Uncle Qiu once again second-guessed himself. ¡¯Why does he suddenly keep feeling these unbearable feelings?¡¯ He felt frustrated!

    No one could answer him, and he could only clutch his heart tightly. It seemed like there was a fleeting memory about Aunt Yue inside his mind, however, when he tried to remember, it was gone.

    ¡¯Aunt Yue... where are you?¡¯ Uncle Qiu asked helplessly.

    -----------------

    Yao Ying watched the burning house from afar and he got aplicated feeling. He turned to Yao Ling and he saw thetter sleep peacefully... He knew that this was only the calm before the storm. He didn¡¯t know how to exin everything from Yao Ling.

    The fire was pretty big and he didn¡¯t think anyone would be able to survive in that condition, especially with how weak Aunt Yue¡¯s condition was.

    He looked at Lin Jian and Xiao Fang and asked, "What should I do?" He needed someone to give him a piece of advice, or at least... an assurance.

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang knew that Yao Ying felt at a loss, after all, they realized the gravity of this matter too from the way how Yao Ling behaved just now. "I¡¯m sure she would listen to your exnation," Lin Jian tried tofort Yao Ying.

    Yao Yingughed bitterly... he also hoped so, but he also knew how stubborn Yao Ling was. She had yearned her family for a long time and when she finally found her grandmother, she was cruelly taken away from her --- and he was part of the reason. He could have brought her along with them, but he didn¡¯t. He chose to follow Aunt Yue¡¯s suggestion, after all, Yao Ling was the most important thing for him.

    Yao Ying knew that she would be heartbroken when she woke up.

    "Did all of you notice that Aunt Yue¡¯s face suddenly turn older?" Xiao Fang asked while sighing. She decided to change the direction of their conversation --- they already had enough negativity in one day.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian nodded their head. "It seems like by helping Yao Ling... she used up all her power. Otherwise, she should be able to maintain her youthfulness like always," Yao Ying answered. The other two came up with the same conclusion, so they weren¡¯t really surprised.

    These past two days, their eyes had been opened that there was a possibility that there would be a lot of hidden ns out there with hidden powers. Thus, they were more receptive towards the recent happening. Well... they saw it with their own eyes, so how could the not believe in it ah~?

    Somehow, they knew that Aunt Yue wouldn¡¯t survive the ordeal this time... Thus, the atmosphere became solemn once again.

    Yao Ying already told Xiu to find out what happened after the fire and he could only wait for his news. He prayed that nothing would happen to Aunt Yue, even though deep down... he knew that it was practically impossible. When Xiu came back and reported to him his findings, he knew that things would be bad for him. He massaged his forehead, not knowing what to do.

    Xiao Fang asked the question that they didn¡¯t know the answer as well, "No body was found in the house? No corpse?" Thest time they saw Aunt Yue... she was still there ah~! She was beyond weak, so how could she vanish without rhyme or reason?!

    "Does it have something to do with the man that she mentioned?!" Xiao Fang asked in confusion. If yes, what kind of fate that Aunt Yue would be in?

    "Where did she go?" Lin Jian also asked out of bewilderment, but no one would be able to answer this.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "We shouldn¡¯t discuss this... at least, there will be hope that she¡¯s still alive..." Even though it was merely wishful thinking, at least, it would make Yao Ling feel better. Besides, they still needed to maintain the appearance that they didn¡¯t know anything about the matter in the forbidden ce. He was afraid that their conversation would be overheard by other people.

    He remembered that Aunt Yue said that Yao Ling would sleep for a little while when he snapped at her for suddenly making Yao Ling fall asleep, but why did she still sleep soundly? He was afraid that she would be in aa once again.

    Yao Ying gripped Yao Ling¡¯s hand tightly. "Yao Ling... you have to wake up! Do you hear me? You have too!" Even though there was no danger, he still remembered how deste he felt when Yao Ling was in aa.

    He couldn¡¯t go through that again!

    It was too painful!

    -------------

    When the trio was waiting for Yao Ling to wake up once again, the man who had been targetting Yao Ling with a lecherous thought asked his subordinate, "What happened? I told you to pay attention to the forbidden ce!"

    He had heard about the matter in the forbidden ce and it angered him to death! How could such a big thing happen right under his nose?! He had assigned several people to watch Aunt Yue, but all of them was useless!

    Only one had survived the ordeal! The other two were killed because of the fire!

    The survivor was kneeling down in front of him with a trembling body. He was really afraid of his master. Even though he was so beautiful, but his heart was so dark...

    The man squinted his eyes and then threw the cup that he held towards the survivor. It hit his subordinate¡¯s head directly, but thetter didn¡¯t dare to dodge. He could only grit his teeth and let his young master vent out his anger at him.

    He knew that it would only make the man angry if he dared to move. A trail of blood started to appear on his forehead at the ce where he was hit, but he didn¡¯t even dare to wipe it.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Young Master! This subordinate is ipetent!" His subordinate could only apologize. He knew that he had made a grave mistake as a hidden guard that was ced inside the forbidden ce as a spy. Something this big had happened and he knew nothing about it until it was already toote. He was unconscious along with the other hidden guards.

    "Where did she go?" The man asked viciously. Without that old woman, they couldn¡¯t continue their mission and he felt annoyed.

 Chapter 300 Should She Undo The Magic?

    The subordinate could only stutter, "This... this subordinate doesn¡¯t... doesn¡¯t know too! We haven¡¯t found her yet!" He had tried to search along with the rest of the hidden guards that had survived, but they found no trace of Aunt Yue. He had no choice but to make a report after that.

    Without a second thought, the handsome man threw a small de toward the kneeling subordinate and itnded on his throat. He couldn¡¯t even say a word before he fell down in a thud.

    "Useless!" He threw a nce at the person beside him and said, "Clean it up!" He was feeling disgusted at the dirty sight in front of him. He didn¡¯t need useless people!

    The person beside him pped his hands and two hidden guards appeared, they quickly cleaned the body without saying a word. Even though they pitied the dead man, it was his own fault for being useless.

    The handsome man asked his right-hand man, "Any news?"

    "Not yet, Young Master."

    "Why does it take so long?!" The man started to get angry once again. Why did all of his subordinates suddenly be useless, huh? Did they want to anger him to death?!

    The right-hand man started to sweat, knowing that his young master was in a bad mood. "It seems like there¡¯s a powerful person behind her disappearance. We can¡¯t even find any trace of them. But..."

    The handsome man¡¯s interest was piqued when he heard the ¡¯but¡¯. "Is there something else that I need to know?"

    "We found a trace. Several people had been therest night. Even though there was no trace from the burning house, there were several footsteps that led through the house the side door," the right-hand man exined.

    The quartet came in by walking, thus they left their footsteps there. One the other hand, they were pushed by Aunt Yue¡¯s power when they left the premise --- thus, they didn¡¯t leave any footsteps after that.

    "Hmm..." The man started to feel calmer when he heard that. It meant that there was hope to find Aunt Yue¡¯s whereabouts. "Do you find out their identities? How many different footsteps anyway?"

    The right-hand man shook his head. "Not yet, Young Master. However, we are working on it. This servant is pretty sure that we will find out about them soon. There were three different footsteps and judging from the size... one of them is a woman."

    The handsome man felt frustrated but he also knew that there was no use to get angry. The only thing they could do was checking out the lead. "Go! As soon as you find something, you must quickly tell me!" The handsome man gave his order while waving his hand, gesturing to his right-hand man that he should quickly go.

    After all of his subordinates were gone, he was thinking to himself. ¡¯Two men and one woman, huh? Who are they?¡¯

    He had monitored Aunt Yue¡¯s movement for several weeks and nothing was suspicious for the past few days. The only difference that the maidservant that Uncle Qiu brought the previous day. It couldn¡¯t be said as a weird urrence per se... After all, Uncle Qiu never brought the same servants whenever he went there.

    Was this a coincidence or...?

    The handsome man pped his hands and a hidden guard appeared in a sh, "Check out the identity of the maidservant that Uncle Qiu brought to meet Aunt Yue the previous day!"

    "Yes, Young Master!" After answering, the hidden guard disappeared in a sh.

    He had a gut feeling that that maidservant was the woman that came along with the two men, however... he wasn¡¯t too sure either, because it was just a mere guess. He was just trying his luck...

    The handsome man decided to take a nap, just to let him calm his mind. After he finished taking a nap, he would feel refreshed and maybe... there would be a satisfying report from his subordinates. If he let his anger get the best of him, this room would have been wrecked by him --- fortunately, this ce didn¡¯t belong to him, that was why he needed to hold his temper back.

    By the time the handsome man fell asleep, Yao Ling¡¯s eyshes fluttered and she finally opened her eyes. Yao Ying, who had been worried about her all along, quickly came to her side and asked cautiously, "Are you okay?"

    He really wanted to kiss her hard on the lips, however, there were two light bulbs behind him! Thus, he could only hold himself back.

    Yao Ling blinked her eyes a few times, trying to clear up her hazy sight. She felt a massive headache, but she didn¡¯t care about her own condition for one bit. She turned her eyes and asked Yao Ying in a hoarse voice, "Grandmother? Where is my grandmother?"

    Yao Ying trembled when he saw the deste look in her eyes, but he could only answer with the truth... Yao Ying shook his head slowly... the meaning was clear, but Yao Ling still asked in a t tone.

    "Tell me clearly!" Yao Ling knew that she shouldn¡¯t me Yao Ying, after all, he did nothing. But still... because of the pain in her heart, she wanted to hurt him too! Why didn¡¯t he do anything? Why didn¡¯t he bring her grandmother along with her?!

    He could have done something! But... he didn¡¯t! That was the thing that made her feel hurt the most!

    "I... I..." Yao Ying felt at a loss at what to do. He decided to exin everything that had happened the previous day with the help of Lin Jian and Xiao Fang. They reminded him if he missed some details.

    Yao Ling looked up with eyes full of hope. "So... there¡¯s a possibility that she¡¯s still alive?"

    Yao Ying could only say, "En." However, he didn¡¯t dare to look at her eyes directly. Yao Ling was too happy about it, thus, she didn¡¯t pay attention to Yao Ying¡¯s movement.

    The trio clearly knew that there was no possibility for Aunt Yue to survive, but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything under Yao Ling¡¯s current state of mind. They saw the nk look on her eyes just now and became afraid... It seemed like Aunt Yue¡¯s death would really hit her.

    After listening to Yao Ying¡¯s assurance, Yao Ling quickly smiled, "That¡¯s great... that¡¯s great! At least, there will be hope that my grandmother is still alive!"

    The trio looked at each other helplessly, but they still tried to smile back at Yao Ling. Otherwise, thetter would feel suspicious.

    Yao Ying sighed, feeling bad for actually having to lie to Yao Ling. Sooner orter, he had to break her bubble and told her the truth. However, they didn¡¯t exactly lie... after all, they really didn¡¯t know where Aunt Yue¡¯s body had gone after she met ¡¯the man¡¯.

    Yao Ying decided to distract her by asking, "Ling-er... howe Aunt Yue suddenly be you grandmother? Are you really a Bei Yue?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t care where Yao Ling came from, but he was still feeling baffled by her identity. He would never think she was actually from a prestigious hidden n --- even more... with hidden power ah~!

    Yao Ling took a nce at Xiao Fang and she didn¡¯t know whether she should tell her about Uncle Qiu¡¯s real identity or not. When she woke up, there were a lot of new memories that she had gotten from Aunt Yue. Mostly, it was about her power and she knew how to undo the spell that her grandmother had cast upon her father --- but... should she undo the magic? After all, she hadn¡¯t found out her mother¡¯s whereabouts yet.

    This was so confusing!

 Chapter 301 They Had Been Entangled From The Star

    Yao Ling sighed... It seemed like her life and Xiao Fang¡¯s had been entangled from the start. She should probably tell her the truth because they had be a great friend! Thus, she retold everything that her grandmother had told her without trying to cover up Uncle Qiu¡¯s identity anymore.

    However, she didn¡¯t tell them about the bond between her and Yao Ying --- this kind of private thing should be kept as a secret. She would tell this to Yao Ying in privateter.

    The trio could only gape at her when they heard everything --- they were feeling baffled. ¡¯What kind of silly things that Yao Ling has told them?¡¯ They thought inwardly. Changing someone¡¯s identity? If someone with Aunt Yue¡¯s power had bad intentions, he or she would certainly wreak havoc in this world!

    They looked at Yao Ling and felt lucky that she was actually a good person! If not... they shuddered at the thought. No wonder Aunt Yue told them to cover up Yao Ling¡¯s identity, they were pretty sure that there would be a lot of people wanted to possess her power for evil deeds. If she fell into their hands, she would certainly live a lonely and miserable life like Aunt Yue!

    They wondered to themselves... how could there be so many conspiracies surrounding them? Once they opened a pandora box, every crazy matter kept pouring out from there --- each more ridiculous than the previous one.

    The funny thing was... they didn¡¯t even feel surprised anymore. It seemed like their mentality had been trained after being bombarded by those crazy kinds of stuff.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian were able to ept the truth more smoothly because this matter didn¡¯t really affect them in any way. Oh well... Yao Ying finally knew that he actually had a father-inw and mother-inw out there, but only that... The person that would be affected the most should be... their gazended at Xiao Fang.

    Thetter could only look at Yao Ling with wide eyes and open mouth --- she would never think that ¡¯the truth¡¯ from Aunt Yue would also include her as well... she didn¡¯t have any preparation ah~! Her... her godfather... was Yao Ling¡¯s father?! What kind of revtion was this?!

    "Can... can you say that again?!" Xiao Fang asked in disbelief.

    "Uncle Qiu is my father!" Yao Ling answered with augh.

    If Xiao Fang slowly counted the timeline, the godfather that she knew was already Yao Ling¡¯s father all along. After all, Yao Ling hadn¡¯t been born at that time and they were around the same age...

    Xiao Fang really felt a headache. In the past week, she didn¡¯t know how much truth that she had found out?! Her life suddenly became very exciting ah~! She massaged her forehead, trying to ease her headache.

    "So... your father takes care of me, on the other hand, my mother took care of you. Fate... seems to be so funny, right?" Xiao Fang asked Yao Ling in disbelief.

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "Indeed..." She grinned at Xiao Fang.

    The men sighed in relief when they saw the women¡¯s mood was quite good --- contrary to their expectation. Yao Ying decided to ask, "So... what do you n to do about your father?"

    Yao Ling threw back the question at Yao Ying. "This is where I feel confused. You are a man, so you should have understood how my father thinks best, right?"

    Yao Ying looked at her helplessly. "I¡¯m not too sure about that!" He didn¡¯t really pay close attention to Uncle Qiu before, so how could he know what he was thinking about?! Besides, even though they had the same gender, it didn¡¯t mean that their thoughts were the same ah~!

    Yao Ling nced at him and asked, "I mean the way you think about ¡¯woman¡¯..."

    "Huh?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t understand what she meant. When he heard the word ¡¯woman¡¯, it seemed like this question would be a bit tricky! What did she mean by ¡¯woman¡¯ ah~?! He suddenly got a bad feeling about this!

    "If you were my father and you loved my mother to death, what would you want me to do? Do you want to forever forget about the pain and live happily by yourself or do you want to know the truth despite the pain?" Yao Ling asked seriously.

    She didn¡¯t forget to turn to Lin Jian and asked, "You too! What would you do?"

    Yao Ling decided to get their opinions on this matter. She couldn¡¯t decide this on her own, thus, she decided to make them votes.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked at each other helplessly --- they didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry because of her brazen question. This matter ah~ if they answered the wrong thing, the women would certainly kill her!

    Yao Ying honestly answered, "I don¡¯t really want to build my life with a lie despite having a peaceful andfortable life... I prefer to know the truth --- especially if it¡¯s about the woman that I love." He didn¡¯t think too much about it because he imagined Yao Ling in this matter. He would prefer to remember her than to forget about her. He couldn¡¯t even imagine what kind of life that he would lead after his memory loss, if he didn¡¯t meet her --- maybe, he would wander around aimlessly.

    Yao Ling pondered over this matter and somehow... she caught something else in his words. In a way, Yao Ying forgot about his past too. If... if he remembered his past, would he think of his life with Yao Ling as a lie? She suddenly regretted asking this question.

    Yao Ling looked a bit forlorn after that, but she decided to trust Yao Ying on this. Besides, there was a possibility that Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t be able to remember his past forever.

    When she thought of this, Yao Ling flinched. She didn¡¯t like how selfish her thoughts had be and she decided to clear her mind from such thoughts. Although no one knew what was inside her mind, she still felt guilty.

    Yao Ling decided to distract herself by asking Lin Jian, "What about you?"

    Lin Jian¡¯s gaze fleeted at Xiao Fang¡¯s direction for a little while and answered, "I have the same opinion as Yao Ying! I don¡¯t want to forget the love of my life!"

    Xiao Fang suddenly felt shy, especially when she felt the burning gaze thating from Lin Jian was directed at her. She wasn¡¯t going to lie though, she liked what she heard and it made her slightly blush in embarrassment. Xiao Fang turned to Yao Ling and said, "I agree with them. Even though he might feel sad, he has you now... his blood-rted daughter! No matter what it won¡¯t change the fact that he¡¯s my godfather."

    Yao Ling nodded her head, but she knew... things weren¡¯t as simple as how they looked like. After all, her father still had an inseparable bond with her mother. She supposed that when he remembered, he would try to find her mother as soon as possible. She didn¡¯t know the extent of the bond and she was afraid that he would be crazy. Otherwise, why would her grandmother try to erase her father¡¯s memory?

    However, she knew what they said was right. She couldn¡¯t let him live his life like this forever... Her eyes suddenly lit up when she realized something. If her father still had a bond with her mother, wouldn¡¯t it mean... he could be a radar to find her mother?

    Suddenly... she found herself feeling hopeful!

    When she thought of that, it seemed like it was really a good idea to remove the spell. If they were able to find her mother, then they would be able to live as aplete family along with her grandmother!

    Yao Ling turned to Xiao Fang excitedly, "Can you call Uncle Qiu toe over now?"

    Xiao Fang shook her head, "I don¡¯t think it will be possible if you want to call him right away."

    "Why?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

 Chapter 302 What Should I Do?

    "He¡¯s still busy with yesterday¡¯s matter," Lin Jian exined. "I think he has the highest authority here, thus, the hidden guards reported to him."

    "Oh..." Yao Ling nodded her head in agreement. That exined everything, but she wondered how he felt about the missing Aunt Yue... would he feel something weird or different?

    Yao Ling sighed when she thought that way, so she decided to ask something else to ease her mind a little bit. "What about Bao Bei? Is she fine?" She remembered that Bao Bei was her mother¡¯s favorite pet.

    The trio was dumbfounded by her sudden question --- why did she ask about Bao Bei out of nowhere? Was that really necessary?

    "Er... she should be fine," Xiu answered when Yao Ying¡¯s gazended on him. "The fire only burned the inner courtyard of the forbidden ce, while Bao Bei¡¯s cage is outside." He didn¡¯t check on Bao Bei ah~! Who knew that the sacred pet was important for the young mistress.

    Yao Ling nodded in satisfaction and felt relieved when she knew that Bao Bei was fine. Yao Ying was surprised by Yao Ling¡¯s behavior and he guessed something about it. He wondered if she still wanted to be Bao Bei¡¯s mother-inw ah~! Was this really the right time to think about Bao Bao¡¯s matter ah~?!

    "How do you n to break the news to godfather?" Xiao Fang asked curiously.

    Yao Ling sighed. "I¡¯m not so sure either..." If she directly told him everything, could he ept it? If she directly undid the magic, would it mean that she enforced her own belief to him? No matter what... this was his life. Shouldn¡¯t he be the one who made the decision? Even though she was his daughter... She didn¡¯t have the right to make a decision for him because she was afraid that he would feel betrayed...

    Yao Ling massaged her forehead and suddenly this matter didn¡¯t seem to look as simple as before. ¡¯Father... Mother ah~! What should I do?¡¯ She thought to herself. No matter what, Yao Ling was only fifteen and she didn¡¯t have that many experiences regarding this matter.

    When she was going to ask the others one again, there was a ruckus outside of their courtyard. "What happened?" Yao Ling asked in confusion and she could only swallow her questions back down once again.

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. "It seems like they are searching for Aunt Yue everywhere," he exined. They had seen thising, thus, the trio didn¡¯t feel surprised anymore --- unlike, Yao Ling who slept through the whole night and oblivious to everything at that time.

    True enough, Xiao Yu knocked on the door and reported from the outside of the room that there were several peopleing to inspect their room. She had tried to hold them back by saying that Yao Ling was sick, but they still insisted toe in. The quartet realized that they had never tried to search their rooms before, were they suspicious of something? Before this, they only searched on their outer courtyards.

    Luckily, the trio had changed their clothes once they went back and they didn¡¯t forget to burn the clothes that they had worn the previous night. It was better to be safe than sorryter.

    Yao Ling said to Yao Ying, "Let me make myself look presentable first!" She still worest night¡¯s clothing and felt sticky all over her body. It seemed like she had been having a long dream and kept sweating the whole night, making her feel ufortable.

    Yao Ying understood what she meant, so he went out first with the others, leaving Yao Ling alone with Xiao Yu. Lin Jian and Xiao Fang decided to go back to their own room secretly through the back door. No matter how free the Han people were, it wouldn¡¯t be good for a man to enter another man¡¯s wife bedroom. It was just that the quartet usually did it in secret.

    Yao Ying mouthed, "Don¡¯t forget to pretend!"

    Yao Ling looked at him in confusion, but oh well... when she fainted, they told people that she was sick --- maybe that was what he was talking about.

    By the time she went out, she heard Yao Ying¡¯s angry voice, "I told you to wait for a little while! My wife is unwell!"

    "This... we are not being difficult! But, it¡¯s a mandatory thing. After all, we need to clear up that you are not involved withst night¡¯s matter!" The guards¡¯ leader said politely because they knew the couple was Xiao Fang¡¯s special guest. No matter what, thetter was the daughter of high-rank official ah~! They didn¡¯t dare to offend her.

    "Can¡¯t you wait for one incense stick of time?! I told you that she hasid in bed for several days! She needs to clean herself up before going out," Yao Ying answered in displeasure.

    When Yao Ying was going to erupt, Yao Ling walked out from her bedroom while being helped by Xiao Yu. Her face looked paler than before while panting heavily. She looked like she was already out of breath, even though she only walked a short distance. Yao Ying jumped up in surprise when he saw Yao Ling¡¯s condition.

    "Ling-er, are you okay?" He quickly helped Yao Ling and told Xiao Yu to let her go, so he would be the one who helped her to sit down.

    The guards¡¯ leader saw Yao Ling¡¯s condition and they felt really bad for her. Suddenly, he felt really guilty for barging in like this. They were just doing their job, but still... looking at the woman¡¯s pitiful face... it could evoke men¡¯s protective side. If he honestly said, he had thought that they were only trying to prolong the time by saying that thedy was sick. However, it didn¡¯t seem so.

    Yao Ling nodded. "I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m sorry for waiting. You can search our room now!" She gave a slight smile towards the guards¡¯ leader and thetter blushed in embarrassment due to her lovely blinding smile. He had no dirty thought, but the woman was simply too beautiful! The man who married her was really a lucky man!

    The guards¡¯ leader¡¯s movement didn¡¯t escape Yao Ying¡¯s eyes and it made Yao Ying really want to throttle the man. His jealousy red up once again, but he was better at covering up his jealousy than before. Thus, only Yao Ling was able to see his anger.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. She had made herself pale until this point, who knew that she could still attract another man¡¯s attention? She really felt wronged ah~!

    The guards¡¯ leader nodded his head in acknowledgment and gave her his gratitude. After that, he searched for Aunt Yue carefully along with his subordinates. Indeed, no one was inside their room. He could only apologize and leave with empty hands. There were still a lot of courtyards that needed to be searched thoroughly by them.

    Yao Ling thought that she could finally rest, after all, her whole body still felt numb because she had slept for a long time. However, people seemed to like knocking on her door when she didn¡¯t feel like meeting anyone. She had wanted to reject the guest when she knew who the guest was, but she changed her mind.

    This time, the one who came was Uncle Qiu. So, how could she reject him ah~?

    ¡¯Oh man! I¡¯m not ready for this..." Yao Ling thought to herself. She wanted to give herself more time to ponder over the matter, but... she couldn¡¯t. She felt nervous all of a sudden and she looked at Yao Ying, asking for help because she felt helpless.

    Yao Ying naturally understood her wife¡¯s anxiousness and he squeezed her hand, trying tofort her. He told Xiu to let him in and they received him at the receiving room.

    When Yao Ling saw Uncle Qiuing in, she suddenly felt like crying. She really wanted to jump on him and called him, ¡¯Daddy!¡¯ However, she couldn¡¯t. She had to remind herself that he didn¡¯t know that she was his daughter.

    She should be patient!

    Yao Ying was the one who started the conversation when he saw Uncle Qiu¡¯s distracted look. He wondered why did he suddenlye here out of the blue?

 Chapter 303 What a Joke!

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Why are you here, Uncle Qiu? Aren¡¯t you busy with the forbidden ce¡¯s matter?" He didn¡¯t show an ounce of interest towards the forbidden ce, knowing that it would make Uncle Qiu feel suspicious. Not only that, he was really confused with Uncle Qiu¡¯s behavior. They didn¡¯t seem to be that close for Uncle Qiu to personally visit them.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were curious about the reasons for his visit.

    ¡¯Does he know something? But... it is impossible!¡¯ They thought to themselves.

    Uncle Qiu sighed and said in a low voice, "I just want to hide myself for a little while!" He felt... really tired with all that happened recently. In a way, he had a good rtionship with Aunt Yue and without her, he would live in boredom here. He sighed in annoyance...

    Uncle Qiu felt ufortable all over his body and he still felt the indescribable pain in his heart. However, whenever he went, people always asked him to find a solution and it added to his headache. No... not only a headache but also heartache.

    He had tried to p his own chest a few time --- just to lessen the heartache, but it didn¡¯t work. He was at a loss at what was going on. While his mind was nk, his feet took him here on their own... He couldn¡¯t even exin why he chose to be here, instead of Xiao Fang¡¯s courtyard.

    Yao Ying scratched the back of his head and asked, "Then, why didn¡¯t you go and find Xiao Fang?" He didn¡¯t mean to be rude, but he just wanted to gauge whether Uncle Qiu remembered something or not. Maybe his mother¡¯s disappearance would trigger something from his memory.

    "Those annoying flies know that Xiao Fang¡¯s ce the only ce that I will hide and will search for me there, but they would never guess if I hide here," Uncle Qiu admitted. This was the only reason that he coulde up in his mind.

    Honestly, Uncle Qiu¡¯s answer made Yao Ling feel a bit disappointed. It seemed like he still didn¡¯t remember anything at all.

    However... she was still happy that she could get a closer look at her father. If she paid more attention, it seemed like she did look a bit like him or maybe it was just her imagination because she already knew that he was her father? She should ask Yao Ying about thister.

    Yao Ling started to realize Aunt Yue¡¯s feeling when their beloved one was so close... but they couldn¡¯t admit their rtionship... it was a little painful.

    Uncle Qiu seemed to notice Yao Ling¡¯s burning gaze that was directed at him. Why did she keep looking at him? It made him feel ufortable. If she kept doing that, she would think that she had a crush on this old man.

    Yao Ying saw Uncle Qiu¡¯s reaction and his gaze turned to Yao Ling to see what made Uncle Qiu behaved that way. Yao Ying really wanted tough when he saw Yao Ling¡¯s intense gaze. ¡¯No wonder the man feel her gaze is unbearable!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself.

    He cleared his throat, trying to take Yao Ling back to reality. Her gaze could scare the poor man away ah~! Yao Ling jumped up in surprise and quickly retracted her gaze in embarrassment. She really wanted to pinch her own cheek for not being able to contain her emotions.

    Yao Ling looked down and she decided to let Yao Ying do all the talking --- just in case, her emotions got the better of her once again.

    Yao Ying watched Uncle Qiu¡¯s movement scrutinizingly and asked, "Are you okay, Uncle Qiu?" It seemed like he was sweating a lot than usual and he kept biting his lower lip... maybe trying to withstand a pain? However, he didn¡¯t look like that he was wounded.

    Uncle Qiu sighed, knowing that youngsters nowadays were really clever. They knew that something wasn¡¯t right with him in only one nce. Somehow, he wanted to tell his weird feelings to them and before he could hold himself back, the words already came out of his mouth...

    "Since Aunt Yue¡¯s disappearance, I felt a nagging pain here..." He pointed at his heart. He knew that he didn¡¯t have a heart attack, but why did he feel such a weird feeling there?!

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other. It seemed like the mother-son bond between Aunt Yue and Uncle Qiu was still there... Aunt Yue had just gone missing and they pondered whether this was the right time to tell Uncle Qiu everything.

    Yao Ling suddenly felt that the blow would be too much for him. One, his missing wife. Two, his missing mother. Even though he found her... his daughter, they had just met each other a few times recently... Would he... feel something for her? A love towards his own daughter, perhaps?

    Yao Ling suddenly felt afraid. Honestly, she didn¡¯t know anything about Uncle Qiu. Besides, she also didn¡¯t know whether Uncle Qiu¡¯s current personality was the real Uncle Qiu¡¯s or Rong Qiu¡¯s?

    Yao Ying understood Yao Ling¡¯s predicament. The closer someone to his or her own problem, it was hard for his or her to maintain a calm mind to judge better and make a good decision. He could see how worried Yao Ling was and her emotions clouded her judgment.

    "Uncle Qiu," Yao Ying called with a firm tone. He decided that he would the one who suggested everything to Uncle Qiu.

    Uncle Qiu was surprised by his sudden seriousness and asked, "What?"

    "If you are given a chance to find the truth about your life, will you ept it?" Yao Ying asked directly. He didn¡¯t have the heart to let Yao Ling continue questioning herself, thus, he made the sudden decision by himself. However, Yao Ling didn¡¯t stop him and he sighed in relief.

    Uncle Qiu¡¯s expression changed into confusion. "What do you mean?"

    Yao Ying answered, "This life of yours... isn¡¯t your real life. You have another identity..."

    Those sentences suddenly triggered something. Uncle Qiu felt a headache and he remembered Aunt Yue was waving her hand in front of him and herst word was, "I¡¯m sorry Little Qiu!"

    ¡¯What... what did Aunt Yue feel sorry about?!¡¯ He remembered each of their interactions and it seemed like he had no such memories.

    After that, he could feel that he got a massive headache which made him fall down from the chair. Yao Ying quickly helped him up in surprise. He just asked a simple question and he didn¡¯t think that it would be able to trigger such a massive reaction.

    "Are you okay, Uncle Qiu?" Yao Ying asked worriedly.

    Yao Ling already told Xiao Yu to take her silver needles. She calmed herself down and punctured Uncle Qiu¡¯s several acupuncture points with her silver needles, trying to help him ease his pain.

    "Thank you!" Uncle Qiu said when he felt that his headache started to lessen. He drank a cup of tea that had been prepared beforehand and after that, he asked, "What do you mean I have another identity?"

    "To be precise, you are not the real Uncle Qiu. You took his identity after the real one was dead," Yao Ying said briefly.

    Uncle Qiu gaped at him andughed loudly. He thought that Yao Ying was joking. Because of the emerging memory, he thought Yao Ying might have known something important. But... he was recing another person¡¯s identity? It was a crazy joke!

    How could he not remember doing that?

    He had been living as Uncle Qiu from the beginning until now and he even remembered almost everything major memories since his childhood. So... how could he believe Yao Ying¡¯s exmation?

    What a joke!

 Chapter 304 You Really Like To Joke!

    "Young man... you really like to joke! I thought that you were serious for a second!" Uncle Qiu said in between hisughter. He almost got a heart attack when he learned the news.

    However, his smile faltered when he saw that Yao Ying didn¡¯t smile at all and his expression was serious, making Uncle Qiu realize that the young man wasn¡¯t joking around at all! He straightened up his back and started to get serious as well. "Are you being serious right now?"

    Yao Ying nodded his head. "I will never make a joke about something as important as this."

    Uncle Qiu looked at him, feeling suspicious. "How do you know that? I just met you a few days ago. Don¡¯t tell me that you have known me all along because I know that¡¯s not true!" He started to feel agitated because of their behavior.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "I¡¯m not going to lie to you. We just knew this matter yesterday and we were shocked as well --- we still are."

    "We?" Uncle Qiu furrowed his eyebrows and then his expression slightly changed. He asked in a low voice, "Does Xiao Fang know about this?"

    Yao Ying hesitantly nodded his head and quickly added, "She just knew about itst night too..." He was afraid that if Yao Ying didn¡¯t make it clear, the man would me Xiao Fang for keeping him in the dark about this.

    When their conversation happened, Yao Ling didn¡¯t say a word. She kept looking down while once in a while, looking at her father longingly. She decided to ask something at this point, "Do... do you want Xiao Fang toe here too, Uncle Qiu?"

    She knew that Uncle Qiu seemed to be wary of them, after all, they were telling him such a piece of shocking news. Maybe with the appearance of a close person to him like Xiao Fang, he would be able to trust them more and willing to listen with an open mind.

    Uncle Qiu didn¡¯t seem to resistant with Yao Ling¡¯s suggestion, thus, the couple knew that he agreed with Yao Ling suggestion. After Uncle Qiu gave them the permission, Yao Ling quickly told Xiao Yu to call Xiao Fang back and said that it was urgent --- her godfather was here. Xiao Yu nodded and promised to bring Xiao Fang along with her as soon as possible.

    When Xiao Yu was gone, the atmosphere became awkward. They didn¡¯t have anything to talk about with each other. Uncle Qiu was thinking all of the possibilities that could happen if he wasn¡¯t the real Uncle Qiu... what about his son? The one that he had left behind in the capital. He had a great rtionship with him, but he was a strict father and the result was they weren¡¯t that close to each other. But still... he was his son and he loved him dearly. Was he really not his son?!

    Then, who was he exactly?

    His gaze turned to the couple. They didn¡¯t seem to have any ill intention towards him --- besides, he had nothing. He had already given almost all his wealth to his son, so just he could stay here peacefully. He also had left behind his position as an official and became Bao Bei¡¯s caretaker. Thus, it can be said they wouldn¡¯t get any benefits by lying to him ah~!

    Then, was it really the truth?

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling let the man think to his heart content. They decided not to say anything until Xiao Fang was here. They thought it would be better if Xiao Fang was the one who broke the news. He wouldn¡¯t believe them anyway, judging from his previous reactions.

    When Xiao Fang finally came, she could feel the tense atmosphere from a miles away. She had guessed what happened more or less because Xiao Yu had told her a few things on their way here. However, she still needed to ask carefully and pretending that she knew nothing, "Godfather, what are you doing here?"

    Uncle Qiu tried to ease the atmosphere by slightly joked, "Your friends said a funny thing to me and it¡¯s so unbelievable! They told me that you knew about this too, so I want to confirm it to you! I know that they must have been joking and pull a prank on me." However, he tantly said that he didn¡¯t believe the couple¡¯s words.

    Well... logically, who would ah~? Thus, the couple didn¡¯t really me his bluntness.

    Xiao Fang sighed. "Is it about your real identity?"

    Uncle Qiu gaped at Xiao Fang and asked, "So... it¡¯s really true?"

    Xiao Fang nodded.

    Xiao Fang was mischievous but she was an honest little girl, so he knew that she wouldn¡¯t lie to him. Besides, she was quite close to his son and was there any use lying to him about this matter?

    The answer was no.

    Uncle Qiu suddenly felt afraid... was it worth it to know about his past? He was no coward, but he didn¡¯t know why he was dreading to know the truth.

    The trio could see the turmoil inside his mind. Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Don¡¯t you want to remember about your beloved woman?"

    "Beloved woman?" Uncle Qiu asked in surprise. His current identity¡¯s wife had died for a long time and he never had the urge to find a new wife --- somehow, he even disdained the thought of having a new wife. However, she said that he had a beloved woman?

    Yao Ling nodded, trying to entice him to choose to remember.

    "I... I have one...?" He couldn¡¯t help but ask. Even the memory about his current deceased wife had been blurry all along... then who was his beloved woman? Once again he felt a pain in his head, but not as intense as before --- it was only a mild throbbing, but still... it made him feel ufortable.

    "What¡¯s her name?" He decided to ask.

    Yao Ling hesitantly answered, "Su Wan... her name is Su Wan."

    "Su Wan... Su Wan..." He chanted her names a few times. The previously mild throbbing turned harsh and he clutched his head once more. There were a few ovepping memories inside his mind, but he couldn¡¯t make out the picture.

    However, there was a soft melodious voice that pierced through his heart... a woman¡¯s voice. "Rong Qiu... I love you..."

    It was thest thing that he remembered before he fainted. Yao Ling could hear thest mumbling word that Uncle Qiu had said because she was the closest to him, "Su Wan..."

    The way he said her name was unlike how he chanted it before. The previous one... he was trying to gauge his own memories, on the other hand, on thest one... there was a trace of longing and love.

    "Does he remember something?" Yao Ling asked softly to herself.

    No once could answer her --- except, her father. Yao Ying let him sleep in their Luo Han bed and asked Yao Ling, "Should we wake him up with your silver needles?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "No... there must have been too much brain activity inside his head that made him fainted. Let him sleep for a little while! Forcing him to wake up now would only do harm to his body."

    Xiao Fang sighed. "He must have been surprised and in distress at the same time. These kinds of reactions are understandable. Let me take care of him!"

    Yao Ling shook her head, "No... Let me..." She felt like that this was the thing that she should do as a daughter.

    Xiao Fang sighed and nodded her head. "Okay... Let me apany you then... After he wakes up and his mind has be calmer, we can tell him that you can help him remember."

    Yao Ling nodded her head. She carefully took care of Uncle Qiu and could only wait for him to wake up...

 Chapter 305 Not Because of The Bond

    Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Xiao Fang knew that there was a turmoil outside because the guards were frantically searching for Uncle Qiu. They were probably trying to find guidance regarding Aunt Yue¡¯s matter because they had been searching everywhere to no avail.

    Yao Ying went out to distract them so that Uncle Qiu would be able to rest peacefully. He was toozy to do it himself, so he searched Lin Jian and made him to the hard work. Although he knew that Yao Ling needed some spaces with her father, he still didn¡¯t want to leave her all alone. Thus, he chose to wait in the garden in front of their courtyard.

    Uncle Qiu was left under the care of Yao Ling and Xiao Fang. They could hear that once in a while he was calling Su Wan¡¯s name over and over again while he was unconscious. His body was sweating all over, but Yao Ling only dared to wipe his forehead.

    "Does he remember something?" Yao Ling asked in a hopeful voice. There was a trace of longing in her eyes which made Xiao Fang pitied her.

    "Maybe the name triggered something inside him. It seems like godfather really loves your birth mother ah~!" Xiao Fang said softly. She never thought that her godfather would be such a sentimental and romantic person.

    "Yes, he is," Yao Ling admitted. She would never tell her that there was a bond behind his infatuation as well. She didn¡¯t want people to mistaken that their feelings were purely because of the bond. Just like her rtionship with Yao Ying, she didn¡¯t want people to question her whether she really loved Yao Ying or it was because of the bond.

    The answer was simple... she had loved him even before they were bound by the bond, but people didn¡¯t know that.

    It seemed like her father had never heard Su Wan¡¯s name before, or else, his memory would have been triggered a long time ago. She understood that this might have something to do with her grandmother who always knew everything. She must have known that this name would trigger the bond, thus, she never mentioned it once in front of her father.

    Not too long after they stopped talking, Uncle Qiu started to move and give a sign that he would wake up soon. By the time Uncle Qiu opene2d his eyes, a few shichen had passed. He tried to sit up with difficulty. Yao Ling and Xiao Fang who saw it quickly helped him up.

    "Godfather, are you okay?" Xiao Fang asked.

    "I¡¯m fine..." Uncle Qiu answered weakly.

    "Do you remember anything?" Xiao Fang asked curiously.

    Uncle Qiu shook his head. "I only remember bits and pieces of iplete memories. However, each time I tried to remember something, something was blocking my mind... I can only give up otherwise the headache would be more unbearable," Uncle Qiu exined. He noticed that he might have fainted, hence he didn¡¯t ask why he was suddenlyying down on the Luo Han bed.

    He turned to Yao Ling and asked, "Your husband suddenly told me about this out of the blue. I¡¯m sure that both of you know something else... Do both of you have a way to make me remember?"

    Yao Ling nodded confidently. "I do... Aunt Yue taught me how to make you remember..."

    When he heard Aunt Yue¡¯s name, he was reminded of her power. Was she the one who locked his memories. If yes... why? All of a sudden, he became angry. After all, he just realized that his whole life here was actually a lie?!

    Uncle Qiu already had his suspicion, but he never thought that his guess was correct. "Why? Why did Aunt Yue tell you? Why didn¡¯t she tell me directly? She had so many chances back then!" Uncle Qiu asked Yao Ling in a loud voice because he was trying to vent his frustration. He didn¡¯t have time to care about other people¡¯s feelings.

    He was just... feeling hurt!

    Even though Yao Ling felt like she was being wronged, she could only swallow her grievance. Why did her father suddenly scold her? She bit her lower lip and tried to calm herself down, even though she felt hurt inwardly.

    Xiao Fang red at his godfather and scolded him, "Don¡¯t do that! Yao Ling is innocent! Besides, you will regret itter if you keep shouting at her!" Xiao Fang knew that Yao Ling¡¯s mood was quite sensitive at the moment and she must be sad because of Uncle Qiu¡¯s words.

    Uncle Qiu didn¡¯t back down but he red at Xiao Fang angrily, "Why should I regret it?"

    Xiao Fang sighed. "Because of her identity. When you remember your real memory, you will be sad if she gives you the cold shoulder," Xiao Fang tried to exin in a subtle way.

    "Identity? What identity?" Uncle Qiu¡¯s curiosity was piqued and he looked at Yao Ling in confusion. What kind of identity that she had ah~? Was there a connection between him and her?

    Yao Ling wanted to tell him herself, but she knew that he would never believe her. Xiao Fang also knew how stubborn the old man was, thus, she was the one who said it, "Your blood-rted daughter."

    Uncle Qiu gaped at them and his wide eyes looked at Yao Ling in disbelief. "Wh-what? My daughter?"

    Yao Ling nodded hesitantly but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything --- just in case her tears would start to fall down. She could see the shock in his expression, fortunately, there was no sign of disgust in it.

    Uncle Qiu closed his eyes. When he saw Yao Ling¡¯s expression, he knew that there was no lie or deception in it and also... he saw a trace of longing there. He decided to strengthen his mind --- he needed to know everything, especially about Su Wan!

    "Please help me remember!" He didn¡¯t want to beat around the bush and decided to go with the flow straight away. He needed to remember at that exact moment.

    Yao Ling nodded at him and asked, "I can help you, but it will take some times. Don¡¯t you need to solve Aunt Yue¡¯s matter first? The guards have been trying to find you a few times... No one is allowed to disturb us, otherwise, there will be consequences."

    Once Uncle Qiu heard Aunt Yue¡¯s name, the throbbing pain was back and he realized that he must have a certain connection with Aunt Yue in the past. "Aunt Yue... who is she to me?"

    Xiao Fang sighed. "Your mother..."

    Uncle Qiu felt like he was being struck by thunder! His mother?! She was his mother?! If she was really gone, didn¡¯t it mean he lost his mother? Without a second thought, he made a sudden decision, "Help me remember now! I will handle the matterter!"

    After that, he turned to Xiao Fang, "Xiao Fang, I will need your help! You go and find my close attendant, Ah Zhao. Tell him to handle everything and dy a few shichen for me and he will know what to do!"

    Xiao Fang nodded her head and quickly went to do his bidding. Although his godfather had left the officialdom, he was a sly fox and he certainly wasn¡¯t a simple man. Ah Zhao had been serving him for a long time as his right-hand man, so she was pretty sure that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary attendant too.

    Uncle Qiu turned to Yao Ling and when he saw her pitiful face... a sense of familiarity kicked in. He patted her back and said, "I¡¯m sorry! I don¡¯t remember anything!"

    Yao Ling shook her head and she could feel the warmth on her back, making her feel calmer. "It¡¯s not your fault, Father! When you remember everything, don¡¯t me grandmother, okay?"

    "me?" Uncle Qiu wanted to ask something else, but Yao Ling stopped him.

    "Please, don¡¯t ask anymore... It will be better if you remember it by yourself." Yao Ling knew that it would be useless to talk to the current Uncle Qiu, but she just hoped that her words would be engraved in his mind before he remembered everything.

    Uncle Qiu swallowed his words, but he nodded in agreement. He started to feel that his identity wasn¡¯t so simple. "Can we start now?"

    Yao Ling nodded her head.

 Chapter 306 First Guinea Pig

    "Xiao Yu, guard us! Remember not to let anyone bother us! No matter who they are," Yao Ling gave Xiao Yu a strict order.

    "Yes, Young Mistress," Xiao Yu quickly stood in front of the door, after closing it from the outside. She understood that her young mistress needed to use her power and she was very vulnerable at that time.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know how to call the man in front of him --- Uncle? Or Father? Thus, she just skipped the formality and said, "Can youy down on the Luo Han Bed again now? Just rx..."

    Uncle Qiu followed her order obediently. Basically what Yao Ling needed to do was the same as what Aunt Yue had done to her the previous day, however, this enchantment was much simpler and not requiring as many energies as Aunt Yue back then. The time that she needed to remove her grandmother¡¯s magic was also less than the time that her grandmother needed to save her.

    Everything came to Yao Ling easily because the imprinting that her grandmother had given to her as a part of the inheritance. "Close your eyes," Yao Ling said softly. Uncle Qiu kept looking at her intently and somehow it made her be nervous.

    Besides, this was the first time she did this --- she didn¡¯t know whether she was able to do it sessfully or not... Her hand was slightly trembling at first but she tried to calm herself down by taking a few deep breaths, and she was no longer trembling.

    Truth to be told... her father became her first guinea pig ah~! However, she wouldn¡¯t tell Uncle Qiu this or he would certainly back out!

    When Uncle Qiu closed his eyes, Yao Ling became calmer. She closed her eyes and softly touched Uncle Qiu¡¯s forehead with her finger. A surge of warmth was transferred to Uncle Qiu¡¯s brain and that warmth was trying to find the ce where Aunt Yue put the blockage inside his brain.

    Once she found it, she quickly said the enchantment softly. Uncle Qiu somehow felt that the words that she said were familiar to him, even though he never heard that before. He felt nervous but once he felt that something was lifted inside his brain, a surge of memories started to fill in the nk inside his mind.

    With how fast the memories were rushing inside his mind, he started to feel the headache once more and he was groaning in pain. He wanted to move and clutch his own head, but Yao Ling¡¯s words stopped him, "Don¡¯t move! I will help you lessen the pain!"

    Yao Ling saw his pain and his movement would hinder the progress, thus, she quickly used her acupuncture method to help him ease the pain with her other free hand. This was the difference between Yao Ling and Aunt Yue... the former had her medical knowledge to help people get through the process better because she could deal with the pain.

    This point would make Yao Ling stronger than Aunt Yue in the future.

    Uncle Qiu could think and pay attention more to the new memories once he felt better. He finally could see the woman¡¯s appearance --- his Su Wan. He remembered how she happily told him that she was pregnant. At that time, she was wearing a loose robe but he could see the slight bulge on her stomach --- their baby was growing in there.

    Was Xiao Fang telling the truth? Yao Ling was his daughter? Their baby...

    Su Wan looked as beautiful as always with her slim figure. She was smiling at him while tenderly stroking her lower belly. She always loved to let her ck hair loose and itplimented her snow-white skin. However, he couldn¡¯t see her face clearly.

    Yao Ling heard how he murmured Su Wan¡¯s name lovingly and she sighed in relief --- it seemed like she was doing okay and didn¡¯t make any mistakes. She was afraid that she would fail ah~!

    Uncle Qiu hesitantly said to Yao Ling, "I... I can¡¯t see Su Wan¡¯s face..." He felt at a loss. He remembered his feelings to her --- his love and even their bond. However, why couldn¡¯t he see her face? He missed her... so much until it was hard to breathe.

    Yao Ling could only try tofort him, "You will remember her face soon..." She wasn¡¯t sure about this, but she couldn¡¯t let him be agitated.

    What Yao Ling said made Uncle Qiu feel calmer and he started to rx his body once more. He tried to sort his memory one by one --- from the beginning until now.

    He remembered that he was a Bei Yue --- his childhood memory started to shape up one by one. Not only Su Wan, but he could also see Aunt Yue... she was... his mother? He was feeling disbelief at first, but then, he started to remember the love that she had given to him and how she had brought him up. He might not have his father¡¯s love, but he always had his mother.

    Indeed, Uncle Qiu also didn¡¯t know that he wasn¡¯t the real son of the n leader. No one knew, except Aunt Yue and Rong Jie. She said that she was pregnant due to their one-time lovemaking when she was married to the n leader. In actuality, she gave him something so he would fall asleep and use a little magic to give him the illusion that they were indeed doing the deed.

    She was doing this, so Rong Qiu would be able to have a good childhood. If the n leader knew that he was his older brother¡¯s son, Aunt Yue knew that he would certainly kill Rong Qiu. He had no qualm about killing his own brother, so killing his brother¡¯s offspring must have been an easy thing for him to do.

    Yao Ling felt that her power was depleting quite fast. It was because she had never done this before and she didn¡¯t have the experience to control how much strength she should exert. She started to sweat and her whole body was trembling.

    At this time, Yao Ying didn¡¯t have the heart continue waiting outside. Because not knowing how Yao Ling¡¯s condition was made his heart ufortable. When Xiao Yu came out, he already had the gist of it. Yao Ling had started to use her power.

    He decided toe inside the room and promised Xiao Yu that he wouldn¡¯t bother Yao Ling. Xiao Yu nodded her head, besides, she would feel better if the young master was inside. At least, if something happened, he could help her young mistress.

    True enough, when he went inside, he could see Yao Ling¡¯s pale face. He gritted his teeth, knowing that he couldn¡¯t disturb Yao Ling¡¯s concentration. He didn¡¯t know what to do, so he could only hug her from behind. At least, by doing this, she wouldn¡¯t fall down when she didn¡¯t have much energy left. He could feel the fluctuation in the air --- was this because of Yao Ling¡¯s power?

    Yao Ling feltfortable inside Yao Ying¡¯s embrace and she softly whispered, "It¡¯s almost done!" She could feel that the thing that blocked her father¡¯s mind started to be smaller and smaller. It was almost gone now.

    Uncle Qiu felt the same thing. The surge of memories became faster and faster just like a whirlwind, making him feel dizzy. However, he was able to get the big pictures of what was happening. He almost could make out Su Wan¡¯s face and also the reason why he lost his memories.

    Yao Ling almost used up all of her energies and when she searched through his mind, this was quite an easy enchantment to use. It seemed like she needed to train herself in this matter too. She realized another weakness too --- she couldn¡¯t contain the energy that she used and it leaked out, leaving a trace. If she could notice this, then other people also could...

 Chapter 307 He Remembered Everything

    True enough, someone else was able to notice Yao Ling¡¯s power from afar. Rong Jie had long gone, so it wasn¡¯t him. It was the enemy. Aunt Yue¡¯s power could only be felt by Rong Jie because of their bond, after all, she already had the skill to cover it up.

    However, Yao Ling was a newbie and she didn¡¯t learn how to cover it up from her grandmother. She was able to use the power was already good enough ah~!

    Even Yao Ying could feel the fluctuation of Yao Ling¡¯s power in the air, so any person with high martial art skills must have been able to feel it. They could easily differentiate it with qing gong because the power essence was quite different.

    The man tried to find Yao Ling by following the trace that she had left behind. However, fortunately for the couple, when the man started to set out at a fast speed, Yao Ling already finished the enchantment. The trace started to weaken and finally, it was gone before the man could find the source. However, the man knew that it happened inside the Crescent Lake vicinity.

    The man could angrily kick the nearest tree out of anger. He was almost there! He almost found the source of the power, but he failed! He figured that the source of power must be the missing Aunt Yue! He would never guess that Aunt Yue had already died and her power had been given to Yao Ling.

    That was why it would be hard for him to find out about Yao Ling. At least, Yao Ling would be able to take a breather because of this reason. She could focus herself in handling her father¡¯s matter.

    Back to Uncle Qiu who started to remember everything...

    He was finally able to remember Su Wan¡¯s face. The soft and sweet girl who was just like a rose. However, her thorn always directed at those who tried to harm her family. She was a beauty --- although not the kind that was able to ruin a kingdom, she had her own charm. Rong Qiu was attracted to her righteous and stubborn personality whichplimented his soft personality. He might be soft but he wasn¡¯t a weak person by all means.

    Rong Qiu felt the pain in his heart when he remembered how his mother erased his memories. He knew it was for the greater good but he still felt betrayed. He was able to think calmer now because he knew how much her mother had taken care of him these past few years and not only that, but his mother also didn¡¯t live an easy life as a prisoner ah~!

    If it was back then, he might throw a tantrum and even cut their mother-son rtionship.

    His bond and Su Wan started to feel stronger once again. He noticed that she was still alive, but where was she? He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Su Wan had given birth to their daughter... so she should be fine, right? Maybe Yao Ling would know something about it.

    Rong Qiu opened at his eyes and watched Yao Ling carefully. He looked at her pale face and weak state, then asked worriedly, "Are you... okay?" He understood that she might use a lot of her power to help him remember everything.

    Yao Ling felt happy when she saw the concern in his eyes. "I¡¯m fine..." She answered weakly. However, Uncle Qiu could see her happy expression and he suddenly felt guilty --- for not knowing that she was actually his daughter before this.

    How could he forget the nervousness that she felt when she was telling him about her just now? But instead, he yelled at her out of anger.

    She was indeed a mixture between him, Su Wan, and her grandmother --- mostly her grandmother¡¯s face which made her even more beautiful than Su Wan. He asked softly, "Yao Ling... are you really my daughter?"

    Yao Ling nodded while she was fiddling with her fingers nervously. "Yes..." She still didn¡¯t know how to call him. She felt safer when she was inside Yao Ying¡¯s embrace. He gave her the assurance that he would always be there for her... no matter what the result was.

    Would he ept her as his daughter? That was the thought that was fleeting inside her mind. She was yearning for his love, but she didn¡¯t really have the confidence whether he would like her or not.

    Uncle Qiu suddenly opened his arms widely and said, "Come... my daughter!" He slightly choked when saying thest part because of the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes. He rarely cried but this was a special asion. He found his long lost daughter ah~!

    Yao Ling felt a push from her back, knowing that Yao Ying told her to go. Her hesitancy was gone, after all, she also yearned for her family --- her real parents. He jumped to Uncle Qiu¡¯s embrace in a sh and called him softly, "Father..."

    Yao Ying felt happy for her... At least, one of them was able to find out her real identity.

    Yao Ling¡¯s soft voice made Uncle Qiu¡¯s body trembled... his heart softened. This was his daughter! Her lovely daughter! Even though his bond kept calling him to search for Su Wan, it didn¡¯t lessen his will to hug and spend some times with his daughter. There was also a bond between a father and daughter... how could he ignore it?

    He hugged her tighter and cried her name softly, "Yao Ling..."

    They stayed that for a little while until Rong Qiu released her slowly. He asked, "How about your mother? Is she the one who gave you the lovely name?" He never thought the possibility of Yao Ling growing up under the care of another woman... He merely thought that Su Wan didn¡¯t give her the Rong surname because she was afraid that people would connect Yao Ling¡¯s identity with his and it would make Yao Ling in danger.

    Yao Ling honestly answered her father, "I... I don¡¯t know where Mother is."

    Rong Qiu¡¯s expression started to change into a serious one when he heard what Yao Ling said and Yao Ling could see that his expression was slightly darkened. "What do you mean?" He asked in a stern voice. He should have guessed... After all, Su Wan would be staying by his side when Yao Ling tried to erase the enchantment that his mother put on him.

    Yao Ling quickly told him everything that happened from the beginning to end --- starting from Su Wan¡¯s letter that they found, she even showed it to him and Rong Qiu confirmed to her that it was really Su Wan¡¯s handwriting. Rong Qiu could feel from the bond that she was still alive, thus, he didn¡¯t immediately go crazy...

    He continued listening to Yao Ling¡¯s childhood, until she got married to Yao Ying who had a memory loss, also how she had gotten the inheritance from her grandmother...

    Rong Qiu was at a daze... after all, he just got his long-lost daughter back and she already got married?! He felt sad when he heard this, but oh well... it was better than he lost her for good.

    When Rong Qiu heard thest part of Yao Ling¡¯s story, he already knew that his mother had been gone --- dead, to be exact. It was the price that she had to pay for using up all of her powers. He felt his whole body had gone weak because of that, however, he didn¡¯t say anything or show his grievance. He saw how his daughter hoped that her grandmother would be well. No news was good news to her, so how could he burst her bubble?

    He didn¡¯t have the heart to do that. Thus, he could only try to hold his grievance back and go along with Yao Ling¡¯s assumption... He noticed that Yao Ying sighed in relief when he didn¡¯t say anything about her grandmother passing away and he realized that he was indeed making the right choice.

    Rong Qiu turned his gaze to Yao Ying, "So... you don¡¯t remember your past, huh?"

 Chapter 308 What Would His Answer Be?

    Yao Ying nodded while gulping. He was surprised that the conversation suddenly shifted to him out of nowhere... He still jumped up in surprise, despite trying to maintain hisposure. He could see from the look in Rong Qiu¡¯s eyes that he meant business, so he started to get serious as well.

    He would never guess before that there would be a day he would be meeting his father-inw in this situation ah~! He suddenly became nervous, especially with the way his father-inw was looking at him --- piercing and stern. His expression was exactly like a lion who was trying to protect its cub.

    Who could me him though? After all, he was indeed Yao Ling¡¯s real father and it meant that he had to respect him as well.

    "Yes, Father," he answered softly.

    "Do you really love my daughter?" Rong Qiu asked.

    Yao Ying nodded. "Yes, I love Yao Ling!" He answered confidently, after all, it was indeed his real feeling ah~!

    "What will you do if you remember your past and you find that there is another woman waiting for you, huh? Whether she is your fiance or the woman that you love?" Rong Qiu asked without beating around the bush. For now, Yao Ling¡¯s happiness meant the world to him. He might have missed seeing her grow up and he wasn¡¯t able to protect her back then.

    However, everything was different now... because he would protect her --- even from her husband! They already got married and he knew that he had no say in this matter, but it didn¡¯t mean that he would just let his daughter suffer a grievance because of Yao Ying.

    Rong Qiu wouldn¡¯t let a shitty guy ruin his daughter¡¯s life and happiness. He needed to make sure that this man would really appreciate her, love her, and make her happy forever! Honestly, he didn¡¯t know Yao Ying¡¯s personalities, so he really couldn¡¯t judge him. But still... a father was always feeling biased towards his own daughter!

    From his previous interaction with Yao Ling, he had known that she was a good girl and he felt satisfied with his lovely daughter.

    If Yao Ying really hurt her, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take Yao Ling back and make them divorce! Rong Qiu might look soft, but once he determined to do something... he was as stubborn as a mule!

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t imagine the scenario that Rong Qiu asked him about --- he had never thought about this scenario at all. A woman? A fiance? He really didn¡¯t remember about this part, but he also wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure that he didn¡¯t have one.

    A thought was fleeting inside his mind --- he was once dreaming about a woman who was calling him ¡¯Da Ge¡¯ [=means Big Brother]... Was there a connection between him and that woman? Or was that really his imagination? His mind made a few scenarios about it and he shuddered in fear!

    To the current him, Yao Ling was the love of his life! How could he have the heart to think of another woman? However, he also understood their worry. If he didn¡¯t clear this matter up and give Yao Ling and Rong Qiu an exnation, he knew that this matter would always be a knot in their hearts.

    At first, Yao Ying had never paid attention to this scenario and he thought that Yao Ling also felt the same way as him. However... when his father-inw asked that question, he could see that Yao Ling¡¯s body became tense and she didn¡¯t dare to look at him --- even looked a bit scared. Thus, he made a deduction and started to realize that Yao Ling was actually feeling worried about this matter too!

    Yao Ling felt her whole body stiffened. Those were the questions that she was afraid to ask and she deliberately trying to distract herself from thinking about this matter. Who knew that her father would try to help her to deal with it? She never thought that the first thing that her father did for her after recognizing her... was this matter ah~!

    Somehow, she felt touched by him, but on the other hand, she felt nervous as well. No... not only nervous, she was feeling scared as well...

    ¡¯What would his answer be?¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself while fiddling with her fingers once more. Yao Ying could see how nervous she was and suddenly he felt really guilty for neglecting her feelings and her worry...

    ¡¯Does she always think about this matter?¡¯ Yao Ying asked himself, even though the answer was as clear as day at the moment.

    Yao Ying sighed --- sooner orter he would be faced with this problem, so he should think about it and answer carefully. He didn¡¯t want to answer right away, because he didn¡¯t want to say the wrong thing or making up things just to make them feel happy.

    "Well?" Rong Qiu became impatient when Yao Ying didn¡¯t answer him right away. His hesitancy made Rong Qiu feel that Yao Ying wasn¡¯t serious about her daughter. If he was on his shoes, he would certainly answer decisively without any dy.

    Rong Qiu misunderstood Yao Ying because of this... If Yao Ying gave the wrong answer, Rong Qiu would certainly beat him up --- even if his martial arts skills were lower than Yao Ying... he didn¡¯t care!

    "Father-inw..." Yao Ying called him politely, after that, he directly kneeled on the ground because he was trying to show Rong Qiu his respect and sincerity while answering him seriously.

    Rong Qiu who already felt dissatisfied quickly refuted his words. "You can only call me father-inw when I am feeling satisfied with your answer."

    Yao Ying, "..."

    He was speechless. Didn¡¯t it mean his father-inw just want to hear the words that he wanted ah~?! Yao Ying sighed but knowing that Rong Qiu was doing this for Yao Ling¡¯s sake and it actually made him respect his father-inw even more.

    Yao Ying answered wholeheartedly.

    "I love Yao Ling and I want to spend the rest of my life with her --- loving her... growing old with her... having many as many children as we could. This is my current real feelings. As for my past, I can¡¯t guarantee what happened back then, after all, I can¡¯t remember everything... even until this point."

    Yao Ying paused, trying to control his emotion. He could see that Yao Ling felt happy when he said that she loved her, but her eyes slightly dimmed when he talked about thest part. However, he needed to say what he needed to say!

    "I couldn¡¯t change the past..." Yao Ying admitted. No matter what happened back then, he wouldn¡¯t change his feelings towards Yao Ling! He was sure of that.

    "So?" Rong Qiu asked while squinting his eyes in displeasure. He still didn¡¯t understand what this boy wanted to say. "What do you mean by can¡¯t guarantee about your past?"

    "I won¡¯t sugarcoat anything. I don¡¯t know what I did in the past --- whether I already have a woman, in a rtionship, have a fiance or wife, being lecherous... or not. But one thing that I know, my heart towards Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t change... I love her and only her... However, if one of the previous things that I mentioned really happened back then, I will need Yao Ling and father-inw¡¯s trust that I will handle it. If somehow I stray from my role as Yao Ling¡¯s husband, you can remind me... or even beat me if I make a grave mistake... after all, I¡¯m only human and human makes mistakes. I don¡¯t want to make a promise that I can¡¯t keep."

    Yao Ying decided to be honest and he didn¡¯t want to give them an empty promise --- that wasn¡¯t his style.

    Yao Ling understood his point-of-view. In a way, Rong Qiu¡¯s question was hard to answer, to begin with. There were so many uncertainties about what happened back then. But still... it didn¡¯t sit well in her heart.

    "So... you can¡¯t promise that you will make my daughter happy when you remember your past?" Rong Qiu asked sternly. ¡¯What kind of shitty things that this kid spouted? He really doesn¡¯t understand women¡¯s heart! Doesn¡¯t he see how sad Yao Ling look?¡¯

 Chapter 309 Father-in-law?

    Yao Ying sighed. "Both of you misunderstand what I mean..." He felt that it was hard to express everything in words, but he still tried his hardest to make them understand his feelings.

    "Oh... Then, shouldn''t you make it clearer? From what I''ve heard, you want Yao Ling to be the one who fights for you in the future..." Rong Qiu kept pushing him without any mercy. He didn''t like the sound of it. Why should they be the one who reminded him?

    Yao Ying quickly exined, "I already said that I will be the one who handles it in the future. However, I hope that I won''t fight the fight alone... I want Yao Ling and me to fight together ah~! For example, just like now... even if you say that Yao Ling had an engagement beforehand, I will fight for her because I won''t give Yao Ling to another man!" He said resolutely by giving an example.

    "However... I can dere that the only woman that I will love in this life will be Yao Ling... only her..." Yao Ying said the words to his father-inw, however, he directed his intense gaze at Yao Ling. In a way, he wanted to let her know that he was being serious. No matter what happened in the future... he believed in himself that he would choose Yao Ling, no matter what!

    Yao Ling felt satisfied because he was able to tell her clearly about his feelings --- even before he knew about the bond between them. If he knew beforehand, she would second guess whether it was because of the bond or not. Yao Ling was happy that she didn''t reveal this thing to him when she was talking about the knowledge that she had gotten from her grandmother.

    Rong Qiu had a lot of experiences regarding the love between man and woman --- he had to admit that he quite liked Yao Ying''s decisive answer, even though he was too honest. He actually could say it in sweeter words as to not hurt his wife''s feelings. This brat still needed to learn a lot of things to coax his wife better ah~!

    Rong Qiu couldn''t agree more with Yao Ying''s view regarding this matter.

    Indeed, the best way to tackle every problem in life was to fight together regardless of everything. That was why he regretted it when he let Su Wan go back then when he let Su Wan pretend to be a servant, despite that decision was actually the best choice at that time. Looked at how he ended up at the moment?

    He lost her!

    Rong Qiu sighed inwardly. It seemed like Yao Ying was more clearheaded than him --- but Yao Ying still had to prove it to him when the times came.

    Yao Ling blushed when she heard his deration --- it really warmed her heart. She understood one point... if she wanted to maintain their happiness, Yao Ying mustn''t be the only one who fought for it --- after all, there was a possibility that there was something that he couldn''t do, but she could. That was what he meant!

    After all, if there was really a woman, Yao Ying couldn''t just punch her, right? Thus, she started to understand a little bit about what he meant. She also needed to fight! She couldn''t just hide behind him and expect everything to be easy to deal with...

    When she understood everything, she smiled softly towards Yao Ying and said, "I will fight along with you... I... I will always love you too... forever..." After saying her piece, she suddenly became shy because she had forgotten that her father had been there all the time and listened to their mushy talk ah~! Hence, she could only look down in embarrassment.

    Yao Ying really wanted to kiss her when he saw her cuteness!

    Her father really helped her let go the knot inside her heart --- she knew that from this moment on she wouldn''t feel afraid every day. Previously, she always felt nervous whether Yao Ying remembered his past or not. Yao Ying already said so and she truly believed in him. He was not a man who would easily go back from his promise.

    Rong Qiu nched when he saw their lovey-dovey moment. Oh well... at least, the talk ended up really good. He could see his daughter''s twinkling eyes and happy expressions. It made him feel slightly better. He needed to teach Yao Ying a few things because it seemed like the brat was too righteous, thus, he didn''t bother to say sweet nothings when he answered the difficult questions just now.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief when he felt that everything actually ended up well. Yao Ling and Rong Qiu seemed to be satisfied with his answers. Yao Ying turned to Rong Qiu and asked hesitantly, "So... can I call you father-inw now?"

    If Rong Qiu said he could, then it meant he had answered correctly ah~! If not, then he needed to coax him until Rong Qiu allowed Yao Ying to call him father-inw. What else he could do? After all, Rong Qiu was still the elder here and he needed to respect him.

    Rong Qiu looked at him sharply and answered, "You gave me a pretty good answer, besides, you made my daughter smile just now. So, I will let you go for now... You can call me ''father-inw''. However... once you hurt her, I will take her away with me. My daughter is so pretty and there are a lot of males out there who will certainly appreciate her."

    Yao Ying sweated when he heard that. Rong Qiu was basically threatening him, but he knew that it was for Yao Ling''s good ah~! Thus, he wasn''t able to refute. Besides, with Yao Ling''s power... she could leave him easily if she wanted... and he didn''t want that to happen!

    Yao Ying quickly said, "Thank you, Father-inw. I will keep it in mind!"

    "Get up! Why are being so formal?" Rong Qiu said it in a displeasure voice, but the couple knew that he was doing it just for the sake of it. They could see the smile in his expressions. By asking thest part, he was already acknowledging Yao Ying as Yao Ling''s husband ah~!

    Thus, the couple also felt happy!

    After Rong Qiu was feeling satisfied, he suddenly remembered about Su Wan once again. Judging from the letter, it seemed like she was being held hostage by someone... but who? It had been a long time ago, would she still be imprisoned just like his mother?

    "Yao Ling, have your mother ever told you the condition when she found you?" Rong Qiu seemed to understand how important Jiu Lan in Yao Ling''s life was, besides, she had helped him to bring Yao Ling up until she was this big. He wasn''t an ungrateful or unreasonable person and he would also call her as Yao Ling''s mother.

    Yao Ling told him everything and Rong Qiu felt that his heart was being pierced. Why was Su Wan in a hurry? Based on her personality, something big must have happened back then... otherwise, the stubborn woman wouldn''t let go her only daughter to the wilderness --- it was uncertain whether the little baby would be found by other people just in time and survived the ordeal or not.

    Su Wan wasn''t the type of woman who liked to gamble her own daughter''s life. It meant that something or someone was threatening their life...

    There were a lot of questions that needed to be answered ah~!

    ''Su Wan... where are you?'' Rong Qiu asked inwardly, hoping that thetter was safe.

    Yao Ying saw the dazed look in his father''s eyes and she could already guess that her father must have been thinking about her mother. "Father... are you okay?" Yao Ling asked hesitantly.

    Rong Qiu woke out of his reverie and remembered that his daughter was still there. He nodded his head and said that he was okay. He didn''t want Yao Ling to worry about him. However, he honestly answered her, "I just miss your mother and thinking... whether she would be angry at me or not..."

    They knew what he was talking about...

    It was because he forgot about his beloved...

    If Su Wan knew, her heart must have been broken to pieces.

 Chapter 310 Act Lovey Dovey

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling understood Rong Qiu''s pain and it made them feel at a loss to --- they didn''t know what to say tofort him.

    Rong Qiu was correct though...

    To be forgotten by the one that she loved the most, it must be so painful...

    Rong Qiu and Su Wan''s bond was there, but it wasn''t as strong as Yao Ling and Yao Ying''s bond. After all, the power of his family was inherited to women only... thus, the power skipped a generation because his mother only had him as a son...

    Su Wan couldn''t inherit his family''s power... Thus, he also wondered to himself --- how did she protect herself all this time? The more he thought about, the piercing pain in his heart was getting stronger.

    Although their bond wasn''t as strong as Yao Ling''s, it was able to make him go crazy when he was a bit far from Su Wan. It seemed like with the passing time, their bond had grown weaker. Not only that, by blocking his memory, his mother had been sessfully cut off their bond forcefully too!

    Rong Qiu knew his mother had passed away, so how could he me her? There were a lot of contradicting thoughts in his mind and he somehow felt at a loss.

    Yao Ling noticed her father''s fatigue, after all, she knew that her father should have let his brain rest for a little while. "Father... why don''t you sleep for a little while? Just take a rest... after that, I believe that you will feel refreshed and able to sort your mind better..." Yao Ling gave a piece of advice.

    Yao Ying also nodded in agreement. "That''s true, Father-inw. I will guard you and not let other people bother you."

    Rong Qiu nodded his head in agreement because he could feel that the headache was back once more. "Yes... let me sleep for a little while..." He suddenly felt a little tired and he could also feel that his brain was overload with crazy new pieces of information.

    It was better if he rested for a little bit. He knew that he was in a good hand, thus, heid back down once again and closed his eyes. He was falling asleep in no time.

    The couple quietly went out of the room to let him sleep peacefully and Yao Ying let Xiu guard in front of the door, while he was taking Yao Ling for a walk. He knew that Yao Ling was tired, but thetter stubbornly didn''t want to leave her father at all.

    Yao Ying knew that Yao Ling must have been afraid that it was all only a dream and when she was sleeping, her father would be gone...

    He could helplessly follow her wishes.

    However, this little walk was actually able to save them from a lot of troubles in the future.

    ----------

    The man that tried to find the source of the magic power was still lurking around the Crescent Lake area --- the man''s martial art skills were far higher than Yao Ying and Lin Jian, hence he was able to search around the perimeter without being noticed by the guards easily.

    The man looked around and he saw the loving couple who spent their time in the garden of their own courtyard.

    He sneered at them, but he felt confused as well. He certainly could feel that the fluctuating power came from around here. However, he couldn''t detect Aunt Yue''s presence here. He could feel there was someone who was sleeping inside --- but he knew that it was a man based on his size and heavy breathing.

    He had tried to use his inner qi to feel any fluctuating power in there... but nothing was found --- there was no trace of the magic power left in that area. That was why he couldn''t determine whether he was searching in the right ce or not.

    He paid a bit more attention to the woman who was sitting on the stone bench --- she looked a bit pale and sickly. The man squinted his eyes, trying to find whether there was something weird with the couple or not. However, he couldn''t find anything suspicious.

    He didn''t think that Aunt Yue would be able to disguise herself as that woman, after all, their body size was quite different. Someone could change his or her face easily --- but body size? It was basically impossible.

    Thus, he didn''t think too much about the couple anymore.

    He reckoned that he had probably searched at the wrong ce or Aunt Yue had gone away once again, even though his gut feelings said that he wasn''t wrong ah~! He decided to wait there for a little while and see what happened inside the courtyard. Who knew... maybe Aunt Yue woulde out of her hiding.

    The man stayed vignce there...

    ----------

    Yao Ying could feel that someone was looking at them from somewhere. He couldn''t find out his exact location and he could guess that the man must have been an expert --- better than him, perhaps. He went closer to Yao Ling, pretending that he wanted to whisper sweet nothings to her ears.

    He softly whispered, "Someone is here." He didn''t dare to say anything else just in case the man was able to hear what he said.

    Yao Ling smiled and nodded in understanding while gently caressing Yao Ying''s face. She knew that it wasn''t the time to talk about any of the Bei Yue things and also about her father. She asked wickedly, "Should we act lovey-dovey then?"

    Yao Yingughed out loud when he saw her current mischievous expression. "Of course... What do you n to do?" He wondered what kind of thing that Yao Ling wanted the man to see...

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes... "I''m just a little woman ah~! You should be the one who is taking the lead..." Yao Ling pretended to be shy and demure.

    Yao Ying really wanted to pinch her soft cheek for being cheeky. She started to know how to use her body to tease him, huh? Yao Ying bit her earlobe softly and asked, "Didn''t you always feel shy whenever we were being intimate back then? Now... you want to let other men show our intimate moment closely, hmmm?"

    Yao Ling felt like she was being wronged ah~! She red at him usingly and mouthed softly, "This is an act!"

    "If you continue to look at me with that expression, it won''t be an act anymore..." Yao Ying teased her while continuing what he did --- nibbling and biting her earlobes.

    What he did just now started to make her body tremble in needs and she tried to hold back her sinful moan. This man was bing bolder and really good at igniting the fire inside her body. She had never thought that she was such a passionate person...

    She bit her lower lip once again when Yao Ying didn''t cease his nibbling. Otherwise, she would be embarrassed to death if she started to moan out of nowhere! This wasn''t what she thought when she wanted them to act lovey-dovey!

    Yao Ling didn''t know whether she shouldugh or cry in this condition. She whispered softly, "How long do you want to keep attacking me?! How far do you want to go?" She felt breathless.

    "I''m still enjoying you ah~! How about you? Do you want me to stop?" Yao Ying asked her with a grin.

    Yao Ling was speechless because of the shameless man that she called husband. She poke his chest and told him to stop talking nonsense, but Yao Ying didn''t seem to care about it.

    Yao Ling cried inwardly, ''Father... Please help me! Your son-inw is going to devour me!''

 Chapter 311 He Was Truly Careless!

    Yao Ying couldn''t help butugh out loud when he saw her panicked face. He wasn''t going to pounce on her at an open space like this ah~! He wondered why she looked so afraid, after all, he wasn''t a pervert! He didn''t want Yao Ling''s alluring body to be looked at by other men.

    Well... what had happened back at theke was an exception. At that time, he couldn''t hold back the fire inside him. Besides, the ce was clear from intruders, so he dared to make love with her right there.

    Yao Ling watched herughing husband and really wanted to kick him --- he was so annoying! She sighed in relief when he did nothing else, except nibbling her ears. She asked softly, "Is he still here?"

    Yao Ying nodded while continuedughing, however, he didn''t forget to be vignt. He still tried to gauge where the man''s location was. What made him frustrated was... he still couldn''t find his exact location. The more he went out to see the world, the more he knew that there were a lot of people who were stronger than him. He had to continue improving himself as well, so he could protect Yao Ling better.

    He wondered who this man was. He started to realize something... did hee because Yao Ling was using her power just now?

    He was truly careless!

    Yao Ying remembered that he could feel the fluctuating power that Yao Ling had emitted back then. No wonder this expert was attracted to this ce! He must have felt something, thus, he quickly went to their courtyard. Besides, it was not only that... he remembered that Yao Ling only emitted a subtle fluctuating power, so he reckoned no one would pay attention to it --- unless, the man was deliberately searching for the trace of power.

    It seemed like the man was looking for Aunt Yue. Yao Ying was able to deduct it correctly with a few hints with his cleverness. He needed to talk about this matter to Yao Ling and Rong Qiu when the man had already gone.

    Yao Ying answered Yao Ling''s question, "Yes, he is still here."

    Yao Ling asked, "Do you find out where he is at the moment?" Yao Ling felt ufortable for being spied on in her own courtyard.

    Yao Ying shook his head while continued acting lovingly towards Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows when she heard that. "Why don''t we go back inside?" She was afraid that the man would attack them all of a sudden and with their current position, they were at a disadvantage.

    "No..." Yao Ying rejected her idea because he still wanted to find out where the man was and what his purpose was. If he left without attacking them, then his guess must have been correct --- that man was only searching for Aunt Yue. If he attacked them, then it would be another matter altogether.

    Yao Ling could only obey Yao Ying, knowing that he must have a n.

    The man, who kept his gaze on them, started to feel bored when looking at their intimacy. What did this couple want to do in a broad daylight? Making love right then and there? The man kept pouncing on the woman while the woman kept giggling cutely.

    He tried once again to feel the surroundings with his inner qi and after he was more convinced that the couple didn''t have anything to do with Aunt Yue, he went away in disappointment.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief, but with a mixture of disappointment in it as well.

    Yao Ling asked, "He already left, right?" She wanted to add... ''You also couldn''t find out his whereabouts, right?'' But she didn''t dare to say it because she could see how disappointed Yao Ying was.

    Yao Ling tried to cheer him up, "At least, the intruder seems to think that whatever he was looking for, it''s not here..."

    Yao Ying nodded in agreement. He led Yao Ling away from the garden and brought her inside their room. Rong Qiu was still sleeping soundly, so they lowered their voices when talking. Yao Ling was quite confused with Yao Ying''s behavior --- he suddenly became so serious.

    "Ling-er, I don''t think you should use your power again at Crescent Lake --- especially when we are staying here. It''s dangerous," Yao Ying warned her.

    Yao Ling was taken aback. "Did that mane here because of me?" It was reasonable for Yao Ling to ask this, especially because of Yao Ying''s attitude and the appearance of the man who spied on them. She put two and two together.

    Yao Ying nodded. "I think so too..."

    After saying that, Yao Ying exined his deduction to Yao Ling and thetter found his exnation possible.

    Yao Ling bit her lower lip out of nervousness. "It seems like I''ve made a big mistake," Yao Ling said worriedly.

    She should have known ah~! Her power was still new and it was unstable --- she also realized that she couldn''t use it really well because it almost exhausted all of her power back then. However, because she was sessful, she felt a bit arrogant inwardly and she was ashamed of that.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "It''s not a big mistake. We actually don''t have any detailed information about this power, maybe your father could help. After all, he is a Bei Yue, so he must have known something too."

    Yao Ling agreed with Yao Ying and she sighed in frustration. "I think the man must have thought that it was my grandmother who used the magic power just now. Otherwise, the man would certainly find out about me!"

    She started to realize that this power was actually a hot potato --- no wonder so many people wanted to get her grandmother for themselves.

    "Yes... that''s why you should stop using the power for now --- just to be safe. After leaving this, you can start learning about it slowly. Ah... I almost forgot. Didn''t your grandmother leave us with the scrolls?" Yao Ying said.

    Yao Ling was too agitated back then to remember and that was why she forgot about it. Her grandmother had given her most of her power, but she also must have known that she would be running into trouble when she tried to use the power. Hence, she had given her the scrolls to prepare for this.

    There was a pang in Yao Ling''s heart --- she actually knew that her grandmother must have been in the dire state back then, and yet, she still thought of everything for her. "Do you have the scrolls with you?" Yao Ling asked.

    Yao Ying nodded. "Why? Do you want to take a look at it now?"

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "I was being careless. I should have read the scrolls before trying to use the power..."

    Yao Ying sighed. "I will give the scrolls to you after you take a rest..."

    "But..."

    "There''s no but! I know that you are tired. I will wake you up once father-inw wakes up. He isn''t going to go anywhere!" Yao Ying emphasized thest part.

    "I need..." Before Yao Ling could finish what she wanted to say, Yao Ying cut her off.

    "Sleep!"

    "But..."

    "Sleep or I will burn the scrolls! Choose!" Yao Ying threatened her. He knew that the current Yao Ling needed to be treated with a firm attitude. He didn''t want her to faint because she worked too hard!

    Yao Ling could see that he was being serious, thus, she decided to obey him. If she fainted, her father and husband would be worried about her. Yao Ying sighed in relief when he knew that she finally relented.

    Yao Ying decided to discuss everything with his father-inw, Lin Jian, and Xiao Fang after Yao Ling and his father-inw had a good nap.

 Chapter 312 The Sooner They Leave, The Better

    After both father-daughter woke up, Yao Ying called Lin Jian and Xiao Fang over to discuss things over. They needed to talk about in details how to cover up Aunt Yue¡¯s trails --- they didn¡¯t want others to find out that she was dead. After all, the one who was in charge temporarily was Rong Qiu and the new representative from the Han Emperor hadn¡¯te yet, so they were afraid that the Han Emperor would me Rong Qiu.

    Not only that, Yao Ling would be the one who was being hunted when they knew that her grandmother was dead --- it was too dangerous!

    At first, Xiao Fang was a bit hesitant because she didn¡¯t know how to face her godfather. Fortunately, her godfather still treated her the same as before and she sighed in relief. He weed her with aforting smile and she smiled back widely.

    "Godfather," Xiao Fang greeted him warmly.

    Rong Qiu patted her head lovingly just like usual. He remembered how he doted upon this little girl and didn¡¯t n to change. "Xiao Fang, from now on... you and Yao Ling are sisters." This sentence had been enough proof that he still took her as his goddaughter and Xiao Fang was grateful for that.

    Xiao Fang looked at Yao Ling and smiled. "Fortunately, I always thought of her as my sister... who knows we can actually be real sisters."

    "True ah~!" Yao Ling was happy as well and gave Xiao Fang with a wide grin. Their rtionship became stronger than before --- from best friends to sisters.

    Lin Jian asked Yao Ying, "You call us here... there must be something important that you want to tell us, right?"

    Yao Ying nodded and his serious face made the atmosphere became tense. He exined everything that had just happened in the garden and finally said, "It¡¯s no longer safe for us to stay here any longer..."

    Crescent Lake had be a dangerous ce for them to stay!

    They understood this point, however, Rong Qiu still had to maintain his pretense. He needed to take care of Bao Bei and wait until the new representative arrived... Yao Ling certainly didn¡¯t want to leave her father behind. Thus, they made a n to bring Rong Qiu along with them.

    Rong Qiu adamantly wanted to bring Bao Bei along with him and they could only helplessly agree. Yao Ling knew because Bao Bei was actually her mother¡¯s beloved pet, that was why her father didn¡¯t want to leave Bao Bei behind.

    There were so many things that they needed to do, thus, they needed to divide the tasks carefully. The sooner they left Crescent Lake, the better.

    Yao Ling was the only one who wasn¡¯t allowed to do anything because even after a nap, her face was still pale. Rong Qiu exined that it was the effect of using the power blindly and she needed a few days to recuperate. He knew a little bit of the power and he would guide her bit by bit after the matter in Crescent Lake had been dealt with.

    Fortunately, all of them had said that she was sick a few days ago after she went into aa. Thus, she already had the best cover from the outside world. Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry --- after all, she didn¡¯t think that she was important enough to make people take notice of her.

    Yao Ling asked, "What kind of illness that you told other people?" She wanted to prepare herself ah~! If she needed to act, then she needed to do it well.

    The others looked at each other awkwardly and then Xiao Fang answered, "It¡¯s not actually an illness."

    "Huh? What do you mean?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "We didn¡¯t want Uncle Qiu to call a physician for you, otherwise, he would find out that you were in aa. Thus, we lied to him," Lin Jian exined.

    "That¡¯s fine. Just tell me the excuse!" Yao Ling wondered why they kept beating around the bush ah~!

    Rong Qiu really wanted tough at the others. He almost forgot about this! Thus, he was the one who told Yao Ling, "They told me that you were pregnant!"

    Yao Ling gaped at them while blushing furiously! ¡¯Pregnant?!¡¯ She thought to herself. Out of so many excuses, how could they choose this? It was too embarrassing ah~!

    "So... how should I act?" Yao Ling felt embarrassed to ask. She knew one or two things when she helped her mother to treat the vigers, but she didn¡¯t know exactly what the pregnant women encountered on a daily basis.

    "Er..." The trio was speechless too. Yao Ying didn¡¯t have a family, so he had never really known the exact symptoms. Lin Jian¡¯s house didn¡¯t have any women in it, so how could he possibly know? On the other hand, Xiao Fang¡¯s father also didn¡¯t have any concubines, so she also never really paid close attention to pregnant women.

    Their eyesnded to Rong Qiu --- he was the only one who probably knew about this.

    Rong Qiu scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Your mother mostly spent her pregnant day on the ship. The waves were pretty wild, so she always vomited until she became thin..." For Rong Qiu, that was the most painful thing that he had ever seen.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t find any of their information helpful. "Oh well... I will just stay inside my room and pretend to vomit whenever peoplee to meet me," Yao Ling finally decided.

    She just made love once and now, she had to pretend that she was pregnant. It was very amusing to her ah~!

    Yao Ling knew that they would start doing their n tonight --- it would be started by handling Bao Bei. She didn¡¯t think that it would be hard to do, after all, Bao Bei was called as a sacred pet just for a diversion --- the Han Emperor agreed to raise Bao Bei because it was one of Aunt Yue¡¯s terms. They didn¡¯t think that the Han Emperor would care whether Bao Bei was alive or not.

    Her father also needed to do his part as Uncle Qiu tonight and deal with Aunt Yue¡¯s disappearance matter. The only ones who didn¡¯t have anything to do were Yao Ling and Xiao Fang, thus, they decided to stay together and chat while waiting for the man toe back.

    Rong Qiu¡¯s feelings were quiteplicated. He knew that his mother was dead and he hadn¡¯t gotten the time to mourn her, he felt guilty because of it and yet, he still had a lot of things to handle. He really needed to prepare the proper prayer and burn joss paper for her after everything had been settled.

    If he did it here, he knew people would be suspicious of him. However, he felt like he was really unfilial ah~!

    He looked up to the sky and said inwardly, ¡¯Mother, I¡¯m sorry for being unfilial. After settling the matter here, I will give you a proper prayer. I¡¯m sorry that there¡¯s no funeral... We can¡¯t find your body..."

    Rong Qiu didn¡¯t feel hesitate to kneel towards the sky and kowtowed three times until his forehead was bleeding. He needed to pay respect for his own mother --- let all the grudges begone... He didn¡¯t me his mother anymore for sealing his memories back then.

    It was because Yao Ling --- without her, he wouldn¡¯t be able to calmly think things over.

    He wondered where his mother¡¯s body was... He also didn¡¯t know how to break the news to Yao Ling. After he woke up from his slumber, Yao Ying told him about Yao Ling¡¯s breakdown when she guessed that her grandmother was dead --- thus, he felt even moreplicated!

    He decided to put this matter aside first and took care of the guards out there.

    Rong Qiu decided to listen to his personal servant --- Ah Zhao¡¯s report, beforeing out to handle the matter. Ah Zhao had used a good reason for his disappearance. Last night, he was busy searching for Aunt Yue along with the guards. Thus, Ah Zhao told the others that he was sick because of it and needed to recuperate for a little while.

    Fortunately, the others believed in the excuse. Besides, he wasn¡¯t really in charge of them, to begin with.

 Chapter 313 Something Weird

    "Ah Zhao... is there something wrong?" Rong Qiu could see that Ah Zhao was a bit hesitant to tell him something.

    "Actually... I saw something weird by ident. One of the hidden guards didn¡¯t seem to follow the protocol," Ah Zhao said hesitantly.

    "What do you mean?" Rong Qiu asked in a serious manner. What Ah Zhao just said piqued his interest. He knew that Ah Zhao wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it if it wasn¡¯t an important thing.

    Ah Zhao sighed because he really saw it by ident. At first, he also helped the soldier to search around the perimeter. However, he needed to relieve himself and decided to go to a secluded corner to do that. When he almost finished relieving himself, he saw a guard who passed by and thetter was behaving suspiciously.

    He decided to follow the man slowly.

    Ah Zhao wasn¡¯t only Rong Qiu¡¯s personal attendant --- he was also his personal bodyguard. He never divulged to other people that he knew some martial arts skills just to be safe, besides, Rong Qiu always wanted to appear low-key here and spend his days peacefully.

    The hidden guard moved very fast, but Ah Zhao was able to follow his speed and found that he was going inside one of the courtyards in the Crescent Lake.

    "What did he do?" Rong Qiu asked. It seemed like they identally found a traitor by luck, but how could a hidden guard be easily found like that? He wondered whether this was a trap or not.

    "He went to the esteemed guest¡¯s ce," Ah Zhao answered.

    "Do you know why?" Rong Qiu asked curiously.

    Ah Zhao shook his head. "I¡¯ve tried to follow him, but there were a lot of experts in the guest¡¯s courtyard." Hence he couldn¡¯t follow him inside or it would be dangerous.

    Rong Qiu more or less could guess that the guard was actually a spy... But for what? His heart thumped a bit, somehow he got a bad feeling about this. The Bei Yue people was quite sensitive towards the future --- sometimes, they would be able to have a hunch once in a while. That was the reason why Yao Ling¡¯s gut feelings were always correct previously.

    The beautiful man who resided in that ce wasn¡¯t a Han person but he actually could be an esteemed guest in this Crescent Lake, it seemed like his identity also wasn¡¯t really low and the Han Emperor had to respect him. This was a first... because the Han Emperor never let anyone knew the existence of the forbidden ce. How could he allow this outsider to know about it?

    What was the rtionship between this esteemed guest and the Han Emperor? No matter what it was, it must not be a simple one.

    When he took the identity of Uncle Qiu, he didn¡¯t pay too much attention to it. Now, he was Rong Qiu and this matter was rted to the Bei Yue --- of course, he must be careful. He was frustrated because he didn¡¯t have much power and people here.

    Uncle Qiu used to want a peaceful life and didn¡¯t have any preparation for these kind of things beforehand. After all, Crescent Lake was also very peaceful at that time. Everything started to go awry the moment his mother was dead --- the peacefulness was just an illusion. Now, he couldn¡¯t even find another person to help him inquire inside that guest¡¯s pce.

    He felt so useless --- it was lucky that he brought Ah Zhao here. He knew that he couldn¡¯t let Ah Zhao personally go there because if he was caught, it would lead back to him right away. He needed to talk about this with his son-inw. He naturally didn¡¯t know Yao Ying¡¯s power or informationwork because he had never inquired it before, and who knew... maybe he could help him deal with this matter.

    After all, this person was a danger to Yao Ling. To protect Yao Ling, they needed to know this esteemed guest¡¯s exact identity. Judging from the spy¡¯s current movement, it seemed like he knew about Aunt Yue¡¯s power... As long as no one knew that his mother was dead, they could cover up Yao Ling¡¯s track. It seemed like he needed to do something to make it look that way.

    Once more, this power attracted greedy people. Rong Qiu didn¡¯t know whether leaving their n back then was the best choice or not. However, there was no room for regret.

    "Just do your usual work... I will handle this matter. Any news about what the Han Emperor do after knowing Aunt Yue¡¯s matter?" Rong Qiu asked.

    Ah Zhao had just received the secret letter and said, "He was angry... beyond angry. He killed the bearer of the news on the spot." Ah Zhao flinched when he knew that the Han Emperor directly cut the bearer of the news¡¯ head on the spot!

    The Han Emperor was cruel... they already knew that, thus, they weren¡¯t really surprised when he did such a move. However, they still thoroughly disgusted.

    "Did he me me?" Rong Qiu asked carefully. After all, Uncle Qiu was staying here to apany Aunt Yue too and they had a good rtionship. The most suspicious person must be him.

    Ah Zhao hesitantly said, "He did. He wanted you toe back to the capital and personally make a report..."

    Rong Qiu closed his eyes... he already guessed as much, but still, he had just met his daughter and he wasn¡¯t going to let himself get killed by that lousy emperor. Fortunately, even though he had decided to retire early, his influence in the capital was still good. He kept maintaining a rtionship with his fellow officials, especially Xiao Fang¡¯s father.

    Because of the blood letter, the Han Emperor must think twice before killing his own officials. Otherwise, he would lose the trust of his subordinates. He felt lucky that before this matter happened, the blood letter had appeared first.

    "Who is the new representative?" Rong Qiu asked curiously. Such a big matter, he must have sent a big shot. Rong Qiu knew how important the reading that Aunt Yue had given to the Han Emperor.

    "Hong Wen," Ah Zhao answered seriously.

    Rong Qiu sighed when he heard that name.

    "This is no good. He¡¯s the Right Prime Minister¡¯s minion," Rong Qiu said seriously. Rong Qiu had always supported Xiao Fang¡¯s father --- the Left Prime Minister and every official knew that. It meant they were basically enemies. It would be bad if he decided to throw the me at him.

    Hong Wen was a maniptive sly fox and it was hard to deal with him --- he was the Right Prime Minister He Li Wei¡¯s adopted son. This matter was getting moreplicated.

    Ah Zhao asked worriedly, "Will it be okay, Master?"

    "When will he arrive?" Rong Qiu asked.

    "It should be in two or three days," Ah Zhao said. Crescent Lake was pretty far from the capital, but it was possible to arrive here that fast --- after all, Hong Wen had high martial arts skills.

    "I should deal with everything before then," Rong Qiu answered.

    He gave Ah Zhao a few pointers and he wanted to n the evidence that Aunt Yue was still alive and someone had taken her away.

    Rong Qiu thought for a little while and he suddenly had a good idea!

 Chapter 314 Killing Two Birds With One Stone

    Rong Qiu told the others about this matter and they knew that they needed to postpone their trip for two days --- Rong Qiu preferred to deal with everything before Hong Wen came and made everything difficult for him.

    The others didn¡¯t seem to mind because they realized that they really needed to handle everything carefully before they could go out safely from Crescent Lake. They were in a hurry because the current situation was dangerous for Yao Ling. If there was a solution for this predicament, they were more than happy to do it first.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian already saved Bao Bei. Indeed, the only one who cared about Bao Bei only Rong Qiu. No guards really paid attention to Bao Bei when they searched around the area --- hence it was easy for them to find an excuse for Bao Bei¡¯s disappearance. They put Bao Bei at the same stable as Bao Bao because there was no space left in there.

    Bao Bei was popr for its white mane, thus, they decided to paint Bao Bei¡¯s mane with ck ink randomly and honestly, she looked so ugly. Her majestic appearance was gone ah~! This was Yao Ying and Lin Jian¡¯s aim. Bao Bei was too stand out because of the beauty and when she was ugly, no one would connect her with the lost sacred pet.

    Yao Ling was satisfied with the arrangement. This was also the reason why Bao Bei was pregnant --- she was being pounced on by Bao Bao once they shared a stable. This happened because they needed to dy for two days ah~! If they set out right away, this thing wouldn¡¯t have happened.

    It was fate...

    The only one who criedter would only be Uncle Qiu because he didn¡¯t like Bao Bao. Too bad though, his daughter was the matchmaker so he could only swallow his grievance. A good breed should be paired with a good breed too ah~! It was toote though...

    However, it was a story for another time.

    "Father-inw, what do you n to do?" Yao Ying asked because Rong Qiu seemed to already have a good idea in his mind, judging from the smug look on his face.

    He told them about the esteemed guest and asked, "Do you have a way to find out his identity? I need to know his rtionship with the Han Emperor so that the n that I will tell you is able to work out well."

    Yao Ying nodded his head, "I have one person who can do this job."

    "Xiu?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She reckoned with Xiu¡¯s skill, he would be able to do this.

    "No... he always stays by our side and everyone here knows that. However, we still have one more person, Zhuo Li. It¡¯s better if Zhou Li is the one who does this job," Yao Ying said. Zhuo Li was the assassins sent by one of Wang Luo Hai¡¯s woman and became their subordinate. His martial arts skills weren¡¯t that superb but he had the brain, and it was suitable for this job. He was good at inquiring information and making strategies.

    It was too dangerous if they directly tried to sneak into the esteemed guest¡¯s ce, so they had to find another way --- a better one.

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. She called Zhuo Li in and let Yao Ying exin the matter to him.

    "Can you do it?" Yao Ying asked seriously. He also wanted to know how clever this Zhuo Li was.

    Zhuo Li nodded his head and answered confidently, "Don¡¯t worry, Young Master! This servant will find out about him by tomorrow morning." After saying that, Zhuo Li left. He already mingled with a few servants there and it would make it easier for him to obtain some pieces of information.

    Lin Jian and Xiao Fang didn¡¯t have any objection with how things were arranged, because they trusted the couple¡¯s judgment. They would just sit leisurely this time.

    "Father, what kind of n you have in mind?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "I want them to fight with each other," Rong Qiu answered with a smile.

    "The esteemed guest and the Han Emperor?" Xiao Fang asked, trying to make sure that she was thinking the same thing as them. Xiao Fang knew she wasn¡¯t as clever as them, but she was willing to learn.

    Rong Qiu nodded his head. He exined that the esteemed guest must have known about Aunt Yue and even spied on her --- it meant he indeed wanted to use Aunt Yue¡¯s power for his own personal reasons. They should create a trail so that it looked like the esteemed guest was the one who took Aunt Yue away by force.

    The Han Emperor would aim his sword at the esteemed guest. This way, people would know that Aunt Yue was merely missing --- not dead. They wouldn¡¯t think that the power had been inherited by Yao Ling. So, let them fight with each other!

    No matter what the result was, they had been long gone and Rong Qiu didn¡¯t think that they would connect the incident with Yao Ling. This was the best solution.

    The others nodded their head in agreement. This seemed like a good idea. They would be able to kill two birds with one stone. As long as it made the Han Emperor unhappy, Xiao Fang would be happy to do anything!

    "But... how could we nt the evidence inside the esteemed guest¡¯s ce? You said that it¡¯s being guarded heavily, Godfather?" Xiao Fang asked.

    Yao Lingughed. "Don¡¯t worry about that! It will be easy to do. The more important thing is Zhuo Li¡¯s report. After that, we can n what kind of evidence we should prepare."

    Rong Qiu nodded, agreeing with Yao Ling¡¯s view. This little girl was quite clever! It seemed like she inherited his mind ah~! He was a proud father!

    Because there was nothing to discuss anymore, everyone dispersed one by one. Rong Qiu secretly went out because he didn¡¯t want people to notice the abnormality of his behavior. His rtionship with Yao Ying and Yao Ling was just so-so before and if he suddenly kept hanging around them, it would certainly make people feel suspicious.

    "Why don¡¯t we rest earlier?" Yao Ying asked Yao Ling softly.

    Yao Ling shook her head, "No. Because I slept at noon, I¡¯m not so sleepy now."

    Yao Yingughed at her. "So, what do you want to do... my pregnant wife?" He teased her lovingly.

    "Where are the scrolls?" Yao Ling asked while raising one of her eyebrows.

    Yao Ying sighed. Since when his wife became a nerd? "Ling-er, we are not in a hurry. Why are you so agitated?" Yao Ying asked in confusion.

    "I don¡¯t want yesterday¡¯s matter to be repeated once again," Yao Ling exined.

    "I already told you that you shouldn¡¯t use your power, so you can postpone reading the scrolls, okay?" Yao Ying said. "Besides, we don¡¯t want people identally stumble upon the scrolls and notice that the power is inherited by you!"

    Yao Ling naturally understood this and she thought that what he said was making sense, thus, she nodded obediently. She sighed and asked, "I can¡¯t sleep ah~!"

    She looked at Yao Ying and asked, "Don¡¯t you feel tired? Why don¡¯t you sleep first?"

    Yao Ying shook his head. "My wife hasn¡¯t slept yet, how dare I sleep first?" He asked jokingly.

    Yao Lingughed and poked Yao Ying¡¯s chest. "Nonsense!"

    Yao Ying¡¯s eyes suddenly lit up and grinned widely at Yao Ling. Thetter shivered when he gave her that look. "What?" She asked softly.

    "Why don¡¯t we make ites true?" Yao Ying asked seductively.

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "Pregnant!" He said cheerfully.

 Chapter 315 An Insatiable Wolf

    Yao Ling poked Yao Ying once again. "If you keep talking nonsense, I... I will bite you!" She threatened him, but to his eyes, it looked so cute.

    "What?" Yao Ying asked, feeling wronged. "I didn¡¯t say nonsense ah~!"

    "Don¡¯t you remember the bet? Your promise? Hmm..." Yao Ling asked while rolling her eyes exasperatedly.

    "Remember ah~! It won¡¯t happen easily, besides... you have ¡¯that¡¯ medicine, right?" Yao Ying asked naughtily.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t refute that. "Yes, I have..." She said helplessly.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief, he forgot to ask after thest time they ¡¯did¡¯ it, whether she drank the medicine or not. Judging from her answer, it seemed like she drank it. He didn¡¯t want to break his promise to General Lin.

    "By the way... which part of me that you want to bite, hmmm?" Yao Ying asked mischievously.

    Yao Ling could only gape at his shamelessness ah~! How could she not understand what he meant? This man! What a dirty thought that he had!

    She scowled and said, "I¡¯m toozy to bother with you! I want to take a bath!"

    After that, the woman scurried away.

    Yao Yingughed at her fast movement. There was a naughty glint in his eyes. ¡¯Does she think she could run away from me, huh?¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself whileughing heartily.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t lie, she indeed called Xiao Yu over and told her to prepare it for her. It didn¡¯t take long for everything to be ready. She dipped herself into the bathtub. After that, Xiao Yu poured rose petals inside the tub.

    "Young Mistress, do you want me to give you a massage?" Xiao Yu offered.

    Yao Ling felt that for the past few days, she had been really tired dealing with everything. Even though she had enough rest at the day, her whole body was stiff. Thus, she didn¡¯t reject Xiao Yu¡¯s offer. "Yes... Thank you."

    "Young mistress, there¡¯s no need to say thank you to this servant! Serving you is this servant¡¯s job ah~!" Xiao Yuined.

    Yao Lingughed. "Why so formal? It¡¯s fine... Go! Go! Massage me..." She knew that if she continued talking, Xiao Yu would certainly feel ufortable. This girl¡¯s loyalty, she really knew. If she got marriedter, she would certainly give her a good dowry.

    Xiao Yu quickly went behind her and massaged her forehead first. She knew that her young mistress had been so stressed out for the past few days plus... she was in aa and she was worried about her wellbeing. She knew that Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a spoiled woman, but she wanted her to be rxed and enjoy her massage.

    Yao Ling sighed in blissfulness --- Xiao Yu¡¯s massage made her feel good. The heavy burden on her head suddenly was gone and she became sleepy. She closed her eyes and let Xiao Yu do the magic.

    When Yao Ling closed her eyes, Yao Ying suddenly came inside. He looked at how the womanzily leaned back on the tub and groaned in satisfaction once in a while. Xiao Yu was going to get up and greeting him, but Yao Ying waved his hand and made a gesture so she would be quiet.

    Xiao Yu hesitated at first, but she didn¡¯t dare to disobey Yao Ying¡¯s order. She quietly nodded.

    "Xiao Yu, why are you stopping?" Yao Ling asked, but she didn¡¯t open her eyes. She just felt that Xiao Yu¡¯s suddenly stopped out of nowhere.

    Xiao Yu answered carefully, "Ah...This servant was just changing my position." After that, Xiao Yu continued massaging her.

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding. "Hmmm..." After that, she asked worriedly, "Do you feel tired? If yes, you can go now... I can take a bath by myself."

    Xiao Yu quickly rejected the idea. "No, young mistress. This servant is fine."

    Yao Ling nodded her head and didn¡¯t say anything after that.

    After feeling that Yao Ling already paid no attention to the abnormality, Yao Ying gestured for Xiao Yu to go away. He pointed at himself, then to Yao Ling --- his meaning was clear... he would rece her, so he would be the one who gave Yao Ling a massage.

    Xiao Yu was helpless too because she couldn¡¯t disobey Yao Ying¡¯s order. Thus, she carefully changed ce with the young master. Xiao Yu curtsied and then she went out of the room. She cried and apologized inwardly to the young mistress.

    She was only a servant girl, naturally, she had to obey young master¡¯s order ah~! Thus, she couldn¡¯t warn the young mistress. Her young mistress looked like amb that would be hunted by the big bad wolf! Oh well... at least, this showed that young master and young mistress¡¯ rtionship was really good.

    Xiao Yu quickly scurried away and stood guard outside of the door. Xiu was also standing there. After looking at Xiao Yu¡¯s blushing face, he knew what would happen inside the room. His young master ah~ was really an insatiable wolf.

    Well... at least, when his young master turned into a wolf, he would be able to spend more time with Xiao Yu. He should be grateful ah~!

    Yao Ling was still closing her eyes when she felt that the pressure on her shoulder was getting stronger and it was a bit painful. She didn¡¯t really pay attention, so she didn¡¯t notice that the hands that massaged her was bigger than before --- not only that but also rougher.

    "Ouch..." Yao Ling groaned. "Xiao Yu... can you massage me more tenderly? You use too much strength and it¡¯s so painful," Yao Ling whined, but she didn¡¯t open her eyes. She was toozy and became so sleepy.

    Yao Ling wanted to open her eyes when she didn¡¯t hear Xiao Yu¡¯s answer. However, the hands started to get the gist of it and massage her tenderly. It was sofortable, thus, she started to rx once more.

    However, the hands didn¡¯t stop at her shoulder. It went down...

    Went down...

    Went down...

    And both hands cupped her naked soft buns and fondled them softly.

    Yao Ling jumped up in surprise and looked down. She finally realized that these hands didn¡¯t belong to Xiao Yu and only one person was bold enough to do this --- her husband, Yao Ying! Really! He was really a wolf ah~!

    Yao Ling gasped and looked around --- true enough, it was Yao Ying! He was grinning sheepishly at her. Yao Ling asked usingly, "What are you doing here?"

    "Wife ah~! I just want to help you rx... by giving you a massage," he said seriously. Even though he looked so innocent, how could Yao Ling believe him?

    She scolded him, "Then, why are you touching my breasts?!"

    Yao Ying grinned sheepishly. "I don¡¯t want to show favoritism. I have to massage everything ah~! Otherwise, your soft buns would feel stiff too. That¡¯s not good... really really not good."

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Yao Ling was speechless --- she really underestimated the extent of his shamelessness. What favoritism? He was just taking advantage of her! This man ah~! How could her soft buns be stiff? Unless he provoked them by stimting them ah~!

    "You are talking nonsense!" Yao Ling gritted her teeth. "Why are so shameless?" Yao Ling asked usingly once more.

    Yao Ying justughed heartily. "At lease, I¡¯m only shameless towards you, right?"

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t refute that...

    "If you dare to do that to another woman, I will kill you!" Yao Ling threatened domineeringly.

    "En..." Yao Ying answered leisurely. He nodded seriously but the, his gaze wandered down once more.

    Yao Ling looked down and Yao Ying was looking at her soft buns once more.

    Yao Ling, "..."

 Chapter 316 Bathing Together 1

    "You... you...!" Yao Ling stuttered. After that, she quickly covered her soft buns while blushing furiously. Such a heated gaze from Yao Ying, how could she not feel embarrassed? It was a mixture of lust, heat, and love --- it made her heart beat faster.

    Yao Yingughed when he saw Yao Ling¡¯s baffled expression. Yao Ying didn¡¯t hesitate to open his clothes on his own and then, jumped into the bathtub.

    "Let¡¯s taking a bath together!" The shameless man said with a smile.

    The bathtub was quite big and it was enough for the both of them --- however, it was a little bit cramped, although they were still able to move a bit. Yao Ling whined inwardly, ¡¯How could she take a bath if they can¡¯t move freely like this?¡¯

    "You... you... rascal!" Yao Ling pointed at Yao Ying in disbelief said while stuttering.

    "What? I want to take a bath together with my wife. Is there something wrong?" Yao Ying asked while blinking innocently, and it made Yao Ling feel speechless.

    Yao Ling answered in disdain, "Why don¡¯t you get your own bathtub?! It will be morefortable for both of us."

    Yao Ying sighed and pretended to be sad, "I don¡¯t want to make it difficult for Xiu and Xiao Yu. Why should we double their workloads when we could just take a bath together? Let them have a good rest ah~! Not only that, in this way, we can save water." When he reached thest part, he grinned widely.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    She couldn¡¯t refute that reasoning, although she knew that the man was talking nonsense once more. After all, what he said was making sense.

    "Come on, let me help you taking a bath!" Yao Ying said excitedly, after knowing that the woman was speechless.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Even the devil knew that he was only talking rubbish! They had little space, so how could they take a bath? Not only that, the way his little Yao Ying hardened was enough proof. What he wanted to do was as clear as day!

    "You... you..."

    Before Yao Ling could say anything else, Yao Ying devoured her mouth, preventing the words that she wanted to say toe out. His tongue lightly probed in to explore her tongue --- tangled, teased, rolled, and tasted her sweetness.

    Yao Ying felt that he always couldn¡¯t get enough of her.

    While he kept kissing her passionately, one of his hands started to wander and roam around her body.

    Yao Ying grabbed one of her soft buns, ying around with it --- kneading and sometimes squeezing it hard. Due to the pressure, her jaded soft bun was faintly red. "Mmm..." Yao Ling softly moaned.

    In the beginning, she closed her eyes and tried to enjoy the feeling, once she moaned, she slowly opened her watery eyes and looked at Yao Ying¡¯s burning gaze. Not only her jaded soft bun turned red, but her face as well. Yao Ying didn¡¯t stop rubbing her tender skin --- teasing her.

    He used his fingertip to touch her lovely bud lightly and twisted it until it hardened beautifully under his care. Yao Ling¡¯s body slightly trembled and she moaned in pleasure. Yao Ying smirked inwardly when he felt her wanton reaction.

    Yao Ying pulled her up a little bit, so he could see her hard buds clearly. He lowered his head and bit her hard bud softly, after that, he licked it with the tips of his tongue. He didn¡¯t stop at that... He used his pearly white teeth to bit it once more and slightly pulled.

    Yao Ying asked, "Do you like it?" While waiting, he blew on the hard bud, making Yao Ling shiver.

    Yao Ling moaned and then shyly answered, "Like... like it..." There was no use to lie, after all, her body already honestly answered him. The bad man should have known about it ah~!

    Yao Ying pulled her up so she would sit on hisp. He let her lean back on his front body. "Just rx..." Yao Ying whispered softly. His hot breath teased her sensitive ear and she couldn¡¯t hold back the tremor... This man was really lethal ah~! He knew every sensitive part of her body --- it made her feel helpless.

    This time, he only used one hand to fondle her breast. The other hand started to go further down, aiming for another secret ce. He sighed softly and thought to himself, ¡¯Too bad, there are so many rose petals... I can¡¯t see her body clearly." However, he still liked the sensation of touching every part of her body while guessing which part that he touched. It added to the charm and sensuality.

    Yao Ying slowly searched for her sweetness down there, trying to stimte her and prepare her from his invasion. The wetter she was, the better.

    Yao Ling bit her lower lip and said, "Ying... don¡¯t..." She mped her legs while protesting softly, despite her rejection words, she actually enjoyed it. Her sweetness down there felt hot and slowly oozed out the wet and slippery love liquid.

    When he felt that she already wet enough, his finger brushed open her twinflower petal lips, trying to probe into the tight entrance, making her wetness was mixed with the warm water. He touched the flower bud, making Yao Ling instantly tremble.

    He knew that it was her sensitive ce, thus, he didn¡¯t let it off. But instead, he continuously teasing and rubbing it. Her sweetness down there kept getting wetter and Yao Ling couldn¡¯t stop whimpering while moving around incessantly.

    Yao Ying nibbled Yao Ling¡¯s ear --- this was actually his favorite spot. Besides, he also knew that this was Yao Ling¡¯s weakest spot. He didn¡¯t forget to plunge another finger into her sweetness down there --- his two fingers were rushing in and out of her flower hole.

    Yao Ling¡¯s breath slightly hitched and her heart was beating faster. She really couldn¡¯t take it anymore. When Yao Ying felt that her flower hole kept clenching and getting tighter, he knew that she was going toe --- thus, he increased the pace of his fingers movement.

    In and out.

    In and out.

    Until finally, Yao Ling found a release. Yao Ling could only moan loudly, even if she wanted to, she couldn¡¯t hold it back.

    "Aaahhh~"

    It was too intense just now and her body became so weak.

    While she was still sensitive, he deliberately positioned himself so that her sweetness down there was in line with his manhood. His fiery hardness pressed against her flower hole --- its tip became wet with her love liquid. He deliberately teased her, tantalizing her until she was blinded by her own arousal.

    Yao Ying deliberately rubbed lightly on her sweetness with the tip of his burning manhood, making Yao Ling moan and moved around seductively.

    "Ying... please..." She knew that she wanted him. No, not only wanted, but she really needed him at the moment. "Don¡¯t tease me," she breathlessly begged him. Her shyness was gone and her gaze was hazy because of the tingling pleasure down there.

    Yao Ying asked, "What do you want, hmmm? Can¡¯t you tell me more clearly?"

    "I... I can¡¯t say it... it¡¯s too embarrassing..." Yao Ling answered shyly.

    "If you don¡¯t tell me, I don¡¯t understand," Yao Ying coaxed her.

    "No... no... please..." Yao Ling begged, but she stubbornly didn¡¯t want to say it. Instead, she bit her lower lip.

    Yao Ying rolled his eyes. This little minx sometimes could be so stubborn ah~! He tried to entice her by moving his tip on her sweetness, without trying to plunge it in. He also let it rub her sensitive hard bud...

    Let¡¯s see who would be the one who begged in the end!

 Chapter 317 Bathing Together 2

    Yao Ling could only say a few words in between her moan, "Ying... please..." She felt her whole body be hot and burning with fire, asking for a release. Yao Ling really needed Yao Ying to quench her thirst.

    "Say it... I won¡¯t do it until you clearly tell me what you want!" Yao Ying ordered while gritting his teeth. He also held back his arousal even though he really wanted to plunge his hardness deep inside her.

    He wanted her to beg him seductively with her watery eyes.

    "Ying... I... I want it... I want it so bad," Yao Ling gasped and sobbed at the same time. She ground her own sweetness to little Yao Ying¡¯s tip, hoping that he would satisfy her demand with it. She looked at him with misty eyes, enchanting him to plunge into her sweetness. Yao Ying could feel his own manhood be swollen and harder because of her provocation.

    This proved how much he wanted her. Yao Ying looked at her lovingly, but it didn¡¯t stop him from being domineering.

    "Do you want what? Say it! Say it clearly!" Yao Ying stubbornly wanted her to say the words loudly.

    Yao Ling moaned and tried to grin harder, however, Yao Ying was more powerful than her. How could she win even though she used all of her strength? He stopped her movement and didn¡¯t let her gain any control over him.

    Thus, she could only look at him with watery eyes and said, "You... I want you... Please put it in inside me..." Yao Ling finally honestly told him what she wanted him to do. However, her face turned redder and she felt more embarrassed. She had never talked bravely like this before.

    ¡¯Finally...¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself and smirked inwardly. Somehow, he felt a sense of achievement.

    He lifted one of her thighs so that he could position her better. Yao Ying touched his own hardness and teased Yao Ling once more before the tip of his little Yao Ying opened her sweet petals, and finally, his hardness was entering her flower hole softly.

    "Hmmm..." Yao Ling gasped and moaned louder. It felt so good...

    Her sweetness down there had just passed a climax, so naturally, the sensitivity was still there. Her flower hole immediately tightened around Yao Ying¡¯s hardness --- clutching it so it was hard for Yao Ying to move. At the same time, her love liquid didn¡¯t stop pouring out. Yao Ying almost couldn¡¯t take the pleasure ande right here and there.

    However, his will was much stronger than the impulse, hence he was able to stop it just in time. He was done being soft to her, thus, he quickly increased his pace, mming his burning hardness into her deepest part.

    "Ahhnnn..." Yao Ling felt how deep it was and she could only clutch his thighs, leaving a few deep fingers marks subconsciously.

    Sucking her lower lips, Yao Ying stood up because he felt that the bathtub was too cramped and he couldn¡¯t move like he wanted to. He lifted one of her legs, so it would rest on top of the edge of the bathtub. This way he could move faster and plunge harder into her sweetness.

    He didn¡¯t only think but quickly put his thought into action. He plunged harder inside her body and each time he entered, he mmed into her deepest part deliberately.

    "Ahhnnn..." Yao Ling moaned charmingly.

    She looked back at him with difficulty while her body kept swaying along with his rhythmic movement. Her long hair was like beautiful ck silk flowing down on her back and also swaying along her delicate body. The color was in contrast with her snow-white skin, making her look more seductive --- more alluring.

    "Ying..."

    Looking at her bullied face, Yao Ying squinted his eyes and felt his hard member started to swell once more. ¡¯This little minx!¡¯ He thought to himself.

    He held onto her waist with one hand, helping her to bnce her body. His other hand started to fondle her breast once more while flicking its hard bud once in a while. Yao Ying started to slow down his pace and want to tease her once more.

    Yao Ying slightly withdrew from her tight sweetness and then forced its entry once more.

    In and out.

    In and out.

    Slowly.

    Sensually.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She needed a release. Now!

    "Ying... please... don¡¯t torture me anymore!" Yao Ling begged softly.

    Whenever his hardness was inside her, she quickly contracted and wrapping his hardness tightly. She didn¡¯t want him to y around anymore. Yao Ying realized her intention and he finally relented. He just wanted to tease her, not to torture her.

    He held her hips and thrust hard into her, making the pping sound reverberated through the whole room --- it was apanied with the sound of Yao Ling¡¯s wetness which was stirred along with the water.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t stand it and she was begging for mercy, "Please... I can¡¯t hold it anymore..."

    Not too long after she said that, Yao Ying could feel her flower hole was getting tighter and massaging his hardness with full force. Yao Ling moaned louder because she finally came once more. The release was doubling her sensitivity.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t stop there, he responded by pounding her harder. He mmed into her red and swollen flower petals. Yao Ying stopped thinking and let his lust instinct to guide him, letting his hardness thrust harder and harder --- until finally, the hot and thick white liquid flew into her flower hole. A low groan escaped from his throat.

    Finally, he wasing.

    Yao Ling had no energy left and she could only hold onto the edge of the bathtub, preventing herself from falling down. Yao Ying quickly took a clean towel and clean both of their private parts tenderly. After that, they sat back down inside the bathtub, enjoying a quiet bathing time after such a vigorous making love.

    "Are you okay?" Yao Ying asked worriedly when he saw how weak Yao Ling was.

    Yao Ling red at him. "Do you think I¡¯m okay? Why were you so rough?" She used him with her soft watery eyes.

    Yao Yingughed. "But you should admit it... you enjoyed it, right? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be able toe!" He teased her.

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes, but her blushing face couldn¡¯t cover up her real thought. What he said was indeed true ah~!

    Yao Ying kissed her lips and then, tenderly cleaned her body. He did everything for her --- even drying her body and helping her wear her clothes, after all, Yao Ling felt her whole body weakened and she didn¡¯t want to move.

    He put her on their bed and kissed her forehead, "Just sleep!"

    Yao Ling nodded. "You should sleep too. There will be a lot of things that you should do tomorrow."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t have anything to do but pretending to be sick. However, Yao Ying was different. After listening to Zhuo Li¡¯s report, there were a lot of things that they should n and execute.

    Yao Ying nodded his head. "I will..." He blew the candle off and then slept beside Yao Ling. He pulled her into his embrace and felt blissful.

    The couple slept peacefully.

    They didn¡¯t know that when their moaning sounds had stopped, Xiu and Xiao Yu were finally able to sigh in relief. "It¡¯s finally over..." Xiu said.

    Xiao Yuughed while nodding her head. Her face was still as red as ever, making her look so endearing. Xiu thought that when they got back to Wang Fu, he would ask for Young Mistress¡¯ help. He wanted to ask Xiao Yu¡¯s hands for marriage, but currently, he still needed to woo her and let her agree with his proposal ah~!

    Just like that, one night had passed peacefully.

 Chapter 318 Felt Conflicted

    The next day, Zhuo Li asked for a meeting early in the morning. He had actually found out a few pieces of information the night before, however, everyone had fallen asleep by then. Thus, he could only wait until morning to file a report.

    He told Xiu to let him know once the masters had woken up, before resting.

    When Zhuo Li came, Yao Ying told Xiu to call the others over before they listened to the reports together. It didn¡¯t need to take long for the others toe because they knew the importance of the situation.

    Rong Qiu quickly asked, "What did you find out? Do you know the man¡¯s identity?" He anxiously wanted to know the truth because they only had one to two days left to finish their mission.

    Zhuo Li exined that he made friends with several servants there and he was able to find out which maidservants served the esteemed guest¡¯s courtyard --- no matter what, he was a guest and he couldn¡¯t possibly bring his own maidservants as well. One or two maidservants were possible, but they still needed maidservants and servants to take care of the whole courtyard.

    No matter what, they must have seen a few hints here and there regardless of how secretive the esteemed guest was. True enough, he was able to find a few things out.

    Zhuo Li approached the maidservants one by one, what kind of methods that he used, no one bothered to ask. As long as they got a good result, they didn¡¯t care about the process. From each of their mouths, Zhuo Li got different hints. If he only asked one of them, he would get nothing. However, if their statements werebined, he got a few conclusions.

    "What kind of conclusions that you got?" Yao Ying asked seriously.

    Zhuo Li said, "First of all, this man wasn¡¯t a Shu or Han Kingdom¡¯s people. A few of the maidservants sometimes saw people with weird clothing came to find the esteemed guest. The maidservants merely thought that it was another tribe¡¯s clothing, so they didn¡¯t put too many thoughts on it."

    Even though the Han Kingdom wasn¡¯t as big as the other two kingdoms, the poption was made of several hundred tribes and their articles of clothing were different --- each tribe had its own distinct characteristics. There were too many tribes to remember clearly, this was also the reason why the esteemed guest didn¡¯t really cover up the clothing of their women.

    For the Shu people, it didn¡¯t need to be mentioned because their articles of clothing were basically the same all over the kingdom. They always cared about modesty, thus, this possibility could be ruled out.

    "Then, how do you know it wasn¡¯t from the Han Kingdom?" Xiao Fang asked curiously.

    "Their clothing is a mixture of modesty and freedom --- thus, can be said as the characteristics of the Qin Kingdom," Zhuo Li exined and the others murmured their agreement. Zhuo Li asked in details about their clothes, thus, he was able to make an urate judgment.

    The Shu women usually wore loose clothes with longrge sleeves. Qin women¡¯s clothes had the trend to be more open. Small-sleeves coats usually made of yarn, long skirts, wide and long scarves were what they often wore. They could bare the part of the body above their chests. This sort of cloth could show the beauty of women better.

    "And then?" Lin Jian asked.

    "Secondly, in the Qin Kingdom, this man had high standing. However, I can¡¯t find out his exact identity." Zhuo Li shook his head in defeat while frowning. It was usually very easy for him to find information, but this time... it was really hard to fathom.

    Yao Ying nodded his head in acknowledgment. "If you could find out his identity easily, it would be weird. I¡¯m afraid it would be a trap. If you didn¡¯t know, it means that you didn¡¯t alert him when you were asking aroundst night."

    This result was better because they didn¡¯t need to know specifically the man¡¯s position --- whether he a prince, high-rank official, and so on... it didn¡¯t matter. As long as he wasn¡¯t a Han person, nothing else mattered.

    Rong Qiu murmured his agreement. "It seems like this man is dangerous. However, he¡¯s from another kingdom, so knowing this is already enough. It means the rtionship between him and the Han Emperor is for mutual benefits --- not deep enough. It¡¯s certainly not based on trust either. This way it will be easier to brew some troubles between them."

    Yao Ling nodded. "That¡¯s true..." She turned to Zhuo Li and asked, "Anything else to report?"

    "The man was angry at the night when the forbidden ce was burning, but no maidservant or servant knew why," Zhuo Li exined. "He also killed his subordinate that day, hence the maidservants and servants are scared of him now."

    This confirmed their previous suspicion --- the man wanted Aunt Yue for himself too. It was either for personal gain or for the Qin Kingdom. They didn¡¯t tell Zhuo Li about Aunt Yue or Yao Ling¡¯s matter because they hadn¡¯t trusted him enough, thus, it was reasonable for Zhuo Li to not understand why the man was angry.

    "Just that?" Rong Qiu asked.

    Zhuo Li nodded his head. "Yes, these are the only things that I can find out."

    Yao Ying nodded back. "You are doing a good job. Finding these three points are already the best oues." Yao Ying quite admired his skills, it really wasn¡¯t easy to find so many information in such a short time.

    "Thank you, young master." Zhuo Li was happy to be able to prove himself. He understood that they were still wary of him, but it was understandable. He could only prove his worth over time, after all, he tried to kill them at first.

    Yao Ling asked Rong Qiu, "Father, can you tell us your n now?"

    "Although Aunt Yue¡¯s house had been burned down to the ground, we can still find a few leftovers. We can use this to put the me on the esteemed guest," Rong Qiu told them his n briefly. "After that, we should let people gossiping about these findings, so the one who will catch him is Hong Wen."

    Hong Wen was from a different fraction, but the man was quite righteous. He wouldn¡¯t feel afraid to offend the esteemed guest.

    "We should use an important thing that grandmother cherished and it¡¯s should be connected to her power too!" Yao Ling pointed out. If it was only a remnant of clothes or something like that, it wouldn¡¯t work. The esteemed guest could easily find a reason to dodge the using for that.

    However, there would be no way Yao Ling would give them the scrolls. It was very important and she didn¡¯t want it to fall on the wrong hands. She also got a headache because it was the only thing that her grandmother had given her.

    Yao Ying asked, "Father-inw, is there something important in that leftover?"

    Rong Qiu shook his head. "Nothing important..." He realized what Yao Ling said was true andpared to the thing that Yao Ling described, what he had found were only junks.

    Everyone said nothing, thinking about what thing could be used to frame the esteemed guest. However, their knowledge of Aunt Yue was pretty limited and they weren¡¯t able to help.

    Rong Qiu sighed sadly. He had a thing that his mother had given him when he was Uncle Qiu, but he was reluctant to part with it. If he gave them this thing, he would have no remembrance of his mother left... Thus, he felt conflicted.

 Chapter 319 Making Plan

    Yao Ling could see her father¡¯s conflicted face, thus, she asked softly. "Father, what¡¯s wrong?"

    Rong Qiu sighed. "Actually, I have something that belonged to your grandmother. But..." He hesitated to say more.

    The others looked at each other and knew that this thing must be important to him. It must have been a blow to him to know that his mother was gone and yet, he had to give away the remembrance. Thus, they didn¡¯t say anything but waiting for him to tell them himself.

    Rong Qiu showed it to Yao Ling. It was a white jade with the Bei Yue symbols --- the same symbols that Yao Ling had activated back then. This one looked simpler and there was a small ¡¯Rong¡¯ word engraved there. Yao Ling knew despite it was from ordinary jade material that could be found anywhere, it must have a special meaning --- otherwise, her father wouldn¡¯t be so sad.

    "Father... why is this jade so important?" Yao Ling asked curiously. She wanted to know the story behind this jade.

    "When I was Uncle Qiu, I only thought of this as an ordinary jade and kept it away randomly without feeling any guilt. However, I remember about this jade now. It can be said as a love token that is inherited from generation to generation," Rong Qiu sighed. He knew that this jade pendant must have given by his real father --- yes, he knew his real father wasn¡¯t the n leader.

    His mother had told him about it a long time ago... thus, he felt hesitated to give this to them. Not only this was a memento from his mother... but also from his father ah~! He looked at the jade pendant longingly...

    That was why he felt slightly regretful. This token should be passed down to Yao Ling... Besides, this was the only thing that their n had.

    Lin Jian asked, "Can we duplicate this?" If it could be duplicated, it would be good.

    Rong Qiu sighed. "It can be duplicated but there¡¯s not enough time, right?"

    Even though the jade was special, but it was actually only an ordinary jade. This type of jade could be found everywhere and an expert would be able to duplicate easily because of the simple design. However, they had no time to find an expert and making the duplicate also took times ah~!

    The others couldn¡¯t answer Rong Qiu¡¯s question. After all, it was really true.

    Rong Qiu knew that it was better to sacrifice the memento because Yao Ling was more important to him. He only had this one daughter and he couldn¡¯t lose her. He had too many regrets in his life --- including not filial enough towards his own mother. Even though he forgot everything, he still felt guilty.

    However, he only had this one daughter. Although they had just met, their father-daughter bond was still there.

    He closed her eyes and said inwardly, ¡¯Mother... I¡¯m sorry! I will sacrifice everything for my daughter. I¡¯m sure you will agree with me, right?¡¯ He could only ask for permission just to calm his heart and he would ask for forgiveness when they met again in the afterlife.

    Rong Qiu sighed and finally gave them his permission, "Just use this!"

    Yao Ying said, "If everything goes well and we have the chance, we can try to take this jade pendant back." He knew how important the jade pendant for Rong Qiu --- and also Yao Ling, even though thetter wasn¡¯t as attached with it as the former.

    Rong Qiu shook his head. "No need... it¡¯s too risky!" It was better if he just let it go.

    The others murmured their agreement.

    "How should we do it?" Lin Jian asked. The esteemed guest ce was heavily guarded and it wasn¡¯t easy for ordinary people to barge in.

    Zhuo Li quickly said, "Let this servant do it!" He exined that they could use the maidservants that he knew.

    "Won¡¯t it be too dangerous? How can we trust them?" Yao Ling asked worriedly.

    "Young Mistress, don¡¯t worry! This servant has my way," Zhuo Li said confidently. "However, to do this, I will also need money to bribe some of them."

    "This..." Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying and Rong Qiu. This matter, she didn¡¯t dare to decide anything, feeling afraid that something would go wrong and the esteemed guest would find out their identity.

    Yao Ying sighed heavily. "Can you guarantee that they will not open their mouth?"

    Zhuo Li answered, "This servant won¡¯t use all of them --- only two people to ensure the secrecy. Those two people, one is working in the outer courtyard and the other one is in the inner courtyard. They can work together. After that, we can let them go far away from here. They must be willing if we give them enough money. For the change of personnel, this servant knows that Da Ren will be able to help." He directed thest part at Rong Qiu.

    Rong Qiu nodded. "Won¡¯t it be too obvious?"

    Zhuo Li shook his head. "As long as Da Ren makes a scene and uses them of something. You can make a decision to punish them by banishing them away --- or maybe pretending to kill them and let them go afterward. Da Ren can meet the esteemed guest and ask for forgiveness, then give him a new batch of servants to choose."

    If the people were suddenly gone, then it would make people suspicious. Thus, they also needed to act.

    As simple as that.

    Rong Qiu nodded, feeling that this was a good n. He looked at the others and they nodded their head in agreement. Thus, he could only relent and they let Zhuo Li did the job.

    "How fast can you convince them?" Yao Ying asked.

    Zhuo Li said, "This servant has a good rtionship with them and knows that they have difficulties. They will agree pretty soon. In less than one shichen I will be able to aplish it. However, I need to ask them how fast they can nt the evidence and will report to the young master once again. After that, Da Ren can start to act."

    They let Zhuo Li did his job and Rong Qiu gave the jade pendant reluctantly to him.

    "This matter can be dealt with, but now, we should think about how to let Hong Wen know where the jade pendant is without being too obvious," Rong Qiu said seriously.

    If it came from his mouth, he knew that Hong Wen would just brush it off. It couldn¡¯t be said from them. Thus, they needed to find someone. Yao Ying had an idea, "Father-inw, why don¡¯t you let Ah Zhao do it?"

    "Ah Zhao? But... how?" He asked in confusion. This matter couldn¡¯t be tracked down to them, but Ah Zhao was his personal attendant --- people would be able to link them together ah~!

    "It can be done easily... just spread it among the guards who searched for clues. No matter what Hong Wen would listen to it and when we are gone, he will start searching inside the esteemed guest¡¯s ce," Yao Ying said.

    Uncle Qiu pondered a little while before he finally agreed, he believed Ah Zhao was smart enough to do this.

    Lin Jian said, "We should leave one people here to get the news about the aftermath."

    Xiao Fang said, "Leave it to me!"

    Xiao Fang exined that she had many resources at hands and they were all Han people, so it should be easier for her to do that. No need to leave people here. Her courtyard in the Crescent Lake was taken care by her own people and she could let her maidservant send the news through her own channel. They needed to know whether they were sessful or not.

    Lin Jian nodded his head. "We need to go out of this city first. Uncle Qiu should be able to catch up with us."

    "Why?" Xiao Fang asked in surprise.

 Chapter 320 Yao Lings Pas

    "I¡¯ve heard that Hong Wen¡¯s nature is always suspicious of people. If we stay here, he will try to hinder us from going out of Crescent Lake and continue investigating us. However, Uncle Qiu is different because he will get the decree from the Han Emperor toe back to the capital as soon as possible, so he can go as he wishes. Well... more like, he should go as soon as possible. It will be better if we go first." Lin Jian wanted them to go out safely as soon as possible, otherwise, they would be implicated when Hong Wen was fighting with the esteemed guest.

    They already spent too much time at Crescent Lake and they couldn¡¯t waste any more time!

    "But..." Yao Ling knew that it was for the best, however, she didn¡¯t want to leave her father all alone. What if she couldn¡¯t meet him again? What if she lost him? What if something happened to him? She would be crazy!

    Yao Ling knew that she should think negatively, but she had no choice because she was afraid! Rong Qiu was her only family ah~! Her father! She couldn¡¯t lose him just like how she lost her grandmother...

    Rong Qiu smiled and patted Yao Ling¡¯s head, "Don¡¯t worry! I will be fine. We will meet again in a few days, right?" He tried to reassure her and let her leave first because Yao Ling¡¯s safety was the most important thing in his mind. Hong Wen wasn¡¯t an easy character to deal with and if he could, he didn¡¯t want to involve these youngsters.

    Rong Qiu called Ah Zhao over and asked him when would Hong Wen arrive --- the exact time. Ah Zhao answered, "Master, tomorrow night will be the earliest..."

    "Good... after nting the evidence, all of you will have nothing to do here anymore. Zhuo Li should tell me where his friends ce the jade pendant. After that, you should go first," Rong Qiu said.

    "But Father... what kind of excuse that you will give them?" Yao Ling asked worriedly. The guards had been trying to search the parameter, if they went out at this time, wouldn¡¯t they feel suspicious? This could implicate Rong Qiu too!

    "Your father isn¡¯t so easy to bully!" Rong Jiuughed, wondering why Yao Ling suddenly became such a worrywart.

    Yao Ling pouted childishly, "Father!"

    Rong Qiu smiled. "Okay... okay... I will be serious now." Rong Qiu looked at the others and exined, "I will tell them that there will be something important for you to report to the Han Emperor..." Rong Qiuughed. "Don¡¯t you still have the blood letter with you?" He directed the question to Xiao Fang.

    Xiao Fang nodded her head. "Yes, Godfather..."

    "Just used that as an excuse. You actually want to go directly to the Capital, but Yao Ling is sick due to her pregnancy. Now, Yao Ling is feeling better so you should go as soon as possible," Rong Qiu said.

    "However, don¡¯t let the blood letter fall to the Han Emperor¡¯s hands!" Rong Qiu warned.

    Everyone naturally understood what Rong Qiu meant --- they were afraid that the Han Emperor would get rid of the evidence. They wouldn¡¯t let that happen!

    "Father..." Yao Ling was still reluctant which made Rong Qiu and Yao Ying feel helpless. They would never think that Yao Ling would be this clingy.

    Rong Qiu also couldn¡¯t bear to be apart from her, but he still had some responsibilities that needed to be fulfilled. He patted Yao Ling¡¯s head once more, "Be good! Father will be okay."

    Yao Ling knew that she could only follow the n, otherwise, it would jeopardize everything. She knew that they did this to protect her. Yao Ling nodded her head but her eyes started to get teary.

    Rong Qiu decided to tease her just to make her forget about her sadness. "Haish... pregnant woman really has mood swings," Rong Qiu said with a smile.

    Yao Ling pouted and said, "I¡¯m not really pregnant."

    It made everyoneugh at the embarrassed Yao Ling --- at least, the previously heavy mood was thawed and it became lighter.

    Their n went smoothly. Rong Qiu asked where they put the jade pendant and Zhuo Li exined that they put it inside a drawer in the esteemed guest¡¯s study room. He exined everything in details so they wouldn¡¯t make a mistake.

    Rong Qiu quickly told Ah Zhao to spread the news slowly and it had to reach Hong Wen¡¯s ears when he arrived the next day. Ah Zhao nodded before going out once more and set the n in motion. They could only wait when the n was in motion.

    Everyone was pretty idle, thus, they decided to have a chat with each other.

    Rong Qiu hesitantly asked Yao Ling, "Can you tell me more about Jiu Lan?" He wanted to know what kind of woman who would be able to raise Yao Ling into such a good woman when the former had so many setbacks in her life.

    Xiao Fang quickly perked her ears up. She also wanted to ask Yao Ling about this because she had only heard a bit about her birth mother. She was too afraid to ask in details because in her heart... Xiao Fang felt that she was being abandoned, even if there were several reasons behind it.

    Yao Ling reminisced about her past. Even if she had a new family and life, she had never forgotten about her mother, Jiu Lan. She answered, "She was a beautiful and kind woman. When someone bullied me, she would be the one who protected me. When we didn¡¯t have that many foods left, she would give everything to me and in the end, she ate nothing and could only sleep in hunger. I only knew about this when I was a bit bigger and felt so guilty that I cried at night because of it."

    Talking about Jiu Lan made Yao Ling missed her. That was the reason why she had never talked about her before. If she didn¡¯t talk about her, it didn¡¯t mean that she had forgotten about her or be an ungrateful brat. She could be this big was also because of her love, guidance, and kindness... How could she forget about it?

    Despite being a stepmother, Jiu Lan had never mistreated her at all.

    Then, she continued, "I heard her say that she had only a little money left when she arrived at the vige where we lived... thus, she could only buy a small house outside of the city. Because taking care of me, she had no way to leave me and find a job --- that was the hardest part of our life."

    That was the reason why at four years old, Yao Ling was able to take care of the household chores and started to cook at five. That was the time when her mother could work full time and their life was getting better. However, once in a while, they still had a hard time and had to eat tree-root for survival.

    If they weren¡¯t in a dire state, Yao Ling knew that her mother wouldn¡¯t reveal that she had medical knowledge and embroidery once in a while. Yao Ling noticed this and persisted to ask her mother to teach her those pieces of knowledge.

    Rong Qiu felt sad when he heard that Yao Ling had such a hard life, however, Yao Ling reminisced everything with a sweet smile and he could see how much she loved Jiu Lan. He envied their rtionship ah~! He would redeem himself in the future... he would pour his love to Yao Ling and dedicate his life to search for Su Wan, so they could be aplete family once more.

 Chapter 321 Next Destination: Nei Huang

    Xiao Fang wondered why such a strong woman was able to leave and abandon her all alone while deciding to run away. However, she could ept and even wholeheartedly bring Yao Ling up all alone... At this point, she really envied Yao Ling ah~! From the story, she could even feel Jiu Lan¡¯s love for Yao Ling.

    Xiao Fang tried to erase that thought away because she knew how hard Yao Ling would be if her mother didn¡¯t pick her up at that time --- she most probably would be dead. At least, Xiao Fang had a loving family and she never once had to do hard work. If she was still unsatisfied with this, it would show how greedy she was.

    Thus, she was able to calm her mind down.

    Jiu Lan did that actually because she also felt guilty towards her real daughter --- that was the reason why she poured her love solely to Yao Ling. When she ran away from the Han Kingdom, her mind was still full of depression and she didn¡¯t feel guilty for leaving Xiao Fang behind.

    The further away Jiu Lan was from the damned ce, the lighter her heart had be and her depression turned for the better. This was when the guilt started to gnaw inside her heart, after all, she left her little baby inside the hand of a beast and she started to think with a clear mind how cruel she was back them. She med herself to the point that she wanted to kill herself by jumping into the river --- that was when she met baby Yao Ling for the first time. In the end, they were actually saving each other¡¯s life.

    If she met Yao Ling earlier, there was no guarantee that she would save Yao Ling and bring her up on her own. After all, she was also in a bad condition previously.

    It was just because of fate that they found each other...

    Lin Jian could also feel the pain in his heart when he heard this story. His mother really lived a hard life, however, at least, she was smiling before she was dead --- it meant that she lived a happy life with Yao Ling. For this, he was also feeling grateful to Yao Ling. She made his mother have the will to live. Lin Jian had no time to feel envy because, for the past few years, he just wanted to know whether his mother was living a good life or not.

    When the atmosphere turned heavy again, they decided to change the topic and chat cheerfully with a lighter topic. Yao Ying and Yao Ling hadn¡¯t told Rong Qiu about Wang Fu¡¯s condition because they thought this kind of private talk shouldn¡¯t be talked in front of Lin Jian and Xiao Fang. They still had a lot of time to tell Rong Qiu about it.

    Yao Ling nned to bring Rong Qiu along with her to An Yang and prepared a house for him. After all, Rong Qiu couldn¡¯t live in Wang Fu. However, Yao Ying wasn¡¯t so sure that Rong Qiu would agree because he knew that Rong Qiu would want to search for Su Wan. How could he be tied down in one ce?

    However, Yao Ying didn¡¯t tell Yao Ling this just in case thetter would feel sad.

    Rong Qiu would start the act the next morning because the maidservants had guaranteed that the esteemed guest wouldn¡¯t find out about the jade easily. Zhuo Li had also guaranteed that they could trust her, thus, they had nothing to fear.

    Even if the esteemed guest found about it first, it wouldn¡¯t do any harm to them. Rong Qiu believed that the esteemed guest wouldn¡¯t destroy or throw away the jade pendant because it could be said as a clue. No matter what, it would still be found inside the esteemed guest¡¯s courtyard.

    They promised to meet each other at the next city before going to the capital together. It was only a small city that connected the capital with the other cities --- the city was called Neihuang. Because the distance between the capital and the other cities were too far and the desert¡¯s temperature was very high at noon and low at night, travelers needed a ce to spend the night. Otherwise, people wouldn¡¯t be able to survive the wilderness.

    Thus, this small city was specially designed for that purpose. That was the reason why there were a lot of inns and small stalls inside the city. Seeing people from another kingdom was also quite usual there, however, if their articles of clothing were too different, it would gain too much attention. Thus, people would generally change their clothing --- unless they were special envoys from another kingdom.

    After reaching an agreement, they dispersed and slept. After all, they had a lot of things to do the next day.

    When Yao Ling¡¯s party went out the next morning, they deliberately did it loud and clear so that people knew that they did nothing wrong and also, they didn¡¯t run away. They even let the guards checked on their belongings one by one just to ensure that the guards would tell that they were clear to Hong Wen when thetter asked the reason why Uncle Qiu let them go. Fortunately, Yao Ling had put the scrolls safely away.

    Rong Qiu didn¡¯t let people know that he was close to them, except for Xiao Fang like usual. It would attract attention if they behaved out of character. Besides, the guards knew that Xiao Fang didn¡¯t really have any rtionship with Aunt Yue, so they didn¡¯t think too much when Xiao Fang nned to go back to the capital --- not only that, Aunt Yue¡¯s existence was practically a secret and they believed in Uncle Qiu¡¯s honest character. Thetter wouldn¡¯t tell Xiao Fang about it, because if Xiao Fang knew, they knew that the Han Emperor wouldn¡¯t let Xiao Fang go easily.

    This also happened to them --- they weren¡¯t allowed to divulge about Aunt Yue¡¯s existence or else, their family would be killed!

    Their movement didn¡¯t escape the eyes and ears of the esteemed guest. He had nted his own people everywhere and he also knew that Rong Qiu had stayed inside Yao Ling¡¯s courtyard for a long time. However, his subordinate couldn¡¯t hear what they were talking about clearly.

    At first, he wanted to let his most superb subordinate to tail and spy on them, but he changed his mind at thest minute because he didn¡¯t think that they would do something harmful to him. His best subordinate would be able to listen to their conversations --- unlike the ordinary subordinate that he had nted before. This decision made Yao Ling¡¯s party be safe ah~! Otherwise, their n would certainly fail.

    The esteemed guest made this decision because he needed to find Aunt Yue¡¯s whereabouts as soon as possible... Rong Qiu made the right decision to let people think that his mother was still alive --- if this esteemed guest knew that the power belonged to Yao Ling, he would use all his power to gain the beauty! Killing two birds with one stone ah~!

    The esteemed guest heard that Yao Ling¡¯s party was going to set off and he was sighing in disappointment. He asked his subordinates, "Have you inquired about their background carefully?" It had been some times and yet, he forgot to ask about this to his subordinate.

    The subordinate answered him, "We found that they were Xiao Fang Gu Niang¡¯s new friends. They met at the border and it seems like they aren¡¯t Han people."

    "Hmm... not Han people? Then, I guess they must be Shu people. Otherwise, I would know if such a beautiful and lovely girl exists in the Qin Kingdom," the handsome esteemed guest said with a smile.

    ¡¯Interesting... really interesting...¡¯ He thought to himself.

    "But now... if I want to have her, it will be a bit difficult..." His identity didn¡¯t approve him to have a woman from another kingdom as a wife. He could see the stubborn streak on the woman¡¯s eyes and he believed that she wouldn¡¯t settle as a concubine.

    He talked like Yao Ling would be willing to be his woman ah~!

 Chapter 322 Its Time to Meet Him

    His subordinates sweated, after all, they knew how cruel the man was and what kind of methods he would use to get the things that he wanted. They prayed for the woman who caught their master¡¯s eyes ah~! They felt that the woman wouldn¡¯t get a good ending --- especially with their master¡¯s tendency to be cruel.

    How many married women that he had taken over the years just to satisfy him? Too many to count! After all, their master had that unparalleled handsome look --- so most of the women were throwing themselves on him too. This was also because of those women¡¯s shallowness --- they couldn¡¯t see pass through their master¡¯s facade.

    No one dared toment when their master was talking to himself... They could only listen to him because they were afraid of his moodiness.

    "No worry... It¡¯s easy to find her and I will make her mine sooner orter..." The esteemed guest smirked to himself. "Haish... if only that Aunt Yue didn¡¯t disappear, that pretty woman would already be under me now... Too bad... too bad..." He shook his head in defeat, but the smirk on his face didn¡¯t fade away, making his subordinates be more scared.

    Because of Aunt Yue¡¯s disappearance, he needed to stay and try to find her with a lot of efforts. After all, this was a good opportunity to have this Aunt Yue for himself. The real kidnapper would be the one who would take the me and it was the main reason he couldn¡¯t follow Yao Ling.

    How could he let go such a good chance?

    The handsome man licked his lips when he thought of Yao Ling, but he knew what his responsibilities were --- recruiting this important piece of chess called Aunt Yue. No matter how lewd he was, his ambition was bigger than his lust. Once he grasped her power, he would conquer this world.

    "Find out more about that woman!" The esteemed guest ordered leisurely. His best subordinate had been trying to find out Aunt Yue¡¯s whereabouts, so it left him with a few subordinates that were pretty ordinary. However, it didn¡¯t mean that they were stupid. Trying to find out more about that woman was supposed to be an easy job.

    This was actually the reason why he didn¡¯t find out about the jade pendant --- his mind was preupied with Yao Ling and made him lower his own guard down. He was too confident!

    ----------

    Rong Qiu yed his part really well --- he demoted and chased away a few servants and maidservants that made several wrongdoings in front of everyone. He didn¡¯t forget to make a scene. The ones that he released weren¡¯t only the ones who yed a part in nting the evidence but they were mixed with some servants that really did something wrong. This was done to avoid suspicion.

    Rong Qiu also announced each of their wrongdoings loud and clear --- some were only fake evidence, some weren¡¯t. Those people that were dismissed with fake evidence didn¡¯t mind because they would receive some money aspensation and went to another ce to start a new life. This was what Zhuo Li guaranteed for them and it was better than to stay in Crescent Lake with no bright future.

    The list was also provided by Zhuo Li. The others would only think that Rong Qiu was cleaning the Crescent Lake from wicked servants and maidservants. The trigger was of course because of Aunt Yue¡¯s disappearance.

    As long as Hong Wen wasn¡¯t here, he was still in charge and he wouldn¡¯t let this opportunity go to waste.

    Rong Qiu couldn¡¯t help but apud for Zhuo Li¡¯s cleverness --- thetter¡¯s mind was really deep. It would be good if he was able to serve his daughter wholeheartedly. He had heard about Zhuo Li¡¯s background and it was right for his daughter not to believe in him easily. If she believed Zhuo Li right away, then he would question her judgment.

    Rong Qiu also heard that the news about the esteemed guest¡¯s involvement had circted among the guards. It spread like a wildfire and the esteemed guest¡¯s spies also heard about this. Thetter quickly reported this matter to his master.

    The esteemed guest asked his subordinate, "What happened? Why are you in a hurry?!" He disliked unruly people and this stupid subordinate should have known this.

    The spy quickly apologized and fortunately, his master was in a good mood and didn¡¯t have a n to punish him. The spy told his master the news that was spread among the guards. The esteemed guest furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure. "Who started this rumor?!"

    He had thought that he could use the real kidnapper as a cover-up, however, someone was trying to frame him first. This matter really annoyed him.

    The spy shook their head in confusion. "We couldn¡¯t find the source. It seems like someone was pulling the string behind the scene..." It meant that they couldn¡¯t underestimate the person behind this matter.

    His mind fleeted to Uncle Qiu, after all, he was the only one who had the power to do that here. "What about that Uncle Qiu? Could it possibly be his doing?" The esteemed guest asked in a serious manner.

    The spy shook his head. "No... although he holds the current power, he didn¡¯t have any power back then. He didn¡¯t have the capabilities because he only has one loyal person works for him. We also couldn¡¯t find anything suspicious about him. Yesterday, he only spent time with his goddaughter and friends."

    The esteemed guest didn¡¯t say anything, but he knew... even if he only had one capable person, if both of them were clever, doing this was an easy feat. However, he didn¡¯t see any benefits for Uncle Qiu to frame him... They had never crossed path before, thus, he ruled out the possibilities of Uncle Qiu doing this.

    "Find out about where the rumores from once more!" The esteemed guest ordered. He wondered why suddenly there were a lot of troubles brewing all at once.

    "Yes, Master," the spy nodded and quickly went out to do his job.

    The esteemed guest asked his right-hand man when his spy was already gone, "I heard a loudmotion just now. What happened?"

    His right-hand man exined about Uncle Qiu¡¯s anger which directly fired several servants and maidservants. The esteemed guest felt that something wasn¡¯t right. Even though it seemed to be normal, Uncle Qiu¡¯s behavior was still a little out-of-character. It was better if he sounded out Uncle Qiu.

    "Hmm... It seems like it¡¯s time to meet Uncle Qiu," the esteemed guest muttered to himself. He had been staying here for quite some times, but he had never tried to meet with Uncle Qiu. He had never put Uncle Qiu in his eyes, after all, he didn¡¯t have any special position at Crescent Lake --- only the sacred pet¡¯s caretaker.

    "Should I call him over?" His right-hand man asked when he saw his master¡¯s intention.

    "No... I will be the one who goes to him and introduces myself," the handsome man said leisurely. He didn¡¯t have anything to do anyway. "Where is he?"

    His right-hand man answered, "He¡¯s still handling the servants and maidservants near theke..."

    "Then, let¡¯s go there!" The esteemed guest said. He wanted to see what themotion was all about because he guessed that this matter was rted to him too.

 Chapter 323 Bai Bing Wen

    Rong Qiu was still managing the matter near theke when he felt that someone wasing. He turned around and saw a stunningly handsome man which he had already guessed what the man¡¯s identity was. However, he still pretended to be oblivious to the handsome man¡¯s presence.

    After all, they had never officially met yet.

    His indifferent reaction made the esteemed guest re up, but he knew that he wasn¡¯t in his own kingdom and he should restrain himself for a little bit. Besides, he always stayed inside his courtyard and he couldn¡¯t me Uncle Qiu because of that.

    The esteemed guest pasted a smile on his face and greeted Uncle Qiu, "Good morning, Uncle Qiu."

    Rong Qiu couldn¡¯t pretend that he didn¡¯t hear him, thus, he turned around and smiled to the esteemed guest, "Good morning! You are...?" He deliberately trailed off at thest part.

    "My name is Bai Bing Wen and I¡¯m a guest here," The esteemed guest answered while pointing at the ce where he had stayed for the past few weeks.

    He finally revealed his own name, after all, Rong Qiu has tried to inquire his name for several times --- but failed. He also didn¡¯t know this man¡¯s identity in the Qin Kingdom. Bai Bing Wen --- he would take note of this name and find out more about him.

    Rong Qiu pretended to be surprised and he quickly bowed politely at Bai Bing Wen. "Ah... so you are our Emperor¡¯s esteemed guest," he said politely.

    "No need to be so polite..." Bai Bing Wen said leisurely while waving his hand to show his superiority.

    Rong Qiu knew Bai Bing Wen just talked for the sake of it, because he could see how arrogant thetter was. However, he was still able to maintain his calmness. He pretty much had guessed why the esteemed guest tried to meet him.

    Fortunately, he had just sent away thest batch of servants and maidservants that he chased away. He had to let go of a total of thirteen people. At least, he hoped that those servants would be safe from this man¡¯s clutches --- he could see how wicked this Bai Bing Wen was.

    Bai Bing Wen squinted his eyes when he looked at the back of those scared servants. He asked, "What happened? Why did you chase them away?" It might look like harmless questions, but Rong Qiu could see the ruthless glint inside his eyes --- indeed, this man was dangerous. It was better not to fight head on with him.

    Rong Qiu exined, "These servants had done so many wrongdoings over time and I used to turn a blind eye. However, after I checked what they did one by one, I realized that there is a possibility that their wrongdoings could be the reason why Aunt Yue was kidnapped. Their negligences were pretty severe."

    After that, Rong Qiu pretended to sigh in defeat, "If only I paid attention to this beforehand... Aunt Yue wouldn¡¯t be easily kidnapped. I already searched for her everywhere, but couldn¡¯t find her trace!"

    Bai Bing Wen furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "You have never paid attention to this, so why do you suddenly change your mind?"

    Rong Qiu answered with a face full of anger, "Not to lie to you. I had a good rtionship with Aunt Yue and always spent two or three days a week to chat with her. I¡¯ve felt the injustice for her disappearance... That¡¯s why I want to check everything until it¡¯s clear! I¡¯m worried about her safety ah~!"

    Bai Bing Wen looked doubtfully at him. Of course, he knew about their good rtionship from his spy. However, why did he seem to be care a lot about Aunt Yue? Bai Bing Wen asked without filtering his words, "What kind of rtionship that you have with Aunt Yue?"

    Rong Qiu¡¯s face darkened. He thought to himself in anger, ¡¯What does he mean with that statement?! Does he imply that I have an illicit rtionship with Aunt Yue?!¡¯ He really wanted to kill the arrogant man in front him --- after all, he was smearing his name and Aunt Yue¡¯s name at the same time.

    Rong Qiu asked, "Da Ren, what do you mean?" Rong Qiu didn¡¯t know his official position in the Qin Kingdom, thus, he decided to call Bai Bing Wen as Da Ren.

    "Why do you care so much? Isn¡¯t she just a prisoner... and an old one?!" Bai Beng Wen asked without beating around the bush. He didn¡¯t even bother to correct the way Rong Qiu addressed him.

    Rong Qiu tried to maintain his calmness, but what he said really made Rong Qiu mad. How could Bai Bing Wen not see Rong Qiu¡¯s livid expression? He paid attention to Rong Qiu¡¯s face and there was no guilty expression in there. Knowing this, he felt relieved. It seemed like there was nothing going on between them.

    Yes, he talked rudely just to test Rong Jiu.

    If Rong Qiu knew what inside Bai Bing Wen¡¯s mind was, he would certainly vomit blood in anger.

    Rong Qiu gritted his teeth in vexation but he still needed to give Bai Bing Wen a face and it really killed him inwardly. After all, the man had just insulted his mother! "Da Ren... there are a lot of rtionship in this world and it doesn¡¯t have to be amorous. I treated her as a friend because my life here is boring, even though I like the calmness that this Crescent Lake has offered, I have no friend!" Rong Qiu exined in displeasure.

    "Ah... I see..." Bai Bing Wen answered without feeling guilty. Then he apologized, "I¡¯m sorry for offending you, Uncle Qiu. I will pay attention to my words next time."

    Rong Qiu realized that this man had the ability to choke him to death with his words! Rong Qiu could onlyugh awkwardly while being forced to receive his apology.

    "What else happened?" Bai Bing Wen tried to inquire more information from Uncle Qiu.

    Rong Qiu looked at him in hesitation, not knowing whether he should tell him the truth or not. Bai Bing Wen noticed this and knew that Uncle Qiu had something to say, "Just tell me! I won¡¯t get angry or me you."

    Rong Qiu rolled his eyes inwardl. Why should he bother even if Bai Bing Wen got angry ah~?!

    Rong Qiu didn¡¯t hide it from Bai Bing Wen, after all, he knew that thetter¡¯s spies must have gotten the news too. If this came out from Rong Qiu¡¯s mouth, Bai Bing Wen wouldn¡¯t feel suspicious of him --- he needed to y the good guy here.

    "There¡¯s a rumor that saying you are involved in this matter..." Rong Qiu trailed off at thest part, pretending that he was afarid to let Bai Bing Wen know the truth.

    "Hmmm...? Me?" Bai Bing Wenughed out loud after saying that. Heughed until he cried, thus, he wiped his eyes before talking once more, "How funny! What kind of benefits that I will get ah~?"

    Rong Qiu harrumphed inwardly. This man was really good at pretending that he knew nothing, however, Rong Qiu could do nothing about it. Besides, he didn¡¯t really need to do anything --- Hong Wen would help him with this matter. His job would be finished after this conversation ended...

    Rong Qiu helplessly said. "I have no idea too... That¡¯s why I¡¯m trying to get the bottom of it."

    Bai Bing Wen asked in a chilling voice, "Have you found the perpetrator who tried to smear my name?"

    Rong Qiu shook his head. "No... that¡¯s why I¡¯m also confused. I¡¯ve investigated slowly but the one who spread the words couldn¡¯t be found."

    Bai Bing Wen furrowed his eyebrows. What Rong Qiu said was in line with what his own subordinates had just said. However, he still felt that something wasn¡¯t right.

 Chapter 324 Do You Believe In Those Rumors?

    Rong Qiu seemed to be honest in his eyes, but he knew that he couldn¡¯t trust him easily --- he still needed to send someone to check on this matter. Besides, he didn¡¯t think that Uncle Qiu was a capable person. What kind of capable person would be willing to guard a horse? In his mind, Uncle Qiu was just a useless official who was demoted by the Han Emperor.

    Bai Bing Wen asked curiously, "So... do you believe in those rumors?" He wanted to know what inside Uncle Qiu¡¯s mind was.

    Rong Qiu pretended to be weak and afraid in front of Bai Bing Wen. He answered with a stutter, "No... of course not!" He widened his eyes, trying to look as innocent as possible.

    Even if he really felt suspicious of him, he wouldn¡¯t say it out loud in front of his face ah~! Rong Qiu started to realize that acting as a weak person was quite annoying... and tiring.

    Bai Bing Wen squinted his eyes at Uncle Qiu without saying anything, feeling that thetter was indeed a coward and he didn¡¯t need to care about him. He looked at Uncle Qiu in contempt and merely said, "Good!"

    Bai Bing Wen hated this type of weak person the most! He didn¡¯t want to associate himself with Uncle Qiu any further after this matter passed. What if he knew that this person was actually the father of the woman that he wanted? He probably would vomit blood ah~!

    Bai Bing Wen sighed in relief...

    At least, the person in charge didn¡¯t believe in that baseless rumor. He had heard about the new person-in-charge that would be sent by the Han Emperor --- as long as Uncle Qiu denied Bai Bing Wen¡¯s involvement in this matter and ryed it to the next person-in-charge, then it should be fine.

    He didn¡¯t calcte whether Rong Qiu and Hong Wen¡¯s rtionship was good or not, after all, he wasn¡¯t from this kingdom. Bai Bing Wen wouldn¡¯t have known theplicated rtionship between the officials clearly because of that.

    After that Bai Bing Wen bade his goodbye and decided to go back to his own ce. Rong Qiu smirked inwardly --- he hoped that his image would be enough to make himself look unreliable and annoying in Bai Bing Wen¡¯s eyes so that he would forget about him when he went away from here.

    Once Hong Wen arrived with the decree, it would be time for him to go and he would let the guards continue fanning the mes... He wondered what Bai Bing Wen would do when he realized that he was in deep shit! When he thought of this, Rong Qiu felt better after being insulted by the arrogant man.

    Rong Qiu continued to do his job dutifully and decided to pay that esteemed guest no mind. They wouldn¡¯t meet again anyway...

    Bai Bing Wen sat leisurely on his luohan bed. He thought for a little while before asking his right-hand man, "Do you think that there is something fishy with Uncle Qiu?"

    The right-hand man was quite surprised by his master¡¯s question. "I don¡¯t think so. Why, Master? Is there something wrong with him?" What Uncle Qiu said was quite logical and his anger was justified --- each of his response was appropriate in his eyes. He didn¡¯t understand why his master kept doubting Uncle Qiu just now and he could see that his master kept contradicting thetter.

    Bai Bing Wen felt that nothing was out of ce, however, he felt that his gut feeling kept saying that something wasn¡¯t really right. But, what? Bai Bing Wen ordered, "Pay more attention to Uncle Qiu¡¯s movement for the time being. Report to me if you feel that something isn¡¯t right."

    His right-hand man could only nod his head, even though he disagreed inwardly. "I will assign people to spy on him as soon as possible."

    Bai Bing Wen nodded his head in agreement before deciding to take a nap.

    ----------

    Yao Ling felt worried about her father and since the beginning of their journey, she kept looking back while biting her lower lip in distress.

    Yao Ying sighed and warned her, "Don¡¯t keep looking back! People would feel suspicious if you do that..."

    Yao Ling knew that Yao Ying was right, but she just couldn¡¯t stay still.

    After losing her grandmother right after she had just met her, it seemed like Yao Ling¡¯s mentality was affected --- she became more paranoid than before. He knew that this was only the after effect, however, if she continued staying this way... it wouldn¡¯t do her any good! Yao Ying decided to pay more attention to this part and let her be checked by a physician when they arrived at Nei Huang.

    Even though Yao Ling was good at medicine, she couldn¡¯t diagnose herself ah~! Especially, when it was about her own mentality.

    Xiao Fang said softly, "Yao Ling, you should believe in my godfather. After all, he was an official once. I believe that he has the capability to protect himself. Besides, my father is a good judgment of characters and he keeps saying that godfather is one of the best and resourceful people that he has ever met!"

    Xiao Fang tried to assure Yao Ling and at the same time... cheer her up. Besides, what she had said wasn¡¯t a lie. Uncle Qiu used to have a lot of influences in the capital. An ordinary person wouldn¡¯t be able to achieve it ah~! Uncle Qiu started to build his career along with her father, thus, she believed that the one who was sessful was Rong Qiu, not the real Uncle Qiu.

    Uncle Qiu might already have a position before, but it was a low one. Being able to climb to the top wasn¡¯t an easy feat because he had to have the talent and also a clever mind. Those were the reasons why Xiao Fang trusted her godfather¡¯s ability.

    Yao Ling nodded her head, knowing that it wasn¡¯t good to keep worrying about her father¡¯s safety --- it led people to believe that she was doubtful of her father¡¯s ability. Even though she had a lot of worries, she decided to keep it inwardly.

    "I believe you," Yao Ling said softly. After saying that, she didn¡¯t dare to look back anymore. She chose to pray inwardly and hoped that they would be able to meet soon.

    Yao Ying could only sigh and patted her back softly, trying tofort her.

    ----------

    Rong Qiu noticed that someone had been following his movement and he knew that the spy must be sent by Bai Bing Wen. He didn¡¯t worry about it, after all, everything that should be done secretly had already been done. Even if they tried to find a fault from him, they wouldn¡¯t get any.

    He also let Ah Zhao stay by his side so that they knew that Ah Zhao was also harmless. Because of this, the spy gave a report that there was nothing wrong from Uncle Qiu which made Bai Bing Wen feel relieved.

    He ordered the spy to retreat and it made Rong Qiuugh cheerfully when he felt that the spy¡¯s presence had gone --- it meant that he was able to fool him. He asked Ah Zhao, "Everything has been prepared well, right?"

    Ah Zhao nodded his head. "Honestly, Zhuo Li has done a great job and it¡¯s very easy for me to do the follow-up. Even though Master has fired several servants and seemingly tried to stop the rumor from going on, however, the esteemed guest appearance brought a new wave of conversation."

    "Oh... tell me more about it," Rong Qiu asked.

    "They believe that the rumor is actually true and Master tried to help to cover up the esteemed guest to cover it up," Ah Zhao exined.

    Rong Qiu nodded in satisfaction while smiling. This was what he wanted to achieve... the goal. If it seemed like he collided with the esteemed guest, Hong Wen would be trying hard to uncover the truth. After all, Hong Wen had never tried to cover up his dislike towards Rong Qiu.

 Chapter 325 Hong Wen

    "Well done," Rong Qiu praised Ah Zhao for doing a good job.

    Ah Zhao only nodded in embarrassment --- he felt like he didn¡¯t deserve it ah~! After all, he only did some easy errands due to Zhuo Li¡¯s cleverness.

    Rong Qiuughed when he saw Ah Zhao¡¯s expression. The young man had followed him since he was a boy. Although he wasn¡¯t that handsome --- his face could be said as in, he was clever and loyal to him. He sighed... what would Ah Zhao do if he knew that Uncle Qiu wasn¡¯t his real identity? Even though it was really him that saved Ah Zhao, he still felt ufortable.

    Rong Qiu patted Ah Zhao¡¯s shoulder and said, "Rest for tonight... After this, we still have to make a few days trip to the Capital."

    Ah Zhao nodded. "Yes, Master."

    They only needed to wait for Hong Wen¡¯s appearance. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t have many things to bring to the capital and everything had been prepared beforehand. Thus, they didn¡¯t need to waste times. Bao Bei had also been brought along by Yao Ling and no one figured it out.

    People just thought that Bao Bei was lost in the midst of themotion when the guards tried to find Aunt Yue¡¯s footprint. Who had the time to care for a horse? Even though Bao Bei was called as a sacred pet, the only one who cared was only Uncle Qiu.

    Ah Zhao¡¯s information was urate and Hong Wen indeed arrived that night. Thetter called Rong Qiu right after his arrival without freshening up first, because he had been waiting to meet Rong Qiu after such a long time. Hong Wen was quite clever but he was a hot-headed old man, thus, sometimes he was doing things without thinking about the consequences.

    He was fat with big pot-bellies and it was to the point that everyone couldn¡¯t see his neck. Rong Qiu rolled his eyes inwardly when he saw Hong Wen face to face once again. Hong Wen really didn¡¯t change for one bit ah~! Still as fat as before and as annoying as usual.

    They used to debate in front of the Han Emperor on the court and always had a bad rtionship --- Rong Qiu couldn¡¯t say that he missed him.

    Rong Qiu could see that Hong Wen must have thought the same as him ah~! Thetter didn¡¯t really feel excited to meet him because he could see his gloating expression along with his annoying sneer.

    ¡¯Gah! I really hate this man!¡¯ Rong Qiu thought to himself. However, he still pasted a smile on his face. No matter what, he held no official position after he resigned back then. At least, he should y by the rules.

    Hong Wen smiled widely when he saw Rong Qiu¡¯s humble appearance. Hong Wen felt that ha had won! He yelled in anger while pointing at Rong Qiu, "Why are you so ipetent?!"

    Rong Qiu frowned because he was being attacked out of nowhere. He asked Hong Wen back, "Oh... how so?"

    "You let Aunt Yue being kidnapped!" Hong Wen used him. "You know her identity! She¡¯s an important person for our kingdom!"

    Rong Qiu rolled his eyes because of his stupidity and quickly denied, "That¡¯s not my job to guard Aunt Yue. How can you put the me on me?" He wanted to ask whether he had checked what happened here beforehand... How could he make such a baseless usation? Didn¡¯t he feel afraid that people wouldugh at him?!

    Uncle Qiu¡¯s job was only taking care of Bao Bei... not Aunt Yue. How could he put the me on him shamelessly?

    "Not your job?" Hong Wen frowned. After that, he whispered something to his advisor and thetter helplessly answered him. Hong Wen was precisely like this, even though he was sharp at times, but the man was a bit unreliable. Hong Wen always hated Rong Qiu and his behavior in front of him had always been childish.

    His advisor had tried to give him so many pieces of advice but Hong Wen rarely listened to him. If he wasn¡¯t the nephew of the right-hand prime minister, the advisor would already leave this useless person behind. The right-hand prime minister had personally asked him to take care of him, so he could only helplessly do so.

    "Ah... You are a mere caretaker of a stupid horse!" Hong Wen mocked Rong Qiu whileughing out loud. He was so happy to the point that he kept pping his own thigh loudly.

    Rong Qiu rolled his eyes. If he didn¡¯t ask specifically to take care of Bao Bei, he would still be in the capital and certainly more sessful from this fool. However, he had never bothered to choose glory because he was a sentimental person. It seemed like this trait of him was still there when he forgot everything. He still chose Aunt Yue and Bao Bei, right?

    Rong Qiu wondered why such a stupid person could be a high-rank official. However, precisely this personality of his that could make Rong Qiu use him easily. He felt lucky that the Han Emperor had chosen this person toe here. If it was exchanged with another official, he didn¡¯t think that he would be sessful.

    "Yes, I am..." Rong Qiu didn¡¯t bother to sugarcoat his words.

    Hong Wen thought that he would at least feel embarrassed, but Rong Qiu only gave him a t expression. To him, it appeared more annoying.

    Rong Qiu thought inwardly, ¡¯Come on! Come on! Get angry at me... so you willugh at my misery and tend to believe the esteemed guest¡¯s rumor...¡¯

    Indeed, Hong Wen was easily provoked. "Kneel down!" He said with full authority.

    The advisor sweated when he heard this --- he had already told Hong Wen not to be rash! Even if Uncle Qiu had already stayed here for a long time, his loyal followers in the capital were still a lot! If those followers heard about what happened here, Hong Wen¡¯s current behavior could be said akin to make enemies with a lot of people!

    Rong Qiu stood up proudly, "On what base? I didn¡¯t make any mistakes."

    "Your rank is lower than mine!" Hong Wen answered. "Shouldn¡¯t you give me a polite greeting?"

    Rong Qiuughed. "Da Ren... isn¡¯t this called bullying innocent people? I don¡¯t dare to kneel down, because I¡¯m afraid that people will gossip about it and smear Da Ren¡¯s name..." Rong Qiu sarcastically said.

    "You..." Hong Wen almost vomited blood when he heard Rong Qiu¡¯s words, however, what thetter said was true. Rong Qiu always had a way with words and it annoyed him to no end. He had no reason to let him kneel down.

    His advisor gave Hong Wen a signal --- it was time to give the Emperor¡¯s decree to Uncle Qiu. He was so helpless because Hong Wen could even forget an important thing because of his own grudge. However, he also knew that Hong Wen always lived in the shadow of Uncle Qiu. Thetter kept climbing up thedder while Hong Wen couldn¡¯t. When thetter had a chance to climb up thedder and wanted to gloat, Uncle Qiu decided to retire out of anger.

    How could Hong Wen not feel disappointed ah~?! Thus, he could never forget his resentment towards Uncle Qiu.

    Hong Wen smirked when he received the decree, "You need to kneel down for real. This is the Emperor¡¯s decree."

    Rong Qiu rolled his eyes after seeing his childish behavior. Before kneeling, he said something that made Hong Wen¡¯s face be red, "I¡¯m kneeling to the Han Emperor¡¯s decree --- not you."

    Hong Wen almost vomited blood when he heard Uncle Qiu¡¯s provocation words! His previous happiness to see him kneeling down was gone in a sh. ¡¯This bastard!¡¯ He cursed inwardly. However, he could do nothing to Uncle Qiu ah~!

    Rong Qiu paid him no mind and he quickly kneeled down politely.

 Chapter 326 Had To Give A Face

    Hong Wen could only calm himself down and read the decree. It stated that the Han Emperor wanted Uncle Qiu toe back to the Capital and give an ount of what happened at Crescent Lake --- other than that, the Han Emperor didn¡¯t mention anything else. This made it even feel more suspicious.

    Rong Qiu knew that the Han Emperor also had tried to poach him again several times but he had rejected it politely. However, he wondered why he used this chance to send a decree and force him toe back. The Han Emperor knew that he couldn¡¯t say no or he would be killed on the spot. However, after meeting Yao Ling, he was reluctant to be involved in the political matter.

    Rong Qiu just wanted to follow Yao Ling¡¯s n --- toe back with her to the Shu kingdom and after that, started to search for Su Wan slowly.

    Rong Qiu wondered whether something had happened in the capital to make the Han Emperor do this? Was it rted to Princess Han Xiang¡¯s matter?

    Rong Qiu thanked Hong Wen after thetter finished reading the decree and he stood up to receive the decree.

    "When will you go back to the capital?" Hong Wen asked.

    "Tomorrow morning," Rong Qiu answered resolutely.

    "Ha... the sooner the better will be good. You can do nothing here anyway..." Hong Wen kept taunting him which made Hong Wen¡¯s advisor sighed. Thetter thought to himself, ¡¯Hopeless... really really hopeless ah~!¡¯

    Rong Qiu rolled his eyes and paid him no mind. He quickly bade his goodbye and went out of the room as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t want to stay in the same room as Hong Wen any longer or else, he would end up throttling thetter.

    Rong Qiu only sneered inwardly, however, Ah Zhao was the one who got angry on the behalf of his master. How could Hong Wen keep demeaning his master ah~! "Master! That man is really annoying! Why don¡¯t you retaliate?" Ah Zhao really wanted to punch that man!

    "Why bother with such a person? It will only lower ourselves to his level ah~!" Rong Qiu answered leisurely.

    Ah Zhao nodded his head. "True ah~!" What Uncle Qiu said was always right in Ah Zhao¡¯s eyes. After listening to Uncle Qiu¡¯s words, Ah Zhao started to calm down --- he didn¡¯t want to lower his level!

    Ah Zhao used to be a beggar and when he was almost beaten to death by the beggar¡¯s leader for some reasons, Uncle Qiu appeared and he was the one who saved Ah Zhao from the slum. For that, he was feeling grateful and vowed to be loyal to him.

    In fact, Rong Qiu need not to worry about this. No matter who Uncle Qiu was... he was his savior and it wouldn¡¯t change Ah Zhao¡¯s loyalty towards him.

    "What about the rumor?" Rong Qiu asked. Even though everything went well, it would be better if they kept checking on it --- just in case, something went awry. If that really happened, they would be able to take a precaution first.

    Ah Zhao quickly answered, "It has been done perfectly! We will soon find out the result."

    Rong Qiu nodded with a smirk. ¡¯Sometimes, when you wanted to retaliate, you didn¡¯t have to do it face to face...¡¯ He would be happy when Hong Wen was beaten up by the hands of the esteemed guest. Too bad that he wouldn¡¯t be able to see it with his own eyes.

    Just like what Ah Zhao had been predicted, the news reached Hong Wen¡¯s ears that night. His advisor had tried to inquire the matter carefully from the servants.

    "Da Ren, I heard that this matter might involve the esteemed guest," the advisor said.

    "Tell me in details," Hong Wen asked.

    The advisor told him the rumor that was floating around the guards and Hong Wen¡¯s expression slightly changed when he heard that. "Such a big thing happened?" Hong Wen asked in surprise. "What did Uncle Qiu do when he heard this matter?"

    "This is the weird thing... Uncle Qiu is known as his righteous personality. However, this time... he didn¡¯t check on the rumor and instead, he fired several servants and maidservants that had something to do with the rumor," the advisor also felt confused by Uncle Qiu¡¯s behavior.

    "Really?" Hong Wen asked. He felt that Uncle Qiu¡¯s behavior was not quite right. "What do you think of this?"

    The advisor pondered over it a little while. "There are two possibilities. One, Uncle Qiu isying a trap for us. Secondly, he is in collusion with the esteemed guest. Otherwise, what benefit he could get by doing that?"

    Hong Wen thought for a little while. "I don¡¯t think the first choice is possible. He doesn¡¯t know for sure that the Han Emperor will send me here. Yes, we are not in a good rtionship. However, what if it was another person that was in a good rtionship with him? Judging from his character, he certainly won¡¯t do that."

    Hong Wen might not be in a good rtionship with Uncle Qiu, but he knew thatter¡¯s good characters. He wouldn¡¯t do that!

    The advisor nodded his head. "That¡¯s what I think too... What about the second possibility?" The advisor cautiously asked.

    Hong Wen nodded his head, "It¡¯s possible. He has stayed in this Crescent Lake for too long. Would you believe that he is willing to stay here without any benefits?"

    The advisor shook his head. "I don¡¯t believe it."

    Hong Wen pped his head. "Then, it¡¯s settled then. We have to get to the bottom of this matter. If the rumor is correct, we will get merit. If it¡¯s wrong, we can just apologize to the esteemed guest."

    The advisor frowned. It seemed like Hong Wen was underestimating the esteemed guest. "Da Ren, shouldn¡¯t we inquire about the esteemed guest first?"

    Hong Wen shook his head. "No need! We don¡¯t have that much time to spend here. Besides, he¡¯s currently staying in our kingdom. No matter what, he has to give our Emperor a face ah~! An apology would be enough. If it isn¡¯t, we can send valuable treasures to appease him."

    The advisor knew that it was true, however, it still didn¡¯t sit well with him. "Let me inquire about the esteemed guest for a little bit!"

    Hong Wen frowned because of his advisor¡¯s disobedience manner, however, he didn¡¯t reject his offer. It was also good to be careful, although he knew that they would probably not be able to find anything. The esteemed guest could stay here, it meant that he wasn¡¯t an ordinary person ah~!

    Hong Wen nodded and said, "See as you see fit! I will rest for tonight. Tomorrow morning, we will start to deal with everything."

    "Yes, Da Ren," the advisor politely answered and then he bade his goodbye. He told his subordinates to inquire about the esteemed guest.

    Fortunately, Ah Zhao heard about this and he quickly did a countermeasure. Rong Qiu thought that Hong Wen certainly wouldn¡¯t check the esteemed guest¡¯s background, but it seemed like he was underestimating Hong Wen¡¯s advisor.

    Ah Zhao didn¡¯t only spread that the esteemed guest was a kind one, he also stated that one of the servants that had been fired seemed to see something that belonged to Aunt Yue inside the esteemed guest¡¯ study room.

    The advisor started to think that it seemed like Uncle Qiu really colluded with the esteemed guest. This should be an interesting matter. Although there was no proof for Uncle Qiu¡¯s involvement, at least, they would be able to find a lead about Aunt Yue¡¯s disappearance.

 Chapter 327 Cheng Gong

    The next day, the advisor told Hong Wen about his findings. Hong Wen excitedly asked, "Should we catch Uncle Qiu as a precaution before he goes back to the capital? This is a really good chance ah~!"

    "You can¡¯t do that, Da Ren," the advisor said in a low voice, hoping that no one heard what this dimwit had just said. Whenever it was about Uncle Qiu, he always became hasty! This really gave him a headache! He knew that sending Hong Wen to Crescent Lake wasn¡¯t a good thing.

    The advisor had tried to cultivate him slowly and Hong Wen had gotten better, too bad... he was sent to here and they were back to square one. It really wasted the Right Prime Minister¡¯s effort.

    "Why?" Hong Wen asked in confusion. Wasn¡¯t this a good opportunity to arrest Uncle Qiu?

    "We have no evidence. We also don¡¯t know whether this rumor is true or not. Besides, Uncle Qiu has already received the Emperor¡¯s decree. No matter what, he has to go back to the capital. Implicating Uncle Qiu is a small matter, but the most important thing is for you to gain merit at this moment. Do you understand what I mean?" The advisor asked seriously, trying to knock some senses into the man¡¯s head.

    Hong Wen wasn¡¯t fully stupid, hence he understood what his advisor meant. If Uncle Qiu indeed colluded with the esteemed guest, capturing him would only alert the big fish. Not only that, he would vite the Emperor¡¯s decree and it would do him no good.

    Capturing himter in the capital wasn¡¯t going to bete either.

    Even though he was reluctant, he knew that he could only let Uncle Qiu go --- for now, of course. He just hoped that Uncle Qiu was really guilty so that he could use the opportunity to defeat him. Thinking of this, his mood became better.

    "Then, we can let him go," Hong Wen said smugly.

    The advisor sighed in relief when he heard Hong Wen¡¯s decision.

    -----------

    Rong Qiu already checked everything and it seemed that everything went well on their part. He asked Ah Zhao, "Have you already given Xiao Fang¡¯s maidservants the way to contact you?"

    Ah Zhao knew that his master was referring to their spy here --- the one who would let them know the aftereffect of their n, whether they were sessful in sowing discord between Hong Wen and Bai Bing Wen or not. Ah Zhao quickly nodded, "Don¡¯t worry! Everything is good! She will inform us when something happens in the future. She will directly send it to Xiao Fang Gu Niang."

    Knowing this, Rong Qiu felt relieved. He looked at Crescent Lake and knew that it was time to go. This chapter of his life had been closed --- soon, he would embark to a new life and journey. He just hoped that everything went well.

    He had heard how the Han Emperor was treating Yao Ling¡¯s stepmother and he felt disgusted by the Han Emperor¡¯s behavior --- he would certainly help Yao Ling and Xiao Fang to get revenge. After all, he was also feeling grateful for the woman¡¯s help in saving and bringing up his daughter. He wanted to repay her even though thetter had been long dead.

    -----------

    Yao Ling¡¯s entourage arrived first at Nei Huang with their best effort. The desert¡¯s climate wasn¡¯t really good and they were almost trapped in a sandstorm. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t a big one and Xiao Fang had already made a preparation beforehand. She calmly gave them pointers when they encountered the sandstorm.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling had never lived in the desert before, thus, it was understandable if they didn¡¯t know anything about it. On the other hand, Lin Jian had experienced a sandstorm once before, hence he already knew what to do.

    They covered their mouth and nose with bandanna so that they could avoid sucking in the dust. When they were thirsty, they moistened the bandanna for a little bit to save up the water. Once it became more unbearable, they could only shield their faces with their arms as they moved slowly, then wrapped a piece of cloth tightly around their heads to protect their eyes and ears.

    They were lucky that they were able to find a shelter to spend the night, otherwise, their survival would be questionable too.

    Yao Ling started to worry about her father when she thought about their experience, however, she didn¡¯t tell the others. She just tried to convince herself that he would be okay. Rong Qiu had lived in the Han Kingdom for so long, so he should be more familiar with the climate here than them.

    Due to the sandstorm, their appearance became so messy and dirty, making them feel ufortable. They quickly searched for a big inn which had a built-in stable for their horses to spend the night.

    The innkeeper had gotten used to having customers with dirty appearances, especially because he also knew that they must have encountered a sandstorm. He didn¡¯t discriminate them and as long as they had the money, everything would be prepared for them.

    Yao Ling¡¯s entourage quickly booked the few best rooms in the inn which made the innkeeper grinned from ear to ear. After finished freshening up, Yao Ling tried to inquire the news back at Crescent Lake, "Is our n sessful?"

    Xiao Fangughed. "Why are you so impatient? We just reached here..."

    Yao Ling grinned. "I want to know so I can have a good night sleep," Yao Ling admitted. If the n went awry, it could implicate her father ah~!

    Xiao Fang had told them that she had just received the information when they arrived at the inn, however, she hadn¡¯t opened it yet. She nned to talk about this the next day, so all of them could have a good rest. However, it seemed like she could only postpone her beauty sleep, because she knew how worried Yao Ling was.

    Yao Ying helplessly looked at Xiao Fang, feeling apologetic. He knew that Xiao Fang lived in a pampered environment and thetter looked so tired, but Yao Ling still insisted to ask the news. Yao Ling might feel tired but she had gotten used to living in a hard environment, so her condition was slightly better than Xiao Fang.

    Xiao Fang reassured him with a smile, telling him that she was fine. They would only read the letter and discuss the rest the next day.

    Xiao Fang slowly opened the scrolls --- it was a small one because they used an eagle as a means ofmunications. The letter¡¯s first two words already made them sigh in relief --- cheng gong [=it means sess].

    If they didn¡¯t remember where they were, they would have already cheered happily.

    "The details... did she write the details?" Yao Ying asked excitedly.

    Xiao Fang nodded. Probably because it was written by a woman, the writing was neat and easy to read even though it was written in a small size. Generally, maidservants mostly were illiterate. However, the people around Xiao Fang were specially nurtured by Xiao Fang¡¯s father and brother to protect her --- because they knew how they had spoiled Xiao Fang and thetter was too innocent to see the dirty world.

    If she didn¡¯t meet Yao Ling back then, Xiao Fang would probably still living in her own cocoon. Not only that, Han Xiang¡¯s experience had given her a good lesson and made her be mature overnight. If she continued being coddled, then it would be hard for her to grow up.

    The letter told them in details about what happened back at Crescent Lake. Xiao Fang started to read it carefully for the others...

 Chapter 328 What Happened at Crescent Lake 1

    The rumor circted wildly and it said that Aunt Yue¡¯s disappearance seemed to be connected with the esteemed guest. However, they didn¡¯t dare to confirm whether the kidnapper was truly the esteemed guest. Without beating around the bush, Hong Wen interrogated the servants and maidservants inside the Crescent Lake one by one --- he even used reward and heavy punishment to make them talk.

    Too bad that they really didn¡¯t remember who talked about it first, but they seemed to recall that someone had mentioned that there was something in the study room where the esteemed guest was currently staying. That ¡¯something¡¯ was the proof that made the servant who spread the news came up with such a conclusion.

    "What kind of thing?" Hong Wen asked curiously. He felt happy when he finally found a lead for the evidence.

    "This servant also doesn¡¯t know for sure but this servant heard that it has the same symbol as the gate..." The servant answered while trembling fear. That was really the only thing that Ah Zhao and Zhuo Li told the others. They wanted to make it more mysterious, so Hong Wen would believe it even more.

    If they told them directly that it was a jade pendant, people would feel suspicious. After all, it would be hard to break into the esteemed guest¡¯s ce. How could they know for sure?

    Hong Wen even resorted to harsh punishment just for the sake of information --- thus, everyone was scared of him and of course, hated him. Because of this, Hong Wen knew that no one would dare to lie to him, so the information should be urate. Even if they hated him, so what of it? They were just lowly servants and they meant nothing to him.

    The servantspared him with Uncle Qiu and realized how kind thetter was... even though thetter was also from the capital, he never abused his position.

    Hong Wen had never seen the symbol before and he needed to take a lot at the so-called gate. Before the servant could say anything, Hong Wen had already gone ahead. When Hong Wen came over to the gate along with his advisor, he was dumbfounded because there was a hole in the middle of the gate where the symbol was supposed to be ced. Hong Wen asked about it and the servant exined everything in details.

    Hong Wen could only ask each servant whether they remembered the symbol or not. How could he find the evidence if he didn¡¯t know how it looked like ah~?! If someone was able to give him the picture in details, hHong Wen would reward them with twenty silver taels. Thus, in less than half shichen, he already got a good and detail picture of the symbol.

    Hong Wen smirked and quickly went to the esteemed guest¡¯s courtyard. The advisor wanted to tell him to be polite but he was already gone in a sh. Thus, he could only follow Hong Wen from behind while grumbling. Sooner orter, Hong Wen would be dead without knowing the reason.

    Hong Wen didn¡¯t even politely ask permission to enter Bai Bing Wen¡¯s courtyard or show any courtesy, instead, he yelled loudly, "Open the door for this official!" He tried to show off his power without thinking further about the esteemed guest¡¯s prestige.

    The esteemed guest¡¯s subordinates felt angry because of Hong Wen¡¯s arrogant behavior. No matter what, even the Han Emperor needed to show some degrees of respect their master and yet, this lowly official dared to behave arrogantly like this!

    "Who are you?!" One of the esteemed guest¡¯s guards asked. He didn¡¯t even try to give Hong Wen a face which made thetter angrier.

    "How dare you questioning me?! You are only a lowly guard and yet, you dare to be impolite to this official!" Hong Wen pointed at the guard angrily.

    "Naturally, this one is the esteemed guest¡¯s subordinates. Surely you already knew that before you came here, right?" The guard mocked Hong Wen which made his fellow guardsughing. They treated Hong Wen like an ant.

    "You... you!" Hong Wen yelled while pointing at the guard angrily. The advisor tried to make him calm by tugging his sleeve as a reminder. However, Hong Wen had been blinded by his anger and he couldn¡¯t think straightly. He called his subordinates and said, "People...e! Drag this guard away and give him a beating for offending me!"

    "Yes, sir!" Some of Hong Wen¡¯s subordinates already came out and wanted to seize the guard.

    Bai Bing Wen¡¯s subordinates¡¯ face darkened, knowing that they had met an unreasonable official. Even though they could be called as ordinary in Bai Bing Wen¡¯s eyes, they were still far more powerful than Hong Wen¡¯s subordinates. They quickly pulled out their swords without any hesitancy.

    "Who dares toe?!" The leader yelled menacingly.

    Seeing their fierce expression, Hong Wen¡¯s subordinates didn¡¯t dare to move and shivered in fear.

    "Are you trying to rebel?" Hong Wen asked while squinting his eyes in displeasure.

    Bai Bing Wen¡¯s subordinates looked at him and feeling that this man was really an idiot. "We are not from your kingdom... howe you use us of rebelling?"

    "Yes! Remember! We are from another kingdom... by attacking us, do you want to start a war?" One of Bai Bing Wen¡¯s guards cleverly asked.

    Hong Wen froze on the spot. How could he forget about it? He was too excited because he wanted to gain merit and he became hasty. Yes, it was because of his own greediness. Hong Wen nced at his advisor who looked at him mingly and flinched. He knew that he had done something wrong.

    Before he could say anything, a man came out of the door and asked in annoyance, "What is going on here?"

    Hong Wen saw a beautiful man who shamelessly wore a bright red color came out --- it was in contrast with his snow-white skin. The former was blinded by the man¡¯s beauty and couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Who are you?"

    Bai Bing Wen furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Hong Wen with concealed disgust. He knew about his own handsomeness but it was disgusting to be looked at like that by a man --- and an ugly one! However, Bai Bing Wen wasn¡¯t stupid and he understood his position in this kingdom.He didn¡¯t want to make troubles for himself.

    Bai Bing Wen answered, "This one is the esteemed guest, Bai Bing Wen. Why are you here?" Bai Bing Wen sneered inwardly. If he was in his own kingdom, he would already beat this man to death!

    Hong Wen cleared his throat and felt lucky that Bai Bing Wen suddenly appeared, at least, he was able to get away from his embarrassment. He gave a signal so that his followers could go back. Seeing this, Bai Bing Wen¡¯s subordinates naturally also drew their swords back without being told by their master.

    "Da Ren, this one just wants to talk to Da Ren about something and see if Da Ren could cooperate with us," Hong Wen said politely. He could offend the subordinates, but not the esteemed guest himself.

    Bai Bing Wen raised one of his eyebrows and asked, "What kind of important matter that made you behave so unruly? Don¡¯t you have any manners?"

    Hong Wen felt ashamed and a bit guilty, but he didn¡¯t let it show on his face. He smiled amiably and asked, "It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. How could I do that? Can we talk inside?" He tried to save his face by asking to speak alone with Bai Bing Wen.

    Bai Bing Wen¡¯s subordinates sneered when he heard what Hong Wen had just said. This man couldn¡¯t be more two-faced, he could even tell such a tant lie in front of them. Shameless! Really really shameless!

 Chapter 329 What Happened at Crescent Lake 2

    Bai Bing Wen had heard about the circting rumor, but he hadn¡¯t gotten the report about the supposed to be proof. Thus, he didn¡¯t have any preparation beforehand but he didn¡¯t think it would pose him any trouble with such a stupid official. Bai Bing Wen nodded his head in agreement and said, "Sure... let¡¯s go to my study room! We can talk more freely there."

    No matter what, Bai Bing Wen still needed to act cordially in front of him, even though he hated the guy.

    Once they were inside the study room, Bai Bing Wen asked, "Who are you? What do you want to talk about?" He could see Hong Wen¡¯s eyes were darting around the study room and he had a bad feeling. Why did he look so interested in his study room? It wasn¡¯t like the decoration was unique or luxurious. Bai Bing Wen squinted his eyes.

    Hong Wen quickly introduced himself, "This one is Hong Wen --- a representative of the Han Emperor. Ie because of the Emperor¡¯s decree that stated that I should investigate Aunt Yue¡¯s disappearance."

    Bai Bing Wen nodded his head. "I¡¯ve heard about her disappearance, but why do youe to me?"

    Hong Wen carefully asked, "Have you been in contact with her?"

    Bai Bing Wenughed seductively. "Of course not, I don¡¯t even know her before this. My subordinate needed to ask whose courtyard was being burned to ashes..."

    "Really?" Hong Wen asked doubtfully. Inwardly, he was sneering and mocking Bai Bing Wen. A guilty person wouldn¡¯t admit it easily ah~! This was getting interesting.

    "Why should I lie to you?" Bai Bing Wen pretended to look confused.

    Hong Wen tried to test the water once more. "Didn¡¯t Da Ren hear the rumor outside?"

    Bai Bing Wen asked interestedly, "Oh...? What kind of rumor?" It was better for him to pretend to be oblivious.

    Hong Wen told him about the rumor in details which made Bai Bing Wen¡¯s face darkened, but he deliberately didn¡¯t tell him about the proof. Hong Wen paid attention to Bai Bing Wen¡¯s expression and it looked like thetter really didn¡¯t know about it.

    Bai Bing Wen sighed. "How funny! I rarely stepped outside of my ce here... Da Ren, I think someone is trying to frame me! Please give this esteemed guest a justice! I came here because of the Han Emperor¡¯s invitation... how could your people dare to nder me like this?" He looked slightly hurt which enhanced his beauty even more.

    Hong Wen¡¯s face turned ugly when Bai Bing Wen talked about the Han Emperor. If he directly attacked him, it would mean that he also didn¡¯t give his own emperor a face. Too hateful! Hong Wen still pasted a smile and answered, "Of course! However, I still need Da Ren¡¯s cooperation!"

    "Oh... what is it?" Bai Bing Wen asked.

    "Can I search this ce?" Hong Wen asked politely.

    When Bai Bing Wen¡¯s right-hand man heard about Hong Wen¡¯s question, he became angry. He yelled, "How bold of you! How dare you try to search our master¡¯s ce?! You really don¡¯t put our kingdom in your eyes, huh?!"

    Hong Wen pretended that he was in deep trouble too. "It¡¯s not that I do this on purpose. However, if we want to dispel the rumor, shouldn¡¯t we try to clear it up? If we find nothing here, then everything will be fine. The truth wille out that Da Ren isn¡¯t involved. However, we still need to follow the protocol... Please don¡¯t make it hard for this official!"

    "You!" Bai Bing Wen¡¯s right-hand man pointed at Hong Wen angrily.

    Bai Bing Wen squinted his eyes and thought to himself, ¡¯It seems like this man isn¡¯t fully stupid!¡¯ He raised one of his hand, telling his right-hand man to stop talking.

    "Oh... so where do you want to search?" Bai Bing Wen asked.

    "We can start with this study room..." Hong Wen answered with a cunning smile.

    Seeing his smile, Bai Bing Wen suddenly had a bad feeling. Did he have something on me? Bai Bing Wen nced at his right-hand man and thetter naturally understood what his master wanted him to do. He slowly gave a signal to one of his subordinates and thetter quickly went to search for the clue.

    Bai Bing Wen¡¯s right-hand man didn¡¯t dare to leave his master all alone here. He was afraid that his master would be attacked. That was the reason why he didn¡¯t personally go.

    Bai Bing Wen answered, "You can... but I don¡¯t want your subordinates to make a mess. Only you and the old man beside you that should do it. How?" The old man that he referred to was Hong Wen¡¯s advisor.

    Hong Wen nced at his advisor and thetter nodded his head. In this matter, they had no other choice. They slowly searched in details one by one and it made Bai Bing Wen even more sure that there was something in his study room. But what...? He didn¡¯t know. It seemed like he was being set up here.

    However, Bai Bing Wen didn¡¯t feel afraid at all. If something went wrong, he also had a back-up n. After all, he knew that it seemed hard to find Aunt Yue --- her trail would have been long gone. He realized that the one who took her away was an expert, but too bad that he couldn¡¯t find out about his identity.

    Hong Wen started to search each of Bai Bing Wen¡¯s drawer carefully. He found the jade pendant under a pile of scrolls. Hong Wen took out the jade pendant and it seemed like it was the same symbol. At this point, Bai Bing Wen¡¯s subordinates also came with the news --- however, it was already toote, the proof was already being held by Hong Wen.

    Bai Bing Wen nced at the jade pendant in annoyance.

    Bai Bing Wen¡¯s right-hand man asked what he should do through a whisper. Bai Bing Wen told him not to do anything, however, once he gave him a secret signal, he would understand what he wanted him to do. His right-hand man slightly nodded his head.

    Hong Wen opened the paper that contained the symbol¡¯s picture andpared it to the drawing --- it was exactly the same! He found the clue! Hong Wen looked calm from the outside, but he was actually feeling excited inwardly. He showed to his advisor and thetter nodded his head.

    Hong Wen knew that Bai Bing Wen wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything to him, after all, they were staying in the Han Kingdom --- they wouldn¡¯t want to mess thing up. He turned around and asked Bai Bing Wen smugly, "Da Ren... may I ask what is this?!"

    Bai Bing Wen took a nce at the jade pendant and shook his head. "I don¡¯t know. That¡¯s not mine! Why don¡¯t you exin to me what it is?"

    Hong Wen smirked. "This is the proof that you are the one who kidnapped Aunt Yue!"

    Bai Bing Wen narrowed his eyes. "Don¡¯t nder me! This is a serious usation! Do you want to start a war between our kingdom?!"

    Hong Wen sighed. "Da Ren, the proof is here. Why don¡¯t youe with me to the capital and prove yourself to the Han Emperor that you did nothing wrong?"

    Bai Bing Wen rolled his eyes inwardly. He didn¡¯t think that he would get justice from this person --- if it was Uncle Qiu, it would be another matter. It seemed like he needed to make the necessary action, besides, there was nothing that he could do here --- except for searching that lovely woman¡¯s trail. He had found out her name --- Yao Ling.

    He gave a signal to his right-hand man while sitting on the chair beside him leisurely. Thetter would know what to do.

 Chapter 330 What Happened at Crescent Lake 3

    Hong Wen and his advisor looked around warily. Howe it didn¡¯t go as they nned? Bai Bing Wen¡¯s right-hand mand pulled out his sword and put it on Hong Wen¡¯s neck while another subordinate was putting his sword on the advisor¡¯s neck.

    ¡¯Interesting... really interesting!¡¯ Bai Bing Wen thought to himself. Who dared to y him? He squinted his eyes at the stupid duo and shook his head. Both of them didn¡¯t have a high IQ, so how could they dare to y around with him?

    Uncle Qiu was cleverer than this man. Despite knowing that the rumor was pointing at him, he knew that Bai Bing Wen wasn¡¯t involved, so he didn¡¯t pursue further. People shouldn¡¯t believe in rumor directly or it would lead to his or her destruction --- just like this Hong Wen.

    ¡¯How dare they attack Han Kingdom¡¯s official?!¡¯ Hong Wen and his advisor thought to themselves. Their face turned paler in fear. They were merely schrs, so they couldn¡¯t retaliate to their captors. That was why they could only stand obediently there.

    Hong Wen and his advisor didn¡¯t bring their subordinates inside and they felt so stupid! They didn¡¯t think that the esteemed guest would act brazenly here. Hong Wen asked in a trembling voice because he knew that he was currently in danger, "Da Ren, what do you mean by this? Shouldn¡¯t we talk about this carefully? Why do you use violence?!"

    "Wait! Let me take care of something first!" Bai Bing Wen answered with a grin.

    Bai Bing Wen smirked smugly at them. He took the jade pendant from Hong Wen¡¯s hands and examined at it carefully. "So... this jade pendant belonged to Aunt Yue. I wonder how this thing ends up in my study room?" He looked at the symbol and knew right away that it was the Bei Yue¡¯s symbol. He wondered if this was the real deal.

    Bai Bing Wen gave the jade pendant his right-hand man and said, "Keep this well! This thing might be able to give us a lead!" His right-hand man quickly received it and kept it safely.

    After that, he turned his attention back at Hong Wen. "Thank you for finding this lead for me!" He started to smile wickedly while sneering at the scared Hong Wen.

    "What... what do you mean? Didn¡¯t you the one who kidnapped Aunt Yue?!" Hong Wen asked in surprise.

    "Tsk... tsk... tsk... I wonder how you could be an official. Your brain is reallycking. If I¡¯m the one who kidnapped Aunt Yue, why would I stay here? Waiting to be captured by you?! I would already choose to go back home ah~!" Bai Bing Wen answered leisurely, trying to give enlightenment to the stupid man.

    "It¡¯s... it¡¯s really not your doing?" Hong Wen asked carefully in disbelief. Did they make the wrong decision?!

    "Of course..." Bai Bing Wen answered with a wide grin. His grin looked harmless but somehow, it made Hong Wen feel a horrible chill all over his body.

    Bai Bing Wenughed. "I have to thank you for giving me a clue then..." Bai Bing Wen didn¡¯t know whether it would really leave a clue or not... whether it was the real deal or not... He just wanted to irk Hong Wen who looked at him in fear.

    Bai Bing Wen went closer to Hong Wen. Hong Wen wanted to step back, but he was afraid that the sword would hurt him, hence he could only stay on ce.

    "Naturally this..." Bai Bing Wen said with a menacing smile. He took his right-hand man¡¯s sword and quickly stabbed it to Hong Wen¡¯s stomach. Bai Bing Wen didn¡¯t just stab him but also rotated the sword a few times, just to torture Hong Wen more and make him feel immense pain.

    Hong Wen yelled due to the pain while the advisor gasped in surprise. Thetter even peed his pants when he was forced looking at the scene and he couldn¡¯t stop trembling which earned a sneer from Bai Bing Wen¡¯s subordinate. ¡¯How weak!¡¯ They thought to themselves.

    After a few moments, Hong Wen¡¯s eyes became lifeless. Seeing this, Bai Bing Wen quickly pulled out the sword and Hong Wen¡¯s blood spurted out everywhere --- including Bai Bing Wen¡¯s face. Despite his beauty, he looked like an Asura which had juste back from hell.

    The advisor directly fainted after watching this gory scene.

    "Useless!" Bai Bing Wen muttered. He threw the sword away and wiped his face with his own sleeve. This was a usual urrence, thus, it didn¡¯t have any effects to his subordinates. They already knew their master¡¯s cruelness so they didn¡¯t feel surprised anymore.

    Bai Bing Wen¡¯s right-hand man asked. "Master, what about this old man? What should we do to him?" He kicked the fainted man, but thetter didn¡¯t move.

    "Kill him!" He directly ordered.

    His subordinates were trained not to ask any questions when receiving orders. Thus, they had never questioned his judgment and did as what they told to do obediently. They fully trusted Bai Bing Wen.

    Just like that, Hong Wen and his advisor were killed coldbloodedly. Thetter didn¡¯t even know that he had died.

    Bai Bing Wen¡¯s right-hand man asked, "Master, what should we do with their corpse? Is killing them really worth it?" They killed an official of the Han Kingdom and it would affect the matter between the two kingdoms.

    "No need to worry about it!" Bai Bing Wen answered. "There are only us inside the room... We are the only ones who know what exactly happened inside this room. We can just twist the truth a little bit."

    "Good idea, Master!" Bai Bing Wen¡¯s right-hand man nodded his head in agreement.

    Bai Bing Wen could onlyugh when he watched his excited subordinate.

    --------------------

    When Xiao Fang finished reading the letter, the room turned deadly silent. They heard the news about Hong Wen and one of his subordinate¡¯s death. The letter said that it happened inside the esteemed guest¡¯s study room where they ced the jade pendant.

    Yao Ling asked in a hoarse voice, "He... he killed them? Just like that?"

    Yao Ying sighed. It was lucky that they weren¡¯t the one who fought directly with the esteemed guest --- thetter was so cruel!

    The letter told them that Hong Wen suddenly attacked the esteemed guest and Bai Bing Wen¡¯s subordinates acted in defense. Because of that, Hong Wen and his advisor was dead.

    Actually, everyone could guess what really happened inside, but couldn¡¯t say anything about it. They had heard from Rong Qiu that they were only schrs --- how would they dare attack Bai Bing Wen when he had a lot of strong bodyguards? It meant that they were searching for death ah~!

    Thus, they believed that this was purely Bai Bing Wen¡¯s doing.

    Xiao Fang sighed. "Fortunately, he didn¡¯t kill anyone else but those two. Surely the Han Emperor would know that something isn¡¯t right... right?"

    Lin Jian answered, "Even if he knows something, he can¡¯t do anything about it. Unless he wants to start a war with the Qin Kingdom."

    Yao Ling asked, "But... why did he need to kill those two?" They meant for them to have a fallout, but not in this way.

    Yao Ying frowned. "That¡¯s the weird part too. What did he gain by doing that? Or... he found out about something at that time? Thus, he needed to kill them so it didn¡¯t leak out?"

    Yao Ying wanted to say whether it was because of the jade pendant or not, but he didn¡¯t say it out loud. The atmosphere had already solemn enough...

 Chapter 331 Nei Huang 1

    There were so many theories, but they also didn¡¯t know which one was the right answer. They could guess, but the one who knew about the real answer only the esteemed guest himself. Even though their n was sessful, they didn¡¯t really feel happy about it. After all, it cost the life of two people. Although they weren¡¯t in a good rtionship with Rong Qiu, they were still innocent ah~! Thus, they still felt a bit guilty.

    Fortunately, the esteemed guest didn¡¯t kill all of the people there or they would feel even guiltier. Bai Bing Wen might be a lunatic but wasn¡¯t an irrational person. He wouldn¡¯t do something that didn¡¯t benefit him.

    Yao Ling finally said because they had nothing left to guess, "Maybe Father would know something about this matter or the esteemed guest¡¯s identity... we should ask him when he arrived here."

    The others murmured their agreement, even though they had to wait for a few more days, they would wait patiently. That night, all of them were sleeping with manyplicated thoughts.

    What if that esteemed guest realized that they were the one who nned the whole thing? They would certainly make an enemy with a crazy man.

    ---------------------------------------

    Rong Qiu was lucky when he set off because he didn¡¯t encounter any sandstorm. It took lesser time for him than Yao Ling¡¯s entourage to arrive at Nei Huang. He only went out with Ah Zhao and a few guards.

    When he arrived there, he was bombarded with a lot of questions by his daughter and friends.

    "Wait... wait... tell me about the news first!" Rong Qiu asked for more details.

    He really wanted to take a nap for a little while, but the agitated youngsters didn¡¯t let him go easily. Fortunately, Rong Qiu had a good sleep the day before. Even though he was tired, it wasn¡¯t that bad. Therefore, he patiently listened to the news from Crescent Lake.

    Rong Qiu¡¯s face darkened when he heard that Hong Wen was killed in a cold-blooded manner. The letter said about his wound and it was really ugly! There was no sign of fight and it was one fatal stab on his stomach. However, there was a sign that he had been stabbed ruthlessly at one spot.

    How poor of him!

    Even though Rong Qiu didn¡¯t like that guy, they usually fought using their mouths ah~! He sighed sadly but knew that he couldn¡¯t change Hong Wen¡¯s fate anyway --- and he wouldn¡¯t. People always had their selfish side and he wasn¡¯t an exception. Rong Qiu would choose his daughter¡¯s safety rather than Hong Wen¡¯s.

    He wondered to himself whether it was because of the jade pendant that he had given them. After realizing that this was probably the case, his face started to change but he didn¡¯t dare to tell the others. He simply took a note of it and hoped that he was wrong... Maybe he would discuss this thing in private with Yao Ying. Rong Qiu wondered whether he had made a mistake.

    Rong Qiu could see Yao Ling¡¯s slightly haggard face and he knew that thetter must have been too worried about him. Yes, he was happy. However, just like Yao Ying, he felt that something wasn¡¯t quite right with her temperament, but he didn¡¯t know which part was wrong.

    He looked at Yao Ying in a puzzle, but thetter shook his head... Yao Ying also didn¡¯t know for sure the reason. Rong Qiu decided not to talk about it in front of Yao Ling.

    Yao Ying asked carefully, "Father-inw, do you know the identity of the esteemed guest?" All of them didn¡¯t know his name and never met him before, thus, they couldn¡¯t investigate him even if they wanted to.

    "The Qin Kingdom¡¯s Bai Bing Wen," Rong Qiu answered."However, I only know his name." Rong Qiu sighed in regret.

    He didn¡¯t have the time to find out his identity, thus, he asked Yao Ying and Lin Jian, "Can you find out about his real identity? The sooner, the better." He was afraid that they had provoked a lunatic and it was better if they knew their enemy¡¯s identity.

    Lin Jian nodded his head. "I will ry this thing to my intelligencework and ask them to find out everything about that man, I¡¯m sure that we will find out about him sooner orter," Lin Jian promised.

    Yao Ying answered, "If they couldn¡¯t find out about it, just use one favor from ¡¯A Thousand Words¡¯." Bai Bing Wen¡¯s move made them feel wary, somehow, he didn¡¯t feel that it would be easy to find out about that man.

    If they saw him face to face and saw the man¡¯s face, Yao Ying would recognize him right away. Yao Ying could actually start investigating from the jade pendant with ¡¯Wu¡¯ carving that was given to Yao Ling back then...

    The others nodded in agreement because they also felt that this person was dangerous. They still had three favors, thus, they didn¡¯t feel that it was a loss for using one favor to inquire about this matter. After all, this matter was important as well.

    "Father, when do you think we should go to the capital?" Yao Ling asked. When she found that her father was safe and sound, naturally, her mood was getting better. She couldn¡¯t wait to finish their business in the Han Kingdom and go back to Wang Fu!

    "I will go tomorrow and all of you should depart the next day. We shouldn¡¯t go together because the Han Emperor would certainly pay more attention to me," Rong Qiu exined. He didn¡¯t want to make them involved in the Crescent Lake matter, mainly to protect Yao Ling¡¯s identity. His current situation wasn¡¯t safe... thus, he didn¡¯t want to take any risk.

    "Besides, it would be better if you stealthily go inside the capital --- especially because of Xiao Fang¡¯s identity. Not only that, but the Han Emperor must have heard about the rumor and at that time, Xiao Fang was there. I¡¯m afraid that the Emperor would put the me on you," Rong Qiu exined.

    Lin Jian sighed. "I also believe that the Han Emperor must have been looking for the real blood letter..." The evidence would be detrimental to maintain his position as an Emperor...

    The blood letter was a hot potato[1] and the others murmured their agreement, they needed to keep it safe. Even if Xiao Fang didn¡¯t show up back then when the blood letter was announced, the Han Emperor must have been feeling suspicious of her! Not only that, but she also appeared at Crescent Lake ah~!

    When both important matters urred, Xiao Fang was there and the Han Emperor must have been taking note of it!

    Yao Ling asked, "Father, why don¡¯t you rest one more day?"

    Rong Qiu shook his head. "The Han Emperor has been waiting for my arrival. He must have paid attention to my movement too... Staying here longer will only make him feel suspicious. The sooner I meet him, the better."

    "But..." Yao Ling wanted to hold him back again.

    Yao Ying knew what Yao Ling wanted to say and he shook his head at her, telling her that it was useless to prevent Rong Qiu from going, besides, it would only make the Han Emperor feel that Rong Qiu didn¡¯t respect him.

    Thus, Yao Ling swallowed the words back. She didn¡¯t know why but she kept feeling agitated when she separated from her father and the same thing happened if she was far from Yao Ying... It made her feel that she almost lost her mind ah~!

    So frustrating!

    After finished talking, Rong Qiu freshened up and after that, he was calling Yao Ying and Yao Ling into his room. He wanted to talk to them in private.

    -------------

    [1]. Hot Potato: a controversial issue or situation that is awkward or unpleasant to deal with.

 Chapter 332 Nei Huang 2

    "Father, why are you calling us? Is there something important that you want to talk about?" Yao Ling asked with a smile. Having more time to talk with her father, she naturally became quite happy.

    Rong Qiu motioned for them to sit down and asked Yao Ling seriously without beating around the bush, "Now... tell Father. What is wrong with you?" Rong Qiu felt if he didn¡¯t directly ask, Yao Ling would just keep being worried without telling him the reasons.

    Yao Ling¡¯s expression changed and asked in distress, "What do you mean, Father? I¡¯m fine!" She didn¡¯t know how to answer the question honestly and didn¡¯t even dare to look at her father¡¯s face.

    Rong Qiu sighed. "You can try to lie to me because I just met you recently and probably, you think that you can get away with it. However, can you lie to Yao Ying too? He must have noticed your weird behavior from the start!"

    Yao Ling was taken aback and she looked at Yao Ying while biting her lower lips. Yao Ying nodded his head, telling her that what Rong Qiu had said was correct... He felt that something was wrong with Yao Ling right after their departure from Crescent Lake.

    Yao Ling sighed and finally decided that she should have admitted from the start --- there was no use to lie anymore. Ever since her grandmother was gone, she had a dream each night about her... and it wasn¡¯t a good one.

    "Grandmother is already dead, isn¡¯t she?" Yao Ling asked carefully. She had a guess, but didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud at first. However, she couldn¡¯t help herself --- she needed to know the truth.

    "How do you know?" Both men asked in surprise at the same time.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to tell them the content of her dream, because it was actually a nightmare --- not a mere dream. It made her be haggard and afraid. It was like her grandmother was pointing at her and ming her for her death.

    Rong Qiu sighed. "Your grandmother wouldn¡¯t me you..."

    Even if Yao Ling tried to convince herself that her grandmother didn¡¯t me her, but she couldn¡¯t. The nightmare felt too real for her and it didn¡¯t stop at that!

    "Father... it started after we make our n..." Yao Ling admitted. "The nightmare..."

    "What do you mean?" Rong Qiu asked in surprise.

    "After you mentioned the jade pendant..." Yao Ling bit her lower lip in apprehension.

    "Tell me in details!" Rong Qiu¡¯s heart skipped a bit. He started to feel that he had made the wrong decision by using that jade pendant to frame Bai Bing Wen.

    "At first, the dream wasn¡¯t really clear. However, one or two days after that, what grandmother said has be clearer... Don¡¯t let other people have that jade pendant!" Yao Ling honestly told them her dreams. That was the reason that she couldn¡¯t warn then beforehand... she couldn¡¯t hear what her grandmother had said inside the dream!

    "What else? Did grandmother mention why?" Yao Ying asked. He had abandoned the idea that the dream that Yao Ling had dreamt about must have been only a simple dream, after knowing that Yao Ling had a special power. Thus, he preferred to believe in the content of her dream.

    "No... " Yao Ling answered. "At first, I really thought that it was only a simple nightmare until it was getting worse." She didn¡¯t know how to open up this weird thing, but when she saw her father¡¯s reaction, she started to feel that she had made a great mistake.

    "Ying... Father... what should we do?" Yao Ling asked in fear.

    Both men sighed. This matter couldn¡¯t be med to Yao Ling --- if someone wanted to me... it would be Rong Jiu¡¯s fault, thetter thought to himself.

    "We can do nothing for now... after all, we don¡¯t know the secret of that jade pendant," Yao Ying answered with a frown. "The most important thing is to find out about this man¡¯s identity. However, I don¡¯t think it will be possible to take the jade pendant back..."

    After all, an esteemed guest of the Han Emperor must have been not an ordinary person.

    Rong Qiu nodded while sighing heavily. There was no medicine for regret ah~! There were some things that didn¡¯t need to be put into words for them to understand. If Bai Bing Wen found out about the secret, it would be a danger to Yao Ling --- after all, even her deceased grandmother had warned her for a few times.

    They could only hope that Bai Bing Wen wouldn¡¯t find out, even though the chance was a bit small... This thing, they didn¡¯t tell Lin Jian and Xiao Fang because it could be counted as a private matter.

    The ones who would be directly impacted were the couple, thus, they didn¡¯t want to involve other people.

    ------------------

    Just like how they had nned beforehand, Rong Qiu went back to the capital first even though he did it with a heavy heart. His mind was full of the jade pendant thing and yet, he had to deal with the Han Emperor.

    Despite the headache, he couldn¡¯t shirk away from his responsibility.

    Yao Ling looked at her father and wished him luck, knowing that they had to pass this hurdle first before going home to the Shu Kingdom.

    When Yao Ling¡¯s party thought they had nothing to do for the day --- someone came from the capital and he was searching for Xiao Fang. He found Xiao Fang when thetter was eating on the first floor of the inn with the trio.

    "Xiao Fang?"

    When Xiao Fang heard her name was being called, she looked up in surprise. She heard a familiar voice that she had missed so much!

    Xiao Fang looked at the source of the voice and gasped in surprise, "Da Ge [=Big Brother], what are you doing here?" Without a second thought, she jumped into the man¡¯s embrace.

    Yes, the one who came was Xiao Fang¡¯s stepbrother, Qi Hao. The man was the schrly type and fairly handsome. Qi Hao followed his father¡¯s footsteps and his body wasn¡¯t suitable for learning martial arts, hence he didn¡¯t look too imposing and seemed to be a gentleman. His skin was as white as snow just like a woman and indeed, his face was far different from Xiao Fang.

    The others wondered how could Xiao Fang not notice that they weren¡¯t real siblings? However, they didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud.

    Qi Hao smiled softly at Xiao Fang and answered, "Because I¡¯m missing you ah~!"

    Even though he was smiling, Xiao Fang could feel that something wasn¡¯t right. "Was there something wrong happened in the capital?" Xiao Fang quickly asked.

    Qi Hao was quite surprised... Since when his sister became this sharp? She usually looked at him with a silly smile and obeyed whatever he said. He didn¡¯t think Xiao Fang knew the difference meaning of his smile back then. She had just gone for a little while... did something happened on her trip? She seemed more mature in his eyes.

    Qi Haoughed, "Little sister has finally grown up ah~!" He didn¡¯t forget to pat her head which made Xiao Fang¡¯s face turned red. She nced around and looked at the trio who wereughing at her which made her feel embarrassed.

    Xiao Fang quickly dodged his hand and said, "Da Ge! I¡¯m not a little girl anymore!"

    Qi Hao didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry ah~! She used to follow him everywhere and now, she even felt ashamed to be patted. However, Qi Hao didn¡¯t put too much thought on it because there was more important matter to deal with.

    "Let¡¯s talk somewhere safe!" Qi Hao said.

    After they went inside a rtively safe room, Xiao Fang introduced the trio to Qi Hao. The trio had a good impression of Xiao Fang¡¯s brother after seeing his warm interaction with Xiao Fang.

 Chapter 333 Nei Huang 3

    "Da Ge, what¡¯s so important that you have toe here by yourself?" Xiao Fang asked curiously. She didn¡¯t bother to ask why did her brother know that she had arrived at Nei Huang... Qi Hao already had his own intelligencework and she was pretty sure that he must have put a few of his people around her --- just for her safety and inquired about her from time to time.

    "There were some movements in the capital... However, it suddenly ceased out of nowhere. It made our father and I feel that it was actually calm before the storm," Qi Hao said softly. This matter had given him and their father a headache!

    "What do you mean, Da Ge?" Lin Jian asked. He couldn¡¯t grasp what Qi Hao was saying, thus, he asked in confusion.

    Qi Hao looked at Lin Jian and wondered why he followed along with Xiao Fang and called him ¡¯Da Ge¡¯. They had just known each other ah~! Thus, he didn¡¯t like being called ¡¯Da Ge¡¯. Qi Hao furrowed his eyebrows, but he didn¡¯t refute Lin Jian at this moment. There were some more urgent things that needed to be deal with.

    When Qi Hao paid more attention to Lin Jian¡¯s behavior, he could see the infatuated look on the youngster¡¯s face when he was looking at his sister. Qi Hao sneered at Lin Jian secretly when he knew that thetter had an ulterior motive...

    ¡¯Hah!¡¯ Qi Hao thought to himself, ¡¯It won¡¯t be easy to get his sister!¡¯ He took note of Lin Jian and decided to make it hard for the man to pursue his sister!

    Qi Hao decided to concentrate back to the matter at hands.

    "At first, we didn¡¯t know what was wrong back then. However, I received Xiao Fang¡¯s letter about the Han Emperor¡¯s intention to get rid of many officials and we connected the dots. We had made some preparations, but just like I said, the movement suddenly ceased and it made us feel more ufortable," Qi Hao said.

    Qi Hao was good at analyzing things and making ns, thus, once something wasn¡¯t right, he was able to catch it even though it was only a small movement. This was taught by his father and the reason why his father was able to climb into such a high rank.

    However, even a clever person wouldn¡¯t be able to guess that his own monarch would try to kill the officials that were loyal to him! This was just ridiculous! If it wasn¡¯t Xiao Fang who told him, he wouldn¡¯t believe it! He knew that Xiao Fang wouldn¡¯t y around with such important matters.

    Yao Ying said, "Was it because of the rumor?"

    Qi Hao nodded his head. "I had tried to find out more about it and the Han Emperor didn¡¯t stop his n, but he was waiting at the right moment. And we found information by chance... He wanted to use Xiao Fang for something!"

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ling asked in surprise. If the Han Emperor was specifically targetting Xiao Fang, it would be dangerous!

    "The Han Emperor is looking for Xiao Fang because he already knew that the blood letter was on her. He secretly gave the order to capture you once you step foot inside the capital. You can¡¯t go back now!" Qi Hao said worriedly. "Father sent me here to warn you first!"

    Xiao Fang¡¯s face turned pale when she heard this. She muttered to herself, "So... I can¡¯t go back home now?"

    Even though the Han Emperor was her birth father, this man¡¯s behavior made her feel disgusted to the point of wanting to vomit. Now... he even wanted to take the life of his real daughter?! Yes, he didn¡¯t know who she was, but still... she was feeling hurt and it increased her hatred for him.

    ¡¯This disgusting man wouldn¡¯t stop until the end, huh?¡¯ Xiao Fang thought to herself. In actuality, this wasn¡¯t only in Xiao Fang¡¯s mind... but the others too...

    "Father... how is he?" Xiao Fang asked, feeling that she was being unfilial for not being able to go back home for the time being. Not only that, she forced her own opinion and chased Han Xiang. It brought a lot of troubles to her family ah~! Even though she didn¡¯t regret her choice, she still felt guilty...

    Xiao Fang had decided that no matter what she only had one father --- and it wasn¡¯t that shitty Emperor. If the others wanted to fight the Han Emperor to the death, she would follow along. In her eyes, that man was only a beast.

    Qi Hao smiled warmly at Xiao Fang¡¯s thoughtfulness. "Father is fine... don¡¯t worry about him! He¡¯s happy that he¡¯s finally going to meet Uncle Qiu soon!" Thetter was their father¡¯s best friend and they hadn¡¯t met each other for more than a decade.

    "En..." Xiao Fang nodded happily. She closed her eyes, trying to prevent her tears from falling. She suddenly really missed the warm smile of her father. She was contemting whether she should ask Qi Hao --- did he know the truth that she wasn¡¯t his real sister? However, she was also afraid ah~! She decided to ask this questionter.

    Qi Hao said, "I thought you have grown up, but it seems like.... you¡¯re still a crybaby ah~!" Qi Hao knew if he didn¡¯t tease Xiao Fang, thetter wouldn¡¯t stop crying and it would give him a headache. He was always scared of her tears the most ah~!

    Xiao Fang pouted and punch Qi Hao¡¯s arm softly. "Da Ge...!" She whined sweetly.

    Yao Ling felt happy for Xiao Fang when she saw the scene, knowing that Jiu Lan would be happy to know that Xiao Fang had led a good life all this while --- at least, this would really appease her guilt in the afterlife.

    Qi Hao turned serious once more and asked, "What do you want to do? You know that you can¡¯t go to the capital at this moment?"

    Xiao Fang contemted for a second. "Da Ge, wait a minute!"

    She knew that several things couldn¡¯t be discussed with her brother because thetter was too overprotective of her and he certainly wouldn¡¯t agree with what she had nned to do.

    Qi Hao squinted his eyes when he saw Xiao Fang run towards the other girl --- Yao Ling. Why didn¡¯t she want him to listen to her? He sighed to himself because he got aplicated feeling when he realized that his little sister hid a secret from him.

    Xiao Fang whispered a few things to Yao Ling --- her n, to be exact. She wanted to know that it was feasible and whether the trio would be willing to follow her. Yao Ling could make a decision for Yao Ying, however, Xiao Fang still needed to ask Lin Jian by herself. Thus, the four of them crouched down on one of the corners while Qi Hao kept looking at them with an intense gaze.

    Qi Hao really didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry ah~!

    Xiao Fang really didn¡¯t put him in her eyes... however, Qi Hao only shook his head while patiently waiting for their discussions to end --- sooner orter, Xiao Fang would tell him the result.

    He wondered what would his father do, if he knew that his little baby girl had changed so much?

 Chapter 334 Nei Huang 4

    However, it took a long time for them to reach a decision. Qi Hao couldn¡¯t help but ask, "Are you done yet?" Even though he was quite patient, he still became a bit restless. He could even see that they disagreed about something. How long did they n to let him wait?

    Xiao Fang smiled and nodded her head with an apologetic expression, then said, "Wait for a little bit, Da Ge." After that, she talked once again with the others.

    Qi Hao could only nod his head. Fortunately, he brought a book along with him and he decided to read while waiting for them to finish. He was certain that she might have an idea but a dangerous one... that was why there was a disagreement between them.

    When they were finally done, Xiao Fang quickly sat in front of Qi Hao¡¯s eyes while blinking her eyes innocently. Qi Hao naturally knew what this meant --- she would do something that needed his help, not only that, the idea must have been not a good one. She had always been like this since she was a little girl, but it didn¡¯t make him love her less.

    "Finally done?" Qi Hao asked while closing his book and he turned his attention to their conversation.

    "En..." Xiao Fang answered.

    "So...?" Qi Hao asked. "What do you want to tell me?"

    "Da Ge, I want to go to the capital! I want to go home!" Xiao Fang said full of determination. She wouldn¡¯t take ¡¯no¡¯ for an answer this time.

    Qi Hao raised one of his eyebrows. "Don¡¯t you know that it will be dangerous?"

    "I know..." Xiao Fang said.

    "Then, why do you still want to go?" Qi Hao asked.

    "Da Ge, there¡¯s a saying... the most dangerous ce is the safest one. Has the Han Emperor searched the capital?" Xiao Fang asked.

    Qi Hao nodded his head. "The Emperor has searched for you secretly and a few people kept appearing at our house at night for a few times. We pretended that we didn¡¯t know anything."Their family was a schr family, so naturally, their defense wasn¡¯t as strong as a military family. That was why no one would feel suspicious if they pretended that they didn¡¯t know anything.

    Qi Hao added, "The Han Emperor stopped paying attention to our house when the news that you were at Crescent Lake was known by him. That¡¯s why he¡¯s only tightening the inspection at each gate."

    Xiao Fang said, "If I can go inside the capital safely, then I will be safe in our house. Even if I don¡¯t go to the capital, he would search for me ah~!"

    Qi Hao naturally felt satisfied with Xiao Fang¡¯s current personality and judgment. At first, he really had nned to let her stay at a safe ce that he had prepared beforehand because he didn¡¯t believe that she could protect herself with her rashness. He was just trying to test her after he saw her change of personality. If she was as reckless and innocent as before, it would certainly be dangerous for her to stay inside the capital because it would be easy for people to use her.

    Qi Hao asked, "Why did you take so long toe into this conclusion?"

    The trio didn¡¯t dare to interfere with the conversation between the two of them because they understood what Qi Hao wanted to do. They really felt that Xiao Fang was lucky to have such a good brother. He was trying to hone her! Because of this, they also sighed in relief --- those were also the reasons they disagreed with Xiao Fang¡¯s decision.

    "My friends didn¡¯t agree because it¡¯s too dangerous!" Xiao Fang admitted one of the reasons.

    "And then? How do you convince them?" Qi Hao asked seriously.

    "I made a promise that once something isn¡¯t right, I will leave the capital right away! I won¡¯t be reckless!" Xiao Fang made a promise.

    Qi Hao shook his head. "It¡¯s not as easy as that! A simple promise won¡¯t suffice!"

    "What do you mean, Da Ge?" Xiao Fang asked worriedly. What if her brother also didn¡¯t agree with her?

    "It¡¯s not a good guarantee and from your friends¡¯ face, I can see that they still don¡¯t feel convinced by you," Qi Hao said. Although Xiao Fang was getting smarter, she still had no experience whatsoever.

    Xiao Fang bit her lower lip in guilt because she knew that her brother was right. The others had tried to convince her that it was dangerous and she sometimes couldn¡¯t judge the situation or behave correctly. They didn¡¯t really believe in her promise but she continued forcing her opinions, thus, they finally relented.

    "The danger will start from the moment you try to enter the Capital... so, something will be not right from the start. If you put it that way, then you don¡¯t need to go to the capital at all!" Qi Hao said softly, reminding her.

    "Then... what should I do?" Xiao Fang asked weakly. She had been confident with her new negotiation skill, but it seemed like she failed ah~! No one believed in her and somehow, it made her heart feel hurt.

    "I ask you a question and you need to answer it carefully," Qi Hao said.

    "What question?" Xiao Fang asked.

    "Are you ready to die?" Qi Hao asked.

    Xiao Fang was startled by the sudden question. "What do you mean, Da Ge?"

    "Once you step inside the capital, you have to be brave... and ept the possibility that you can be captured by the Han Emperor every second. There¡¯s also a possibility that the Han Emperor wants your life!" Qi Hao exined.

    "If you have the mindset that you will run once you see something isn¡¯t right, you can¡¯t do anything useful inside the capital due to your fear. It¡¯s better if you stay outside! You just want to go inside because you¡¯re sure there will be me and father to protect you, right? Not only that... but also your friends, right?" Qi Hao asked several heavy questions.

    Xiao Fang had to admit that he was indeed right and she nodded her head carefully.

    "If you think that way, it means that you are selfish!" Qi Hao said bluntly.

    Xiao Fang couldn¡¯t help but cry. "Da Ge! I didn¡¯t mean it that way!" Xiao Fang started to realize her mistake --- if she was being this way, she could endanger her friends¡¯ life too and she didn¡¯t want that to happen!

    Qi Hao sighed, knowing that he was always weak when he saw Xiao Fang¡¯s tears. "That¡¯s why I talk to you about it first... If you want toe back, you can. Keep in mind! You have to follow everything that we nned before --- including your friends. If you have a side n or better n, you should discuss with us first!"

    Xiao Fang and the trio nodded, after all, they knew that in the Han Capital, they could only rely on Xiao Fang¡¯s father power. They also knew that Qi Hao wasn¡¯t underestimating them, he only warned them to be careful --- this proved that Xiao Fang¡¯s matter was more dangerous than how Qi Hao let on.

    Qi Hao wiped Xiao Fang¡¯s tears with his sleeve tenderly and said, "The sooner you realize your shorings, the better."

    Qi Hao¡¯s worry didn¡¯te out of nowhere. Xiao Fang was too kind and her kindness was mixed with her innocent personality --- people tended to use her. He had heard everything that happened back at Lin Zhou, didn¡¯t Han Xiang also use Xiao Fang¡¯s kindness? That was also why he was wary of Xiao Fang¡¯s new friends.

    He didn¡¯t know them and it wasn¡¯t wrong of him to be careful. After all, he only cared about Xiao Fang¡¯s wellbeing.

    Xiao Fang answered, "En... Da Ge, do you have n?"

 Chapter 335 Letters From Home

    Qi Hao already prepared a n for Xiao Fang and because he didn¡¯t know that Xiao Fang would bring her friends, he had to tweak the n a little bit in the end, so all of them could follow them along. It was only a simple matter, thus, he didn¡¯t feel bothered by it.

    The trio let Qi Hao and Xiao Fang had a few moments by themselves because they knew that Qi Hao still wanted to teach her some things. It wasn¡¯t good for them to be around.

    The night before their departure, Yao Ying and Yao Ling received an urgent message from Wang Fu --- well, not one message actually, but two! The other one was from Lin Fu. They were a bit confused why General Lin sent them a message because they were rarely in contact ah~!

    "Ying, Father has never sent an urgent message before! There must be something important happened at Wang Fu!" Yao Ling said worriedly.

    Yao Ying nodded in agreement. "I think so too! General Lin also sent us a letter! Is there something happened to Lin Fu too?" He looked at the letters in confusion.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I don¡¯t think so! If there was something big happened, I¡¯m sure that Lin Jian would already tell us!"

    "That¡¯s also true!" Yao Ying said and couldn¡¯t guess what the old men wanted from them.

    "Let¡¯s read the letters then!" Yao Ling demanded softly and Yao Ying agreed with her. They were very curious about what the letters would say.

    When Yao Ying read the content of both letters, he really didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry. Yao Ling could see Yao Ying¡¯s weird expression, thus, she asked, "Ying... what¡¯s wrong?" She felt that something wasn¡¯t right.

    Yao Ying gave her the letters and said, "Just read it yourself and you will know!"

    Yao Ling had the same reaction as Yao Ying when she read the letter... She really didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry ah~! It seemed like their previous worry for the two old men was really useless.

    Both of them asked the same question and she even thought that they must have written the letters together side by side. Otherwise, how could there be such a coincidence? "Yao Ying... Yao Ling... it has been six months. Is there a piece of happy news that both of you want to share?"

    The only difference was the signature at the bottom of each letter.

    Of course, they knew what it meant.

    It was all about the bet!

    They were asking whether Yao Ling was pregnant or not...

    "Ying... it seems like the bet is really important to them!" Yao Ling said in between herughter. She even let a tear came out and had to wipe it with her sleeve.

    "Yes ah~!" Yao Ying said. "They didn¡¯t even try to ask us whether we are doing well here or not." This part truly wronged the two old men ah~! They always monitored them with their own people and also sent extra hidden guards for protection, that was the reason why they didn¡¯t need to ask about their wellbeing.

    Yao Ling nodded her head in agreement. "Haiyah~! These two old men are really childish!"

    "It¡¯s lucky that you remember to drink the medicine or else we will break our promise to General Lin," Yao Ying said.

    Yao Ling bit her lower lip and didn¡¯t reply to Yao Ying¡¯s words. She only took a peek at him and after that, she was looking down and biting her lower lip once more... she made Yao Ying feel that she was feeling guilty of something...

    Yao Ying sweated when he looked at Yao Ling¡¯s expression and he got a bad feeling about it. "What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?" He asked in a hurry.

    Yao Ling answered hesitantly, "Actually... I did drink the medicine back then..." She also just knew this thing ah~!

    Yao Yingughed after patting her own chest. "You scared me just now!" Yao Ying thought that Yao Ling was joking and just trying to scare him.

    Yao Ling added softly, "But..." She also didn¡¯t know how to tell Yao Ying about this matter ah~! Because honestly, this thing was really stupid...

    "But what?" Yao Ying started to feel agitated once more. "What¡¯s wrong?" Yao Ling¡¯s behavior really made him feel nervous as well ah~!

    "Something happened back then..." Yao Ling admitted. "Because of the dream, I was too agitated and I forgot to tell you after Xiao Yu told me." Xiao Yu also didn¡¯t know that she had made a mistake.

    "Tell me!" Yao Ying couldn¡¯t wait to hear the answer.

    "Back then, I let Xiao Yu help me make the medicine and I was the one who prepared the ingredients. Because I was too shy to tell her what it was for, I told her that it was a tonic medicine to nourish my body..." Yao Ling said.

    Yao Ying nodded his head. He knew Yao Ling¡¯s character and she must have been really shy back then, so he didn¡¯t find any fault in it. "Then?"

    "When Xiao Yu walked back, someone bumped into her and identally spilled the whole medicine to Xiao Yu¡¯s clothes. However, that person was quite rich and also magnanimous. He took the responsibilities to rece the medicine and Xiao Yu¡¯s clothes with new ones. Thus, she was given money to buy the ingredients herself. Since I said that it was only a nourishment tonic, Xiao Yu didn¡¯t think that it was a big deal. At that time, I was sleeping once more and she didn¡¯t want to bother me..." Yao Ling trailed off at thest part.

    Because Yao Ling was sleeping, she didn¡¯t aware that such a thing happened. Besides, nourishment tonic¡¯s ingredients were really easy to get ah~!

    It was rare for important people such as that guest to be so generous and when identally bumping to a maidservant, a simple sorry would suffice. Many people mostly wouldn¡¯t even bother to say sorry to a mere maidservant. What a coincidence! It was good luck for Xiao Yu, but bad luck for Yao Ling ah~!

    "Xiao Yu went to the pharmacy by herself and because this girl didn¡¯t know the ingredients list, so she asked for the ingredients list of nourishment tonics from one of the famous doctors there," Yao Ling said.

    "She didn¡¯t tell you this?" Yao Ying asked in surprise. Xiao Yu was usually very meticulous. Why didn¡¯t she tell Yao Ling when such a big thing happened?

    "How could she when after that I was in aa?" Yao Ling asked helplessly.

    Yao Ying sighed. "When did she tell you?"

    "A few days ago..." Yao Ling said.

    "We¡¯ve made love again after that... Did you drink the medicine?" Yao Ying asked softly.

    Yao Ling shook her head softly. "No..." She answered meekly.

    Yao Ying asked in a hoarse voice, "Why?" He really didn¡¯t know whether he should get angry or not. Yao Ling¡¯s pitiful face made him weak ah~!

    "I¡¯m afraid that if I¡¯m identally pregnant... it will harm the child..." Yao Ling admitted. She just couldn¡¯t do it... she didn¡¯t dare to gamble the future of her child.

    Yao Ying sighed, knowing that Yao Ling had made the right decision. It was just he didn¡¯t think of that reason before and he almost med Yao Ling! Because of that, he was feeling guilty. He also cared for their future child ah~!

    "Are... are you pregnant?" Yao Ying asked excitedly. Somehow, he forgot about the bet... Their child was more important.

    He waited for Yao Ling¡¯s answer nervously!

 Chapter 336 To The Capital 1

    Yao Ling shook her head and answered, "I don¡¯t think so..."

    Yao Ying, "..." He was speechless.

    Yao Ying thought to himself, ¡¯If she is not pregnant... then what¡¯s the big deal whether she drank the medicine or not?¡¯ He really didn¡¯t know what to say ah~!

    "It¡¯s not one month yet ah~! I have to see whether my monthly friend wille in a timely manner or not... and also, whether my pulse changes or not," Yao Ling exined.

    "Oh..." Yao Ying said. He didn¡¯t know about this thing, so he could only that simple word. He believed that in this matter Yao Ling was the expert, thus, he believed in her.

    "Now... what should we do?" Yao Ying asked.

    Yao Ling sighed. "What else? We should just tell them that I¡¯m not pregnant... Truth to be told, we don¡¯t break any promise, right?" Yao Ling asked softly, trying to justify themselves. After all, General Lin didn¡¯t say that they weren¡¯t allowed to make love --- only shouldn¡¯t get pregnant.

    Yao Ying nodded his head, but then asked, "What if you are pregnant?"

    "When wee back, just hope that they will forget about it..." Yao Ling could only think of that whileughing. Let the old men really guess at that time! She would just pretend that they didn¡¯t know when the exact time the baby was conceived.

    Yao Ying shrugged it off whileughing. "True ah~! We can think about thister... This time, we indeed don¡¯t know whether you are pregnant or not. However, I¡¯m certain that Father will be frustrated."

    Yao Lingughed once again. "Of course! He will be the one who lost the bet."

    Thus, Yao Ying wrote two letters with the same content and sent them back to both old men. He only wrote two words, ¡¯Mei You¡¯ [= means do not have]. They didn¡¯t have any good news to share.

    After that, the letters were marked as urgent and received by the old men in less than two weeks.

    When General Lin read the letter, heughed out loud and felt smug, because he had won the bet! He nodded in satisfaction because Yao Ying didn¡¯t break his promise. What a good boy! He really wanted to see what kind of face that Wang Luo Hai would make when they met.

    On the other hand, Wang Luo Hai almost vomited blood when he read the letter! He was feeling a hundred percent sure that Yao Ling would get pregnant on the way to Lin Zhou because he had asked his mother to give them the ¡¯secret tonic¡¯ before their departure ah~! It was a secret recipe that he had gotten with so many efforts just to win the bet!

    But... he sighed sadly.

    It didn¡¯t go as he nned!

    He crushed the letter in frustration. ¡¯Argh!¡¯ He yelled inwardly. Wang Luo Hai already thought such a good n and yet, he failed in the end. He really wanted to pull his hair ah~!

    Wang Luo Hai knew that he would have to see Lin Zheng¡¯s annoying smug face the next day! Whenever he thought about that, he really wanted to punch something!

    He lost the bet!

    ----------------------

    "Da Ge, do you think that this get-up will work?" Xiao Fang asked softly while looking at her outfits. She didn¡¯t think that they would be able to fool the guards with these outfits, thus, she was feeling nervous. She kept tugging at her clothes because of that.

    "It should be fine," Qi Hao answered. "It¡¯s lucky that you always wear a veil when you went out, so no one knows your real appearance. Otherwise, it will be hard to smuggle you into the capital." Xiao Fang was beautiful and once people saw her, they wouldn¡¯t be able to forget her face ah~! If she was famous because of that... how could she hide from the people¡¯s view?

    "Why do Yao Ling and the others have to wear a disguise too? Does the Han Emperor know something about them?" Xiao Fang asked curiously. In her mind, they weren¡¯t from the Han Kingdom, so how could the Han Emperor know them? Indeed, Xiao Fang was still too naive.

    "This... I¡¯m not sure. However, you told everyone that they were your guests back at Crescent Lake and I¡¯m afraid that the Emperor has heard about it, Therefore, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorryter..." Qi Hao admitted. He fully knew that the Han Emperor must have known about it --- he had eyes and ears everywhere...

    This time, Qi Hao also wore a disguise along with them so that people wouldn¡¯t feel suspicious. After Xiao Fang had arrived safely at their house, he would go outside and go back to the capital with his real identity once more.

    "Da Ge... will they really believe us when I am in this get-up?" Lin Jian asked bitterly. From all of them, he wore the worst disguise ah~! Because Qi Hao didn¡¯t correct him, Lin Jian kept happily calling him Da Ge.

    Qi Hao smirked inwardly. ¡¯Who told you to target my precious little sister, huh? I won¡¯t let you go easily,¡¯ Qi Hao thought to himself.

    Yao Ling and Yao Ying didn¡¯t really change their clothes, but she put a small pillow on her stomach so it would like she was seven to eight months pregnant. Yao Ying was still acting as her husband just like usual. They changed their appearance with make-up so they looked like different people --- their beautiful and handsome appearance turned into ugly, even they couldn¡¯t bear to look at themselves in the mirror.

    Xiao Yu and Xiu would also be a couple and changed their appearance. Zhuo Li pretended to be Xiu¡¯s brother, so they would go in a group of three. Xiao Yu was worried about Yao Ling but because there was another arrangement, she finally relented. However, Xiao Yu and Xiu kept flirting which made Zhuo Li nched --- he was really annoyed!

    They decided to separate themselves when going into the capital just in case the Han Emperor gave a precaution to search for a group of people with a certain number.

    Qi Hao, Xiao Fang, and Lin Jian were supposed to be in one group. However, because Qi Hao kept seeing Lin Jian¡¯s affectionate gaze towards his sister and it annoyed him, Qi Hao didn¡¯t let Xiao Fang be in one group with Lin Jian, so he changed the order at thest minute.

    Xiao Fang became Yao Ling¡¯s maid and her clothes were the worst of all of them, but Xiao Fang didn¡¯tin --- unlike her usual spoiled self and it made Qi Hao feel satisfied.

    The other groups already left and it only left Lin Jian with Qi Hao who would gost. Lin Jian called Qi Hao once again, "Da Ge..."

    Qi Hao shuddered when he listened to Lin Jian¡¯s voice --- the man didn¡¯t stop whining since the beginning! If Lin Jian knew his thought, he would vomit blood! What man wouldn¡¯t whine if he was dressed like this? This time, he became a couple with Qi Hao.

    Yes, a couple!!

    Qi Hao made his face look extra beautiful and it was in contrast with Lin Jian who disguised as a girl! Yes, as a girl! That was the reason why Lin Jian was feeling ufortable. He was tall and muscr, while his skin was a bit tan... he didn¡¯t know why he should dress up as a woman. If he knew Qi Hao¡¯s real reason, he would certainly throw up blood!

    Honestly, Lin Jian looked really funny. If he wore Shu clothing, it would be better because the clothing would cover up most of his body... However, he wore Han Clothing ah~!

    "Da Ge... I really look so ugly in this outfit. Look at you! You also can¡¯t bear to see me! What more other people ah~!" Lin Jian really wanted to cry for the first time since he was a little boy!

 Chapter 337 To The Capital 2

    Qi Hao really wanted tough because the man indeed looked so ugly and painful to look at... He really looked like a man-woman... He had no breasts so naturally, they had to give him a few things on his chest to make him look like that he had perky breasts. It was sessful, however, when it wasbined with his tan and muscr arm, it looked so funny.

    Fortunately, he could wear outerwear so at least, his muscr arms were covered up by it! Otherwise, he would really look like a lunatic ah~!

    "Da Ge! No one would believe that I am a woman ah~!" Lin Jian whined once again after looking at himself in the mirror. What kind of get-up was this?! He felt so humiliated ah~!

    ¡¯Naturally...¡¯ Qi Hao thought to himself. However, he answered with a shake of his head and tried to look as convincing as possible, "Don¡¯t worry! They will believe in you..."

    Qi Hao¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, even though Lin Jian was looking at him in disbelief. If he didn¡¯t see that he was Xiao Fang¡¯s brother, he would certainly punch this man from the beginning --- right after he proposed this n. He remembered how Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Xiao Fang wereughing at him. Not only them! Xiao Yu, Xiu, and Zhuo Li alsoughed behind him because they didn¡¯t dare to do it in front of him.

    Lin Jian was also irked because he had to wear a long skirt... and he could even feel that ¡¯his down there¡¯ was a bit cold due to the wind and it felt so weird! When he walked, his legs were moving in an exaggerated way and looked like a gangster which quite funny. When it wasbined with the skirt, people couldn¡¯t see the elegance of a woman.

    After all, Lin Jian was a military man and quite rough, to begin with.

    Lin Jian¡¯s hair was already long, so Xiao Yu helped him tob his hair into a simple hairdo of a married woman which entuated his slightly prominent jaw. No matter how people looked at him, they really wouldn¡¯t believe that he was a woman ah~!

    When Xiao Yu looked at Lin Jian¡¯s face, she was also at a loss at how to give him a makeover. His brow was a bit bushy and she needed to trim them a little bit --- in the end, she also needed to pull out several eyebrows which made Lin Jian feel that it was hurting so bad and he almost died. He even felt that it was more painful than being punched while fighting. He just noticed that women were really strong for doing this on a daily basis just to look beautiful.

    After Xiao Yu finished giving him a makeover, Lin Jian was wearing powder and lipstick on his face. The crowds looked at him and they felt that it was totally hrious --- they couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter anymore ah~! However, Yao Ying, Yao Ling, or Xiao Fang... no one tried to help him to get out of this crazy disguise!

    When Lin Jian saw himself, he almost fainted. He wanted to beg Qi Hao once again, but thetter was giving him the cold treatment and he could only swallow his grievance...

    Thus, when they were ready to set off as a couple... Lin Jian could only look down so he couldn¡¯t see people¡¯s mocking faces. Qi Hao wasughing quietly. Even though he also felt embarrassed, Lin Jian¡¯s expression made his mood better. Thus, he walked proudly beside Lin Jian. After all, he didn¡¯t use his real face, so what was there to be afraid of?

    True enough, whenever people were looking at the pair, they wereughing secretly. What a deadlybination! The man was as pretty as a flower while the woman was as masculine as a man... No matter what, it seemed like the couple was switching their gender ah~! It was funny to the onlookers... No matter where they went, people would have the same reactions --- some even gaped at them for a long time.

    When they reach the gate of the capital, they saw that there were a few guards standing there. One of them who looked like to be the leader had a very fierce face. Lin Jian naturally didn¡¯t fear him but he was feeling so humiliated that he kept walking while looking down.

    When the guards needed to check Qi Hao and Lin Jian, they looked up and gaped at the pair in shock. One of them asked, "Are you really a woman?"

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. ¡¯See...?! This is the reaction that he was talking about to Qi Hao... However, thetter keeps saying that he looks just fine!¡¯ Lin Jian thought to himself. He wanted to curse Qi Hao as a blind man, but he remembered that he was Xiao Fang¡¯s brother ah~!

    Lin Jian could only raise his voice so it looked like a woman¡¯s voice and say, "Da Ren... don¡¯t hurt this woman¡¯s feeling ah~!" He pretended to cry and wipe his tears while answering, "I¡¯m really a woman... How... how could you mock me like that?" Then he turned around to look pitifully at Qi Hao, "Husband... they ridicule me!"

    When the guards heard his voice, they were shuddering in fear. ¡¯Ew!¡¯ They thought inwardly. Even the scary leader didn¡¯t want to interrogate the pair, he was just looking from afar while shivering... in disgust.

    Qi Hao patted Lin Jian¡¯s hand lovingly and said, "Da Ren... she¡¯s my wife... of course, she is a woman ah~!"

    The guard asked Qi Hao while whispering, "What do you see in her?!" Although he tried to whisper, due to his excitement, the voice was slightly louder and the surrounding people were able to hear him.

    Qi Hao pretended to be confused and asked, "What¡¯s wrong with her? She¡¯s really beautiful ah~!" He looked so sincere that the guard really wanted to vomit blood. Was he really thinking that this man-woman as beautiful? The guard looked at Lin Jian up and down once again, however, his eyes couldn¡¯t bear to look at him anymore after a little while... Too scary... really really too scary...

    The guards and onlookers, "..."

    All of them were speechless and could only gape at the loving couple!

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t forget to act and punched Qi Hao softly, "Husband... you made me shy ah~!"

    When everyone heard this, they really didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry. Was there really a disease where a man could see an ugly woman as beautiful? Even if they didn¡¯t believe such a disease existed, they couldn¡¯t... because the proof was right in front of them.

    "What do you want to do in the capital?" The guard asked while squinting her eyes. No matter what, this pair of husband and wife was really suspicious in his eyes.

    "Da Ge, we are from a small vige and we want to go to the capital for a honeymoon..." Qi Hao exined politely. When the guards paid more attention to them, they were indeed wearing coarse clothes which indicating that they were poor people.

    The guards sighed. It seemed like this beautiful man was from a small vige and had never seen a beautiful woman before. ¡¯Poor him!¡¯ The guard thought to himself.

    The guard said, "Go... Go... enjoy your honeymoon! Hope you can see the world and realize what you get yourself into..." The guard gave a pointer by looking at Lin Jian --- his meaning was clear... he thought that Qi Hao was getting into hell by choosing Lin Jian as a wife.

    Lin Jian felt so insulted. He knew that he looked so ugly in this outfit... Did the guard really need to point it out that way? If he was his real self, he would already punch him from the beginning. However, he needed to act and pretended that he didn¡¯t understand what the guard was talking about.

    They were finally able to go past the checkpoint and sighed in relief. The gossip about them spread around the capital, but the people couldn¡¯t find both people¡¯s whereabouts and the gossip died down by itself.

    Lin Jian swore to himself --- No more cross-dressing after this! No matter what the circumstances!

 Chapter 338 Feng Yong Rui

    Xiao Fang¡¯s father had been waiting for them since early in the morning --- he already got the news that Xiao Fang¡¯s friends would be joining them and stay at their house. Thus, he already prepared a separate courtyard for them to stay.

    When Xiao Fang finally arrived, she quickly hugged her father. "Father, I miss you..." Xiao Fang yelled loudly just like a little girl. This was how she used to be in the manor --- spoiled. When Yao Ying and Yao Ling saw this, they knew for sure why Xiao Fang was that innocent.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s father, Feng Yong Rui hugged her back and his eyes were slightly teary. "It¡¯s good if you are safe... I miss you too!" Feng Yong Rui had been feeling worried and he could sigh in relief now. He had never covered up his love to Xiao Fang, thus, he didn¡¯t feel embarrassed doing this in front of Yao Ying and Yao Ling.

    "Why don¡¯t you go visit your mother first?" Feng Yong Rui asked. He knew that his wife had been missing their little girl so much. He felt lucky that Xiao Fang suddenly appeared out-of-nowhere back then. Even though his baby who was dead back then was a second child, they had been waiting for a little daughter... Thus, both of them were feeling heartbroken.

    Not only that, but his wife¡¯s foundation had been affected by that and could no longer bear a child. He didn¡¯t n to take any concubine, thus, he also felt sad.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s mother had a weak body from the beginning and she had been sick for a long time in the past few years.

    "Yes, Father. I will go visit Mother!" After saying that, she quickly visited her while bringing Yao Ling along with her --- she wanted to introduce her new best friend to her mother and tell her the experience that she had gone through with the trio.

    When Yao Ling looked at Xiao Fang¡¯s mother¡¯s condition, she was also surprised. She was actually in aa and didn¡¯t have much time to live. However, she didn¡¯t dare to ask about it because she saw how Xiao Fang excitedly talked to her mother, even though thetter wouldn¡¯t be able to respond to her.

    Aftering out from Xiao Fang¡¯s mother¡¯s room, Yao Ling asked, "How long has it been?"

    Xiao Fang knew what Yao Ling wanted to know and she answered with a sigh, "Almost one year..."

    Yao Ling sighed. This kind of situation... was very hard. It must be a torture for Xiao Fang¡¯s mother too... At least, she had a good husband who was loyal to her. "Have you always been talking to her like this?"

    Xiao Fang nodded. "At first, it felt so weird, but now... it bes a habit. I always tell her everything..."

    Yao Ling felt proud of Xiao Fang and asked curiously, "Whose idea is this?"

    Xiao Fang smiled. "My father. He said that my mother must have been lonely if we don¡¯t talk to her. We all believe that she is able to listen to what we said..."

    Yao Ling sighed once more when she heard that. In this matter, she really respected Feng Yong Rui. Hopefully, Yao Ying was able to be loyal to her just like him...

    Yao Ying could only wait with Feng Yong Rui. Xiao Fang had introduced him to Feng Yong Rui but it was still awkward at first. However, after they talked for a few moments, they hit it off. Feng Yong Rui would never guess that Yao Ying had such vast knowledge, even though he was a merchant¡¯s son.

    When Xiao Fang and Yao Ling finally appeared, they were still talking cheerfully. Xiao Fang asked, "Father... Da Ge hasn¡¯t arrived yet?"

    Feng Yong Rui shook his head. "No... not yet... Maybe in less than one shichen, he would arrive. I already got the news that he has just stepped foot in the capital."

    When the three of them thought about Lin Jian¡¯s disguise, they really wanted tough out loud. Yao Ying seemed to understand why Qi Hao was giving Lin Jian such an ugly disguise, but he didn¡¯t tell anyone about it. After all, it was fun to look at Lin Jian being tortured by Qi Hao. His embarrassment made Yao Ying¡¯s mood be slightly better.

    It had been such a long time since they had a rxed day like this. Why shouldn¡¯t he enjoy it ah~?

    It was fine if the women didn¡¯t know about this matter. If Lin Jian didn¡¯t know what Qi Hao¡¯s thought was, then he was a fool! A real fool! Of course, he knew!

    However, it was because of Xiao Fang, he tried to obey Qi Hao¡¯s arrangement despite the embarrassment. If this was Yao Ying¡¯s n, he would certainly kick the man ah~!

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know why her brother made it hard for Lin Jian. When she wanted to help Lin Jian, Qi Hao red at her and she swallowed her words back. Don¡¯t just look at her brother¡¯s gentle appearance! Once he was angry, he was so scary! Thus, Xiao Fang had never tried to push his bottom line.

    Her brother rarely red at her and that was the reason why Xiao Fang backed down --- she only thought it was purely because the n was important. If she knew the real reason, she would certainly not know whether she shouldugh or cry ah~!

    Xiao Fang was only afraid of her father¡¯s expression when he met Lin Jianter... This wasn¡¯t how she wanted their first meeting to be. After all, Lin Jian was the person that she liked ah~! If he didn¡¯t make a good first impression, it would be bad ah~!

    When Qi Hao and Lin Jian arrived, they sighed in relief --- because it meant that everything went well. Only Xiao Fang looked at them with a face full of worry, the others were just waiting for the drama to enfold ah~!

    With their sessful return, it seemed like no one found out about their real identity. Qi Hao brought Lin Jian in to meet his father. He smirked inwardly, ¡¯Let¡¯s see how your performance will be!¡¯

    Feng Yong Rui smiled when he saw Qi Hao, however, when he saw the burly woman who was standing behind Qi Hao... he gaped at her and then frowned in discontent. His smile was all gone. This was the first time he saw such a muscr woman ah~! What did Qi Hao do with this man-woman?! Why did he bring her here?

    Feng Yong Rui¡¯s face looked soical but no one dared tough, after all, he was the boss here. Everyone kept their silence until Feng Yong Rui finally asked, "Who is she?" No one had the intention to introduce the man-woman because they were afraid that they couldn¡¯t hold back theirughter ah~! Thus, Feng Yong Rui could only ask Qi Hao.

    Feng Yong Rui looked calm from the outside but he was praying inwardly --- hoping that his son wouldn¡¯t say that he found this woman and wanted to marry her. If that really happened, he would faint right away!

    "This is Xiao Fang¡¯s friend," Qi Hao answered, but he didn¡¯t exin more. Lin Jian really wanted to die in embarrassment ah~! No one tried to tell Xiao Fang¡¯s father his identity and he also didn¡¯t know how to tell him his identity. He could only bite his lower lip pitifully --- which made Yao Ying and Yao Lingugh inwardly. He looked like a woman who was being wronged ah~!

    If Lin Jian could, he preferred to change his clothes before he met Xiao Fang¡¯s father. However, Qi Hao didn¡¯t let him change and the reason? There was no time left and he knew that it was bullshit. It annoyed him to no end and he had to chant a few times to calm himself down, ¡¯Remember! He is Xiao Fang¡¯s brother... He is Xiao Fang¡¯s brother...¡¯

    If Lin Jian didn¡¯t do that, he would already punch the man a long time ago.

 Chapter 339 Is He Really A Man?

    "Xiao Fang, where did you find her ah~?" Feng Yong Rui whispered to Xiao Fang but it was still loud enough for the other to hear. Xiao Fang really didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry ah~!

    How did her father expect her to answer the question? Picked him up on the street? Xiao Fang could only bite her lower lip, trying to prevent herself fromughing.

    Lin Jian felt like it was better fighting with assassins than to stay in this room any longer. This was the first time he felt so humiliated ah~! How long should he wait for someone to let him change his clothes?!

    "Father... she¡¯s a man --- a ¡¯he¡¯," Xiao Fang whispered back while emphasizing thest part.

    "Huh?" Feng Yong Rui asked in surprise and paid more attention to Lin Jian. Indeed, her trait was just like a man and she had Adam¡¯s apple... However, he didn¡¯t dare to look at her for too long. When he realized that the woman might really be a man, he asked Xiao Fang in a softer voice, "Is he not right in the head?"

    Xiao Fang, "..."

    If Lin Jian was a woman and heard that, he would already run away while crying... In this state, he could only be rooted on the spot and speechless too! Yao Ying and Yao Ling choked back on theirughter. When Lin Jian red at them, they pretended that they didn¡¯t see anything by turning their head away while coughing.

    "Father..." Xiao Fang whined. "This is Da Ge¡¯s n to let him disguise as a woman ah~! How could you say that? Of course, he is ¡¯normal¡¯!"

    From Xiao Fang¡¯s words, Feng Yong Rui knew that his little daughter was trying to defend the man. Feng Yong Rui wasn¡¯t that stupid, but for his son to behave in this manner, he knew that something must have been up. He should ask about thister. He didn¡¯t know whether his guess was correct or not. If his guess was correct, he wouldn¡¯t make it easy for the young man too!

    His thought was exactly the same as Qi Hao --- he wouldn¡¯t let this man covet his daughter!

    Lin Jian quickly greeted Feng Yong Rui after Xiao Fang said that, he introduced himself politely. Feng Yong Rui nodded his head, but his mouth was slightly twitched. This man was really too ugly to look at ah~! He quickly told Lin Jian, "Why didn¡¯t you change your cloth before you came here?"

    Lin Jian was feeling wronged ah~! He wanted to say that it was all because of Qi Hao, but he didn¡¯t dare to. In the end, he could only say that they were in a hurry. If he sold Qi Hao out, his future would be bleak ah~!

    "Go! Go! You should change your clothes first!" Feng Yong Rui ordered --- he couldn¡¯t bear to look at him anymore. His appearance really hurt his eyes ah~! The sooner he was out of sight, the better.

    The others agreed with Feng Yong Rui... the sooner he changed his clothes, the better it would be.

    When Lin Jian heard that he was allowed to change his clothes, he let out a brilliant smile. If he did it when he was his usual male self, he would look so handsome and dazzling --- however, in this condition, no one was able to look at him in the face ah~!

    Honestly, his expression looked so scary... that the onlookers flinched when they saw him smiling.

    Feng Yong Rui quickly arranged a few servants to attend to Lin Jian --- he really wanted to see how this Lin Jian really looked like when he was his real male self. He could see the starry eyes that his daughter had whenever she saw Lin Jian, even though the man was in this disguise. He wondered what did she saw in this man ah~?!

    Lin Jian sighed in relief when he was finally able to get out of this disguise. When he pulled out his fake breasts, he quickly threw it down on the floor in disgust and mock anger. "I will never wear you ever again!" He childishly pointed at the fake breasts and scolded them.

    After all, he couldn¡¯t get angry to the real perpetrator and he could only get angry at the fake breasts.

    The servants who served him really didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry ah~! If theyughed, they were afraid that they would be beaten up by him.

    They had already prepared a new set of clothing for Lin Jian beforehand under Qi Hao¡¯s order. Qi Hao¡¯s clothes wouldn¡¯t fit him because Qi Hao was shorter and thinner than him, thus, they prepared a new set of clothing for him. After all, he was still their guest.

    When he changed back to men¡¯s clothing, Lin Jian felt that his mood was slightly better. He looked at the mirror and praised himself inwardly, ¡¯This is the real me ah~! Handsome!¡¯ He tidied up his hair while smiling cheerily to himself before finally going out and meeting up with the others once again.

    If Qi Hao knew his conceited thought, he would certainly vomit blood!

    When Feng Yong Rui saw Lin Jian¡¯s real face, he sighed in relief. The boy wasn¡¯t that bad and could be said that he was pretty handsome. Not only that, but he had a certain masculine charm. No wonder his daughter would fancy him. It seemed like he was really a normal man, but he wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure...

    Feng Yong Rui couldn¡¯t help but ask while squinting his eyes, "Are you really a man?" He just wanted to make sure that this man didn¡¯t cheat his daughter.

    Lin Jian, "..."

    Lin Jian was really speechless at this moment.

    He really wanted to ask Xiao Fang¡¯s father if he should open his pants and show him his little Lin Jian so that he would believe in him. Lin Jian really felt wronged ah~! If it was Yao Ying, he would certainly show him his goody without thinking.

    But too bad... The one whom he was facing at the moment was his future inws... Indeed, Lin Jian already treated them as his future inws, that was why he didn¡¯t dare to retaliate and leave a bad impression.

    Qi Hao really wanted to give thumbs up to his father --- what a good question! He almost couldn¡¯t mask his expression anymore ah~!

    Lin Jian could only answer politely despite his distress, "Uncle, I¡¯m really a man ah~! If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask Xiao Fang!" He answered without thinking too much, after all, they should believe in Xiao Fang, right?

    Feng Yong Rui was taken aback... Ask Xiao Fang? Did she see something that she shouldn¡¯t see before she got married?! Feng Yong Rui stared at Xiao Fang in a serious mode which made Xiao Fang flinch, knowing that her father must have misunderstood something.

    "Father, he¡¯s really a man..." Xiao Fang said weakly.

    "How do you know?" Feng Yong Rui asked. "What if he is a eunuch?! Have you ever thought about that possibility? I¡¯m afraid that you will be cheated by a bad man..."

    Xiao Fang and Lin Jian, "..."

    "Uncle... I¡¯m not lying..." Lin Jian said in a low voice --- he really got a headache ah~! After that, he asked sadly, "Uncle... if you don¡¯t believe me, can you let the other go and let me prove it to you?" He made a gesture like he wanted to open his pants because he was really frustrated.

    What man would not get angry when his manliness was being questioned ah~?!

    "Stop... stop... stop..." Qi Hao couldn¡¯t stand it anymore! He quickly tried to diffuse the tension by admitting, "Father, he¡¯s really a man!"

    It wouldn¡¯t be funny if Lin Jian really opened his pants here --- his sister would really have to marry him by then! It was better if they stopped here and went back to their business.

    He couldn¡¯t let it happen ah~!

 Chapter 340 Who Gave Birth To Her?

    Feng Yong Rui ¡¯reluctantly¡¯ believed in Lin Jian, but the others knew that they were just bullying the poor man because Lin Jian liked their precious daughter and sister. Only Xiao Fang who thought otherwise. The woman said to her father, "Father... I know that you are worried about me, but Lin Jian is really a man... I¡¯m not lying to you! Not only that, but he is also a good guy!"

    Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry ah~! However, they couldn¡¯t fault Xiao Fang --- after all, Feng Yong Rui was her father... of course, she would believe in him.

    Feng Yong Rui patted Xiao Fang¡¯s head and said, "It¡¯s good that you know it... Father is the only one who treats you best!"

    Xiao Fang nodded and said with a big smile, "En..."

    Qi Hao quickly interfered, "Me too!"

    "Yes, Brother... You too!" Xiao Fang said with a heartyugh.

    Lin Jian bitterly thought to himself. If Xiao Fang got married to him, it seemed like his future would be bleak. His father-inw and brother-inw would certainly go hand in hand to bully him ah~! However, he had no other choice, because he alreadyid his eyes at Xiao Fang. He believed that his mother would be happy to see them together...

    Yao Ling decided to change the direction of their talk because she actually pitied Lin Jian ah~! She would scold Yao Yingter, after all, she could see his smug smile when Lin Jian was being bullied! She asked softly to Feng Yong Rui, "Uncle, have you met my father?"

    "Your father?" Feng Yong Rui looked at Yao Ling in confusion. "Who is your father?" He had nevet met this young woman before, so how could he know who this young woman¡¯s father was?

    Yao Ling¡¯s heart sank when she heard this. She had a gut feeling that Feng Yong Rui hadn¡¯t met up with her father yet, but her father supposed to have arrived beforehand. So, where was he now? "Uncle Qiu..." Yao Ling answered in a small voice, hoping that Feng Yong Rui knew her father¡¯s whereabouts.

    "Uncle Qiu?!" Feng Yong Rui asked in surprise. He had known Uncle Qiu for such a long time but he had never mentioned that he had a daughter! Of course, he was feeling bewildered. This woman looked younger than Uncle Qiu¡¯s son who lived in the capital.

    "Are you his illegitimate child?" Feng Yong Rui asked in surprise.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry when she heard this. She weakly said, "Uncle... I¡¯m really his real daughter..." She also knew that Feng Yong Rui wouldn¡¯t believe her... she should tell him the truth after this.

    "But how...?" Feng Yong Rui gaped at Yao Ling. Her age was younger than Uncle Qiu¡¯s current son and at that time, his wife had been dead for a few years. That was the reason why he didn¡¯t believe that she was Uncle Qiu¡¯s legitimate daughter. Then, who gave birth to her?! A ghost?!

    Qi Hao also didn¡¯t know about this matter, so he looked at Yao Ling in confusion too. Xiao Fang had never mentioned this thing in her letter before, he just thought they were Xiao Fang¡¯s ordinary friends.

    "Father, why don¡¯t we go to your study room before we tell you everything?" Xiao Fang gave a suggestion. "It will be safer to talk there." The Han Emperor hadid his eyes on their manor, she believed that there might spies among them. Wall had ears ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui immediately agreed. "Good... Good! Let¡¯s go!" He quickly led them to his spacious study room.

    When they arrived at their study, Feng Yong Rui told his trusted guards to stand guard outside carefully along with Xiu and Xiao Yu, because he knew that they would talk about an important matter.

    "Tell me!" He seriously asked impatiently. If he had met with Uncle Qiu beforehand, thetter might have told him about this himself. However, he couldn¡¯t wait to know because he didn¡¯t know when the Emperor would release Uncle Qiu from the pce.

    "Uncle, you should know Aunt Yue¡¯s existence, right?" Yao Ling asked cautiously --- she wanted to know whether Feng Yong Rui was also involved in saving Aunt Yue back then.

    "I know... we tried so hard back then and Uncle Qiu even had to lose his position," Feng Yong Rui answered. This answer was the reason Yao Ling dared to tell him everything, at least, he wasn¡¯t coveting Aunt Yue¡¯s power.

    After hearing this question, he wondered whether Yao Ling¡¯s mother was Aunt Yue --- after all, he knew how concerned Uncle Qiu was back then. If he knew that she was actually Uncle Qiu¡¯s mother, what kind of expression that he would make ah~?! He didn¡¯t know Aunt Yue¡¯s age because she looked so young.

    Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying, asking whether she should tell the truth or not. Thetter nodded his head, after all, Feng Yong Rui was Uncle Qiu¡¯s best friend. Sooner orter he would know about this matter. True friends would always support each other --- this point, Yao Ying really believed in it.

    Yao Ling nodded back. "Uncle, before I tell you everything, do you know my father¡¯s whereabouts?" Yao Ling almost forgot to ask about this ah~!

    "Currently? He¡¯s supposed to be with the Emperor in the pce," Feng Yong Rui answered.

    "Is he okay?" Yao Ling asked. Her father should have arrived yesterday, why didn¡¯t he meet up with the Han Emperor right away?

    Feng Yong Rui nodded. "He should be okay. Yesterday, the Emperor has an important guest so Uncle Qiu couldn¡¯t meet up with him right away. He had just been called to the pce less than one shichen ago," he exined about the dy.

    Yao Ling sighed in relief because it meant that her father was okay. After that, she told the story in a lighter heart. Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao who heard about Uncle Qiu¡¯s past --- no, no, no... It was supposed to be Rong Qiu now --- were feeling surprised ah~! How could they imagine that Uncle Qiu wasn¡¯t the real Uncle Qiu, but his identity was taken by Rong Qiu?

    It was by the real person¡¯s request, so they couldn¡¯t really fault Rong Qiu. Feng Yong Rui got a headache, after all, his best friend wasn¡¯t who he was supposed to be and it was quite baffling. He knew that Rong Qiu didn¡¯t n to deceive him because he also just regained his memories. But still...

    "Are you sure about this?" Feng Yong Rui asked in disbelief. He had be Prime Minister for quite a long time and this was the first time he had heard about this kind of matter ah~!

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "My father has already gotten his memories back..." Yao Ling didn¡¯t tell them about the inheritance because she didn¡¯t feel that they were close enough to know about that secret matter. Knowing this, Xiao Fang also didn¡¯t say much. It was Yao Ling¡¯s business and it wasn¡¯t her ce to reveal it.

    Besides, if too many people knew about her new power, it would only bring danger to her. However, it didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t trust Feng Yong Rui and Feng Qi Hao ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui sighed softly. "Rong Qiu must be sad when he found out about his identity..." He thought about Rong Qiu¡¯s feelings because he knew thetter was a person who was sentimental. Knowing that his so-called life was a lie... he must have felt baffled too!

 Chapter 341 A Spy

    Yao Ling sighed in relief when she heard how worried Feng Yong Rui about her father. This was a good sign ah~! Feng Yong Rui still cared about her father despite everything, it seemed like their friendship was indeed real.

    Feng Yong Rui had heard about what the Han Emperor did, but he only heard bits and pieces. He already condemned that man, however, when he heard the story... he could only gape. It was too horrifying! Qi Hao was just as surprised as him. They wouldn¡¯t really believe in everything that Yao Ling had just said if Xiao Fang didn¡¯t vouch for it and told them that she indeed witnessed everything with her own eyes.

    When he heard the full version especially what he did to Han Xiang, he felt fortunate that Xiao Fang was able to get out of his clutch! What if he did the same thing to Xiao Fang? Being his real kid didn¡¯t guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t devour Xiao Fang too. That man was a beast in human clothing.

    He wondered why he could think that he was such an admirable man with great aspiration. It seemed like it was only an image that the Han Emperor wanted people to see. That was the reason why he helped him to ascend to the throne after the previous Emperor was dead.

    ¡¯So disgusting!¡¯ Feng Yong Rui thought to himself.

    Feng Yong Rui would never think that the Emperor that he was loyal to was like that --- even tried to kill him. And, he was also trying to kill Xiao Fang at the moment, just to get his hands on the blood letter. How did the Han Emperor expect him to be loyal to him? Not only him, but the officials whose name were on the list had started to change their mind as well.

    "Uncle, do you think my father will be in danger?" Yao Ling asked curiously. They knew that Rong Qiu was called because of Aunt Yue¡¯s matter, but he wasn¡¯t the person in charge, so it actually didn¡¯t make sense to call him so urgently like this ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui shook his head. He analyzed the situation for them and answered, "I don¡¯t think so. After the blood letter¡¯s appearance and also the list, the Emperor wouldn¡¯t dare to act brazenly. I don¡¯t know for sure the reason why he called Rong Qiu, but nothing would happen to thetter. Don¡¯t worry!"

    When she heard that the Han Emperor wouldn¡¯t do anything to her father, she was able to sigh in relief.

    Xiao Fang asked her father, "Father, do you have any n?"

    "For what?" Feng Yong Rui asked.

    "Of course towards the Emperor ah~!" Xiao Fang answered in a low voice.

    "Xiao Fang!" Feng Yong Rui said in a serious tone, reprimanding her. "Don¡¯t talk like that! I¡¯m loyal to the court! Once people heard what you said, people would think that I n treason. If someone heard and told the Emperor, our family would be killed ah~!"

    Xiao Fang noticed her mistake and looked down, "I¡¯m sorry, Father!"

    "Xiao Fang, Father knows that you are worried about me, but I don¡¯t believe in that rumor... The Emperor wouldn¡¯t do that to us!" Feng Yong Rui said.

    The others were surprised by Feng Yong Rui¡¯s sudden change. Feng Yong Rui saw Lin Jian¡¯s expression and gesture which told him that there was a spy. He didn¡¯t believe him at first because his people should have been guarding the perimeter, but Yao Ying also nodded, indicating that something wasn¡¯t wrong. They were both pointing at the ceiling.

    Yao Ying¡¯s conversation with him just now told him that their martial arts were pretty good. That was the reason why he quickly said that to Xiao Fang. The women still didn¡¯t realize what was wrong.

    Thus, Feng Yong Rui pulled out a paper and write down, ¡¯Not safe!¡¯ The spy shouldn¡¯t be able to get in... at most, he could only listen from the outside. That was the reason why he dared to write something to warn them.

    The others knew what it meant and started to be careful with their words too.

    Yao Ling started to sweat and write, ¡¯What about my father¡¯s story? Will it reach the Han Emperor¡¯s ears?¡¯

    Feng Yong Qui nced at Yao Ying and gave the brush to him. Yao Ying quickly wrote, ¡¯No... the spy has just arrived. It seems like it took a little while for him to subdue Uncle¡¯s people.¡¯

    Yao Ling sighed in relief when she heard that.

    Lin Jian asked Feng Yong Rui through his gesture --- he made a gesture to slice his own throat. He was asking whether they should kill the man or not.

    Feng Yong Rui pondered over the matter and nodded. After all, the spy had already known that Xiao Fang was here. It would be better if they killed him and quickly ordered Xiao Fang to disguise herself even at home. It was better to be safe than sorryter.

    Lin Jian and Yao Ying¡¯s guess was true. Because they knew the importance of this matter, they always paid attention to their surroundings, so when something wasn¡¯t right, they could stop the conversation. So far, when Yao Ling told the story, no one was listening to their conversation. Once the spy arrived, they quickly noticed his presence --- or else, it would be fatal for them.

    Probably because they were taking too long in the study, the spy who was usually looking at them from afar risked everything and decided to listen to their conversation because he felt that something was wrong. After all, Feng Yong Rui rarely received a visitor. He also saw that one of the women had the characteristic of Feng Yong Rui¡¯s daughter. When did she arrive in the capital?

    The spy wanted to make sure that it was really Feng Yong Rui¡¯s daughter because this was what he was here for. He needed to kill and take the blood letter from Feng Yong Rui¡¯s daughter¡¯s hands. He felt that it was an easy job because the defense in this Prime Minister¡¯s manor wasn¡¯t really good.

    He came right before Xiao Fang asked what Feng Yong Rui¡¯s n was. He squinted his eyes when he heard the word ¡¯Father¡¯. His guess was indeed true!

    The spy actually wanted to leave right away and act that night. However, after listening to their conversation about the Han Emperor, he started to feel interested.

    When he heard that Feng Yong Rui was reprimanding his daughter, he sighed in relief. At least, the Prime Minister was still loyal --- a few other officials had made a few crazy n towards the Emperor. They spy felt that he needed to be more careful. What if this was just an act?

    Thus, he continued to listen to their conversation. However, he found that the room turned silent. He decided to peek in and see what was going on inside. He did that slowly and felt that no one would find out about his presence.

    The spy was surprised when he heard one of the men inside the room yelled all of a sudden, "Assassin!"

    The spy got a bad feeling about this and when he saw the people inside the study room were looking at him, he knew that they had found out about his presence a long time ago.

    He quickly tried to run away. Previously, he had been here a few times and known that there was no real expert here. Howe there was one out of nowhere?!

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ The spy cursed inwardly.

    He was the only one who was stationed here. After the Emperor heard that Feng Yong Rui¡¯s daughter wasn¡¯t here, he let the others spy on another ce --- except him.

    If he wanted to survive, he could only rely on himself!

 Chapter 342 Caught The Spy

    Lin Jian and Yao Ying quickly chased after the spy. Xiu quickly noticed what his master had done but he didn¡¯t follow them along, instead, the former chose to guard Yao Ling who was staying in the study room calmly. He had received Yao Ying¡¯s order before --- once something like this happened, his job was to guard Yao Ling and not to care about anything else.

    Xiu wouldn¡¯t dare to disobey Yao Ying¡¯s order --- his young mistress¡¯ safety came first.

    Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao were surprised of Yao Ying and Lin Jian¡¯s agility, knowing that with this high level of martial arts, they weren¡¯t ordinary people. It seemed like they also needed to check on these people¡¯s backgrounds.

    Back at the Crescent Lake, Qi Hao had asked Xiao Fang about it once, because he didn¡¯t want to bring liabilities into their house --- after all, their household was also in a quite dire state at the moment, especially with the way the Han Emperor was trying to find their fault. However, Xiao Fang insistently vouched for their credibilities and she told him how much they had helped her for the past few weeks.

    Because of this, Qi Hao couldn¡¯t refuse Xiao Fang¡¯s plea to bring them as well and she also said that the trio would be a great help to them.

    No matter, Xiao Fang trusted them with her life!

    Xiao Fang had never asked their background¡¯s details again after what they had told her the first time they met, so she didn¡¯t know for sure as well. They told her that their purpose was for honeymoon and Lin Jin was apanying them for sightseeing. Xiao Fang only regarded them as an entourage from the Shu Kingdom --- as from what kind of family they were from, she didn¡¯t know and didn¡¯t bother to ask.

    Honestly, she didn¡¯t really care about it. She already thought them as best friends ah~!

    Xiao Fang might have believed that statement, but Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao didn¡¯t fully believe in it. However, as long as they didn¡¯t have a malice intention towards them, they would turn a blind eye on it --- but they would still ask their people to check on them, just to be careful. If they really thought of Xiao Fang as a best friend, they would tell her the truth as well sooner orter.

    The Han Emperor had a lot of experts, however, because he knew that the Prime Minister¡¯s defense was quite weak, he didn¡¯t send his strongest ones. Besides, he already called most of them and gave them another task. Yes, he was underestimating Feng Yong Rui and that was his biggest mistake.

    The spy couldn¡¯t believe how fast both of the men who were chasing him. ¡¯Where do these expertse from?!¡¯ He thought to himself. They were right behind him, even though he had used his full strength to run with his qing gong.

    Lin Jian gave a signal to Yao Ying and thetter quickly caught on. Their tacit understanding was getting better because of their past experiences. Yao Ying focused his inner qi on his legs and made a dash with his qing gong skill, thus, he was making the spy surprised because Yao Ying was suddenly moving faster and standing in front of him --- prevented him from escaping.

    "How...?" The spy muttered in surprise but he quickly defended himself from Yao Ying¡¯s attack with both of his hands. Fortunately, he had seen Yao Ying¡¯s palming or else he would have been then when it reached his chest. The palm was full of inner qi ah~! He couldn¡¯t underestimate the power in it.

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t fall behind, when he saw that the man was able to defend himself in time, he quickly used his kick. The spy felt the fluctuation in the air from behind him, but it was already toote for him to dodge. When he was kicked, he could feel that his inner organ almost fell apart --- his chasers were strong. Very strong.

    He used to feel lucky that he had gotten the easiest job among his peers, it was toote to regret ah~!

    Without giving the spy any chance to retaliate, Yao Ying quickly used his palm once more and it hit his chest. The spy spouted a mouthful of blood, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape in this condition. His internal injury was quite severe and it was better if he ended his life as soon as possible rather than being tortured. He wouldn¡¯t betray his master --- even if he was able toe back, he would be killed because of his failure.

    His master was a cruel man...

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ The spy thought inwardly. He quickly tried to bite the poison that was hidden in between his teeth. Yao Ying saw it from the corner of his eyes and he quickly punched the man¡¯s jaw, making it dislocated as soon as possible. He wouldn¡¯t let that happen! They needed information and this man was able to provide it to them.

    "You want to kill yourself?!" Yao Lingughed menacingly. "Do you think it is that easy?! What a stupid man!"

    Lin Jian subdued the man by cutting the tendon on his feet, so he couldn¡¯t run away. The spy couldn¡¯t kill himself by biting his own tongue due to his dislocated jaw and he knew that he would get a painful ending.

    Yao Ying pulled the man up and brought him back to the study room --- he treated the spy just like a sack of potatoes. He didn¡¯t let Lin Jian take him just in case his soon-to-be inws felt that Lin Jian was too cruel and didn¡¯t let Xiao Fang together with him. Just for a precaution!

    The spy was thrown in the middle of the study room with a band and Yao Ying asked Feng Yong Rui, "Uncle, do you have an underground prison? We need to extract information for him, so we will know the Han Emperor¡¯s exact n!"

    Everyone was horrified when they saw the spy¡¯s condition, but they didn¡¯t feel pity for the man because he was the enemy. Xiao Fang and Yao Ling knew that they had to adjust themselves to this kind of thing --- after all, they would fight the Emperor. Yao Ling was far calmer than Xiao Fang who tried to hold back her vomit due to the smell of blood.

    Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao were familiar with this scene, so they weren¡¯t that surprised.

    "I have one," Feng Yong Rui said and he guided to where it was. He didn¡¯t let Xiao Fang and Yao Ling follow them, so they could only wait at their own respective room.

    Before Lin Jian was gone, he reminded Xiao Fang, "Disguise yourself! When the new spy arrives, it will be dangerous!"

    Xiao Fang quickly nodded obediently, "I will!"

    Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao were quite surprised by her obedience, but they didn¡¯tment on it. If they were the ones who said that, they were sure that Xiao Fang would pout. However, she was like a cute kitten in front of Lin Jian! Both of the men felt a bit jealous ah~!

    However, they had no time to be petty because it was more important to gather information. Feng Yong Rui would stay outside just to not make people feel suspicious and the other three would be the ones who did the torturing.

    Xiao Fang chose a disguise and decided to be Yao Ling¡¯s maid. She made a long scar on her face with make-up, so people felt disgusted when they looked at her face. It made her look like a whole new person and the most important thing... she didn¡¯t resemble Jiu Lan even though she didn¡¯t wear a veil.

    They could only wait for Rong Qiu¡¯s news and the information from the spy!

 Chapter 343 To Change The Tide

    At night time, they still hadn¡¯t heard any news from Rong Qiu and Yao Ling started to feel agitated. Not only that, but the men also hadn¡¯te back from questioning the spy. The spy had a tight mouth which made them quite annoyed. Yao Ying and Lin Jian could only use the cruelest method to make him open his mouth.

    Yao Ling asked Feng Yong Rui in an agitated voice, "Uncle, can you inquire what happen to my father? Why hasn¡¯t hee out of the pce yet?" She wasn¡¯t worried about Yao Ying, after all, he was only in the underground prison.

    Feng Yong Rui sighed. "I can¡¯t... the security has been tighttely. I have used my connection inside the pce and they weren¡¯t able to inquire about any news." Feng Yong Rui was also worried, but he was also helpless at the moment. The Han Emperor had behaved in a weird way and he couldn¡¯t grasp what his goal was anymore.

    Yao Ling paced around Feng Yong Rui¡¯s study room impatiently. Her dream had made her feel ufortable and not knowing how her father was doing... made it even worse.

    Before she could ask anything else, the men came back from the underground prison and it took her mind away from his father¡¯s matter. Feng Yong Rui calmly asked them, "Do you find out any interesting news?"

    Qi Hao nodded and answered, "Yes, we have gotten some important news. The man was really a tough nut to crack." He would never know that Yao Ying and Lin Jian would be that cruel --- but as long as they were able to get some pieces of information out of that spy, he wouldn¡¯t mind.

    Qi Hao started to think positively because of Lin Jian¡¯s recent behavior because, with his strength, he would be able to protect Xiao Fang. However, it didn¡¯t stop Qi Hao for being petty towards him.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked a bit tired, but their eyes were twinkling because they finally got an important lead. At least, they got something after using all of the avable torturing methods which took a long time. The underground prison¡¯s environment was quite disgusting, thus, it also made them feel ufortable even though they had visited those kinds of prisons so many times already.

    "Tell us! Quickly tell us, Da Ge!" Xiao Fang asked impatiently.

    "The Emperor would implement various different methods to kill the officials on the list one by one --- which including you, Father. Before this, he wanted to kill them all at once, but he bes more careful now... He starts to change his tactic," Qi Hao exined.

    It seemed like the Han Emperor really hadn¡¯t given up his ambition yet. They thought he would really abandon the idea, but in reality, he only hid his ws for a little while and waited for the right time to pounce.

    Feng Yong Rui shook his head. "I thought that the Emperor would at least be afraid but it seems like I¡¯m underestimating him. He still wants the whole kingdom to solely belong to him, huh?! He really aims to be a tyrant!" He said in anger due to his disappointment and also felt betrayed.

    The others couldn¡¯t answer him, after all, they also felt bewildered by the Han Emperor¡¯s bold decision. If there was an inner turmoil in the kingdom, it would make other kingdoms start working to attack the Han Kingdom ah~! The news must have reached the other kingdoms and he still hadn¡¯t given up the idea to kill his own officials.

    Either he was being stupid or he was crazy!

    "And then?" Yao Ling asked curiously. Judging from this matter, this wasn¡¯t the juicy part yet. She felt that it would be a piece of bad news because the men¡¯s smug faces suddenly turned into worry.

    *Thump*

    *Thump*

    *Thump*

    Her heart was beating faster in a panic. She looked at Xiao Fang and thetter was as nervous as her. She should be ah~! After all, Yao Ling knew that this matter was rted to her. No matter what, the Han Emperor was still her birth father --- it would be hard for her not to feel anything.

    Yao Ling patted Xiao Fang¡¯s shoulder to calm her down and thetter really appreciate Yao Ling¡¯s gesture. Xiao Fang¡¯s mind wandered to Han Xiang¡¯s warning that the Han Emperor was suspicious of her identity, however, Han Xiang also wasn¡¯t really sure whether the Han Emperor knew her real identity or it was because of another matter.

    Han Xiang¡¯s warning was still echoing inside her mind and somehow, she felt afraid!

    Qi Hao answered cautiously, "Because of that, he also changed his n regarding Xiao Fang. His first n was only to take the blood letter from you --- as long as there is no evidence, he can pass it as a nderous rumor."

    "And why did he suddenly change his mind?" Xiao Fang asked in a low voice.

    "It was because of his favorite concubine," Lin Jian answered hesitantly. They all knew which concubine they were talking about --- the one who supplied him with the sickening medicine. The woman was still staying strong inside his harem, showing how powerful and cunning this woman was. It seemed like they shouldn¡¯t have underestimated his presence.

    Feng Yong Rui sighed, "This woman again... she is really the beauty that could ruin a kingdom!"

    Yao Ling and Xiao Fang¡¯s heart jolted up in surprise and their hatred resurfaced --- this woman was the reason that their mother was doomed! Their hatred increased tenfolds towards the treacherous couple. If they couldn¡¯t take down the Han Emperor, at least, they should kill that concubine for their revenge.

    Yao Ying whispered softly at Yao Ling, "Calm yourself down! This isn¡¯t the right time yet!" Yao Ying needed to warn her before she was being impulsive.

    Yao Ying¡¯s words brought her back to reality and she nodded her head obediently. Yao Ling was also good at masking her expression under Yao Ying¡¯s teaching, but how could her fluctuating inner thought escape Yao Ying¡¯s eyes?

    It couldn¡¯t. After all, he was the teacher.

    Xiao Fang gritted her teeth and asked, "What did she do again?"

    Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao raised one of their eyebrows at the same time while their heartbeat started to beat faster. ¡¯Again?¡¯ They thought to themselves, wondering if Xiao Fang knew something. Thetter hadn¡¯t told them that she already knew her real identity.

    "She gave an ¡¯enlightenment¡¯ to the Emperor that it would be useless to abandon his n at this moment. The officials have already doubted him, how could the Han Emperor expect them to be loyal to him once again after the list has spread out?" Qi Hao answered. This was the triggering statement that made the Han Emperor start making a new n to dispose of the officials.

    Feng Yong Rui was feeling disappointed more and more. If the Han Emperor abandoned the idea, he and the other officials would turn a blind eye on it --- after all, he was still the Han Emperor. Even though they were wary of him, they wouldn¡¯t start treason because they also cared about the stability of this kingdom.

    However, how could the Emperor that they worshipped be so weak-willed? He trusted his concubine more than his own officials --- or more like, he was being controlled by that concubine. Feng Yong Rui felt like he was a joke in the Emperor¡¯s eyes!

    Yao Ling hesitantly asked, "Is it possible that this matter was instigated by that concubine?"

    The others couldn¡¯t answer this --- the only ones who knew about it were the Emperor and that concubine themselves. They shook their head at the same time helplessly. This matter was tooplicated.

    "What kind of idea that the concubine offered to the Emperor?" Feng Yong Rui asked because this matter was rted to his daughter ah~!

 Chapter 344 The Wicked Concubine

    "She gave a piece of crazy advice --- It is better to kill you and burn the evidence!" Qi Hao answered in anger. The Han Emperor didn¡¯t n to kill Xiao Fang, but that vixen was!

    Xiao Fang was taken aback. "Burning the evidence should be enough, right?! Why did she tell the Emperor to kill me out of nowhere? After all, there is no grudge between me and that wicked concubine!" Xiao Fang was seriously pondering over this matter.

    She couldn¡¯t believe what she had just heard, but she knew that Qi Hao wouldn¡¯t lie to her about such an important matter. Kill her?! Really?! She did nothing wrong and that concubine was even nning to take her life away! It wasn¡¯t enough for that concubine to ruin her mother, but she still had the gall to target her too!

    Xiao Fang started to think that this woman must have been using her beauty trap to control the Han Emperor. She remembered something that Tao Gu Gu had said --- it seemed that this concubine used to be a courtesan in a low brothel. How could a woman like that be any good?!

    Yao Ling was also surprised and she had the same thought as Xiao Fang... that treacherous couple was truly unbelievable! She looked at Xiao Fang sympathetically from the corner of her eyes and when she saw Xiao Fang¡¯s pale face, she held Xiao Fang¡¯s hand to give her a little bit offort.

    "To change the tide and so that you will be the new rumor," Yao Ying said bitterly while he pitied Xiao Fang for her misfortune. However, he didn¡¯t dare to show his pity openly because he knew that it would hurt Xiao Fang¡¯s ego.

    "Huh?" Xiao Fang still didn¡¯t understand what exactly they were talking about. What was the connection between the new rumor with her? A rumor about the death of the prime minister¡¯s daughter?! What was so interesting about that? She was just a woman who lived in the boudoir and rarely went out --- she wasn¡¯t even sure that themoners would recognize her.

    After all, whenever she went out of this manor¡¯s gate, she always wore her veil.

    Yao Ying, Lin Jian, and Qi Hao didn¡¯t know how to answer Xiao Fang¡¯s question and they looked at each other. The answer was quite ugly. Finally, Lin Jian gave the others a signal that he would be the one who told Xiao Fang.

    "They want to kill you and cut your head off to be disyed in the capital¡¯s gate. They will give you the nickname ¡¯evildoer¡¯ --- the one who is behind those nderous rumors!" Lin Jian answered softly. "They also want to use you as an example, so no one will bring up this subject again..." He trailed off at thest part.

    Yao Ling and Xiao Fang¡¯s face turned pale because of this. How cruel! Not only the n, but also the method! Disy Xiao Fang¡¯s head in the capital¡¯s gate?! For such a woman to think of that method, it showed how evil that woman was.

    Thet wicked concubine should be the one who was called as an ¡¯evildoer¡¯!

    Xiao Fang could only gape at them and feel really bitter inwardly. ¡¯How... how could they do that to her?! They are so vicious,¡¯ Xiao Fang thought to herself while trying to hold back her cry. She tried to be brave but the onlookers knew that she felt the despair inside her heart.

    Her feeling was a mixture of hurt, fear, disappointment, and anger --- after all, he was still her father!

    However, the youngsters didn¡¯t know how tofort her...

    Feng Yong Rui sighed when he saw their expressions --- no matter how clever those kids were, they were still too young and inexperienced when dealing with this matter. He decided to be in charge of the next step.

    "Xiao Fang, you are not allowed to get out of this house for the time being. Your situation is very dangerous!" Feng Yong Rui gave Xiao Fang a strict order because he didn¡¯t want to lose his baby girl. "Once they capture you, everything will be toote! You have to use your disguise at all time."

    Xiao Fang could only nod numbly because she understood the point clearly. The treacherous couple wanted to use her to dispel the rumor --- recing the old rumor with new juicy rumor and hoping that everyone would forget about the list and the blood letter.

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ Xiao Fang who had never cursed before couldn¡¯t help but curse inwardly. If her father actually knew her real identity as his own blood-rted daughter and still did this, she wouldn¡¯t know what to do! Thus, she could onlyfort herself that the Han Emperor didn¡¯t know about it --- even though it didn¡¯t justify that man¡¯s cruelty.

    Qi Hao sighed. "As long as the Han Emperor couldn¡¯t find Xiao Fang, that n wouldn¡¯t work. So, we just need to be careful for the time being."

    Yao Ling remembered something, "What about the spy? If the Han Emperor couldn¡¯t contact him, wouldn¡¯t he feel suspicious?" After all, Yao Ling also heard that Feng Yong Rui always pretended that the defense in his manor was quite weak.

    Feng Yong Rui answered with a smile because he liked how smart this young girl was, "Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s easy to deal with it, just leave it to me!"

    He would just let people say that there was an assassin and his people killed thetter. With this exnation, the Han Emperor would notice that his spy was being found out. Feng Yong Rui also nned to leak out that they couldn¡¯t find out the mastermind¡¯s identity so that he could give the Han Emperor a way out. He still didn¡¯t want to have a real fall out with the Han Emperor at the moment.

    It wasn¡¯t the right time yet.

    This could also serve as a warning towards the Emperor that Feng Yong Rui knew that he was the one behind this matter. Feng Yong Rui was confident... even if the Emperor wanted to do something to him, he couldn¡¯t due to the circting rumor. His name was on the list, if he died, everyone would point at the Han Emperor and the other officals who were in the list would be restless as well.

    This could also be said that Feng Yong Rui wanted to challenge the Emperor a little bit. What was the use of being loyal if he kept being targeted from time to time by the Emperor?! If it was all about him, he could hold himself back, but he had targetted his daughter! What kind of father would be quiet when someone was bullying his daughter?!

    However, he didn¡¯t exin himself to the others, fortunately, the others trusted his abilities and didn¡¯t question him.

    Xiao Fang asked with a voice full of hatred --- something that they never knew that Xiao Fang would be capable of, "Father, can we kill that wicked concubine?!" She didn¡¯t beat around the bush and she didn¡¯t even realize that she was behaving out of characters by suggesting that.

    Everyone was surprised by her sudden outburst and Yao Ling was the only one who understood her feelings.

    Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao were the most surprised ones! They started to realize that Xiao Fang must have known something because she would never hate someone to this point --- unless she had been hurt a few times by the same person. In this regard, she was the same as Feng Yong Rui.

    They looked at each other and wanted to ask a question to Xiao Fang. Did she know that she was adopted?

 Chapter 345 You Will Always Be My Family

    Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao sighed. They looked helplessly at Xiao Fang.

    There were others in the room and they didn¡¯t want to talk about Xiao Fang¡¯s past in front of strangers. It was the private matter of their own family, besides, they weren¡¯t sure whether Xiao Fang wanted the others to know or not.

    Xiao Fang seemed to notice their change of expressions and by then, she knew that both of them knew her real identity. Their uneasiness made her feel uneasy even more --- would they change their attitudes towards her once she knew that she was adopted?

    She sighed and said in a low voice, "Father, Brother... if you have something to say or a question to ask, you can just say or ask in front of them." She paused for a little while before added, "They know everything --- from the beginning to the end. I stumbled upon the truth when they were around." Those sentences already exined everything.

    Xiao Fang could see their hesitancy and that was the reason why she directly told them that her friends knew her secrets. They came to help her and it wouldn¡¯t be wise to keep them in the dark...

    Feng Yong Rui asked in a hoarse voice, "Do you know about your real identity?" He felt sad because he knew that if she knew about it, there would be a day she would leave this family. Feng Yong Rui really thought of her as his real daughter --- he never falsified his feelings. If he loved someone, he would love her to death and it was also the other way around.

    Xiao Fang nodded. "Father, I know... I wanted to ask you when I arrived back then, but I couldn¡¯t find the right time." To be exact, she was scared, but she covered up her feelings really well this time.

    "How?" Feng Yong Rui asked. He thought that they had been doing a good job in covering it up all this time.

    Thus, she exined everything from the beginning to the end --- everything that had happened at Lin Zhou and also Han Xiang¡¯s words.

    Feng Yong Rui understood some of the things that happened from his own investigation, but not the full story. Thus, he misunderstood something. In fact, the resentment that he felt on Xiao Fang¡¯s behalf was directed at the Ce Fei who ran away by herself. After all, that was the only version that the outsider knew. Thus, no one could me Feng Yong Rui¡¯s behavior.

    He felt guilty when he remembered the disdain that he felt whenever someone brought out Ce Fei¡¯s name --- in fact, she was the one who was the most pitiful.

    However, after knowing the full version, he was really astonished. Feng Yong Rui thought that this was the day that he was feeling surprised the most in all of his life! So many revtions happened in one day and it took some times for him toprehend everything. His head became dizzy and the same thing happened to Qi Hao.

    They would never guess that there was such a horrifying reason behind the Ce Fei¡¯s running away matter and all of this time, they were pitying the Emperor and standing on that lecherous person¡¯s side! They almost vomited due to the disgust that they felt towards the treacherous couple!

    Their face became paler in a sh.

    Xiao Fang gave them some times to process everything before she finally said in a low voice, "Father, Brother... no matter what, all of you will always be my family." She didn¡¯t want to lose both of them because they were very important to her.

    Those words were enough for the father and son pair --- as long as Xiao Fang still thought of them as her family, they were very happy. Besides, they realize that from the beginning until now, Xiao Fang¡¯s attitudes towards them had never changed, even though she already knew that she was adopted. It made them sigh in relief.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t get their affirmation and she became nervous. "Father... Brother...? How... How about you?" She asked in a meek voice. Xiao Fang hoped that they would think the same as her.

    Feng Yong Rui smiled and answered lovingly, "Don¡¯t worry! You will always be my daughter!" He didn¡¯t forget to pat her head just like usual.

    Qi Hao answered with the same thing while smiling at her warmly, "Yes, ah~! You always be my beloved little sister."

    Yao Ling felt happy for Xiao Fang because she had found such a kind family despite her messed up real family. However, she didn¡¯t envy her because she felt that she was also lucky. She met such a loving mother, Jiu Lan. Not only that... If Jiu Lan didn¡¯t save her, she wouldn¡¯t have met Yao Ying and her new family at Wang Fu.

    When they were still talking, there was a knock on the study room¡¯s door --- the room turned quiet once more.

    "Who is it?" Feng Yong Rui asked in a loud voice. He became vignce because of the recent spy incident.

    "Master, this one is Ah Man," the person who knocked on the door answered.

    Feng Yong Rui quickly ordered the person toe in, after all, Ah Man was one of his most trusted subordinates. His job was mainly to be his spy, so he spent his time outside of the manor.

    Ah Man went in and he was quite surprised because there were a lot of people inside the room and most of them were people that he didn¡¯t recognize. However, he didn¡¯t dwell on it because there was a more important matter to report.

    Feng Yong Rui asked him, "Do you find out anything?"

    Ah Man answered with a nod, "Yes, Master. Something is wrong inside the pce."

    Whan Yao Ling heard this, her ears perked up and she quickly sat up straighter. "Is it about my father?" She asked Feng Yong Rui in a low voice.

    Feng Yong Rui nodded and answered, "Yes, it is." Then, he turned to Ah Man, "Tell us! They are our own people," Feng Yong Ruimanded when he saw Ah Man¡¯s hesitancy.

    Ah Man cupped both of his hands and said, "Yes, Master."

    He exined that somehow he lost contact with all of their spies inside the pce --- this was the first time this kind of thing happened ah~! Even if the Emperor¡¯s people found their spies, it would usually be one or two persons. It was impossible to find all of them!

    "You have been tried to reach them for a few shichen and still... there is no news?" Feng Yong Rui furrowed his eyebrows. This matter was rather tricky. He had just killed the Han Emperor¡¯s spy and thetter must be wary of him --- there would be no way for him to go inside the pce at the moment.

    "Yes, Master!" Ah Man answered because he was confused as well. "Do you have any instruction, Master?" He had been trying all the methods that he could think of, but all were failed.

    "Does Qiu Da Ren still in the pce?" Feng Yong Rui asked carefully.

    "I believe so, Master. Our people who are near there hasn¡¯t seen Qiu Da Ren¡¯s shadow," Ah Man exined.

    Feng Yong Rui massaged his forehead because he needed toe up with something. Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying and bit her lower lip while her eyes started to tear up. Yao Ying patted her back and whispered, "Calm down! We will be able to get through this together. Your father is a clever person... You have to trust him too!"

    Yao Ling nodded her head and wiped the corner of her eyes --- she needed to be strong at this moment.

    Qi Hao asked, "Father, do you have a solution?"

 Chapter 346 Yao Lings Plan 1

    Feng Yong Rui answered, "I have a n but it¡¯s too dangerous. The risk is quite high..." This matter couldn¡¯t be handled by them directly, but someone else could. He took a peek at Xiao Fang¡¯s friends. However, he was also feeling ufortable to ask for their help. After all, they just met each other this morning.

    How could the trio not feel his eyes on them? They had already gone this far to the Han Kingdom and of course, they would lend a helping hand because they had promised Xiao Fang before. Not only that, but also because this matter concerned Yao Ling¡¯s father. No matter what, they also needed to save the man.

    Xiao Fang asked in a low voice in curiosity, "What kind of n, Father?"

    Feng Yong Rui didn¡¯t answer Xiao Fang right away and gave a gesture that meant ¡¯hold of for a moment¡¯, after that, he asked Ah Man, "Ah Man, have you made sure that the banquet in the pce will definitely happen in the near future?"

    Ah Man nodded his head. "Yes, Master. This servant has received the news and the preparation is still continued happening, even though our spies can¡¯t be reached. This servant got this news from the pce¡¯s eunuch that came to our store to purchase a few things for the preparation."

    After pondering for a little while, Ah Man looked up and asked in surprise, "Master... do you mean to...?"

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head without any hesitation. Ah Man was one of his smartest subordinates and he was clever at perceiving people¡¯s mind, so he must have known what Feng Yong Rui was thinking about.

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows and asked after seeing their interactions, "Uncle, do you want us to infiltrate the pce?" He more or less had guessed what his thoughts were.

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head and answered, "I can find a way for you to go inside the pce. At the very least, we can find out about what happened to your father that way. If no one can go outside, we should be the ones who try to get inside the pce. We have no other choice."

    The others knew that this was true. Yao Ying nced at Yao Ling and knew that thetter wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep if she didn¡¯t know what happened to Rong Qiu.

    Feng Yong Rui asked, "What kind of talents that all of you have?" He nned to let them join as street performers that he presented for the Han Emperor. This was a quite big banquet because it was held to celebrate the Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday and the officials needed to prepare something for the Empress Dowager --- either a performance, a gift, or both. This was a mandatory thing in the banquet, thus, Feng Yong Rui had prepared for it beforehand.

    At first, Feng Yong Rui had nned to give only a gift for the Empress Dowager, but he changed his mind this time because this was a good chance for Xiao Fang¡¯s friends to get into the pce. Usually, men were banned froming into the pce but they made an exception this time for the sake of entertaining the Empress Dowager.

    If the banquet was nned after the blood letter thing happened, the Han Emperor certainly wouldn¡¯t make this arrangement. However, the words had gotten out from his own mouth and the Han Emperor couldn¡¯t take it back. Feng Yong Rui used to feel that the Han Emperor was reckless for making such a banquet each year, but now, he felt really grateful for the Han Emperor¡¯s recklessness. If the Han Emperor didn¡¯t do that, he would have no chance to bring the others in.

    Yao Lingughed awkwardly when she heard Feng Yong Rui¡¯s question, after all, she used to live in a vige. What kind of talent she could have? She remembered something and answered, "I can y qujin but I only learned for a little while, but I don¡¯t think that I could y it that well." Yao Ling felt lucky that she had learned this back at Wang Fu because of her sudden whim. Who knew that this could be useful at this time?

    Feng Yong Rui looked at Yao Ling in slight disbelief --- after all, thetter had the graceful bearing of nobledy, how could she not have any skills? He swallowed back his question because he didn¡¯t think that it would be polite to inquire more about it. He merely nodded his head.

    Xiao Fang pped her hands happily, "Father... if this is about street performance, I saw a good one on my way to Lin Zhou from here!"

    "And?" Feng Yong Rui asked.

    "I can design the whole street performance by using the performance that I have seen as an inspiration!" Xiao Fang said excitedly. "With my friends¡¯ skill, they will be able to do a great job!" Her previous dampened mood was gone in a heartbeat. Lin Jian really admired her simple way of thinking, but this way was also good, there was no way for Xiao Fang to have depression with such a simple mind.

    Feng Yong Rui nodded. He knew Xiao Fang¡¯s skills and she was really good at this kind of woman art things, so it should be fine to let her in charge of this matter. He warned her beforehand, "You can design the performance all you want, but you are not allowed to go inside the pce! You are not joining your friends!"

    Xiao Fang pouted when he heard that. "Everyone is going to attend it, why can¡¯t I? They are here for me, Father!" She whined childishly. How could she let her friends do all the work and she chose to hide herself? This was too unreasonable ah~!

    Qi Hao¡¯s face darkened, "Don¡¯t you remember something more important that we have just discussed?!"

    Xiao Fang looked at him but didn¡¯t dare to say anything. She understood what he meant but she still felt unreconciled because it was so unfair!

    Qi Hao continued talking in anger, "The Han Emperor targeted you! Howe you still dare to send yourself into the tiger¡¯s den?! Are you crazy?! You will be risking your life in there!"

    "I have my own consideration ah~! If I get into the pce with this get-up, how can the Han Emperor recognize me?" Xiao Fang stubbornly said. She looked so ugly with her scar and she didn¡¯t believe a lecherous person like the Han Emperor would pay attention to her.

    Qi Hao really wanted to throttle Xiao Fang. If it was another woman, he wouldn¡¯t even care whether she would live or die. However, this was his beloved sister. How could he let her go?! He couldn¡¯t! Feng Yong Rui had the same thought, but Qi Hao talked ahead of him, so he stayed quiet on the side.

    Yao Ling cleared her throat and said, "Actually... this banquet is a good chance for us to get revenge." She needed to diffuse the tense atmosphere, besides, her n would include Xiao Fang in it. When she looked at Xiao Fang¡¯s father and brother¡¯s expression, it would take a long time for her to convince them about it.

    However, Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to let go of this chance. It wasn¡¯t only because she wanted to help Xiao Fang, but also because of her own selfishness. She nced at Xiao Fang, knowing that thetter was thinking of the same thing as her --- they needed to get revenge for their mother!

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that and she asked impatiently, "What do you mean? Tell us! Tell us!"

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. It seemed like Xiao Fang really didn¡¯t feel scared even though she already knew that the Han Emperor wanted to kill her in the first ce.

 Chapter 347 Yao Lings Plan 2

    Yao Ling told them her n carefully in details and she got various feedbacks in return. However, she already expected those reactions. Xiao Fang, Lin Jian, and Yao Ying nodded their head in agreement even though they had known the risk. On the other hand, Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao denied the n vehemently.

    "No!" Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao talked at the same time in a loud voice. "It¡¯s too risky! It will put Xiao Fang¡¯s life into danger! The loss would be bigger than the gain if that really happened." They were only concerned about Xiao Fang¡¯s wellbeing and didn¡¯t even try to look at the big picture, showing how important Xiao Fang was in their life.

    The others couldn¡¯t me them because they were actually thinking of the same thing. However, they needed to do what they should do.

    Xiao Fang quickly said in a soft voice and tried to persuade them, "It should be fine, Father, Brother. As long as we are very careful, nothing will happen. With this n, we can tear up the Han Emperor and the wicked concubine¡¯s face in front of everyone and they couldn¡¯t erase the stain forever. Isn¡¯t this a good deal? Besides, this will be our only chance."

    Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao knew that it was true, however, they were still worried about Xiao Fang. They needed to strike at this time to get the best position, but... how could they let her be in that dangerous position?

    Ah Man cleared his throat, trying to gain attention and also diffused the tension. When everyone¡¯s attention turned to him, he cupped his fists and quickly said, "Master... may this servant put a few words in?"

    Feng Yong Rui raised one of his eyebrows, after all, Ah Man was a man of few words. Unless it was regarding an important matter, he wouldn¡¯t try to catch his attention. Thus, he nodded and gave him a chance to talk, "Go ahead!" He sighed because he seemed to know what he was going to say.

    "Thank you, Master!" Ah Man said politely, before continued talking, "This servant actually thinks that it¡¯s a good idea. Currently, our manor is being targeted. If we are keep defending ourselves without attacking back, we are going to lose sooner orter." He wanted to say --- for such a cruel person, they needed to pay him back tenfolds, but he knew that it was not his ce to say that. However, he was pretty sure that his master understood it better than him.

    Qi Hao also sighed, knowing that Ah Man was right. His exnation was reasonable...

    Ah Man talked once again, "Besides, as long as we n it carefully, Young Miss should be able to get through it. I will be the one who protects her personally. How is that sound?" Ah Man might look ordinary, but he had high martial arts skills. He was always staying outside of the manor as the leader of Feng Yong Rui¡¯s spywork. Thus, no one really knew about his skills --- of course, Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao were the only ones who knew.

    Feng Yong Rui massaged his forehead and finally gave his consent. "All of you young people should see what you deem fit. If you want to do the n, just go with it!" Ah Man already persuaded him and if he still insisted to reject the idea, he would appear unreasonable.

    Qi Hao looked at his father in surprise and yelled, "Father! How could you let them do it?"

    Feng Yong Rui waved his hand and said, "I already made a decision."

    Qi Hao could only helplessly look at his father and didn¡¯t dare to refute his decision. On the other hand, Xiao Fang felt so ted.

    Yao Ling asked curiously, "When is the banquet?" They would need extra preparation for this n to work.

    Ah Man answered, "Two days from now!"

    "Two days?!" Yao Ying, Yao Ling, Lin Jian, and Xiao Fang yelped at the same time. The time for preparation was too short! Could they really prepare everything in such a short time?!

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head in agreement. "Yes, it will be held in two days." He looked at Xiao Fang and asked carefully, "Do you think you can arrange everything in that short time?"

    Xiao Fang sighed in disappointment. She was confident if they at least had one week time to prepare everything because she could see how fast-learners the trio was. However, in two days time... she still needed to see how good they were and whether they could follow her arrangement. She wasn¡¯t that confident at this time. She weighed everything down and knew that she still needed to take the risk, even if she wasn¡¯t feeling as confident as before.

    "I can try," she honestly said, but she didn¡¯t dare to promise everything.

    Feng Yong Ruiughed when he saw Xiao Fang¡¯s depressed expression. Where was her previous confidence just now? He added oil to the fire by saying, "Hmph! You should be... After all, it will put our Prime Minister manor¡¯s name as a stake..."

    Xiao Fang, "..."

    She thought to herself sarcastically, ¡¯Father... I¡¯m so happy because of your trust!¡¯ She didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry ah~! When she was feeling unconfident, her beloved father seemed to agree to let her experiment with the n as her wishes. It seemed like he wanted her to fail so that she wouldn¡¯t go to the tiger¡¯s den.

    ¡¯Great n!¡¯ She thought to herself, but she wouldn¡¯t admit defeat.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s previous demeanor changed --- herpetitiveness was provoked by her father¡¯s words. "Father... I change my mind. I can do it! I have to!" She looked at her father with eyes full of fire.

    Feng Yong Rui shook his head helplessly. Here we go again! Once she put her mind on something, she would be unstoppable. He deliberately sparked up her fighting spirit, because he knew that he couldn¡¯t prevent her from doing this. It was better if she put her all in doing this and also be careful.

    Feng Yong Rui waved his hands tiredly and said, "You can prepare for it carefully. If you need anything, you can tell Ah Man about it."

    After that, Feng Yong Rui turned to Ah Man and said, "Whatever they need, prepare it... you don¡¯t need to ask my permission. You know the limit." If he knew everything, he would try to stop them and it wouldn¡¯t be good ah~!

    Ah Man cupped his fists once again and bowed politely, "Yes, Master."

    "All of you can go now," Feng Yong Rui said and the others murmured their agreement.

    Yao Ling asked hesitantly before she went out of the room, "Uncle... if you have any news about my father, can you tell me?"

    Feng Yong Rui looked up and nodded his head. He said with a smile, "Of course!"

    "Thank you!" Yao Ling felt grateful and sighed in relief.

    Feng Yong Rui looked pointedly at Qi Hao, "You follow along with them. If your sister does something reckless, you know what to do!" He said in a low voice so that Qi Hao was the only one who could hear him. He knew that Yao Ying and Lin Jian would be able to hear too but he didn¡¯t care --- at least, he hoped that they would protect Xiao Fang too.

    Qi Hao nodded his head silently because he still felt indignant --- he didn¡¯t agree to this ah~! However, he was left with no choice. He followed the others and it would be better if he knew Xiao Fang¡¯s n, so he would be able to help them.

    Thus, the preparation to infiltrate the pce had begun.

 Chapter 348 The Preparation

    They only had two days and Xiao Fang quickly drafted up the performance in great details. She remembered the performance that had be her inspiration in details because she had loved seeing it so much, so she watched it for a few days in a row. Thus, she remembered everything clearly.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t forget tobine it with Yao Ling¡¯s n to tear down the Han Emperor and the Evil Concubine¡¯s masks. It would happen almost at the end of their performances. Xiao Fang looked proudly at her work and praised herself inwardly, ¡¯Ah...~! I¡¯m so smart!¡¯

    If the others knew her conceited side, they would shake their head helplessly.

    Xiao Fang and friends didn¡¯t need to care about how to get into the pce or out, this matter would be handled by Feng Yong Rui and Ah Man. They just needed to focus on their performances and do their best.

    What about finding Rong Qiu? Feng Yong Rui made them calmer after convincing them that it would be easier for them to find some news about him once they got into the pce and kept in touch with Feng Yong Rui¡¯s spies. Feng Yong Rui didn¡¯t believe that all of those people had been caught or dead for his own reasons --- only Feng Yong Rui and Ah Man knew the reasons, even Qi Hao also didn¡¯t know about that.

    However, they still trusted Feng Yong Rui¡¯s judgment.

    When the others read Xiao Fang¡¯s written idea, they were quite surprised because it was quite a good performance --- albeit it would be quite difficult to perform without proper practices. If they could perform it nicely, it would be a spectacr show.

    "Wow... this is amazing!" Yao Ling¡¯s eyes shined when she read it. "You are really good at this!" Yao Ling praised her wholeheartedly.

    Xiao Fang shyly smiled, "I hope that this will be a sess!" She didn¡¯t dare to be conceited in front of Yao Ling because she felt a bit inferior in front of thetter --- Yao Ling was far more clever than her. She knew that she was holding herself back in the Han Kingdom because she was trying toy low so people wouldn¡¯t pay attention to her.

    "However, can we do this in only two days?" Yao Ying asked in a low voice.

    Xiao Fang grinned. "I believe in our abilities!" After that, she looked at her friends one by one while talking resolutely and trying to give them motivation, "I believe that we can do it!"

    Her mood affected the others and the previously heavy tension became a lot lighter. They murmured in agreement and they said that they would also work hard.

    Qi Hao was also reading the n along with them. Even though he felt that the idea was good, he still felt afraid to let them continue doing the n. Thus, he asked Xiao Fang sternly, "Are you sure that you want to continue doing this?" This was thest time he would try to persuade Xiao Fang. Not only the listeners felt tried, but he was also worn out. It was her life and decision ah~!

    Xiao Fang nodded resolutely. "Yes, Brother... When I heard what that couple did to my real birth mother, I was so sad. I think it¡¯s my job to be filial to my mother and get revenge for her... That¡¯s the reason why I have to do this, even though I know the danger..."

    When she used the filial excuse, Qi Hao couldn¡¯t persuade her anymore. If the same thing happened to his mother, he would also do the same and maybe, he would retaliate in a crueler manner. Thus, he decided to help them. He felt that he should also respect Xiao Fang¡¯s birth mother out of courtesy.

    Yao Ling was chosen to y the qujin after Xiao Fang knew that she got the talent, after all, she didn¡¯t have any martial arts skills or dancing talents. Thus, she could only make do with it. Just in case she couldn¡¯t do it perfectly, Feng Yong Rui had prepared a back-up qujin yer as ast minute recement. After all, if she didn¡¯t do any performance, she wouldn¡¯t be allowed to enter the pce.

    The others also learned their own part diligently. Lin Jian sighed in relief when he knew that he didn¡¯t need to disguise himself as a woman anymore. If Xiao Fang really assigned his to that disguise, he would... he would boycott her!

    He had promised himself that he wasn¡¯t going to be a woman and stuff those weird squishy things inside his chest so that he could have breasts! It was so disgusting ah~! Especially with the fact that he was more like a manly man from the beginning --- he was really unsuitable for that role ah~!

    Contrary to their expectation, even though the performance was a bitplicated because they had to be performing in sync, the preparation went smoothly --- even Yao Ling was able to surpass Xiao Fang¡¯s expectation with her learning ability. She absorbed everything really fast --- even the hard song to y that Xiao Fang had chosen.

    Yao Ling knew that this happened thanks to her new power. It was easier for her to understand everything than before --- it seemed like she had be smarter. She liked her new power even more!

    Yao Ying thought to himself when he saw Yao Ling¡¯s progress, ¡¯No wonder her qujin teacher kept praising her in front of their grandmother back at Wang Fu." Yao Ling had never yed in front of him before, so he also didn¡¯t know that she could y the instrument that well. Yao Ling always said that she wasn¡¯t good enough and too shy to y for him... maybe it was because she didn¡¯t really feel confident about her own skills.

    When the youngsters were busy at those two days, Feng Yong Rui asked Ah Man about the preparation from time to time and he was quite surprised because Xiao Fang was quite efficient in everything. Who knew that his daughter actually had such a talent?

    Thus, he sighed in relief. Feng Yong Rui felt satisfied.

    At their preparation stage, Yao Ling also didn¡¯t forget to learn her grandmother¡¯s skills from the scrolls. Who knew that it mighte in handy when they were inside the pce? It could be said that those skills were some kind of cheats for ordinary people.

    The more she learned, the more Yao Ling realized why people were coveting this power --- if this power was on the wrong hand, it would create havoc. If she wasn¡¯t supposed toy low, she really wanted to try those skills. Too bad, she could only learn secretly.

    Yao Ying saw her determination to learn and he couldn¡¯t say no to her. At least, by learning, she could forget her worry about her father¡¯s wellbeing for a little while. As long as she was still paying attention to her own health and didn¡¯t overwork herself, he just stayed quietly on the side and practicing his own performance diligently.

    He just hoped that everything would go well in the pce and his father-inw was alright.

    ------------------

    Whenever people were busy doing something, they tended to forget time and everything passed in a sh. Just like them... If Ah Man didn¡¯t remind them about it, they would forget that today was the day of their performance. They became nervous all of a sudden even though they felt that theirst training was pretty good.

    Feng Yong Rui was still unable to contact his spies and at the same time, there was no news about Rong Qiu which made Yao Ling feel nervous. Her father was still inside the pce. Feng Yong Rui had inquired about this matter to Uncle Qiu¡¯s son and thetter was surprised. He didn¡¯t even know that his father hade back because Uncle Qiu had never told him before...

    Uncle Qiu¡¯s son tried to find information but the news inside the pce was still being blocked --- thus, he started to be more worried.

    Yao Ying started to realize that something must have been gone wrong with Rong Qiu. How could people suddenly disappear without any trace and news inside the pce?

 Chapter 349 Someone Behind Her

    Those matters were really weird but they couldn¡¯t give up halfway because they felt afraid of the sudden loss ofmunication with their own spies.

    However, they were too busy because of the preparation and they left this matter to Feng Yong Rui. Thetter would be able to do something inside the pce when they were busy with the performance. Ah Man would be their messenger so that they also knew what happened inside the pce.

    Feng Yong Rui went to the pce first and Ah Man was the one who would guide them to the pce. They would get inside the pce through the side door because they were merely lowly citizens. Qi Hao didn¡¯t join the performance along with them because the official Di sons and daughters of officials had to join the banquet.

    Thus, Qi Hao went inside the pce with Feng Yong Rui and they made up a reason for Xiao Fang that thetter was currently out of the Capital, so she couldn¡¯t join in the festive.

    Xiao Fang knew that she needed to be careful because of her face --- she was a carbon copy of Jiu Lan. She asked her father the day before whether it was the reason why he always told her to wear a veil and thetter said yes. She looked more and more like the Ce Fei when she grew up --- Feng Yong Rui had his own suspicion because of this. No one would be able to look alike with each other that much unless they had a blood rtionship.

    After all, his meeting with Xiao Fang was also quite weird. The baby Xiao Fang flew over to him out of nowhere ah~! Fortunately, despite being drunk, he was still sober and ablet to catch her in time...

    Fortunately, he had met with the Ce Fei a few times previously when thetter hadn¡¯t run away yet because he had been working with the Han Emperor ever since he was only a prince... Yes, he was his loyal subordinate from the beginning and this was the reason why he was angry that the Han Emperor wanted to get rid of him.

    The Ce Fei was so beautiful and she exuded a certain elegance that made people attracted to her. In this essence, Yao Ling was more like her --- probably because the Ce Fei had brought her up. Even though the Ce Fei took the identity as a peasant, she still couldn¡¯t forget about her root.

    "Then... what did you do after you had your suspicion, Father?" Xiao Fang asked curiously. It seemed like her father had already known this matter a long time ago because she had started to wear veil even before she started to be best friend with Han Xiang and go into the pce from time to time.

    "It took a long time for me to investigate everything from all angle... Han Xiang was still there and took the role as a princess, so my suspicion was actually baseless --- the proof was only your face which needs to be hidden at all time. In the end, everything always left a trail no matter how small it was... I found out that you were being switched when you were a baby," Feng Yong Rui exined.

    Even though Tao Gu Gu was smart, in the end, she was only a maidservant and there were a lot of loopholes that she didn¡¯t think of. For example, her family wasn¡¯t as tightlipped as her and this was only one of the few loopholes that he had found.

    "Father! If you know about it, then what about the Han Emperor?! He must have known something too, right?" Xiao Fang asked, feeling horrified. She told him about Han Xiang¡¯s guess that the Hen Emperor might have known who Xiao Fang really was.

    Feng Yong Rui shook his head. "I can confirm that he doesn¡¯t know about it... even until now. If Han Xiang told you that, it¡¯s probably only a suspicion on the Han Emperor¡¯s mind because I¡¯m certain that he won¡¯t be able to find any pieces of evidence. I destroyed everything back then once I found out about it..."

    It was also lucky that Feng Yong Rui was one step ahead of the Han Emperor, otherwise, Xiao Fang would fall to the Emperor¡¯s hand! After he destroyed the pieces of evidence and moved the eyewitnesses to a safer ce at the Shu Kingdom, he heard that the Han Emperor was searching for them.

    Xiao Fang looked at Feng Yong Rui gratefully. Without him, there was no her --- she was certain of that. All in all, her father was her lifesaver. She quickly hugged him and kissed his cheek, "Thank you, Father!"

    Feng Yong Rui nodded and patted her back,forting her.

    "Father... Han Xiang has never told me... how could the Han Emperor find out that she wasn¡¯t her real daughter?" Xiao Fang had been long wanted to ask about this ah~! Where was the Han Emperor¡¯s suspicioning from?

    If Feng Yong Rui thought carefully, it was alling from that wicked concubine. However, how could such a lowly concubine was able to find out such a deep secret? It took a long time for him --- a prime minister with a lot of resources to find out... what more a lowly concubine? He started to feel that this matter wasn¡¯t that simple, maybe... there was someone behind her.

    He didn¡¯t feel that suspicious back then, because there was always a struggle at the inner yard of each prince. That was the reason why he didn¡¯t investigate the matter deeply. Once he heard the news that the Han Emperor was looking for Tao Gu Gu¡¯s family, he thought that something was fishy but didn¡¯t dare to check --- just in case, the Han Emperor found out that he was connected to the disappearance of Tao Gu Gu¡¯s family.

    It would make the Han Emperor doubt him, thus, he stayed quiet.

    "This... I also don¡¯t know..." Feng Yong Rui admitted regretfully. "I only know that this matter has something to do with the wicked concubine because the Han Emperor mentioned it once in front of me..."

    Xiao Fang was feeling slightly disappointed but this matter didn¡¯t really have anything to do to her directly, so she wasn¡¯t really that curious.

    Feng Yong Rui warned her a lot of times not to let people see her real face in the pce. The pce was full of people who had seen the Ce Fei previously, so he was afraid that one of them would be able to tell that Xiao Fang was the Ce Fei¡¯s daughter.

    Especially if the Han Emperor saw her, he would certainly recognize her. After all, he imed that the Ce Fei was the love of his life. Feng Yong Rui doubted that he would forget about the Ce Fei¡¯s face. If previously the Han Emperor was only guessing her identity, Xiao Fang believed that he would know for sure about it once he took a nce at her real face.

    Even though it was merely Han Xiang¡¯s guess, it would be better to be safe than sorry. The Han Emperor shouldn¡¯t see her!

    She patted her disguise a few times just to check whether it was still alright or not. Somehow, Xiao Fang felt nervous. Once they arrived at the pce, there was no turning back. She would gamble everything tonight...

    Everything that happened tonight would depend on her luck and fate. She hardened herself for whatever that woulde at her that night.

    Xiao Fang squinted her eyes at the pce and thought resolutely inside her mind, ¡¯Han Emperor... I will being to ruin you!¡¯ She didn¡¯t dare to call such a disgusting human being as Father!

 Chapter 350 The Han Kingdoms Palace

    When they arrived at the pce¡¯s gate, Xiao Fang didn¡¯t have any reactions because she used to go there to visit Han Xiang from time to time, although she didn¡¯t get in through the side door back then. She only sighed because of the different feelings that she had when entering the pce --- she wasn¡¯t in a cheerful mood like how she used to be.

    On the other hand, Yao Ling was amazed by what she saw at a first nce. She had heard that the Han Kingdom wasn¡¯t as rich as the Shu Kingdom and she expected a small and neat pce which looked a bit simple and elegant. However, what she had seen was contrary to her expectation!

    The pce was quite morous. However, she couldn¡¯tpare it to the Shu Kingdom¡¯s pce because she had never gone to the capital and taken a look at it. If the Han Kingdom¡¯s ce was as beautiful as this, she wondered what the Shu Kingdom¡¯s pce looked like ah~!

    The pce stood up beautifully in the middle of the desert and in one nce, they would be able to see how precious the materials that were used to build it. Some of the coatings were even made of gold. The wall and gate color was abination of white, off-white, and gold. It would be hard for people to barge in because it was built quite tall and seemed so sturdy.

    Even though the decoration was in because they were located in the middle of the desert, it still exuded a certain elegant charm. It seemed like the Han Emperor wanted to show his wealth through the material only.

    They had to wait patiently for their turn because the queue was long. There were a lot of people who were brought by various officials which made the pce guards be more vignce. If there were assassins mixed up in them, they would be the first one to be med for not checking the people thoroughly. The consequences would be death ah~! Thus, they took their jobs seriously.

    Since morning, they had found a few suspicious people that had been taken away to the prison and it made them turn vignce even more.

    Xiao Fang sighed when she knew that they had to stand up for quite some times before it was their turn to be checked. She decided to chat randomly with Yao Ling while paying attention to the people in front of her. Suddenly, she saw that someone was passing something to another person. However, she couldn¡¯t see clearly what it was.

    She could only see that something was shining --- like a weapon?

    Xiao Fang nudged Yao Ling and pointed at those two people while giving Yao Ling a questioning look, asking thetter what those two people brought secretly. Yao Ling was in a better position and she could see that it was indeed a sharp weapon. However, the weapon was a bit weird and she didn¡¯t understand what it was. She nodded her head at Xiao Fang, telling her that she had seen it.

    They didn¡¯t talk more about it because it would attract other people¡¯s attention. Xiao Fang pouted but she soon forgot about the matter because she was busy chatting with Lin Jian in a low voice.

    Yao Ling wanted to see whether those two people would be able to pass the inspection smoothly. If yes, they could use them for something. If not, then Yao Ling could just forget about those two. About the weapon, Yao Ling decided that she would describe it and ask Yao Ying whether he knew what it was or not. Hopefully, it was a real weapon.

    Those two people were a few rows in front of them. When they were being checked, Yao Ling felt nervous as well because she hoped that both of them would pass the inspection. Otherwise, how could they use them? Xiao Fang didn¡¯t know Yao Ling¡¯s thought, she merely showed her about those two people because she was curious.

    Yao Ling sighed in relief when those two people passed. She tugged at Yao Ying¡¯s sleeve and whispered softly, "Pay attention to those two people! Remember their appearance, okay?" In this regard, Yao Ying was better than her. If the two men were mixed with so many people, it would be hard for her to spot them againter.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know the reason but he agreed readily. Yao Ling must have her own consideration. After that, they didn¡¯t talk to each other because they were getting nearer to the front. Xiao Fang still wore the scar disguise however she covered up her face with a veil --- they would give a reason that Xiao Fang was only the creator of the performance, so she wouldn¡¯t attract attention with the hideous scar.

    Fortunately, they passed easily because they represented the Prime Minister and with thetter¡¯s high rank, the pce guards didn¡¯t dare to make it difficult for them. They asked Xiao Fang to open her veil and thetter reluctantly did so because the pce guards didn¡¯t believe their words easily. In the end, the guards felt disgusted because of her ugly scar and quickly let them in.

    "Go... go... go... don¡¯t block the road with your ugliness!" One of them said arrogantly. After all, they were only performers --- the lowest of lowest ah~!

    Xiao Fang bowed a few times, thanking the pce guards meekly. She covered up her intention to kick the pce guards pretty well. It wasn¡¯t worth it! Lin Jian felt like punching those pce guards but he knew that he shouldn¡¯t be rush or their in would fail before it even started.

    A pce girl guided them to their designated ce --- each trope had its own ce so the ce people would be able to distinguish those many people easily, showing how big the pce was. Their ce had the Prime Minister¡¯s banner. Yao Ling had no time to pay attention to the pce¡¯s decoration or the environment because Yao Ying suddenly asked her about the two men that she had wanted him to pay attention to previously at the inspection gate.

    "Why do you care so much about those two people?" Yao Ying asked curiously. He didn¡¯t see anything special from them and he also didn¡¯t see how those two were able to smuggle a sharp weapon into the pce.

    Yao Ling whispered to him her idea and thetter was quite surprised --- because it was actually a good one. It would be able to distract the Han Emperor¡¯s attention from them. Considering how the Han Emperor wanted to get rid of Feng Yong Rui, he must have been wary of them too. Judging from how paranoid the Han Emperor was, he must have been vignce towards them --- feeling afraid that something would go wrong.

    "What kind of weapon was it?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I don¡¯t know the name. Let me describe it to you, so maybe you can tell me the sharp weapon¡¯s name."

    Yao Ying nodded his head, "Sure... Tell me!"

    Yao Ling tried to remember the weapon¡¯s characteristic. It was a bit hard because she only was it in a sh, hopefully, she was able to exin it clearly.

    Yao Ling started to describe the sharp weapon calmly in a low voice, feeling afraid that someone else would listen to their conversation. "The weapon looked so soft and flexible at first, but once it was being touched by the other person --- it suddenly became hard and sharp... like it came alive..."

    Yao Ling was confused about how to exin it and somehow, she felt that something was wrong with her exnation ah~!

    Yao Ying was stunned when he heard her exnation and he almostughed out loud because of it! He tried so hard to appear calm, but his face became redder when he choked back on his ownughter. In the end, he pretended to be coughing --- for the sake of calming himself down.

    His thought drifted to something naughty ah~!

 Chapter 351 His sWeapons

    Yao Ying whispered softly in her ears while keeping his vignce just in case the pce maid would be able to see their intimate interaction, "I never know that you are actually a pervert!" He looked at her with twinkling eyes.

    "What do you mean by a pervert?" Yao Ling was taken aback by Yao Ying¡¯s sudden nickname for her. " Me? Why?! What did I do wrong?" She blinked innocently at Yao Ying who tried to stifle his ownughter when he saw her panicked face. His woman was so cute and innocent ah~!

    Yao Ling looked intensely at him when she didn¡¯t receive any answer and she saw him wiggling his eyebrows naughtily at her, making her feel annoyed and embarrassed at the same time. How could he call her pervert?! Without a second thought, she pinched his waist which made Yao Ying flinch due to the pain.

    However, thetter still had the gut tough at her! Yao Ling pouted and refused to talk to her annoying husband. Yao Ling still behaved childishly by not looking at him, but she perked her ears up --- of course, Yao Ying knew what she was up to.

    "Okay... okay... I will tell you," Yao Ying said with a low chuckle. He looked around and when he saw that no one was paying attention to them, he quickly whispered to her softly on her ears. About Lin Jian, Ah Man, and Xiu... he totally disregarded them. If they wanted to listen to him, then he would let them be.

    "Do you remember something of me that is always soft when it¡¯s not being provoked by you? However, once you provoke it with your little hand or pretty little mouth, it will turn harder in a second... Not only that, but it will also bring you pleasure? Maybe... maybe in the future... it will help you to cook up a baby inside your womb?" Yao Ying shamelessly gave a detailed exnation to her while grinning widely.

    Yao Ling realized that ever since they got intimate, Yao Ying¡¯s aloofness was totally gone and he kept behaving like a rogue in front of her! She didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. However, she still loved both sides of him --- no matter what, he was her husband.

    Everyone would know what he meant with such a vivid description ah~! Yao Ling almost fainted in embarrassment when she started to realize what Yao Ying meant! He was the one who was the pervert ah~! Her thought had never gone to that direction even once!

    Lin Jian, Xiu, and Ah Man, "..."

    The three of them were speechless. Lin Jian and Xiu sighed in relief when they knew that Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu weren¡¯t able to hear Yao Ying¡¯s words. They really wanted to scold him so that he would not to talk those kinds of dirty talks in a public ce ah~! He would corrupt pure and innocent people like them ah~!

    ¡¯Please don¡¯t give up dog foods in the middle of the mission!¡¯ They thought to themselves. Their calm appearance almost cracked because of Yao Ying¡¯s lewd words! Howe the direction of the conversation changed from weapon to Yao Ying¡¯s ¡¯weapon down there¡¯ in a sh?

    They had just thought seriously about what kind of weapon was that when they heard Yao Ying¡¯s words. How could they not feel revulsion ah~? They didn¡¯t want to hear their intimate experience!

    They shuddered and decided to pretend that they didn¡¯t hear anything. Just let the lovebirds be ah~! It was better if they closed off their ears from now own to prevent themselves from listening to their conversation or else, they couldn¡¯t maintain their calm appearance one more.

    Yao Ling heard Yao Ying¡¯s direct word and if she still didn¡¯t understand what he meant, then she would be an idiot --- a real idiot! She took a nce at his ¡¯weapon down there¡¯ by reflex and the man proudly stood up straighter when he saw her gaze.

    ¡¯This man!¡¯ She thought to herself while gritting her teeth. She averted her gaze but Yao Ying had already seen her movement, so it was actually toote ah~!

    Yao Ling felt that she had behaved wantonly by looking at his manhood even though she couldn¡¯t really see anything, thus, she quickly turned her head away. However, she could see Yao Ying¡¯s mocking expression which made her feel irritated again. This man really had no shame!

    ¡¯Argh!¡¯ She yelled inwardly in frustration.

    "Be serious!" Yao Ling warned him while biting her lower lips. Yao Ling looked around and sighed in relief when she saw that no one had noticed their exchange. If she knew that the others only pretended to be oblivious, she would certainly vomit blood ah~! She would definitely banned Yao Ying from getting closer to her.

    Yao Ling pinched Yao Ying¡¯s waist once more and warned him again, "Behave! We are inside the pce for Buddha¡¯s sake!" Her eyes darted around carefully... she really hoped that Yao Ying would stop talking nonsense. She straightened her back and pretended that nothing was wrong.

    Yao Ying raised both of his hands in defeat andughed, "Fine... Fine... we will continue this at home after we finish the mission! We still have a long... long time ahead..." He really couldn¡¯t wait ah~!

    Yao Ying wasn¡¯t actually that pervert, however, he deliberately teased her and behaved like a rogue because Yao Ying had seen how tense Yao Ling was. He had felt it ever since they left the Prime Minister¡¯s manor. He knew that Yao Ling was very nervous, thus, he wanted to calm her nerves down. When he looked at her, it seemed like he had turned her nervousness into anger.

    Oh well... it was better this way.

    Yao Ling blushed, making her look even more enchanting. However, she still murmured her agreement which made Yao Ying feel satisfied with her lovable response.

    Yao Ying looked up and walked leisurely, he identally looked at Lin Jian who was ring at him. ¡¯Stop it!¡¯ Lin Jian mouthed at him with a frown.

    Yao Ying blinked his eyes and pretended to be innocent. ¡¯What?¡¯

    Lin Jian red even more. ¡¯You know what! Stop giving us dog foods!¡¯ He pouted when he saw how fake Yao Ying was! Thetter definitely knew what he was talking about ah~!

    Yao Ying merely grinned at him and pointed at Xiao Fang, ¡¯It will be your turn sooner orter!¡¯

    Lin Jian looked at Yao Ying with wide eyes. ¡¯You... you...!¡¯

    Before Yao Ying could tease Lin Jian more after seeing his funny reaction, Ah Man cleared his throat, trying to remind them to behave.

    Ah Man wondered where these youngsters¡¯ confidence came from ah~! They were able to joke around in this kind of serious situation. They were already inside the pce ah~! The etiquette was very important here even if they wereing in through the back door. Once they made a mistake, with one word from the Emperor and his royal family, they would lose their head ah~!

    Fortunately, they were mixed with other ordinary people... otherwise, they would look so out ce. Some of them also whispered or talked to each other. Some of them were looking around with interest --- after all, everything in here was quite precious and they wouldn¡¯t be able to see those things at an ordinary day.

    When the pce maids felt that their voices started to get louder, they looked at them in a mixture of annoyance and disdain. One of the older ones who seemed to be the leader of those pce maidservants quickly gazed at them with sharp eyes and said in a loud and stern voice, "Be quiet!"

    She was standing at the very front of the line-up and after saying that, she stopped moving while looking behind. If the others didn¡¯t pause their step in time, she would have been pushed by the person behind her.

 Chapter 352 Their Ten

    The old pce maidservant gave a signal to her trusted subordinate to let her quickly assign two pce maidservants to each trope. Those pce maidservants would be in charge of the trope and if something wrong happened, the pce maidservants would be the one who would take responsibilities along with the people they were in charge of.

    This was done to make it easier for the old Mo Mo to check everything that happened through her own subordinates. Not only that, but she also added two pce guards for each trope --- just to be on the safer side. It would be easier to subduemoners who didn¡¯t know their ce.

    Themoners were surprised by her sudden warning and they quickly shut their mouth in fear --- no one dared to say anything anymore. Their previous amazed and cheerful demeanor was gone. The old pce maidservant had a lot of experiences and she knew how to control the situation cleverly. That old Mo Mo wasn¡¯t as simple as how she looked like.

    The status of thosemoners was far worse than the pce maidservants. That was the reason why the old pce maidservant was able to intimidate themoners in a few words. However, to Yao Ling and friends... her words merely looked like a joke. They sneered at the old Mo Mo, but they didn¡¯t do anything. After all, they still needed to continue with their pretense.

    They knew that people with more power would always bully the weaker ones. This was the rule of the jungle which would always be applied in real life.

    The officials who let their sons or daughters perform in the banquet would take them into the pce directly from the front gate. How could the let them go inside with themoners through the side door? It would be a p to their faces ah~! That was the reason why the pce maidservants behaved arrogantly here. They didn¡¯t need to be afraid to offend these people.

    If these people were those officials¡¯ family, they wouldn¡¯t dare to reprimand any of them. People tended to fear those who were more powerful than themselves ah~! However, the old Mo Mo¡¯s warning wasn¡¯t that baseless... it was indeed important to pay attention to little details when someone went into the pce.

    The old pce maidservant exined in a loud voice because she wanted everyone to listen to her words clearly, "This is the pce --- a sacred ce where the Han Emperor and Empress live. All of you should behave carefully! The pce has its own set of rules. Don¡¯t make a sound! Don¡¯t look around! Don¡¯t touch anything! Don¡¯t covet anything! Just keep to yourself! If you do something wrong, your head could roll on the ground."

    She deliberately made a scary example so that people knew the seriousness of their situation. In the pce, their life could be considered as mere toys for those powerful people.

    The old pce maidservant already disdained to be given job as thosemoners¡¯ ¡¯caretaker¡¯ because she was actually one of the Mo Mo who had a high position in the pce. However, she also knew the importance of this job and didn¡¯t dare to ck off. That was why when she saw them behaved atrociously, she felt even more indignant with this job.

    If she let them be and something happened to them, she would be the one who would be med and she didn¡¯t dare to take that risk.

    After saying her pieces of mind, the old Mo Mo harrumphed and told the maidservants under her to take each trope to their own ces. They were told to keep an eye on them carefully. She would rest and wait for their reports.

    Two beautiful pce maidservants were assigned to Yao Ling¡¯s troupe. One was tall with a slim body while the other was on the chubbier side and looked cuter. The slim one looked so arrogant and turned up her nose at them, clearly looking down on them and seemingly didn¡¯t have the n to talk to them. On the other hand, the chubby one greeted them warmly with a lovely smile on her face.

    "We will take you to your tent," thetter said in a soft voice. Then, she pointed at two guards who followed them and said, "They will guard you just in case there is an unexpected situation."

    The woman was clever with words. She made it look like the guards were there to protect them, instead of guarding against them. However, no one would dare to point out that fact. Yao Ying tried to probe the pce guards with his inner qi and he found that they were just ordinary guards. However, he could feel the presence of hidden guards all around the perimeter.

    He sneered inwardly. No wonder they dared to ce only two pce guards around for their trope.

    Yao Ling answered politely with a smile, "Thank you, Gu Niang."

    Thetter just waved her hand and she introduced their name, "If you have something that you need help with, you can call us. My name is Bai Yi and her name is Bai Jiu." She pointed at her friend who kept her silence through all of the introduction.

    Yao Ling¡¯s trope murmured their agreement and thanked her at the same time. Probably because they were Feng Yong Rui¡¯s people, their trope was ced at the front. They could see that they were put in clutter at one ce and they were separated only by a tent with the other trope.

    Yao Ying still paid attention to those two men with a hidden weapon, wanting to see which tent they were assigned to. At least, he should know which direction they were going. Otherwise, it would take a lot of time to search those tents one by one.

    Yao Ling asked curiously at Bai Yi, "Gu Niang, is this ce far from the banquet ce?" She just wanted to distract the pce maidservants so that Yao Ying would easily follow those two men¡¯s movement.

    Bai Yi and Bai Jiu looked at each other, feeling suspicious of Yao Ling --- after all, no one would usually dare to ask like this question. They would just stay quiet and wait to be called --- that was it. A thought appeared in both of their mind, ¡¯Does she n to do something by asking them for information?¡¯

    Yao Ling noticed this and she quicklyughed nervously while trying to appease both of the pce maids, "Actually... we are quite nervous. Not only that, but we need to prepare ahead of time because our performance is a bitplicated."

    Yao Ling bit her lower lip while wringing her handkerchief, pretending to be nervous. Bai Yi nced at her, trying to see whether she was deceiving her or not. When she saw her nervous state, she started to believe in Yao Ling.

    Bai Yi answered her, "This ce isn¡¯t that far. Don¡¯t worry! We will let you know when is your trope¡¯s turn once we get the schedule from our Mo Mo."

    Yao Ling said, "Thank you, Gu Niang. We need to prepare everything at least one shichen before..."

    Bai Yi nodded, "I will let you know before that."

    Yao Ling sighed in relief when she heard that. After that, they were no longer talking because they had arrived in their tent.

    Once they were inside, Bai Yi and Bai Jiu didn¡¯t really follow them in. She just gave them a few pointers before they left.

    Yao Ling quickly asked Yao Ying in a low voice, "Can you find out those two people¡¯s whereabouts?"

 Chapter 353 Lin Jians Joke

    Yao Ying nodded his head. "I know. What do you want me to do?" He asked in a whisper.

    "Can you sneak out from here and find them?" Yao Ling asked curiously. They needed to do this if they wanted their n to work.

    "I suppose I can, but I probably need Lin Jian¡¯s help. When I talk to them, I need someone to guard the perimeter --- just to be on the safe side," Yao Ying answered confidently. Although he could feel there were so many hidden guards, their level wasn¡¯t that high --- probably because they were confident with their numbers. Not only that, but they also had so many ordinary guards around. Why should they afraid of meremoners?

    They couldn¡¯t do this all alone because they were in the enemy¡¯s territory. Honestly, he didn¡¯t know theyout of this pce at all. Blindly going out would be dangerous, even if he was stronger than most of the guards here.

    Lin Jian heard his name was mentioned when he passed by the couple, thus, he decided toe to them. "What happened? Why do you need my help?" He asked curiously from behind them which made the couple jump up in surprise. Lin Jian felt curious because he didn¡¯t know Yao Ling¡¯s n. Didn¡¯t they already have a sound n? Was there a change at thest minute? That was the thought that fleeted inside Lin Jian¡¯s mind.

    Yao Ying exined everything to him about what Yao Ling had seen, even though Yao Ying knew that Lin Jian must have known about it. He just didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to feel embarrassed and Yao Ying also told Lin Jian Yao Ling¡¯s new n in details.

    Lin Jian frowned and asked, "What kind of weapon is that? Give us the description! I want to know whether it¡¯s a real weapon or just a prop for their performance..." It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t believe in Yao Ling¡¯s judgment, but he just needed more assurance, because the n was a bit too risky.

    Yao Ling blushed when she heard the question. It made her remember Yao Ying¡¯s lewd words after she had described the weapon to him, so how could she repeat the exnation once again? She would die in embarrassment ah~! What if Lin Jian thought of the same thing as Yao Ying?

    "It¡¯s... it¡¯s..." Yao Ling answered in hesitation while her face was as red as tomatoes. She finally gave up, "I will just let Yao Ying exin it to you! He speaks better than me." She added thest reason, so it would appear more reasonable.

    Lin Jian saw Yao Ling¡¯s red face and felt confused when he suddenly remembered why she was being so shy and he almost choked on his ownughter. That conversation was too funny ah~! However, he wouldn¡¯t deliberately embarrass Yao Ling and could only swallow back his ownughter. Lin Jian still respected Yao Ling ah~!

    Yao Ying wasn¡¯t that oblivious and he seemed to know that Lin Jian heard their conversation, thus, he decided to take charge at exining the details just like how Yao Ling had exined to him before. Soft and suddenly became hard... He warned Lin Jian with his eyes so that thetter wouldn¡¯t talk any nonsense.

    "When the weapon was hard... how did it look like?" Lin Jian tried to ask them with a straight look, however, a slight crack in his voice and his slightly curling up lips betrayed him. After all, he found this exnation really funny ah~!

    Yao Ling blushed and answered honestly, "It¡¯s just like a normal sharp sword." She didn¡¯t dare to look at Lin Jian¡¯s face just in case she would reveal her embarrassment, so she didn¡¯t know Lin Jian¡¯s expression, otherwise, she would know that thetter had known everything from the beginning.

    "How about when it was soft?" Lin Jian asked once again in a serious expression. Inwardly, he thought of Yao Ying¡¯s joke which almost made him lose control and want to chuckle, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t really appropriate to do it here.

    Yao Ling bit her lower lips and answered, "I couldn¡¯t see it clearly but I could see that the man put it on his waist and it disappear inside his clothing. There was no sign of anything hard poking out from his clothing..."

    When Lin Jian listened to thest part, he almost fell down andughed while rolling on the ground. ¡¯Something hard... poking out from his clothing?!¡¯ This... this description was a bit...

    Yao Ying had the same thought but he red at Lin Jian. If it was only him, it was okay ah~! After all, Yao Ling was her wife and it was alright for him to tease her. If Lin Jian dared to tease her... he would really kick his butt!

    When Lin Jian saw Yao Ying¡¯s sharp gaze, he quickly sobered up. He knew that thetter started to get serious --- it was time to go back to their business. If he said something more about ¡¯the weapon¡¯, Yao Ying would definitely kill him ah~!

    Lin Jian pondered over a little bit, thinking about what kind of weapon it was. He loved weapons, thus, he collected so many weapons all around the kingdom. He seemed to have remembered having this type of weird weapon in his collection, but he didn¡¯t have the chance to try it.

    "Ying, do you remember my weapon collection?" Lin Jian decided to ask Yao Ying --- just to make sure that he made the right guess.

    "Mmm... I think I remember that you have one with the same description," Yao Ying answered. However, if people didn¡¯t have a good inner qi, it would be hard to control and use this weapon ah~! He started to think that those two men must have been an expert and wondered why they had to bring it out just before they would be inspected by the pce guards.

    Lin Jian exined the part that made Yao Ling confused, "That weapon can be a belt as well and that supposes to be the reason why it vanished inside the man¡¯s clothing. People would need to use their inner qi to turn it into a proper weapon and an ordinary guard won¡¯t be able to notice the importance of this weapon."

    Yao Ling nodded her head in understanding, and at the same time, felt relieved because she didn¡¯t actually make an error of judgment. It was indeed a weapon ah~!

    "How do you think of my n?" Yao Ling asked Lin Jian, Yao Ying, and Xiao Fang. Thetter joined them a bitter because she was busy checking out the tent and organizing the preparation, but she already got the gist of Yao Ling¡¯s n.

    Lin Jian nodded his head and answered, "It¡¯s feasible. However, we will need Xiao Fang¡¯s help too."

    "Me? What can I do?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion while pointing at herself.

    "Do you remember the pce¡¯syout?" Lin Jian asked. "We need it. After all, we have never been here before. But you have been here so many time, so you should be able to remember it, right?" Lin Jian had the same thought as Yao Ying.

    Xiao Fang nodded her head. "I remember, however, I rarely go to this side of the pce. I always came in here through the front gate and merely stayed at Han Xiang¡¯s courtyard or the garden." Then, she remembered something, "My maidservants should have remembered it better than me. They used to go around here because this ce seems to be near the kitchen. However, I need to ask them just to be sure."

    Thus, she called over one of her first-rank maidservants and quickly asked her whether she could draw theyout of this ce. Xiao Fang chose the clever one and very clever at drawing, fortunately, that maidservant was able to draw a detailed map of the surrounding area.

 Chapter 354 Easy Peasy!

    After receiving the map, Lin Jian and Yao Ying quickly searched for those two men. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t that hard. No matter how many shadow guards there, it would be hard to control so many people at once. They were able to find a few loopholes and found those two men in a sh.

    Besides, their tent wasn¡¯t really that far from their ce, so it made it easier for them to find those two men. When they were going to talk to them quietly, coincidentally, those two men also came out of their tent stealthily. They made a secret gesture and it seemed like no one in their tent knew about their intentions.

    They loudly yelled inside the tent that they needed a ce to relieve themselves, before they came out and behaved like thieves.

    Those two men were also roaming around, seemed to search for something or someone¡¯s whereabouts. Yao Ying and Lin Jian decided to follow them --- to find out their purpose ofing into the pce. Maybe they could use this as ckmail material. Besides, they needed to investigate them before offering them a cooperation opportunity, right?

    From the way they saw it, it seemed like they were indeed hired assassins. The way they moved was a good proof. They could blend into their surroundings and could bypass several hidden guards easily without batting eyshes --- they even treated those hidden guards as a joke. Their breathing was almost non-existence! This was the first requirement as an assassin --- to cleverly hide their presence and blend with their surroundings.

    Hopefully, they had the same goal --- the Han Emperor and the wicked concubine. If they were ordered to kill them, it was better ah~! They didn¡¯t need to work hard but they would add some spices to fire it up. Thus, they were able to have a happy cooperation. Or else, they needed to kill those two men to protect their own identities.

    Before they set off, Yao Ling told Yao Ying that there was a way to guarantee their cooperation even without needing to convince those two men and wasting words to them... Yao Ling provided them with poison. Once the cooperation had finished, she would give them the antidotes. Of course, she would need to see their performance whether they were good partners or not.

    Easy peasy!

    Yao Ying felt that having a clever wife was so convenience sometimes --- she really helped and made his job easier with her skills by a lot. There was a great Chinese idiom that really portrayed this matter. ¡¯N¨¢n-n¨· d¨¡p¨¨i, g¨¤nhu¨® b¨´ l¨¨i¡¯ which meant that when men and women worked together they didn¡¯t feel tired. This idiom could be applied to their rtionship and Yao Ying felt so grateful for having Yao Ling as his wife.

    Yao Ying looked at the people that they followed and he still wanted to see what those two men were nning to do, but those two were very careful when moving around.

    Lin Jian whispered softly, "What do you think they want to do?"

    Yao Ying shrugged his shoulder off helplessly. "How should I know? There are so many possibilities ah~!" The fight inside the pce was quite messy, so he didn¡¯t know who sent those men. The Han Emperor had many princesses and princes because his harem was quite full with many prettydies and he didn¡¯t seem to n to stop collecting new beautifuldies any time soon.

    The fight between those people would be crazy enough --- they tended to kill each other to achieve their goal and there were a few attempts of assassinations towards the Han Emperor himself. So many people wanted to kill others...

    Thus, he couldn¡¯t really guess ah~!

    Yao Ying sighed. "However, we can¡¯t be out for too long because we still need to prepare a few things for our performance ah~!"

    Lin Jian nodded his head. "If they don¡¯t reveal their purpose sooner, we should use the hard way."

    Yao Ying smirked but agreed with Lin Jian --- the sooner they finished this task, the better.

    Finally, they saw that the two men were meeting up with a man --- a eunuch, to be exact. They started to realize it from the way that eunuch talked with a high-pitched voice. Even though he wore amoner outfit, he couldn¡¯t cover up hisck of masculinity.

    It seemed like the eunuch was their partner, judging from how close they were --- maybe this wasn¡¯t the first time they were working together as well.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian tried to get as close as possible to those three while listening to their conversations. They were still able to hear bits and pieces and once they put the pieces together, they understood everything that they were talking about.

    "Have you prepared everything?" The eunuch asked in a low voice while looking around in a hurry --- he felt afraid that someone would find out about this meeting. This ce was quite deserted, but he couldn¡¯t stop his anxiety.

    Both men pulled out the weapons and showed them to the eunuch which made thetter feel satisfied. Those weapons indeed were like how Yao Ling described it to be and their guess was correct.

    "When should we do it?" One of the two men asked.

    The eunuch answered, "Just like how we nned before ah~! When both of you do your performance."

    "Do you know where the target¡¯s position will be? There will be so many people in the banquet --- we need to have an estimation and also, do you have his picture?" One of the men asked once again.

    The people in the pce rarely showed his face --- without a proper picture, how could the assassins know their target for sure? They couldn¡¯t just randomly kill people there --- after all, the banquet was attended by important and powerful figures of this kingdom. They needed to kill the man and quickly ran away!

    Yao Ying shook his head when he saw those two amateurs... Shouldn¡¯t they make a research about the target before receiving the assignment? This was a basic knowledge for assassins ah~! Trying to find information on the day of the assassination was quite funny for him and honestly, very stupid.

    No wonder those two were sloppy enough to let Yao Ling see their weapons out of nowhere. Was there any use for high martial arts skills if they were brainless?!

    Yao Ying wasn¡¯t wrong in his deduction, however, this matter happened because the assassins were hired the previous day and they didn¡¯t have the chance to find any pieces of information before. It was lucky for Yao Ying and Lin Jian, otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get such a detailed exnation of those assassins¡¯ assignment if it wasn¡¯t because of this reason.

    The eunuch gave them the seating information of the banquet, showing that he actually had a high status inside the pce. No one would dare to give a lowly eunuch such an important piece of information ah~!

    They wondered who did the eunuch serve? What kind of important figure that person was?

    They felt even more curious with the target¡¯s identity --- he must not be an ordinary person... If they could their hand on the seating information, it would be great and save them a great deal of trouble! Too bad, they were too far to see the drawing, so perhaps, they needed to steal it from them.

    The eunuch gave it along with a drawing of their target. He exined something to them in a low voice while pointing at the target¡¯s designated ce to seat. One of the men opened the drawing and because it was bigger, Yao Ying and Lin Jian were able to see the target¡¯s face clearly.

    They were dumbfounded when they saw the person¡¯s face because the target was someone that they knew!

    ¡¯Oh My Buddha!¡¯

 Chapter 355 So Complicated

    They clearly saw it was Feng Yong Rui¡¯s painting. But... But... why? There were so many officials that would attend the banquet, so why were these men assigned to kill him? Was there a special reason?

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked at each other with wide eyes and mouthed at the same time, "Isn¡¯t it Xiao Fang¡¯s father?!"

    Then, they had a gut feeling that the person who hired these two men might be the Han Emperor. However, why did he hire them?! Was it because of the blood letter? Or, maybe because he didn¡¯t want to be connected to this matter altogether...

    They thought the target of those two men would be the Han Emperor, who knew that it was actually Xiao Fang¡¯s father --- they needed to warn him through Ah Man after they finished listening to these people¡¯s conversation. However, time passed by in a slow-motion for them, because they were too worried after knowing the target.

    They had to pass the news to Feng Yong Rui as soon as possible.

    "Do you remember what you should do if you fail to kill the target or maybe... being captured after killing the target?" The eunuch asked in a low threatening voice. He squinted his eyes viciously at the two men, which made those assassins feel afraid. Just by looking at this, Yao Ying and Lin Jian could see that the eunuch wasn¡¯t simple.

    The two assassins knew that after receiving the assignment rted to the pce, there would be little chance for them to survive. However, they had prepared themselves beforehand, so they weren¡¯t feeling too surprised by their employer¡¯s heartless demand. Besides, they had never been given a chance to refuse the job --- they took their families as hostages ah~!

    Both of them nodded their head obediently and answered at the same time, "We know. Don¡¯t worry! We won¡¯t make any mistake."

    After that, one of them carefully asked, "Then the third prince¡¯s promise...?" He didn¡¯t dare to ask for more, thus, he could only give the eunuch a hint through his halfway question.

    The eunuchughed lowly while answering them confidently, "Of course, it will be done just as we promised. The third prince will guarantee your family¡¯s safety and they will neverck anything for the rest of their lives." After that, he red at the assassin who said the third prince¡¯s name and warned, "After this, don¡¯t ever say the name of your employer once again. Do you hear me? Tell the name of the person that we have discussed before."

    The eunuch looked around carefully and when he saw that no one was around, he sighed in relief. He sneered at the two assassins and thought inwardly, ¡¯They were so stupid! How could they say the third prince¡¯s name that easily!¡¯

    The eunuch wasn¡¯t satisfied with these two people because they weren¡¯t the best, but he had no choice. This was ast-minute n and they couldn¡¯t find any suitable people --- except these two in such short notice. There were a lot of loopholes in this n, but their fraction couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye from such a good chance to stir amotion. The eunuch smirked to himself. His master was really clever and he would wait along with the master to see their fruit ofbors.

    Both men sighed in relief and they thanked the eunuch in advance. They didn¡¯t know whether the eunuch¡¯s master would really do as he promised, but they could only do this to save their families. It would be better if they could get out of this alive, so they could take their families away and hide after this matter was dealt with.

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian looked at each other in surprise while having the same thought, ¡¯The third prince?!¡¯

    Yao Ying whispered to Lin Jian in a low voice, "Do you believe that this is the third prince¡¯s work?" Somehow, it didn¡¯t seem right to him... unless there was an unknown enmity between the third prince and Feng Yong Rui. However, Qi Hao had never mentioned about this thing before. Their fault was for not investigating about theplicated political matter in the Han Kingdom beforehand.

    After all, they only nned to help Xiao Fang without involving themselves with the political matter of another kingdom any further. Who knew that knowing about this matter was actually quite crucial? However, it was toote ah~!

    After passing through a lot of hurdles and problems, they honestly thought they had already experienced enough to handle every problem that was thrown at them easily. They started to realize how arrogant they were ah~! They still had a lot to learn, no wonder Feng Yong Rui wanted Ah Man to pay attention and give a few pieces of advice for them.

    Feng Yong Rui probably already knew about their shorings.

    Lin Jian shook his head helplessly. "I don¡¯t know... I only heard the rumor that the third prince is a waste and there is no chance for him to win the throne --- even the Han Emperor has never considered him at all. There are two possibilities --- one is that the third price has hidden himself deeply and started to move to stir things up after waiting for the right time. The other one is that someone tries to frame him by using his name..."

    Lin Jian knew some basic information about the Han Kingdom because of Mi Hui, however, it was also a piece of basic knowledge about the princes and princesses in this kingdom. He didn¡¯t read about it deeper. Who knew that it could be soplicated.

    Yao Ying felt that this type of battle really gave him a headache. There were so many possibilities that made them couldn¡¯t choose which one was the right one. They needed to gamble ah~!

    Yao Ying asked Lin Jian, "Why don¡¯t we take those men to our side?"

    Lin Jian sighed. "I don¡¯t think it will be that easy. Based on their conversation, the eunuch has their families under their control. I¡¯m afraid... even if they are being poisoned, there is a possibility that they will still choose their family over their life. Besides, killing people in the pce... they should have known the consequences as well."

    Yao Ying solemnly nodded. Those men must have prepared to die. Yao Ying shuddered when he realized how serious the battle of the throne was. He felt lucky that he wasn¡¯t a part of the royal family --- he just wanted a peaceful life with Yao Ling.

    "Do you think it¡¯s possible to use Mi Hui¡¯s contact to handle those two men¡¯s family?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Lin Jian shook his head. "No, we don¡¯t have enough time."

    "What should we do?" Yao Ying asked helplessly. He really wanted to know the real employer of those two men and follow the eunuch, but the risk was quite high. Was it worth it?

    "Should we follow that eunuch or the two assassins?" Yao Ying asked because he wanted to know Lin Jian¡¯s thought.

    Lin Jian also got a headache because of this ah~! One wrong choice and this wouldn¡¯t end up well for them. "Should we go on our separate way after they finish talking? I will follow the eunuch and you will deal with those two men. How is that sound?"

    "But, it¡¯s too dangerous! Not only that, but I¡¯m afraid that we won¡¯t be able to go back in time to warn Uncle Feng Yong Rui ah~!" Yao Ying tried to reason with Lin Jian, even though he also liked the idea.

    Even though they were talking, their eyes had never left those three. They didn¡¯t want to miss their conversation. It seemed like their conversation was almost finished. Yao Ying and Lin Jian only had a few split moments to make a decision. If they were toote, the three of them would already be gone.

    "How?" Lin Jian asked Yao Ying --- he let Yao Ying make a decision.

 Chapter 356 New Plan

    Yao Ying couldugh bitterly. How could Lin Jian let him do the choosing? He was also confused at the moment because this matter was too important ah~!

    Yao Ying¡¯s face started to lit up when he suddenly thought of something and he whispered a new simple n to handle the two assassins. If they couldn¡¯t convince the assassins, they could take the matter into their own hands! Yao Ying smirked inwardly when he knew that the new n would give a lot of advantages to their own main n.

    They knew that the assassins would be back to their tent, so they shouldn¡¯t feel afraid of losing them. If they did his n, they would kill two birds with one stone.

    Hmm... probably three birds... if everything went sessful.

    Because by doing this new n, they didn¡¯t need to find out about the eunuch¡¯s master. On the contrary, the eunuch and his master would be the one who searched for them by themselves.

    Thus, they let the three of them went separate ways. They were pretty sure that the assassins were going to go back to their tent. However, they needed to subdue them before they could go back.

    Lin Jianughed in a low voice while patting Yao Ying¡¯s shoulder and praised thetter, "You are really smart!" His eyes were twinkling with happiness. "It¡¯s really a good idea. Although I¡¯m not really sure whether the eunuch¡¯s master will find us or not."

    Yao Ying shrugged his shoulders. "It doesn¡¯t really matter anyway... Honestly, it doesn¡¯t really concern us in the first ce. I mean, the pce struggle inside this pce because this isn¡¯t our kingdom. We will get no benefits anyway. Our main points are to do our n tonight and protect Xiao Fang¡¯s father..."

    Lin Jian murmured his agreement. "Indeed..." He said while nodding. Fortunately, Yao Ying was quite clear-headed so he could think of such a good n in a short time.

    They quickly executed their n, fortunately, Qi Hao had people who had the skills to help them. The two of them were back to their tent and told Ah Man, Yao Ling, and Xiao Fang about everything they had heard and the new n. Ah Man was surprised and became paler at first when he heard that they targeted his master, however, after they told him Yao Ying¡¯s n, Ah Man was able to sigh in relief and smiled.

    "I will ask Young Master Qi Hao for his help as well after rying the entire message," Ah Man gave a promise and he quickly went out of the tent. This was a piece of important news ah~! If Yao Ying¡¯s n worked nicely, they wouldn¡¯t need to worry about the assassination. However, everyone needed to work well on their part or else, the n would fail.

    Yao Ling asked in a low voice, "What about the assassins¡¯ families?" She still felt pity for the assassins, after all, they didn¡¯t really want to do this job.

    There were some things that Yao Ying couldn¡¯t say to his wife or it would lead into a quarrel, however, Lin Jian was different. He quickly answered on behalf of Yao Ying when he noticed that Yao Ying shouldn¡¯t answer this question or it would hurt Yao Ling¡¯s feelings.

    Lin Jian sighed and answered carefully, "Yao Ling, I know that you are kindhearted. However, you still need to look at the big picture in every matter. The assassins¡¯ families have nothing to do with us --- we don¡¯t know them. If you turn this matter the other way around or from another perspective, our family also doesn¡¯t matter to those assassins. They are willing to kill Xiao Fang¡¯s father for the sake of their families. We can also do the same --- we are just protecting ourselves and our family. It¡¯s a bit sad but it¡¯s the truth ah~!"

    Yao Ling sighed. "I know..." She answered weakly. She just thought people with power were really selfish and they were able to sacrifice the ordinary people¡¯s lives just for the sake of their benefits. This was the reason why sometimes she missed her simple life with Jiu Lan and Yao Ying back at the vige. Everything was so calm and peaceful despite she needed to do a lot of hard works by herself.

    It seemed like she still couldn¡¯t change her peasant side.

    Yao Ying noticed Yao Ling¡¯s sad mood and he patted her back tofort her. "Everything will be okay," he said in a soft voice. He added to himself, ¡¯Sooner orter, we will get used to it. No... not only will, but we have to! He just hopes that both of them will stay pure and not being blinded by their new status. For power could bring out people¡¯s greediness.¡¯

    Yao Ying decided to change the direction of their conversation and asked, "Do those pce maidservants give the schedule details for our performance?"

    Xiao Fang nodded. "We still have a few shichen to prepare ourselves." The person in charge was quite efficient because he or she let the pce maidservants give them a detailed list of the performance schedule so they could prepare themselves beforehand. This could save a lot of troubles for the pce maidservants --- after all, who dared not to prepare themselves for the banquet ah~?

    They couldn¡¯t afford to make the Empress Dowager unhappy at her birthday banquet. Even though the Han Emperor was quite lecherous, he was filial to the Empress Dowager.

    Xiao Fang gave the list to Yao Ying and Lin Jian. She didn¡¯t want to recite the long list, it seemed like the Han Emperor really invited a lot of people.

    The men took a look at the list and searched for the two assassins¡¯ trope¡¯s name so that they knew when those two assassins would perform. Each tent had the trope¡¯s name and the official¡¯s name that they represented, because of this, it was easier for them to find information.

    When Lin Jian found the assassins¡¯ trope¡¯s name and the name of the official who brought them, he asked, "Xiao Fang, do you know this official?" He wanted to know who the poor official was. If the assassins sessfully killed Feng Yong Rui, this official wouldn¡¯t escape from it as well.

    Xiao Fang took a peek at the name and it was her father¡¯s enemy --- or to be exact, he allied with the other prime minister who always fought with her father. "Interesting..." Xiao Fang pondered over the matter. They must have wanted to frame this as a fight between the two fractions.

    Yao Ling massaged her forehead, "This is soplicated." She really just wanted to do the performance well, deal with the wicked couple, go home, and sleep --- but it seemed like that it wouldn¡¯t be that easy ah~!

    Xiao Fangughed and said, "You will get used to it. I just think that whoever wants to hurt my family will be my enemy as well." Otherwise, she would get stressed out with the political matter.

    Yao Ling knew that Xiao Fang was right. If Wang Fu joined in the fight between the throne, Yao Ying and her would be affected as well. She just hoped that it wouldn¡¯t happen to her new family.

    The assassins¡¯ trope would perform after them, so it would be perfect. The eunuch¡¯s master wouldn¡¯t know that they had interfered with their n. They only needed to wait for Ah Man toe back and tell them that he had handled their n sessfully, so they could sigh in relief. They believed that it would be an easy thing for Ah Man to do.

    They also waited for Rong Qiu¡¯s news from Feng Yong Rui. Who knew that maybe Ah Man would tell them some good news about Rong Qiu as well before the performance so that they could do the n at ease...

    In the end, it woulde down to their performance. May Buddha would bless them and everything would go smoothly that night!

 Chapter 357 Rong Qius News

    Ah Man came to bring them some news before their performance started. Feng Yong Rui had agreed with the new n because they had a higher rate to sess with the new n and Qi Hao had also sent his people to help them --- they came along with Ah Man. Yao Ling and friends sighed in relief when they knew that they had both men¡¯s back up because it would make everything easier for them.

    Yao Ling asked Ah Man in a low voice, "Ah Man, what about my father¡¯s news? Do you find out anything about him? What happened to him?"

    At first, she was afraid to ask, but she saw that Ah Man was hesitant to tell her something, Then she made a guess that it must have been about Rong Qiu. If there was real news about him, at least, it was better than nothing.

    "I have a piece of news about Rong Qiu Da Ren," Ah Man answered. He exined that their spies in the pce were mostly alive and well. However, they saw that something was wrong in the pce, thus, they didn¡¯t dare to give out uncertain information. Not only that, but the spies from another fraction had been caught here and there --- thus, they could onlyy low for a little while.

    They didn¡¯t want to follow those spies¡¯ footsteps.

    It seemed like the Han Emperor tried to clean up his pce for some reasons that were unknown to everyone else. People kept wondering what had triggered the Han Emperor to do something big --- that was also the reason why the officials felt a bit nervous when they entered the pce at this time.

    They were afraid that something big would happen. Because so many spies were being plucked out, they also couldn¡¯t find much information about the banquet. In these sensitive times, those officials didn¡¯t dare to send a new batch of spies. It was better if they kept a low profile until everything had settled down.

    Feng Yong Rui¡¯s spies were hiding deep inside the pce, thus, it was hard to find them. Most of them were the confidants of important figures in the pce. Feng Yong Rui had nurtured the spies for a long time --- right after he found out about Xiao Fang¡¯s real identity.

    His regret was for not cing any spies at Han Xiang¡¯s courtyard, after all, he also trusted the littless was his daughter¡¯s best friend. He didn¡¯t think that Han Xiang would bring any harm to Xiao Fang --- it seemed like he miscalcted about this.

    Fortunately, due to many people that went into the pce today, it was easier for Ah Man to keep in touch with a few of their spies secretly. He was careful when he was meeting them and gaining some pieces of important information--- one of them was about Rong Qiu Da Ren.

    "How... How is he?" Yao Ling asked while gulping nervously.

    Ah Man answered, "He¡¯s currently fine."

    Yao Ling sighed in relief at first, however, she was in a panic after understanding Ah Man¡¯s meaning. "What do you mean by being fine at the moment? What about after this?" Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

    Ah Man helplessly looked at Yao Ling --- thetter was too emotional for him to handle and he nced at Yao Ying, asking for his help.

    "Ling-er, calm yourself down!" He said in a soft and yet, stern voice. Whenever something happened to her family, she always couldn¡¯t maintain her calmness. She really needed to learn to cover up her mood and expression better.

    Yao Ying understood her feelings a little bit. It was by luck that she was able to find her real father and because of that, she was too afraid of losing her newfound happiness --- but still, this mentality wasn¡¯t good if it continued on. He already tried to change the way she thought, but it was easier said than done!

    Yao Ling nodded her head and she felt guilty for forgetting Yao Ying¡¯s warn and teaching. She took a deep breath and became more serene, her previous weak image was gone in a heartbeat --- even Ah Man felt that Yao Ling was quite amazing ah~! How could her temperament change so fast?

    No... no... it wasn¡¯t only Yao Ling Gu Niang¡¯s ability, but it was also because of Yao Ying Gong Zi¡¯s reminder.

    Yao Ling asked in a more poised voice, "Please... tell me... how is my father?"

    Ah Man nodded his head in appreciation because it was easier to talk to a calm person. "It was said that the Han Emperor put him under house arrest for the time being. He was being kept inside one of the abandoned courtyards with a few guards and wasn¡¯t allowed to go out," Ah Man exined. "However, he is still treated fairly well, so I don¡¯t think that he is in immediate danger."

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows, "But... why? Does it have something to do with the matter at Crescent Lake?"

    "No, actually," Ah Man answered. The matter at the Crescent Lake couldn¡¯t be med to Rong Qiu, because at that time, he didn¡¯t trust the rumor easily or make big trouble for the esteemed guest. The one who made trouble by making the wrong decision and was already killed, Hong Wen. Thetter made a bold decision even after Rong Qiu tried to kill the rumor by making the Han Emperor¡¯s guest angry. In the end, it made the rtionship between the Han Emperor and the esteemed guest turned for the worst.

    It was impossible for the Han Emperor to work together with that important man, thus, it annoyed the Han Emperor. Because of the Han Emperor¡¯s current image problem, he didn¡¯t want to make a big deal about what had happened at Crescent Lake.

    "Then... why?!" Yao Ling asked in confusion.

    "It seemed like the Emperor wants Rong Qiu Da Ren to make aeback and be his right-hand man once more. The Emperor even apologized for not listening to Rong Qiu Da Ren¡¯s advice back then and ending up losing a loyal official," Ah Man exined.

    Lin Jian frowned and asked, "Why does the Emperor suddenly want Uncle Rong Qiu to make aeback?"

    Xiao Fang added, "He should have known that godfather is my father¡¯s best friend..."

    Yao Ying nodded his head in agreement. "Something seems a bit fishy..."

    Ah Man noticed that they were quite perspective and answered with simple sentences, "Master¡¯s guess is that the Emperor wants to use their rtionship... Maybe he wants to gain Rong Qiu Da Ren¡¯s knowledge about my master and use it to attack thetter."

    After all, from all of the officials, the one was the hardest to deal with was his master. That was why the Han Emperor became so restless.

    The youngsters shook their head --- at least, Rong Qiu was still safe at the moment. Yao Ying asked Ah Man, "What is Uncle Feng Yong Rui¡¯s n for my father inw?"

    Ah Man shook his head. "Master never told me anything in details because we were afraid that someone would hear our n. He just told me to tell you all that he will handle everything. Rong Qiu Da Ren will be safe under his care."

    Listening to this promise, they felt better --- especially Yao Ying and Yao Ling. This way, they would be able to focus on their performance.

    "Almost time... almost time... are you all ready?" A woman¡¯s voice traveled into the tent from the outside. It seemed to be Bai Yi¡¯s voice --- the pce maidservant hade back to the tent. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t barge in directly but announce her presence loudly.

    When Bai Yi opened the tent, she saw the hectic preparation inside the tent and she didn¡¯t feel suspicious for one bit.

    "Are you all ready?" She asked once again when she didn¡¯t hear an answer from any of the performers.

 Chapter 358 The Preparation of Their Performance

    Yao Ling looked up and smiled, "Bai Yi Gu Niang, we are almost ready. How much time do we still have left?"

    "Around an incense of stick of time. We still need to walk to the banquet¡¯s location and it will take quite a little while. That¡¯s why all of you should be in a hurry!" Bai Yi exined. Her supervisor had told her to give a reminder to her own trope --- they shouldn¡¯t bete or they would hinder the rest of the performances.

    Yao Ling quickly pretended to be nervous and tell the others to finish up everything quickly --- everything became so hectic in a sh. Bai Yi looked at the equipment that they brought and gasped in surprise. "Why are there so many?!" She asked in a loud voice. Not only many, but it looked so random too in her eyes.

    Yao Ling helplessly answered her, "Our master demanded us to present a spectacr performance, of course, we have to do the best. Thus, we must go all out. This equipment is also prepared with the help of the Prime Minister, otherwise, how could lowly performers like us afford it?"

    Bai Yi squinted her eyes, somehow, she was still feeling suspicious."What kind of performance that all of you will do?" She asked softly.

    "It¡¯s written on the schedule..." Yao Ling trailed off while pointing at the schedule at Bai Yi¡¯s hand.

    Bai Yi frowned. "However, that performance doesn¡¯t seem to need so many equipment? What is it all for?"

    Yao Ling helplessly exined to Bai Yi, fortunately, they already prepared a few answers beforehand and everything seemed to be reasonable. Bai Yi asked Yao Ling with a gentle smile, "Can I ask the guards to check on the equipment one by one? It¡¯s the protocol. We need to guard the Emperor¡¯s safety."

    Yao Ling pretended to look ufortable. "This..." She nced at Yao Ying and answered, "Can you ask him? He¡¯s our leader and I don¡¯t have the power to answer your question."

    At first, Bai Yi thought that the woman looked guilty because she nned something bad but when she knew that it was because of that reason, she started to calm down. ¡¯Maybe... I¡¯m thinking too much,¡¯ Bai Yi thought to herself. The other tropes also prepared a few types of equipment beforehand, even though not as many as this trope.

    Yao Ling had to admit that Bai Yi¡¯s intuition was very sharp.

    Yao Ling exined to Yao Ying about what Bai Yi wanted to do and Yao Ying quickly replied to Bai Yi, "Bai Yi Gu Niang, you can check them, but can you please be careful? We only have one each and we can¡¯t afford to search for a new one if one of them is broken down. It will ruin our performance." He pretended to look worried.

    Bai Yi sweated when she heard this because she knew that she couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Prime Minister¡¯s side. Even though it was only a request, it was also a disguised warn. Bai Yi almost forgot that this trope was representing an important figure in their kingdom. Besides, she didn¡¯t think that the Prime Minister would n something to harm the Emperor because the Prime Minister was known to be the most loyal dog of the Han Emperor.

    Bai Yi was a lowly pce maidservant, thus, she didn¡¯t get any news about the blood letter. Besides, even if she knew, the Han Emperor had refuted that it was only a rumor before this! Bai Yi pretended to be contemting over it but she didn¡¯t have the gut to check on the equipment carelessly, thus, she said, "We won¡¯t touch it, but we will only skim over it. How about it?"

    Yao Ying nodded his head happily when they reached a concession. "Of course. Thank you, Bai Yi Gu Niang."

    Bai Yi called the guard and let them check the equipment one by one after warning them that they needed to be careful when inspecting. They didn¡¯t find that something was wrong from their equipment. Bai Yi sighed in relief, knowing that she might have been thinking too much. After finishing the inspection, she asked the trope to follow her. They needed to stay at the waiting ce near the banquet¡¯s location and wait there. They needed to standby at least two performances before their own performance.

    Yao Ling and friends started to feel nervous when they walked to the banquet¡¯s location --- not because of the performance itself, but because of whether their n would be sessful or not. Although they were quite confident beforehand, when it was time, they could feel their hearts were beating faster and their stomachs were being twisted.

    If they failed, they could be killed on the spot ah~! After all, they were trying to y the Emperor. This wasn¡¯t just an ordinary conspiration.

    Bai Yi looked at them and could feel their nervousness, she mistakenly thought they were being nervous because they needed to perform in front of so many important figures. She would also feel the same if she had to serve those people ah~! One mistake and she could be beaten to death --- even worse, lose her head.

    Bai Yi tried to calm them down by saying, "Don¡¯t worry! Everything will be fine! Good luck!"

    Yao Ling smiled and thanked her for being kind. Bai Yi was different from other pce maidservants who were usually so snobbish and Yao Ling quite appreciated her kindness. She smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

    Once they arrived at the waiting ce, they saw that there were few more groups that would perform before them and they were already finished getting ready. There were probably around three of four groups. They sighed in relief because they could prepare themselves more --- mentally and physically.

    Bai Yi left them once they reached the waiting ce. Her job was finished for now, but she still needed to arrange them after their performance ended.

    Yao Ling and friends could hear the sound of zither ying beautifully and they checked the schedule list --- three more groups and then, it was their turn.

    Yao Ying held Yao Ling¡¯s hand and he could feel how cold her hand was. "We¡¯ll be fine," he said with a confident voice because he didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to feel his nervousness and be more worried.

    He whispered softly, "After everything go well, we can also reunite with father. Remember! We do this to avenge our mothers!"

    When Yao Ling heard that, she smiled happily. "En..." After that, she had be calmer and her eyes turned sharper. She would ruin that Emperor and find justice for her mothers! He had been treating Jiu Lan cruelly and also made her birth parents separated. That person had a lot of debt towards her families! The hatred made her feel her nervousness was gone and she became more confident.

    Lin Jian also told Xiao Fang the same thing, because the main point of this performance was Xiao Fang --- thetter had been learning her part for so long and the result at practice time was really good, but still, her performance was the hardest of all. At this time, the power of revenge was quite useful.

    It took a long time for Yao Ying and Lin Jian to think of this method ah~! Fortunately, it was sessful.

    They chatted until the trope that performed before them had gone out. It was almost their time and Bai Yi had alreadye to remind them. She gave them a little bit pointers, for example, where should they appear from or not offend any of the officials --- something like that.

    They were thinking about their performances, so they didn¡¯t really pay attention to what Bai Yi said and just nodded so that thetter would feel satisfied. They heard a pping sound from the outside, but it wasn¡¯t a cheery one. It seemed like it was a bad performance and it affected their mood.

    If the previous performance was bad, it would affect the audience¡¯s mood and it would be quite troublesome ah~!

    Everyone took a deep breath to calm their nerves and then, everyone was ready.

    It was their turn.

 Chapter 359 The Performance 1

    The lighting on the banquet was very bright and they could see the face of each audience clearly --- they looked so bored and annoyed. It seemed like they didn¡¯t really like the previous performance ah~! This was really so troublesome!

    They needed to lift up the mood first and this should be done by their first performer who would appear at the beginning. Thus, they started to feel nervous once again.

    Fortunately, they could see Feng Yong Rui¡¯s smile which trying tofort them and they became slightly rxed --- they really needed to be more confident in themselves. They could easily spot where Feng Yong Rui sat down because Yao Ying and Lin Jian had gotten the seating position after they handled the two assassins.

    The first one who would start the act would be Yao Ling and she would try to cheer the mood up with her music. Her qujin was ced in the middle of the room and there were beautifulntern decorations around her which made her look like an ethereal fairy. Yao Ling wore a veil to add a mysterious effect to the audience.

    When the audience saw Yao Ling, they were entranced by the beauty that she was emitted. There was no need to see her face for them to be dazzled by her prettiness. The previous solemn atmosphere changed for the better in a sh --- it really gave Yao Ying mixed feelings. People were attracted to his wife, he felt proud and at the same time, slightly ufortable. After all, his wife was being coveted by so many men because he could the lust in most of those officials¡¯ faces.

    He sighed and knew that he should be focused on their performance, because after Yao Ling¡¯s apperance on the stage, it would be his turn.

    Once Yao Ling yed the song fluently, people felt even more entranced. The song started in a low melodious tune which broke the silence after the people gazed admiringly at Yao Ling. Even though they couldn¡¯t see her face, her snow-white skin and slim figure brought a lovely image to the audience. They could see her enchanting and sharp clever eyes which looked so pure.

    They could detect a slight nervousness from the woman which made Yao Ling look so frail and alluring. It made the men really wanted to protect her --- even the Han Emperor couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from her. This made Feng Yong Rui feel slightly nervous just in case the Han Emperor thought to make Yao Ling one of his women.

    However, when he remembered about the n, Feng Yong Rui noticed that there would be no time for the Han Emperor to do that. Thus, he was able to put his heart down.

    Some of the women felt jealous when they saw how the men were attracted to that lowly woman by only a nce. They sneered when they thought that she was merely amoner and at most, she could only be a lowly concubine. However, the sound of Yao Ling¡¯s qujin made them feel surprised as well.

    This wasn¡¯t the type of song that could be learned easily by an ordinary woman --- they felt pretty sure that thetter wouldn¡¯t have a famous teacher to guide. After all, a famous teacher would usually teach nobledies only. If she could learn this all alone, it meant that she was a genius.

    Or... was she a nobledy?

    A lof of thoughts were fleeting inside their minds. If they knew Yao Ling was able to learn this song for a few days, they would certainly vomit blood ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui was quite surprised because of Yao Ling¡¯s ability. She had said that she wasn¡¯t good at it, but judging from her performance, only a few people could beat her!

    "Who¡¯s the one preparing this performance?" The Han Emperor asked in a low voice to his surroundings.

    It was Feng Yong Rui¡¯s cue to answer because he also identally heard the question, "It¡¯s this official, Emperor."

    When Feng Yong Rui answered, there was a nce of distasteful and wary in the Han Emperor¡¯s eyes but thetter covered it up with a gentle smile. "Oh... where do you find such a beautiful woman?" That was the question that he had been wanting to ask.

    Feng Yong Rui sweated when he heard the Han Emperor¡¯s words because it meant that he was indeed feeling iteresten in Yao Ling, but he calmly answered, "This is just the first part. There will be more surpriseter." Feng Yong Rui tried to divert the Han Emperor¡¯s attention towards Yao Ling.

    "Hmmm..." The Han Emperor¡¯s interest was piqued by Feng Yong Rui¡¯s words and decided to pay more attention to the performance by letting go of the woman for now. It would always be fun for him to see beautiful women. Maybe there would be more beautiful women?

    The wicked concubine saw the Han Emperor¡¯s interested face and there was slight displeasure in her face. She was getting older and how could shepete with the younger ones if the Emperor¡¯s habits kept continuing like this? However, knowing that this performance was prepared by Feng Yong Rui, she had a n to prevent that from happening.

    The Empress who sat beside the Han Emperor only gazed coldly at everything that happened around her. As a husband, the Han Emperor had been trampling her feelings over and over again --- not only because his habit to add concubines to the backyard, but he even showed her favoritism to the wicked concubine and never gave her any face! Thus, she didn¡¯t bother to pretend to be docile in front of the Emperor but it made their rtionship turn even colder.

    She saw a glint inside the wicked concubine¡¯s eyes and knew that thetter was plotting something. ¡¯Hmph! If she doesn¡¯t one this beautiful woman to be a concubine, then she will make it happen just to annoy her!" The Empress thought to herself, but she knew that she shouldn¡¯t be rash --- she should just abide her time. She just wanted the wicked concubine to be jealous and miserable, even though she knew that thetter was too clever to fall into her trap.

    They continued to look at Yao Ling¡¯s performance. When the qujin¡¯s sound turned faster and showing Yao Ling¡¯s skill, even more, there were a few people slowly appeared. Two men were holding one pole each while there was a thin rope that connected both on the upper side of the tools --- those two men looked a bit muscr and when they held onto the pole, their muscle looked domineering.

    The Han Emperor felt wary because he was afraid that something would go wrong, but when he remembered his n, he calmed himself down. No one would dare to harm him.

    People were curious about what that equipment for, but they didn¡¯t have to wait for too long. Yao Ying appeared with his handsome appearance which made the officials¡¯ daughters gasp in surprise when they looked at how beautiful this man was. With a flick of inner qi in his feet, he jumped up andnded at the thin rope.

    The crowds gasped in surprise when they saw how bold he was --- even the Emperor was also interested. The nobles and pce important figures had never been strolling down the street and even though this might be a quitemon performance on the street, they had never seen this before. Besides, Xiao Fang cleverlybined the high skill of Yao Ling with the ordinary street performance show by Yao Ying.

    It turned into a ssy performance.

    Yao Ying did a few acrobatic jumps and hended perfectly at the thin rope. Sometimes, he tried to find a chance to ¡¯pretend¡¯ that he couldn¡¯tnd perfectly, looking like he was going to fall down. It earned gasps and fear expression from the audience, but after knowing that Yao Ying was pretending, they became excited. Sometimes, he held onto the rope by looping one of his legs there and hang just like a monkey when he pretended to miss the rope.

    Even Yao Ling¡¯s heart was jumping out of nervousness because of this!

 Chapter 360 The Performance 2

    Xiao Fang tried to design a y what wasbining a few outstanding performances that she had seen and then, turned it into a simple y about a love story which quite popr for thedies. Besides, the one who was celebrating the birthday here was the Empress Dowager which always loved gossiping -- this was a known fact in the noble circle.

    When people were old, they tended to have no entertainment, so they usually gathered around with her friends and talked about interesting gossip in the capital. They had been bored with ordinary dancing and music performances, thus, they generally loved to call a storyteller once in a while --- but they only talked without doing any performances.

    That was the reason why Xiao Fang tried to invent a new performance to attract the crowds¡¯ attention.

    Not only that, but the Empress Dowager had a love story that people rarely knew back then --- only a few people knew and one of them was Han Xiang. Thetter was the one who told Xiao Fang about it back then.

    When Yao Ying was still performing up there by doing some acrobatics and dangerous moves, a woman suddenly came out from the back of the stage andughed along with a few beautiful women --- all of them were wearing veils so no one could see their real faces clearly. It made the audience feel even more curious ah~!

    This trope chose not to reveal any of the women¡¯s face, unlike the other tropes who wanted to find a chance to climb thedder. However, they seemed to have outstanding appearances judging from their elegant movement --- they didn¡¯t look likemoners at all. People began to question their identities but not in a negative way.

    Yao Ling yed a piece of upbeat music and adjusted it with Yao Ying¡¯s joyful performance which representing Yao Ying¡¯s youthfulness. Some of the audiences even moved along with the beat secretly. However, when that group of women appeared, the qujin¡¯s sound turned into soft once again, highlighting those women¡¯s appearance on the stage.

    Yao Ying was surprised and stopped his movement when he felt there was a change in the atmosphere. He was still standing up in the middle of the thin rope, but his eyes kept darting around to find the lovelyughter voice of a few women that drifted into his ears.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t move... no, not didn¡¯t... but couldn¡¯t, because he was entranced by someone and because of that, he couldn¡¯t take off his eyes from one of the women that had juste --- the woman who was standing beautifully in the middle of the stage and surrounded with so many women at once.

    The other women deliberately wore white-colored articles of clothing which emphasized the beautiful woman¡¯s pink robe. It seemed like the woman in the pink robe was the daughter of one of the important officials --- judging from her graceful bearing and walking manner. Despite the cheeryughter of the others, she only smiled softly.

    This performance made the audience feel mixed feelings. The performers seemed bold enough to choose a taboo love story for the theme when they saw the male lead and the female lead. They were afraid that this would affect their wives and daughters¡¯ mind, but at the same time, this performance was carefully packaged that it made them feel curious to watch everything until the end.

    The story was that enchanting to them.

    The officials looked at the Emperor and Empress Dowager, but both of them didn¡¯t seem to have the intention to stop them from performing, thus, they could only sit back and back to enjoy the performance once again. There was still a lot of time to stop the performanceter if the content wasn¡¯t suitable.

    They believed that the Emperor and Empress Dowager had their own calction. Besides, they didn¡¯t dare to make those two Ancestor feeling unhappy with their interference.

    The woman in the pink robe was yed by Xiao Fang. Afterughing for a little while, Xiao Fang started to tease the other women and dance beautifully. She heard the beautiful melodies that were yed by Yao Ling and it made her feel the sudden urge to dance.

    The women¡¯s maidservants were reluctant at first because they were afraid that they were being seen by others --- it was a taboo to let an unknown man see their young miss¡¯ dance. They looked at each other helplessly but once their young miss nned to do something, they couldn¡¯t stop her because of her stubborn streak.

    Xiao Fang was dancing belly dance moves which entuated her body shape, after all, she was using Han clothing that showed off her abs. She didn¡¯t only do it seductively, but also vivacious, thus, people didn¡¯t think that she was trying to deliberately seduce any men. The dance made the others feel so cheerful, lifting up the atmosphere of the banquet --- even the Empress Dowager was looking at their performance with a smile.

    The Empress Dowager was a conservative woman, however, she had been living in the pce for so long and this new type of performance really made her feel entranced and happy. She didn¡¯t even care whether they broke the taboo or not. She watched intently while gasping in surprise here and there --- whether when she saw Yao Ying¡¯s acrobatic jump or Xiao Fang¡¯s flexibility.

    The Empress Dowager wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to see the high-ss techniques that both women did in this performance --- the Empress Dowager was referring to Yao Ling and Xiao Fang. One with her music and one with her dance.

    The other dancers looked around and felt agitated, trying to see whether there was a weird unknown man around them or not when Xiao Fang was dancing her solo performance. When they found that there was no one, they sighed in relief. Those maidservants were taken in by theughter of the young miss and decided to follow her along by dancing the same moves as their young miss.

    They didn¡¯t know that a young man was already looking at their young miss from up there... feeling entranced by Xiao Fang¡¯s dance from the beginning. That man was Yao Ying. At first, Yao Ying didn¡¯t dare to move from his spot --- he only dared to peek at the woman, but soon, he couldn¡¯t help himself anymore.

    Yao Ying wanted to introduce himself to the woman so that at least, the woman would look at her...

    He jumped andnded in front of the women --- which earned gasps from those women because the women were feeling surprised by the man¡¯s sudden intrusion ah~! The audience had thought that this would be a cheesy love story between the two of them --- dancing together and finally falling in love with each other just like usual.

    However, contrary to their expectation, the story didn¡¯t stop there.

    When the audience started to feel that there would be no suspense anymore from the performance, a man suddenly appeared while using his qing gong from the backstage at a fast speed. The man¡¯s qing gong skills made the audience feel surprised --- especially to those who knew martial arts skills.

    They started to feel vignce because at first, they were thinking that the neer might be aiming to kill the Han Emperor.

    The atmosphere became so tense in a sh!

    Because of that, even the hidden guards who were surrounding the banquet area started to be vignce as well. However, they didn¡¯t dare to move without the big boss¡¯ permission. Thus, they could only wait alertly.

    The Han Emperor¡¯s eyes squinted, trying to see what Feng Yong Rui wanted to do --- maybe the other performers would join the neer and attacked him altogether!

    The Han Emperor smirked and thought to himself, ¡¯It will be better if they really attack him!¡¯

 Chapter 361 The Performance 3

    The neer, who had just skillfully jumped into the stage, stood in front of those maidservants and their young miss with a protective gesture. It seemed like people were making a wrong conclusion. The man didn¡¯t n to hurt anyone --- he was purely a performer of this drama.

    The people, who had just turned vignce, rxed their own guard a little bit. However, because of this, Yao Ling was able to perceive how many people that were trying to protect the Han Emperor once something happened --- it was a lot!

    Fortunately, killing the Han Emperor wasn¡¯t being included inside their n --- or else, they wouldn¡¯t survive the night. No matter how powerful they were, they couldn¡¯t handle so many people with only them.

    However, when there was no assassination incident, the Han Emperor felt disappointed. He had been wanting to do something about Feng Yong Rui ah~! If that man really attacked him, he could do something to shift the me to Feng Yong Rui, after all, this man was a part of the performance that Feng Yong Rui had presented for the banquet --- it would be justified for him to kill Feng Yong Rui, but he could only swallow his dissatisfaction for now.

    The Emperor looked at the Empress Dowager when he saw how interested thetter was with the performance, he could only sigh and didn¡¯t dare to ruin his mother¡¯s happiness. After all, even if he wascking in other things, he was truly a filial child.

    The Han Emperor sighed once again and quickly looked at the performance in front of him more seriously, wondering why his mother was so entranced by this performance --- it was only about a silly love story ah~! He admitted that he was interested with the two women who performed in front of him, but those two were involved with Feng Yong Rui, so he became wary. It could be said that the wicked concubine really knew the Han Emperor¡¯s personality very well!

    That was the reason that she wanted to use if the Han Emperor dared to covet those two beauties. Even though she was sick at the Han Emperor¡¯s personality, her life had been tied to him and she could only fight for herself to survive. No matter how lewd he was, he was her husband --- she could only submit to him and fight with the rest of the women inside his harem.

    Back to the performance which attracted the audience¡¯s eyes...

    The neer attacked the young man, who was standing at in front of the women with a gentleugh and flirty eyes, fiercely. The neer was wearing ck outfits and mask which covered up his whole body --- people could only see his cold and sharp eyes. It was Lin Jian¡¯s character and his usual yful nature was gone --- he became a valiant shadow guard which always protected Xiao Fang.

    Yes, he was attacking Yao Ying because he perceived that he was a danger to his young miss --- not only that, but he could also see that the man was coveting his young miss and he wouldn¡¯t let that happen! His moves turned more vicious, but the young man didn¡¯t lose to the hidden guard.

    When the Empress Dowager saw this story, her heart was beating wildly. A memory from her past that she had almost forgotten was rushing into her mind once more. She didn¡¯t realize that she had cried. It was almost like her real-life story in the past.

    ¡¯Ah San!¡¯ She cried inside her mind. ¡¯Oh... how I miss you,¡¯ The Empress Dowager thought to herself.

    When she was a young girl and hadn¡¯t been chosen as the Emperor¡¯s woman, she had a valiant and yet, kind hidden guard whose body posture looked just like Lin Jian¡¯s. She did know that they weren¡¯t the same person, but in her current eyes, they looked so alike.

    She mumbled to herself, "Truly alike... my Ah San..." She said it in a low voice, so no one but her personal Mo Mo could hear that. Thetter came into the pce along the Empress Dowager, so of course, she knew about this Ah San. She felt helpless because she knew how much the Empress Dowager used to love Ah San --- and maybe, she had never ceased loving him. However, she needed to bury the love deep within her after she served the Emperor.

    The Empress Dowager thought sadly to herself, ¡¯If you weren¡¯t dead, you would always be staying by my side, right? Ah San...¡¯

    This was what Xiao Fang and friends had aimed. They wanted to evoke the forgotten feelings of the Empress Dowager with their performance so that no one would stop them from ying the performance until the end --- or at least, the Empress Dowager who had the most saying wouldn¡¯t stop them. They were using the Empress Dowager¡¯s feelings towards her own personal hidden guard.

    After all, they knew that the Han Emperor must have been trying to find their mistakes, just because the one who brought them here the person that he currently hated the most --- Feng Yong Rui.

    Not many people knew about the love story between the Empress Dowager with her personal shadow guard who had passed away due to protecting her, but Han Xiang was one of the people who knew about it. She was the Empress Dowager¡¯s most favorite granddaughter and the Empress Dowager identally talked about it once, but Han Xiang couldn¡¯t forget about it.

    After all, it was such a sweet love story which a young girl would like. At that time, Xiao Fang was still in a good rtionship with Han Xiang. Thus, Han Xiang told Xiao Fang about it --- there was no third person who knew about this matter because this was the Empress Dowager¡¯s secret ah~! If people knew they were the one who spread the story, they would be punished ah~!

    The Emperor was surprised when he saw her mother¡¯s tears. "Mother, what happened to you? Do you want me to stop the y?" He asked softly, however, there was displeasure in his eyes. The Han Emperor was feeling the need to me this to Feng Yong Rui once again. It seemed like he would get another chance to make trouble for Feng Yong Rui using this matter. After all, his y made the Empress Dowager cried sadly.

    Too bad, he had to be disappointed once again, because his mother rejected his idea bluntly. "No need... I want to see this y until the end," The Empress Dowager answered. The Han Emperor could see how lonely she looked, so he didn¡¯t dare toment on it or reprimand Feng Yong Rui. If his mother wanted the performance to finish, he would let her be.

    As long as she was happy, he wouldn¡¯t meddle in this matter. After all, this banquet was dedicated to her.

    The Empress Dowager could see the love between the young miss and the shadow guard. Her heart felt so painful that she clenched her fists tightly. The young shadow guard was able to chase away Yao Ying but didn¡¯t manage to injure him --- because thetter also had a pretty good martial arts skills.

    The audience stopped breathing due to the amazing fight between the two men --- they knew that both of them were really good at martial arts skills. They wondered who these people were... the men and women who performed seemed to be not ordinary people.

    They believed if they had the n to kill the Han Emperor, they would certainly have a chance with their skills.

    When Yao Ying was gone to backstage, he needed to help to prepare their next segment. Yao Ling was changing the fighting tune that she had just yed and turning it into a soft melodious one. It was time for the lovey-dovey moment, so of course, the song would be about a love story. This time, there was an added singing voice from a female singer that was hired by Feng Yong Rui for them.

    The next segment would be the beginning of Yao Ling¡¯sst-minute n... The n which would decide everything...

 Chapter 362 The Performance 4

    After this segment, thenterns that were surrounding the banquet ce suddenly started to diminish one by one which made an eerie atmosphere at the banquet location all of a sudden. There was no light left --- not only that, but there was also no moonlight that night. Thus, the banquet ce was totally engulfed with the darkness.

    This was the first time that something like this had ever happened in the pce especially at such a big event. With so many pce maidservants, pce guards, and hidden guards, who would dare to do this? However, this thing indeed happened and it made people be restless.

    It seemed like luck was on Yao Ling and friends¡¯ side because there was no moonlight as well and this would make their next performance be even better and easier to do.

    The people started to get panicked because they were feeling afraid of the unknown. Many things could happen in the darkness ah~! Some things could also appear out of nowhere... for example, ghosts! Assassins! There were a lot of women who made the situation be out of control as well by creating a ruckus and talking loudly to each other. The situation became quite out of hands because of their behaviors!

    The military officials were better when dealing with this kind of weird situation because it was no different when they went to war. However, for the schr officials who generally stayed behind, they felt really afraid. Only a few of them would be able to calm their minds because of the experience that they had.

    The beautiful atmosphere that was created because of the performance from Yao Ling¡¯s group just now was gone in a heartbeat... No one would think that Yao Ling¡¯s trope¡¯s performance would continue on. After all, who could see their performance in the darkness ah~?!

    Yao Ling had stopped ying the qujin because of the darkness and it turned the atmosphere quieter... eerier... However, she continued sitting calmly at the stage --- even calmer than those nobledies. After all, she knew that this would happen.

    While she was sitting leisurely, the others were preparing themselves for the next segment. Her job for today was just to y the qujin and did another performance with itter.

    The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t feel afraid, but she was just feeling disappointed with the sudden turn of the event... She didn¡¯t want the performance to stop in the middle like this before she could watch the ending. In her heart, she hoped that it would be a happy ending. It would serve as an alternative ending of her own story. Stupid? She knew! However, she just couldn¡¯t help it.

    ¡¯Ah San... Her Ah San...¡¯

    The Empress Dowager closed her eyes, trying to maintain her feelings. Well... if it was being stopped here, it was also alright. She would call this trope and let them perform privately for her next time. Thus, she didn¡¯t have to hold back her feelings anymore. In the end, there were too many people in her banquet and she couldn¡¯t do freely everything that she wanted to do.

    When she looked at the situation around her, the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t n to do anything and let her son handle this matter, because her mind was still in chaos.

    She shook her head when she heard themotion around her. Ladies nowadays weren¡¯t as clever as her generation. This was the pce... even if they were scared, they should have remembered their manners and also the royal family that was here as well. What did they take her and the Han Emperor for?

    ¡¯Useless... Really really useless!¡¯ The Empress Dowager thought to herself. She decided to listen to what some of them were discussing.

    "What happened?"

    "Why is there no light?"

    "How could all thenterns diminish at the same time?"

    "Where are the pce maidservants?"

    "Where are the person in charge?"

    "This is too crazy ah~!"

    "How could something like this happen in the pce?"

    "Is there a conspiration?"

    "Is this a part of the show?"

    "This is so scary!"

    Those people were talking to each other in fear, really forgetting where they were at the moment.

    "Be quiet!" The Han Emperor was annoyed by those stupid nobles and roared in anger. Weren¡¯t they supposed to keep this calm in this condition? If they kept talking out loud, they wouldn¡¯t be able to tell what happened around them.

    "Where are the pce guards?! Are they all dead?" The Han Emperor yelled loudly. "Where is everyone?!"

    Suddenly, a lot of small torches were lit up and they were brought by more than a dozen pce guards. The leader quickly kneeled down and said, "Forgive us for the slight dy, Your Majesty! We need to find torches to light up the way."

    The Han Emperor knew that he had to hold himself back because the pce guards¡¯ leader¡¯s argument was reasonable. Besides, if he kept making a fuss about this, he would look like an ipetent leader in front of all of his subordinates here. Thus, he waved his hand and ordered, "Just do your job well!" The Han Emperor looked around warily, feeling afraid that there would really be an assassination around this time.

    "Yes, Your Majesty!" The pce guards¡¯ leader quickly answered and stood up. He yelled at his subordinates, "Protect the Emperor!" The guards were being busy surrounding the Emperor because they were afraid that this would be the opportunity that the assassins had been waiting for. The audience saw the disy of power and didn¡¯t dare to move a muscle --- one misstep and they would end up dead. After all, the Han Emperor had turned vignce due to the weird phenomenon.

    However, after so long... nothing had happened. It made the Han Emperor look like a fool. Who did he disy his power to? This must have been a glitch. The audience wanted tough but didn¡¯t dare to, but the Han Emperor seemed to perceive their mocking gaze. Thetter knew that he was unpoprtely because of the blood letter matter and it really annoyed him!

    The Emperor squinted his eyes and asked Feng Yong Rui in displeasure, "Feng Yong Rui, is this your doing?!" He might as well threw the me at Feng Yong Rui. When the Han Emperor threw this question at Feng Yong Rui, the wicked concubine smirked to herself.

    Feng Yong Rui raised one of his eyebrows and sneered. He really regretted being loyal to such a stupid Monarch! He dared to do that because the light from the torch was quite far from him and he believed that the Han Emperor wouldn¡¯t be able to see him. "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

    "Making the lighting diminished altogether! What else?!" The Han Emperor asked. He didn¡¯t dare to use Feng Yong Rui that thetter wanted to kill him because there was not enough proof! So far, there was no assassination ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui helplessly looked at Emperor and quickly looked down, "Your Majesty, please give this official a justice! The performance was presented by me if something happened at the time of my performance, wouldn¡¯t it only bring trouble to myself just like this? This official isn¡¯t that muddleheaded. Please, Your Majesty! Give this official a justice!"

    After that, he kowtowed a few times and didn¡¯t forget to do it hard enough so that his forehead would be bleeding and gain sympathy from the onlookers.

    The Empress Dowager furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her own son¡¯s expression. She felt that something weird was happening here... Feng Yong Rui was always loyal to his son, so why did he suddenly go against the former all the time? What exactly had happened when she was in the confinement?!

 Chapter 363 The Performance 5

    "Your Majesty, please stop Feng Yong Rui Da Ren from kowtowing!" The Empress Dowager whispered softly to the Han Emperor. She gave him a little warning, "Don¡¯t let the other officials have a cold heart towards you! Feng Yong Rui Da Ren is always loyal to you and yet, you embarrassed him in front of everyone at the moment!"

    She didn¡¯t forget to give him a reminder. When the wicked concubine heard the Empress Dowager¡¯s words, she frowned but didn¡¯t dare to say anything. If there was one woman that she couldn¡¯t beat in this pce, it was only this Empress Dowager. It was all because of the Han Emperor¡¯s filial trait. If one of his women dared to touch his mother, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill her --- whether his woman was his favorite or not.

    The Empress Dowager was his bottom line.

    There was already an example case back then. One of the Han Emperor¡¯s favorite concubine at that time dared to be arrogant and disrespectful toward the Empress Dowager, just because the former didn¡¯t like to be criticized. In the end, the Han Emperor knew about this and he killed the woman himself.

    Yes, the Han Emperor was that cruel.

    Thus, the wicked concubine also understood her boundaries and knew how she should behave in front of the Empress Dowager. She also understand that thetter hated scheming woman the most. However, she still felt indignant that she should lower herself in front of another woman --- even the Empress wasn¡¯t her opponent. Besides, the Empress Dowager was a hindrance to her own n.

    After all, she wanted to see Feng Yong Rui being ruined! It seemed like she had to make another n --- a better one. Feng Yong Rui, this old man... he was really hard to deal with! She had nned this a long time, but he managed to get away before the massacre happened and it really irked her to death!

    The Empress Dowager felt like her son didn¡¯t do it fast enough. She quickly gave him a code by winking a few times and it made the Han Emperor be sober at once. ¡¯My mother is right!¡¯ He thought to himself. He should think far ahead ah~! He couldn¡¯t ruin his n because he was in a hurry to eradicate Feng Yong Rui.

    As an Emperor, he shouldn¡¯t move based on his intuition alone! How could he point at Feng Yong Rui without any evidence whatsoever? What if he targeted the wrong person? If thetter could prove his innocence, it would certainly make the other officials didn¡¯t trust his judgment anymore --- instead, he would be deemed as framing Feng Yong Rui. Who would dare to work under him again in the future? The most important thing was... who would dare to be loyal to him, if a loyal official like Feng Yong Rui was killed by him just based on baseless intuition?

    The Empress Dowager felt that something was fishy with her son¡¯s behavior. Why did he seem to be another person? He seemed to have changed a lot. She had felt it before, but it became more obvious when she spent more time with him. He became more paranoid than ever!

    The Empress Dowager wanted to wash her hands from the political matter, thus, she didn¡¯t try to pry over the matters regarding it. However, it seemed like she needed to ask her subordinates to do some investigations about what happened when she was away from here.

    The Emperor used to ask her advice from time to time, but she had been dedicated to Buddha and tried to atone for her past sins, after all, she had been fighting for so many women in the harem and there were a lot of lives that had been dead by her hands. She stopped the Han Emperor from asking her for advice, because she also wanted him to grow up and be a real leader.

    Thus, she decided to go to the temple to pray and also fasting. If the banquet for her birthday didn¡¯t happen, she wouldn¡¯t bother toe out from the temple at all. She just wanted to spend the rest of her life peacefully.

    The Emperor had tried to call her back to enjoy her glory which she had refused and he had used another reason to force her out... He pulled out the filial card which was hard to refuse, after all, their kingdom was emphasizing the importance of filial piety.

    How could she make the Han Emperor bearing the unfiliat title? Thus, she relented and decided toe out once, showing to the public how filial her son was. Judging from the current situation, it seemed like she would stay here from the time being until she was sure that nothing was wrong with her son. She furrowed her eyebrows in displeasure but she had no other choice.

    The Han Emperor woke up from his reverie and knew that he was wrong in this matter. He looked around and saw how surprised the other officials were. The Emperor cleared his throat and quickly tried to appease Feng Yong Rui, "Yong Rui ah~! Stop kowtowing! I was just asking because I thought this is a part of the performance! This Emperor doesn¡¯t like darkness and you should know about it too!"

    Everyone knew that the Han Emperor was just saying nonsense because he just didn¡¯t want to admit his rashness, but they couldn¡¯t do anything to him. Thus, they went along with his facade.

    Feng Yong Rui also had to follow along with it whether he liked it or not. He stop kowtowing and his forehead was bleeding due to the impact, it made the officials whose names were on the blood letter¡¯s list be more symphatetic towards him. They also became more furious at the Han Emperor, feeling indignant for the treatment that they had gotten after being so loyal to the man. They didn¡¯t feel that they should be treated this way!

    Feng Yong Rui was the one who was most loyal to the Emperor and how did the Han Emperor treat him? Then, how about them?! They believed that they would end up worse than Feng Yong Rui.

    Feng Yong Rui answered humbly, "This official knows, Your Majesty. However, this really has nothing to do with this official because this isn¡¯t a part of our performance. How could this official dare to y around in the pce ah~? This one has always been loyal to your majesty!"

    The Han Emperor furrowed his eyebrows, pretending to be thinking hard. "I believe you... You can get up first and sit down at your seat first so we can talk about this."

    "Thank you, Your Majesty," Feng Yong Rui said and he did as he was told to do.

    "People, Come! Call a physician to treat Feng Yong Rui Da Ren¡¯s forehead!" The Han Emperor didn¡¯t forget to appease Feng Yong Rui by giving him the best treatment.

    "No need... no need... Your Majesty. We should probably think about what happened here and find out what¡¯s going on," Feng Yong Rui rejected politely and gave a suggestion.

    The Han Emperor nodded his head in agreement. "What¡¯s actually going on here?" He looked at the pce guards¡¯ leader and asked, "This... Have you investigated it clearly?"

    The pce guards¡¯ leader felt ashamed because this phenomenon meant that he was ipetent when doing his job. If he couldn¡¯t find out what happened soon, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep his job anymore and he could only say goodbye to his promotion.

    "This... this guard has already sent people to investigate. We will find out about it soon," the pce guards¡¯ leader answered while sweating heavily. He hoped that his subordinates would be able to find a lead --- anything. As long as he could exin a little bit, it should be fine ah~!

    "Good... Good..." The Han Emperor sighed in relief. "Give me a result as soon as possible!"

    "Yes, Your Majesty!" The pce guards¡¯ leader answered obediently, after that, he gave a signal to his subordinate to tell everyone to work faster. Thetter quickly scurried away to do his job as soon as possible.

    However, another weird phenomenon happened once again. The torches which were brought by some of the pce guards suddenly moved erratically and there was no wind at all, making the pce guards feel surprised, thus, they gasped loudly.

    What was actually going on here?!

 Chapter 364 The Performance 6

    Not only the pce guards but the others also saw how the fire on the torches moved crazily and they shuddered in fear. They wondered what really happened... This phenomenon was really confusing to them!

    ¡¯How eerie!¡¯ All of the people there thought of the same thing.

    "Why... why is the fire moving out of nowhere?"

    "There¡¯s no wind ah~!"

    "What does it mean? The calm before the storm?"

    There was another round of murmur from the audience which broke the silence.

    Feng Yong Rui pretended to be panicked while he was observing his surroundings carefully, wanting to know who was targetting him. He heard the clue from Ah Man about the eunuch¡¯s appearance. Judging from what he said, there were several eunuchs who had the same traits as the exnation and the third prince¡¯s personal eunuch was one of them.

    Was it really the third prince?! However, they never had a grudge before. Feng Yong Rui felt that this matter was reallyplicated. He nced at the third prince but didn¡¯t find anything weird from thetter. The third prince was famous for being irresponsible and the way he acted in unbridle manner. He only loved women and drink. At this moment, he behaved as usual --- he looked so scared that he almost peed his pants. He really was a coward just like the rumor.

    Feng Yong Rui squinted his eyes and saw that the third prince really didn¡¯t seem to fake his reaction. If he was acting, he was really hiding deep ah~! It would be too scary if that was really true. He searched where the third prince¡¯s eunuch was, but he wasn¡¯t here in the banquet. It made him feel slightly curious. Where did the eunuch go?!

    However, it was hard to find out about it at the moment. Because of this event, it could be said that they were in a lockdown. Feng Yong Rui sighed, wondering whether his subordinates had finished saving Rong Qiu or not.

    He didn¡¯t only stop at the third prince, but he was busy paying attention to everyone one by one. However, he forgot to look at a ce where the mastermind sat down because he would never guess that ¡¯that person¡¯ was the real mastermind. Thus, he missed the clue.

    Yao Ling smirked inwardly when the fire on the torches started to move because she knew that this meant the others were ready and it was time to start the next segment of their performance. However, she still pretended to be afraid just like the others while didn¡¯t dare to move rashly. It wasn¡¯t the time to make people feel suspicious of her.

    The Han Emperor indeed had taken a nce towards her and found that nothing seemed weird from Yao Ling who was staying on the stage. At one point, he saw that she wanted to stand up and found her fellow performers, but she was stopped by the pce guards. Thus, she could only sit back down alone at the stage, looking so delicate and endearing.

    Yao Ling counted inside her mind slowly while her heart was beating faster due to her nervousness and excitement...

    One...

    Two...

    Three...

    *Poof*

    *Poof*

    *Poof*

    When the count reached three, the torches that the pce guards brought were suddenly diminished once again --- all at the same time. It was beyond everyone¡¯s imagination how it could happen, however, they didn¡¯t dare to make a sound anymore no matter how scared they were. After all, the Han Emperor had already warned them just now.

    Yao Ling closed her eyes and she tried to feel the qujin using her hands. She had tried to learn to y it while covering her eyes with ck clothes so that she could y in the darkness --- just like at the moment. She started to y a song --- an eerie one. Once people heard the music, they suddenly got goosebumps all over their body. The sound of the music was sad, indistinct, and frightening at the same time. That music made them feel that they were waiting for the appearance of a ghost and honestly, it was very scary.

    The music seemed toe from the stage, but no one dared to look directly there. They were afraid that they would see something that shouldn¡¯t be seen ah~!

    However, someone broke the taboo by bravely trying to see the source of the music. Suddenly, one of the Han Emperor¡¯s concubine yelped in surprise while pointing at the stage with trembling hands. "Look... Look at the..." Before she finished talking, she fainted due to her fear.

    People were curious about what happened and they quickly looked at the stage, forgetting that they should be afraid. After all, their curiosity was bigger than their fear. They... they were amazed at what they saw. The previous beautiful woman who yed the qujin looked so shining on the stage despite the darkness due to a small lotusmp --- it directly lightened up her face. She looked so beautiful, but suddenly something changed.

    Something was flowing fluidly on her face. Her previous white face was full of blood at the moment and it didn¡¯t look like the appearance of a human anymore. She looked like a ghost! Her lips became paler, unlike her previous red lips.

    When they took a look at her qujin, it was also stained by blood and the blood didn¡¯t stop flowing from her body. No matter how they looked at it... that woman suddenly turned into a ghost ah~!

    The women wanted to scream, but they were afraid that the ghost would turn her attention from the qujin and choose to look at them. They didn¡¯t even try to make sense whether it was really a ghost or not.

    The Han Emperor gasped and yelled, "There¡¯s no ghost! I don¡¯t believe that it¡¯s really a ghost!" He yelled at the guards and said, "What are you waiting for? Ki..." His words were choked on his throat when he was going to say ¡¯kill that woman¡¯ because there was another ghost that appeared on the stage. The... the ghost was wearing a veil but... but she was walking really slowly while there was smoke all around her.

    She had long ck hair which reached her bottom and wore white clothing. The color of her skin was slightly bluish which made her look frightening as well.

    The Han Emperor could not make out her face clearly, but he felt that the woman was somehow familiar. He squinted his eyes, trying to see her clearly. However, he couldn¡¯t seem to remember where he saw her. The Han Emperor didn¡¯t dare to look at the scary woman who yed the qujin clearly and choose to pay attention to the woman who came thetest.

    Some of the women had already fainted while the man could only point at the stage while trembling.

    "That... That..."

    "What kind of performance is this?"

    The Han Kingdom people were believers of ghosts and the afterlife, this was the reason why they didn¡¯t dare to do anything to the two ghosts on the stage. Feng Yong Rui approved of their n because of those reasonings as well. They wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything rashly to those ghosts, besides, he already took away their kingdom¡¯s Shaman. Thetter was the only one who could ruin their n.

    "Prince... Prince..." The ghost pointed at the Han Emperor while calling him Prince.

    Everyone was in confusion. Why did the ghost call the Han Emperor as Prince?! Some of them started tough --- it must not be a ghost ah~! How could a ghost call the wrong name ah~?!

    "This must be a show ah~!"

    "True... True..."

    "Psst... Stop talking! If she hears something and chases you, it will be fatal ah~!" One of them gave out a warning.

    Everyone quickly started to calm down once again, waiting to see what the ghost would do next.

 Chapter 365 The Ghosts 1

    The woman on the stage opened her veil slowly, showing her face and it made the people around gasp in surprise. The woman was beautiful and it was a face that they would never forget... Not only because of its beauty, but also due to the scandal that had happened a long time ago.

    People used to feel curious about what kind of beauty could make the current Han Emperor so besotted ah~! Thus, they kept trying to see the Ce Fei but failed. Until one day, the Han Emperor brought her to a banquet once. They knew that he just wanted to boast about the Ce Fei but they really couldn¡¯t forget her beauty and she was even far more beautiful and elegant than his current favorite concubine. No wonder the Han Emperor really treasured her back then.

    Besides, no one would ever forget a woman who chose to abandon a wealthy life as a Ce Fei and run away. No one knew the real reasons why she had run away, but they had made a guess... probably because she found a new man that she loved wholeheartedly. Otherwise, there was no possible exnation.

    They knew how the Ce Fei didn¡¯t love the Han Emperor at that time and that was the reason why they were sure that the Ce Fei had a new love, but they didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud.

    The older officials knew who that face belonged to and they were trembling in fear ah~! How could she appear here out of nowhere? There had been no news about her for so long... Was... was she dead? But... But why did her ghost appear here?

    No real human would be able to stay as young as the ghost ah~!

    "Ce... Ce Fei?" One of the older officials asked loudly while looking at the ghost with white eyes.

    The ghost looked at the official who had just talk with wide eyes. The color of the skin that was surrounding her eyes were red and it looked so scary, making the older official regret his rashness to talk. He really wanted to p his mouth because he made the ghost pay attention to him. What if she took him to the afterlife ah~?!

    The ghost talked in a soft and broken voice which made their goosebumps appear once more. "You... you... know me?" She red at him with a venomous look, like she was ready to devour him any time soon which made the old man almost peed his pants in fear. He wanted to run but her intense gaze made him root on the spot --- he couldn¡¯t go anywhere. No, not couldn¡¯t, but he didn¡¯t dare to.

    The older official could only close his eyes and didn¡¯t dare to do anything at all. All of them had already believed that this woman was indeed a ghost. A ghost who seemed toe with a purpose. Did... Did the Han Emperor do something to her?

    After that, the audiences¡¯ gazes turned to the Han Emperor at the same time --- they wanted to see thetter¡¯s expression.

    The Han Emperor couldn¡¯t take his eyes away from the ghost¡¯s face. They could see a lot of feelings from the Han Emperor¡¯s expression --- fear, trepidation, yearn, love, and miss all at once. Above all, they could see his guilt. It made them start to realize that their guess might have been true.

    She came because of the Emperor ah~!

    The Han Emperor was still looking at the Ce Fei¡¯s ghost intensely.

    It... It was his Ce Fei... He also believed in the same thing as the others --- she was really a ghost, but he didn¡¯t mind --- as long as he could see her once again. So many thoughts were fleeting inside his mind, but the memories of the past that he had been tried to lock... started to appear once again. His guilt... His love for his beloved Ce Fei. Honestly... she was the only one that he had ever loved wholeheartedly.

    He had so many women but no one would be able to make his heart beat faster --- he just enjoyed their body, no more and no less. In a sense, he was only loyal to his Ce Fei ah~! The Han Emperor was really sick in his mind.

    Because she had never reciprocated his love, the Han Emperor had made a lot of mistakes and bad decisions that he had regretted. He really had pushed her away. The Han Emperor didn¡¯t realize that there were tears in his eyes.

    The Empress Dowager was a Budha believer and no matter how strong her mentality was, she was already old --- thus, she was among the first batch of fainted people. Fortunately, she was helped by her personal Mo Mo or else, she might have fallen down from her seat. This was really a birthday to remember for her.

    The wicked concubine¡¯s face went paler and she was trembling in fear. If... If the Ce Fei really had turned into a ghost, she knew that she would be her number one target. No... Maybe number two, after the main culprit --- the Emperor. After all, she was the mastermind behind her demise. She had done all that just to strengthen her position in the harem. She shook her head... No... No... She didn¡¯t believe in ghost!

    She wouldn¡¯t let anyone ruin her n, her life, and her revenge --- even if her enemy was a ghost!

    "Your... Your Majesty... I don¡¯t believe that she¡¯s really a ghost!" The wicked concubine quickly said. When the ghost heard what she said, the ghost turned her attention to her. The ghost smirked while showing her bloody teeth.

    "You... don¡¯t believe me...? Good! I will bring you along to the afterlife, so you can enjoy hell!" The ghost said slowly with a maniacalugh. The music turned louder and scarier when the ghost started to talk. The ghost walked again within the smoke, thus, no one could see the ghost¡¯s feet.

    Yao Ling who yed the qujin saw her from behind. She couldn¡¯t believe how clever the effect that they made, however, it involved a lot of people to make it this believable. The stage was quite high and some people were hiding under the stage while letting out smoke slowly so that the fog would look more real.

    The wicked concubine fell down from her seat and Xiao Fang knew that she shouldn¡¯t push her too hard. She needed to let the Han Emperor admit what had really happened to her mother with his mouth before she dragged this wicked concubine down along with the Emperor!

    The Empress also felt scared at first but she could see how agitated the wicked concubine was. The woman was always so calm and it was hard to make her show any other expression --- except smug and taunting. Did she see the fear in her expression?

    The Empress gripped her handkerchief tighter, trying to stop her tremble by hurting herself so that the pain could defeat her fear. She didn¡¯t care whether she would be hurt in the process, but she needed to regain her sanity and use this chance.

    She squinted her eyes and knew that something wasn¡¯t right. Did she do something to the Ce Fei that made her look so scared? ¡¯Interesting!¡¯ The Empress thought inwardly. She smirked without realizing it. She had lost her mind a long time ago because of this woman and she didn¡¯t even care about anything because this woman had ruined her family.

    An Empress without a powerful background... she became nothing!

    If the ghost was that woman¡¯s enemy, then she could even be friends with a ghost! That was how much she hated the wicked concubine!

    The Empress quickly said, "No... No... That is really a ghost! Your Majesty... she... she has no feet!"

 Chapter 366 The Ghosts 2

    Yao Ling was surprised by the Empress¡¯ sudden outburst. But oh well... she helped them to make it more believable ah~! Thus, she continued ying a piece of eerie music with a better mood. However, her eyes never left the audiences --- to see their reactions as well. If someone tried to stop them, she would be able to stop them beforehand.

    She sighed when she had to appear with blood all over her body for quite some time --- the smell was so fishy and the feeling was very slimy. It was beyond disgusting but she had just to endure it for their revenge. To make it more believable, they used real blood ah~! Of course, they didn¡¯t use human blood, but instead, they chose chicken blood. Yao Ling really needed to hold her breath once in a while or else, she would vomit ah~!

    ¡¯Ugh! It¡¯s so unbearable!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    She really needed to take a bath at least three times after this, after all, they hid the blood package inside her hair. Yao Ying used his inner qi to break the small beads that serve as the containers of the blood when she started to y the qujin just now. That was the reason why the blood could flow down softly out of nowhere.

    They had been practicing a lot of times before Yao Ying was finally able to do it with precision, or else, the one that he broke could be her head if he missed by ident. It would not be funny if that really happened ah~! She probably would really be a ghost!

    The Han Emperor wasn¡¯t even able to listen to his Empress and Ce Fei¡¯s words --- he was too entranced by the person who was standing on the stage. Even if he heard what his women said, he wouldn¡¯t even put it inside his head. To him, that woman was just his beloved Ce Fei. The one who he had missed all of these times.

    Whenever he made love with his women, it was her name that he called over and over again. Thus, every woman in his harem knew that they could never rece the Ce Fei --- even the wicked concubine.

    The Han Emperor didn¡¯t care whether it was the real Ce Fei or her ghost who appeared, at least, he could see her once again. He didn¡¯t even feel scared just like the other onlookers even when he realized that something was amiss from his Ce Fei --- she didn¡¯t seem to stand without legs. He pointed at her with a trembling hand. "You... Youe back..." He said in a hoarse voice.

    The ghost started to move once again when she heard the Emperor¡¯s voice, her attention turned to thetter and her gaze finally left the old official who was already frightened. If Xiao Fang pushed him further, thetter would get a heart attack sooner orter.

    When the old official knew that he was finally safe after Xiao Fang retracted her gaze, he sighed in relief, feeling that he had just evaded a great disaster. He didn¡¯t dare to breathe or move just now and almost fainted due to theck of air, fortunately, the ghost¡¯s attention was diverted at the right time or else he would have really joined the woman by bing a ghost as well ah~!

    After this, he would go to the temple to pray and ask for an amulet to protect himself from the ghost. He would never do a bad deed again --- he became repentance as long as he didn¡¯t meet any ghost ever again!

    The ghost¡¯s head turned away at a fast speed with a loud cracking sound which surprised the surrounding audience and the ghost looked at the Emperor with an expression of intense hatred. She smiled cynically at him and said, "Yes... I came back from hell because of you..." She used a soft and broken voice to talk in her ghost disguise.

    Xiao Fang gave a signal to Lin Jian to prepare himself --- it was time to use the same technique as Yao Ying just now.

    *Poof*

    Lin Jian hit several beads inside Xiao Fang¡¯s hair.

    Thus, suddenly there was a blood trail at her face which made the Emperor flinch and thetter asked, "Xiao Lan... what happened to you? Why is there suddenly a blood trail on your face?" He was still being delusional and thinking that his Ce Fei hade back for real.

    Xiao Fang smiled like a predator and then her smile turned into a snarl, she bared her teeth like a wolf --- an angry wolf. "Isn¡¯t it because of you? Don¡¯t you remember?" She tilted her head to the side. The ghost looked like a deste figure which was mournful and lonely all of a sudden.

    "Because you miss me, right?" The Han Emperor¡¯s delusion became crazier and he was still being hopeful. He had never thought the ghost hade back for revenge.

    Yao Ling and Xiao Fang, "..."

    They were really speechless.

    How could the conversation turn this way? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to ask why? Xiao Fang almost vomited blood in disgust when she heard his question. How could her mother miss someone like him?! Was he an idiot?

    "Miss you?" Xiao Fangughed eerily with a high pitch voice in disbelief. After that, she really vomited blood, trying to make her appearance as scary as possible. Besides, they had prepared a lot of blood beforehand. Thus, she didn¡¯t mind to use it in a splurge.

    The blood fell onto the face of the people who was sitting the closest to the stage and they quickly touched to see what it was. When they realized that it was real blood, they quickly crawled to the back and hide behind the others while shivering. They didn¡¯t even dare to scream or make a sound --- they still remembered the old man¡¯s fate just now.

    Too scary... Really... Really too scary!

    Yao Ling and friends sneered inwardly. They were officials and yet, they fully believed in their farce, huh? Somehow they couldn¡¯t believe it. Xiao Fang felt fortunate that her face was the exact carbon copy of her mother, otherwise, how could they believe this easily ah~?!

    However, they really thought too highly of themselves. Some of them weren¡¯t sure whether they were really ghosts or not. Yao Ling and friends really underestimated the officials ah~! Not all of them were stupid or scaredy-cat, but they wanted to know why did they pretend to be ghosts, so they followed their farce and didn¡¯t bother to stop them.

    Some of them were from Feng Yong Rui¡¯s side and some of them were from the Emperor¡¯s side. In actuality, this performance was indeed too risky in the first ce. Feng Yong Rui already prepared a way out for them if this performance failed. He did this because he knew --- even if he tried to prevent them, they wouldn¡¯t budge with their decisions.

    Their hatred towards the Han Emperor had run deep within and the youngsters were really stubborn.

    Xiao Fang continued asking, "Are you stupid or crazy? Why should I miss you?"

    The Han Emperorughed and said, "Because you know that the one who really loves you forever and always... is only me ah~! Everything I did... I did it for you..."

    Xiao Fang felt like throttling and killing this old man. He was beyond shameless and he said that he had done all of that in the name of love! She finally took a good look at the man that was supposed to be her father, but she felt nothing towards him.

    She could only feel hatred ah~!

    How could he say that giving her mother drugs to sumb to him was because of love? If his love was that selfish, it would be a misfortune for a woman to be loved by him!

    So disgusting!

 Chapter 367 The Ghosts 3

    "Did it for me?" Xiao Fangughed maniacally in disgust. "You really have a sweet mouth, huh?"

    "Yes ah~! Xiao Lan... I¡¯ve already given my everything to you, but you never look at me or try to love me at all! You made me feel so desperate back then." The Han Emperor said sadly. "That¡¯s the real reason I was making those mistakes that made you hate me even more."

    Yao Ling and friends were really amazed by the Han Emperor¡¯s words --- he was still ming the Ce Fei until now? It was because she had never loved him, huh? They wanted to throw a mirror at him so he could take a good look of himself. Was he good enough for Jiu Lan to love him?

    No!

    They were feeling more disgusted by him --- even Feng Yong Rui and Qi Hao felt the same way!

    Xiao Fang¡¯s heart was beating faster because this was the words that she had been waiting for. She was at a loss when the Han Emperor was talking nonsense just now and it was quite hard for her to steer the conversations¡¯ direction, after all, she needed to act like a ghost as well. If she was talking too much, people would feel suspicious ah~!

    She wasn¡¯t oblivious to some of the officials¡¯ gaze of mocking, disbelief, and distrust. Some of them were cynical enough and didn¡¯t believe that they were really ghosts, but they would continue the performance until the end.

    They wanted justice for Jiu Lan and they wanted to know what kind of person this Han Emperor was.

    She also couldn¡¯t move around too much because she needed to stand inside the range of the smoke or people would see her feet. ¡¯Tsk! This restriction is really annoying!¡¯ Xiao Fang thought to herself, but she could onlyply with it.

    The several people who guess that this was a performance started to realize what this farce was all about. They were very curious as well, besides, no matter which side they were... some of them had their names on the list and the others wanted to check the truth whether that list was true or not. If yes, there was a chance that the Han Emperor would want to remove them as well. Thus, they didn¡¯t n to stop the ghosts¡¯ performance.

    In the end, this all happened because of the Han Emperor¡¯s own conduct. If he didn¡¯t target his own loyal people, everyone would still be loyal to him as well. They wouldn¡¯t even let this performance to continue because everyone seemed to know that they would find out about the royal family¡¯s secret.

    Feng Yong Rui was actually his biggest backer, but yet, he wanted to remove Feng Yong Rui --- how could thetter¡¯s heart not be chilled?

    He could put a stop to his daughter¡¯s n to get revenge if he wanted to, but in the end, he didn¡¯t --- especially when he knew the whole truth that Han Xiang had told his daughter. Thus, he only casually looked at the scene that happened in front of him in a cold face while continued being vignce.

    Feng Yong Rui might only be a schr, but he had a lot of loyal subordinates --- some of them were on the military side and some of them were the people in the pce. In term of power, he didn¡¯t lose to the Han Emperor. If he wanted to revolt, he could. However, what preventing him before was his loyalty.

    Xiao Fang decided to go with the flow and asked the main problem while she had the chance, "Ie from the underworld because I feel unreconciled with you... You did so many disgusting things to me --- even giving me drugs so you can rape me! Why? Why did you do that?!"

    The surrounding people gasped when they heard the ghost¡¯s words. Raping? The women who had strong minds and hadn¡¯t fainted were able to hear it loud and clear. Their previous fear turned to pity... No wonder she had be a wandering ghost --- she must have been wanting to get revenge before leaving peacefully ah~!

    What they disdained the most was rape! The Han Emperor even gave her drugs and they didn¡¯t bother to cover up their disdain. No wonder the Ce Fei decided to run away back then. After all, they also knew that the Han Emperor had robbed the Ce Fei from her real husband and they heard that they really loved each other.

    They dared to show their emotions because they could see that the Han Emperor didn¡¯t really pay attention to them! His gaze was solelynded on the ghost...

    After listening to the Ce Fei¡¯s ghost¡¯s words, those who had a fierce battle inside the inner yards with the concubines seemed to understand more or less about what had happened back then. The nobledies that wereing to the banquet were all the Madam of their respective families, how could they not understand the struggle inside the harem?

    Thus, they looked at where the royal family sat down. They guessed which concubine was this cruel, after all, they believed that all of them weren¡¯t that innocent ah~!

    If the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t faint, she would certainly put a stop to everything even if Yao Ling and Xiao Fang were real ghosts. After all, this involved the face of the royal family! How could she let their prestige be tainted and their conducts were being questioned like this?!

    How could she have such a stupid son?! As an Emperor, he was easily affected by women! If she had known about the list, she would certainly die out of anger!

    Too bad, she still fainted. Thus, no one was able to stop the Han Emperor¡¯s conduct.

    What about the Empress? Her heart towards the Han Emperor had long gone, thus, she felt happy when he was in such predicament. She just looked at the scene indifferently, not nning to stop anything. Her most loyal Mo Mo had tugged her sleeves a few times, reminding her to do something, but the Empress didn¡¯t listen to her advice.

    She was feeling tired to y the role as an Empress anyway. The Han Emperor listened to that wicked concubine and let her whole family be killed! How could she not n to get revenge?! Her hatred was probably as big as the Ce Fei. She was pretty sure that the one who made the Han Emperor give the drugs to the Ce Fei must be the wicked concubine.

    Who else?!

    So instead, she decided to add oil to the fire.

    The Empress smirked and pretended to be on the Han Emperor¡¯s side, "No... No... you must have been lying... Your Majesty isn¡¯t someone that would be able to do that! If he really had done that, it must have been under someone else¡¯s instigation!"

    She seemed to be supporting the Han Emperor, but she didn¡¯t forget to add thest sentence to drag the wicked concubine along in this matter. She was emphasizing the instigation part loud and clear... so that people would understand her meaning.

    Xiao Fangughed maniacally once again and felt grateful for the Empress¡¯ help, "Of course, I know! The woman was always there... right beside him whenever he did it!"

    The Empress¡¯s face became paler when she heard this --- even she also felt sympathetic towards the Ce Fei. It would be so degrading ah~! "No... I don¡¯t believe you!" The Empress said loudly.

    The Han Emperor took a nce at her and felt grateful for the Empress that he had rarely visited --- suddenly... he felt guilty. This woman was still trying to defend him even though he knew that the former must still be angry when he punished her family...

    "What... what nonsense?! I don¡¯t believe you as well!" Suddenly, the wicked concubine started to talk. She didn¡¯t want to lose to the Empress ah~! She needed to show people her ¡¯love¡¯ to the Han Emperor as well.

 Chapter 368 The Ghosts 4

    All of a sudden, the wicked concubine could feel that she was being suffocated, it was like she was being strangled by someone, but how could that be? No one was in front of her --- to be exact, no one was around her, the person who was closest to her was the Empress who looked at her with wide eyes. Thetter seemed to be surprised with the sudden change in her as well.

    The wicked concubine choked and quickly touched her neck with both of her hands, gasping for air. The people started to realize that the wicked concubine was being choked by an unknown thing. They could see that the wicked concubine¡¯s face almost turned to blue color.

    The wicked concubine reached out one of her hands towards the Empress and said, "Help... Help me..." Her voice was so soft and the Empress almost couldn¡¯t hear it. Too bad, even if she had heard, she didn¡¯t intend to help her own enemy.

    The Empress pretended to take a step back and asked in fear, "What... What happened to you?" Her reaction was normal for people who were afraid of the unknown ah~! She knew that no one would me her for this, even the Han Emperor. Who would dare to get closer to such a weird phenomenon? What if she was being dragged and choked as well? That would be so stupid!

    The people were frozen in shock. Weren¡¯t those two fake ghosts? If they were fake, how could this happen?! They started to tremble in fear once again. Their previous calm minds changed into turmoil. They looked around and couldn¡¯t see something was amiss from the atmosphere. Then, why did the concubine suddenly act like that?

    Because of this, the people who thought that this was merely a farce were shocked to the core. Was there really a ghost in this world?! They felt that their belief in spiritual things was being tested.

    In actuality, even Xiao Fang was feeling surprised by the sudden turn of event. How... How could she be like that? She did nothing ah~! She didn¡¯t have any martial arts skills or inner qi, so doing that was out of the question --- she wasn¡¯t capable enough.

    Feng Yong Rui squinted his eyes --- people couldn¡¯t use their inner qi to strangle people just like that... so who actually did this? However, just like everyone else, he couldn¡¯t find anything so he could only keep his silence.

    The Han Emperor looked at his favorite concubine¡¯s state and he quickly turned his gaze to his Ce Fei. It must have been her! "What are you doing?! Why do you hurt her? Stop it this instant!" The Han Emperor asked in anger. It seemed like something had triggered him and his eyes seemed not to be as alive as before.

    The onlookers looked at the Han Emperor in disbelief. Was he actually crazy? How could he dare to talk to a ghost with that kind of tone ah~?! Even if he was an Emperor, how did he n to beat the ghost? They seemed to realize that something was wrong with the Han Emperor, but didn¡¯t know what --- they were too far from where the royal family was sitting down to see clearly ah~!

    Xiao Fang tilted her head to the side and smirked. Even though she didn¡¯t really understand what happened because this was out of her n, she still continued to act. She had gotten the painting of the wicked concubine and she knew that the one who was being strangled was that woman --- thus, she didn¡¯t feel anypassion at all. It would be best if she died as well. It would save them some troubles.

    Xiao Fang, the ¡¯Ce Fei¡¯, said, "Didn¡¯t you just say that you love me so much? But look at you! You go berserk when something happens to that woman. Your love for me is only fake! You and that despicable woman are the ones who turn me into a vengeful ghost!" Her crispy sound was the only thing could be heard in the banquet location --- oh! And also the wicked concubine¡¯s choking voice.

    Xiao Fang pointed at him while moving her other hand and showing a menacing gesture --- she pretended to strangle the wicked concubine with only one hand. She didn¡¯t forget to smile at the Han Emperor while looking at him with her bloodshot eyes.

    The Han Emperor¡¯s whole body was trembling in fear. When looking at his beloved Ce Fei¡¯s eyes, he started to realize that he was dealing with a ghost. What... What had he done? The Han Emperor had never once thought that he was in the wrong. Serving the husband was the wife¡¯s duty, right?

    After all, they got the same amount of pleasure at that time! That was how the wicked concubine was convincing him over and over again back then and in the end, the wicked concubine indeed had brainwashed him.

    "What are you talking about Xiao Lan? I really... really love you!" The Han Emperor felt like he should convince the ghost so that thetter wouldn¡¯t attack him and choke him the same way as his favorite concubine. In the end, his love for himself and his selfishness won.

    "A love from you? I feel disgusted by it and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m worth it! Your love made me feel tortured. Your love made you rape me without boundaries. After all, don¡¯t you remember? She¡¯s the one who was staying beside you when you gave me the drugs..." Xiao Fang started to be emotional as well, feeling like she was the one who was being tortured by this man.

    After all, she could still remember Han Xiang¡¯s expression when thetter had told her the truth back then! The disgust, the anguish, the hatred, everything... She remembered that this man didn¡¯t only torture her mother, but also her deceased best friend which was supposed to be his daughter! Such a cruel man!

    "I would never forget that face even in my death, her face keeps haunting me! If I don¡¯t take her along with me, I can¡¯t have a peaceful death!" Xiao Fang insisted while she continued pretending to choke the woman. She squinted her eyes, knowing that the wicked concubine would die in a short time. Xiao Fang had never participated in killing people and she felt slightly ufortable, even though she knew that the woman actually deserved being treated like this.

    The audience gasped in surprise. They finally knew which concubine who dared to use such a disgusting and lowly method. However, when they took a closer look, they shook her head. How could the Ce Fei lose to such a woman?!

    "No wonder ah~! Isn¡¯t that concubine..." One person started the discussion, but she didn¡¯t dare to say the obvious thing. After all, her personality was quite timid.

    "Ha... yes! She was taken from a brothel by the Han Emperor!" Another woman quickly pointed it out. She felt braver because in this condition, who would pay attention to her ah~?! They were too busy looking at the ghost and the Han Emperor.

    "Yes, Yes... No wonder she can be the Han Emperor¡¯s favorite for so long. She¡¯s the one who is poisoning the Han Emperor¡¯s mind all this time!"

    "Ssst... Stop talking! What if the ghost hears you?! A vengeful ghost won¡¯t care who she will hurt ah~!"

    After listening to the advice, they quickly shut their mouth --- they didn¡¯t want to provoke the ghost ah~! What if their fate became like the previous old official who almost fainted to death?

    Thus, they could only continue looking at the scene in front of them.

 Chapter 369 The Ghosts 5

    "No... Really... I love you... but please release her first!" The Han Emperor¡¯s eyes were darting around between his beloved concubine and also his Ce Fei¡¯s ghost. The even moreughable thing he was... he still dared to beg for the wicked concubine¡¯s life. He looked heartbroken when he saw her beloved concubine being strangled heartlessly. However, there was also a hint of desperate love in his eyes when he looked at his Ce Fei.

    No matter what she was still his concubine. If he couldn¡¯t protect her, how would the people see him? It was actually only his ego talking. The man was selfish and he actually only loved himself --- it was also the reason for his downfall.

    In the end, what he did only made people feel more disgusted at him.

    "Love?" Xiao Fang asked sarcastically. "What a beautiful love that you have! It¡¯s so beautiful that it makes me want to puke!" Xiao Fang didn¡¯t bother to cover up her disgust once more. When she saw that the choke had be harder, Xiao Fang followed along by pretending to clutch her gist harder.

    If she could, she really wanted to strangle that woman for real --- using her own hands. Judging from the Han Emperor¡¯s current performance, it seemed like he was really biased towards the wicked concubine, no wonder her mother¡¯s fate ended up so bad under both of their ruthless hands.

    The onlookers could only shake their heads at this muddleheaded Emperor. How could they let such a person govern a kingdom? Could such a man make a good judgment? He couldn¡¯t even manage his own backyard. This kind of Emperor was easy to be a puppet ah~!

    No wonder there was a list that contained the name that he wanted to remove. If he wasn¡¯t muddleheaded, how could he think of something as outrageous as that? Wanting to be a sole Monarch? Was he that crazy?! The foundation of this kingdom had been nned by the founding Emperor carefully, but he wanted to abolish the system and be a sole ruler.

    How could people ept the Emperor¡¯s selfishness? If he nned to do something crazy, no one would be able to stop him ah~! No matter they were the officials who were loyal to him or not, no one agreed to this type of decision.

    They started to believe that it might not just be a rumor ah~! Look at how the Han Emperor behaved himself! He loudly said that he loved his Ce Fei and that was the image that made the people admire him all this time because they saw how the Emperor searched for the woman like a lunatic back then. But in the end... it looked like that it was only an act! It was only his pride talking.

    The officials¡¯ heart towards the Han Emperor became even colder. What made the Emperor change so much? He used to be an upright and full of aspiration man... Otherwise, how could so many people be loyal to him if he was this useless before?

    They wondered how could they not see his change back then? They only realized it at this moment.

    Their eyes turned to the wicked concubine and wonder to themselves. Was it because of her? If yes, it was better if that woman was strangled to death by the ghost! They could even cheer the ghost up if they could. There was a surging fire inside their hearts.

    "Help --- Help me...!" The wicked concubine felt like she almost died and she could only see white nk space in front of her. This was the first time she felt afraid after she became the Han Emperor¡¯s concubine --- she was usually the one who tortured people ah~!

    Yao Ying was worried about what happened because he knew the reason why the wicked concubine was being choked by the unknown thing. He stood in the darkness, guarding his wife by her side. Thus, he could see her movements clearly. She had stopped ying the qujin a long time ago. From where he stood, he could see the moon birthmark at the back of her neck suddenly started to shine brighter and brighter. Fortunately... he saw it in time, so he was able to cover it up by arranging her hair.

    However, it seemed like Yao Ling didn¡¯t even realize that he had touched her. When he looked at her, it seemed like she was in a trance. Her usually pure and shining eyes suddenly changed color --- into red ones, honestly, Yao Ying also found it scary. If he didn¡¯t know she was his wife, he would certainly think that she was a ghost that wasing for an act of vengeance.

    ¡¯What happened to her?¡¯ Yao Ying asked to himself. Yao Ling¡¯s sudden change made him feel baffled as well. He knew that she had learned something from the scrolls, but he didn¡¯t really pay attention. Yao Ying already told her to pay attention to what she had learned, don¡¯t learn if it was dangerous ah~!

    Was it the result of her diligent learning?

    Yao Ying knew that Yao Ling would not have done this out of nowhere --- she must have been triggered by something. The most possible answer was because of Jiu Lan¡¯s matter. He knew that it was also because of the trash Emperor¡¯s words because he also wanted to punch that Emperor when he heard his disgusting words and looked at his behavior.

    Yao Ying nced at Yao Ling¡¯s hand and he could see that her right hand was making a gesture of choking someone. He was certain that this was because of her newfound power, however, he also could feel that there was a fluctuation once again after she used her power for quite some times. Her power wasn¡¯t stable but it was better than before.

    He was contemting whether he should stop her or not. If he stopped her and she regretted failing to kill her, he knew that Yao Ling would me him. However, he was afraid that her power would be exposed. Fortunately, people still thought that this was Xiao Fang¡¯s doing ah~!

    Otherwise, it would be bad!

    Hopefully, all of them would still believe that those two were really ghosts.

    Yao Ying decided to hold Yao Ling¡¯s hand, trying to give herfort so she could gain back her sanity. He didn¡¯t dare to make a big and bold move, otherwise, people would be able to see him ah~!

    "Ling-er, calm yourself down!"

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether his whisper would work or not, but he remembered that there was a connection between them, maybe... just maybe... he could affect her somehow.

    Yao Ying guessed was right --- he had the power to affect Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling started to calm down and her clutch started to loosen a little bit. It also affected her hold towards the wicked concubine¡¯s neck.

    The wicked concubine could feel the loosened grip and she was finally able to breathe somehow and could finally sigh in relief. She looked at the Ce Fei with hatred and because of what had just happened, she lost her mind because of her anger. She was usually a calm woman but today... she was being rattled and her mood became so bad! She didn¡¯t even remember where she was.

    In a banquet, with a lot of onlookers...

    The wicked concubine pointed at the Ce Fei¡¯s ghost full of hatred like a shrew. Her previous gentle and delicate self was gone because she was blinded by her own hatred towards the Ce Fei¡¯s ghost! Her previous fear was gone in a heartbeat because she didn¡¯t think that the ghost would let her go anyway. Thus, she decided to go all out!

    If the ghost wanted to fight, then she would fight. She had forgotten how she was being strangled. She became uncontroble.

    Why not let the ghost see her hatred? If she took her and became a ghost as well, she would fight her as a ghost as well. What was there to be afraid of?

 Chapter 370 The Ghosts 6

    This woman had made the wicked concubine feel low for so long. Whenever thetter made love the Han Emperor, thetter called him Xiao Lan over and over again, making her heart feel stabbed whenever he called her that. She felt disgusted with the Han Emperor¡¯s behavior but she couldn¡¯t let it show on her face and she still had to serve the Han Emperor wholeheartedly!

    To her, it was so disgusting that she had to take a bath for a few times after they finished making love. That was also the reason why she didn¡¯t really want to have children with him. This man could be easily persuaded to do that to Han Xiang. If she had a child with him, there was no guarantee that he wouldn¡¯t do the same to their children.

    The wicked concubine concluded that if he could do it to his beloved Ce Fei¡¯s child... then what about her child? The man didn¡¯t love her and she believed that he wouldn¡¯t love their child as well. In her eyes, love was just a deception --- nothing good woulde out of it.

    Besides, after she got her revenge, she would leave this ce as well. She already had enough!

    At first, she had been feeling so happy when she was able to remove the Ce Fei from the Han Emperor¡¯s harem and always felt superior ever since. Thetter was her only obstacle to get the Han Emperor¡¯s heart. After all, the Han Emperor didn¡¯t really have the other women inside his heart, hence it was easier for her to crush them --- even the Empress was not her opponent.

    However, her heart went colder over time and lost her hope. She couldn¡¯t depend on such a lousy man ah~! That was also the reason why she didn¡¯t even bother to cover up herself more at this stage. She hade back from the brink of death from the choking, so she felt that she had nothing to lose anymore.

    "You... You slut! You are just an abandoned woman! You are only a dead fish in bed and you can¡¯t even satisfy the Emperor! You can¡¯t even serve your husband if not for the drugs! What kind of woman are you, huh? In my opinion, you are the most disgusting woman on earth!" The wicked concubine didn¡¯t bother to cover up the way she talked. Yes, this was the way how she usually talked in private! Just like a shrew and full of vulgarity...

    After all, she was only a low born woman and always hid herself well behind a mask so that she could survive in the harem¡¯s environment, pretending to be elegant, soft, and delicate. That was how she was taught in the brothel. Otherwise, how could she make the Han Emperor spoil her until he listened to everything that she said ah~?

    ¡¯BINGO!¡¯ Xiao Fang smirked to herself inwardly. Fortunately, the wicked concubine wasn¡¯t killed by the unknown thing just now. At least, she was still useful because they could get a confession from her. This was proving that the rumor wasn¡¯t just a rumor --- it was the truth! She hoped that the wicked concubine would talk more and admit more!

    The wicked concubine breathed heavily after she finished venting out. She felt that a heavy burden had been lifted up from her shoulder --- those were the things that she wanted to say towards that bitch for a long time and she finally could feel satisfied.

    She looked around proudly when she saw the undisguised disgust from the people around her, even the Han Emperor was looking at her in surprise. In thetter¡¯s mind, she didn¡¯t look like the usual delicate woman who always weed him with a gentle smile. Instead, she looked like a shrew at the moment --- the kind of women that he hated the most.

    ¡¯Is... Is this the real her?¡¯ The Han Emperor thought to himself. He shook his head and tried to convince himself that maybe... she lost control due to being strangled just now.

    The Han Emperor also felt that she was really stupid. He didn¡¯t dare to talk about the drugs and yet, this stupid woman said it out loud in front of those officials. Didn¡¯t it mean she had just admitted their wrongdoing?! He had always convinced himself that they had done nothing wrong, however, the hatred that he felt from the onlookers made him feel guilty somehow.

    The wicked concubine sweated. She was too angry just now... and she identally blurted out the truth. She should have just cursed the woman without saying the drugs thing, but it was already toote ah~!

    At this moment, she started to feel scared once again. ¡¯Fi... Finished... Everything is finished!¡¯ She thought inwardly. She believed that the Han Emperor would fully shift the me at her --- she knew how narrow-minded that man was.

    Xiao Fang looked at the wicked concubine andughed while crying sadly, "Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha-Ha! See? You admit it, right? You even did the same thing to my daughter! My poor Han Xiang... Poor Han Xiang..."

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t want to talk too much but she could steer the direction of this conversation ah~! She looked at the wicked concubine with hatred, knowing that this would be the ending of this damned woman.

    The audience gasped in surprise when they heard what the ghost had just said. Her... Her daughter as well? Didn¡¯t it mean that... that... the Han Emperor...? This was really a royal secret ah~! They couldn¡¯t believe that they were able to find out so many things in one day.

    But... how cruel for a father to do it to his own daughter?!

    It was so disgusting!

    They shuddered when they were imagining the scene --- how pitiful that mother-daughter pair was!

    They had heard the rumor about Princess Han Xiang¡¯s confession --- where the Han Emperor used drugs and raped her along with the wicked concubine who always stayed to look at them whenever it happened. But... they just thought that it was a baseless rumor! However, it looked that it wasn¡¯t only a rumor.

    They were even more convinced that the list was also real!

    They were trembling when they realized what kind of people that couple was --- even the Empress! She couldn¡¯t believe that the person that slept by her side for so long was actually such a beast. The Empress Dowager¡¯s Mo Mo also couldn¡¯t believe what she heard. The Han Emperor was the Empress Dowager¡¯s beloved son and she knew how kind he used to be. She felt lucky that the Empress Dowager fainted, or else, she would be heartbroken when she heard all of this.

    In their heart, they weren¡¯t sure whether the Emperor¡¯s position could be kept by this man. After all, what he did really made the people¡¯s heart turn colder.

    ¡¯Is... Is his kindness so far only a facade?¡¯ The Empress Dowager¡¯s Mo Mo thought to herself. She had seen with her own eyes how he had grown up... he... he wasn¡¯t like that ah~! But after looking at the scene in front of her, even she, the Empress Dowager¡¯s personal Mo Mo, didn¡¯t know what was real anymore...

    The Han Emperor could also see the mocking gaze from his surrounding. Without beating around the bush, he quickly went over and pped the wicked concubine in front of everyone without care. "You! Shut up! What are you talking about?!" He knew that he had to be ruthless at this moment. How could he let a woman ruin his prestige as an Emperor?!

 Chapter 371 The Ghosts 7

    The Empress was surprised by the Han Emperor¡¯s gesture. She couldn¡¯t believe her eyes ah~! Did he just p that bitch? She even needed to pinch herself to make sure that this wasn¡¯t a dream! How long had she wanted this to happen ah~?

    Even if she died here, it would be worth it! After all, she was no match to that wicked concubine and always lived under her pressure all this time. She kept her excitement inside because she still knew where she was.

    Indeed, the real nobledy was different from a low born woman that came from a brothel. The elegance came from within.

    She sneered inwardly. ¡¯Hah! What a cruel man! He can even p his so-called beloved woman in front of so many people. Really a joke! It seems like I shouldn¡¯t have med the Ce Fei all along... This man doesn¡¯t love anyone but himself!¡¯ The Empress thought to herself.

    She was pretty sure that he only loved the idea for the Ce Fei to love him back so that he could feel that he had won from her previous husband... He just wanted to feel more superior than others. She knew how capable General Lin was... Their kingdom was defeated by him over and over again even though General Lin was so young back then.

    The Han Emperor, who was a prince back then, also lost a lot of times back then. Thus, she also knew that the man must have hated General Lin so much.

    How selfish!

    The wicked concubine looked at the Han Emperor in disbelief and asked, "You... You dare to hit me?! You crazy old man!"

    The crowds gasped in surprise. This was the first time someone dared to curse an Emperor right in front of his face. They knew that the Han Emperor must have been feeling embarrassed to death --- after all, his prestige as an Emperor had been opposed by his woman.

    Their kingdom always taught that women should obey their husbands. If someone behaved like the wicked concubine, even if he was only an official, it would look like the man was being pped in the face. What more if the man was an Emperor?

    The audience could only shake their head ah~!

    "You talked nonsense just now! Of course, I need to put you in your ce!" The Han Emperor yelled. How could the woman dare to question what he did in front of so many officials? Cursing him? It seemed like it was time for this woman to go, after all, he had so many women in his harem.

    "You... You..." The wicked concubine gritted her teeth in anger. She knew that she shouldn¡¯t have called him names and already felt remorse about it, besides, she hadn¡¯t sessfully gotten her revenge towards Feng Yong Rui --- she had been patient for a long time ah~! However, this p triggered her anger once again.

    She became so unreasonable all of a sudden, even the wicked concubine was confused as well. Why couldn¡¯t she hold back her feelings just like usual?! The wicked concubine felt that something was fishy but she didn¡¯t know what was going on.

    She didn¡¯t know that one of her people was Feng Yong Rui¡¯s spy. Her personal maid had added something to her perfumed sachet so that it could affect her mood for quite some times. She increased the dosage right before the banquet, thus, it led to her current mood --- uncontroble.

    In a way, she also hated the man in front of her so much! If it wasn¡¯t because of her master¡¯s order, she didn¡¯t really want to fight for this stupid Emperor¡¯s favor.

    "You are just a stupid Emperor! I will loud and clear tell the world what kind of Emperor you are! A sex addict who even resorted to the drug even though you eximed to love her over and over again. You wanted her to satisfy, kneel, and beg for you, letting her degrade herself like she was a prostitute! But she didn¡¯t actually want you... she just wanted the drugs. Ha--Ha--Ha! Don¡¯t you remember how she kept calling for General Lin¡¯s help? The man that she loved would never be you! Just ask her ghost!" The wicked concubine was poking on his sore spot which made him feel angry even more.

    She basically told people everything that had happened in those sentences loud and clear.

    Xiao Fang, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian¡¯s moods were affected by what the wicked concubine had revealed. Their hatred couldn¡¯t be concealed anymore when they heard for real what they had done to Jiu Lan back then. They knew that they wouldn¡¯t let this woman go no matter what --- she needed to die!

    Yao Ling started to clutch her hand tighter once more, nning to kill her as soon as possible. Her power had started to be directed at the wicked concubine once more. However, Yao Ying grabbed her hand just in time, trying to prevent her from doing so. Yao Ying shook his head. "Not yet... Not yet... It¡¯s not the right time... Calm yourself down!" He warned her softly, after all, they still needed the woman ah~!

    Yao Ling knew what Yao Ying meant, but she really wanted to kill the woman! Her moon birthmark started to glow once again...

    "You can get your revenge soon... But we still need her confession. Remember? Otherwise, we can¡¯t make people truly despise the Han Emperor. Not only that, but we shouldn¡¯t let your hands get dirty!" Yao Ying said in a low voice. "Remember... We have to finish our new n!"

    Yao Ling could only loosen her hand and nodded her head, even though she was unwilling. She needed to think of the big picture ah~!

    Xiao Fang quickly put in more words before the Han Emperor could deny it once again, "You beast! You did the same thing to Han Xiang! Disgusting! A scumbag!"

    The crowds turned into a roar! They almost forgot about Princess Han Xiang ah~! When they heard the description just now, they had already felt disgusted enough... But doing that to her daughter as well? They really wanted to kill the man as well --- this Emperor really had no bottom line!

    The Han Emperor felt that he needed to justify himself and he forgot that he shouldn¡¯t blurt out the truth --- his own scandal. However, he was too angry, thus, he yelled in a loud voice, "That¡¯s because she¡¯s not our real daughter!" His voice was so loud that it defeated the crowd¡¯s murmur.

    When the crowd heard his loud yell, all of them were feeling dumbfounded and the banquet turned into silence. What was that? Not their real daughter? Was that really the truth? The audience couldn¡¯t believe what they had just heard ah~!

    They felt enlightened by today¡¯s banquet ah~!

    Xiao Fangughed out loud while she was crying blood tears --- yes, blood! Xiao Fang went all out to get the desired effect, but she felt like crying real tears as well. After all, she couldn¡¯t stand the fishy smell of the blood as well. However, she had to keep reminding herself over and over again...

    ¡¯I can do this!¡¯

    ¡¯I can do this!¡¯

    She chanted a few times. After all, she needed to make her ghost appear to be as convincing as possible ah~!

    "How dare you say that?! Han Xiang is our child, you... bastard! How could you nder us like that?!" Xiao Fang yelled back with her ghostly voice. They had already nned that they needed to ensure that people understood something... Han Xiang was the real daughter. Otherwise, the Han Emperor wouldn¡¯t stop looking for her.

 Chapter 372 The Ghosts 8

    The Han Emperorughed bitterly and said, "Someone told me about that and I have investigated it and the proof was solid as well!" He didn¡¯t believe that he had gotten it wrong, because if it was true, then... he was really a beast! How could he do that to his real daughter?! He also had a bottom line.

    ¡¯No! I am not wrong!¡¯ The Han Emperor denied it inside his mind.

    Xiao Fang looked at him and asked, "Tell me... Tell me who said that!" She looked at the Han Emperor with a sad face, looking like she was being wronged and it made the audience pity the ghost even more.

    The Han Emperor didn¡¯t bother to cover up anything and he pointed at the wicked concubine. "She did!" He answered honestly. "However, we did a test... So, I¡¯m sure that it must have been true!" The Han Emperor insisted, after all, he didn¡¯t think such a delicate woman would lie to him. Until now, he still chose to trust the wicked concubine because he couldn¡¯t afford to be wrong.

    His face became paler because he was still feeling afraid and wasn¡¯t really confident in himself.

    Xiao Fang scolded him while pointing at him with anger, "Are you sure that no one had sabotaged the test at that time? Han Xiang was my daughter and I left it to you when I left... Do you know why? Because I couldn¡¯t bear to let my daughter living a hard life with me! You pushed me to my death and you also pushed Han Xiang to her death! Why should I let an unknown baby be a princess?! Don¡¯t you think that you are so stupid?!"

    Xiao Fang tried to take a risk, hoping that the wicked concubine indeed did something to the test. She didn¡¯t want her origin as the Han Emperor¡¯s daughter to be known --- it was better if Han Xiang stayed as his daughter so that it wouldn¡¯t be moreplicated than how it was at the moment.

    The Han Emperor asked with a mocking tone and there was a hint of hatred in it, "I¡¯m sure! Tell me now! Did you switch the baby? Or Han Xiang was the result of your betrayal, huh?"

    The Han Emperor had just dered his love, but in such a short moment, he used the Ce Fei just like that --- even the audience couldn¡¯t bear to listen to his cruel words, especially the women. They looked at him in hatred, however, some of the men were nodding their heads. it seemed like they also agreed with the Han Emperor like it was justified to embarrass a woman who had betrayed the man. They were only a minority but it annoyed Xiao Fang and Yao Ling ah~!

    Xiao Fang knew that the Han Emperor was shameless so she didn¡¯t feel surprised anymore. She nced at Yao Ling, hoping that the ingredients that were being added to the Ce Fei¡¯s perfume sachet would work. However, Xiao Fang felt helpless because Yao Ling¡¯s attention was solely at the Emperor --- she was looking at him with murderous eyes.

    "I don¡¯t really understand you... How could you believe the words of a concubine that came from a brothel than your own Ce Fei?! Switch the baby? Where could I get the power? I¡¯m a Shu person, who would help me inside this foreign kingdom? I didn¡¯t even know that many people back then! Not only that, but I was addicted to the drugs that you gave me! You also confined me inside my courtyard, so tell me... how could I betray you?!" Xiao Fang yelled at the Han Emperor while pointing at the wicked concubine and try to rile her up, so maybe the wicked concubine could identally blurt out something.

    The Han Emperor stunned when he heard Xiao Fang¡¯s words. He had never thought it that way before, after all, he was too angry back then! In his mind, she was a Ce Fei so she must have an influence inside the manor somewhere... He was too angry to think of those possibilities.

    He didn¡¯t really try to investigate it when he was feeling that something wasn¡¯t right --- he just hated the Ce Fei too much that he wanted to vent it on Han Xiang. In his mind, he had condemned thetter, feeling that Han Xiang truly wasn¡¯t his real daughter.

    How could he not think that way? The Han Emperor red at the wicked concubine, feeling that something wasn¡¯t right when he thought about it once more. He remembered that the one who kept persuading him to do something towards Han Xiang was the wicked concubine.

    The wicked concubine gritted her teeth in anger. Whenever someone reminded her that she came from a brothel, she hated it so much! After all, she had tried to erase her past after she became the concubine of a prince, and now, an Emperor. Yao Ling¡¯s special ingredient only worked when the wicked concubine¡¯s mood was affected pretty badly and that was the reason why Xiao Fang tried to rile her up.

    The more riled up she was, the more truth woulde out of her mouth.

    "What do you mean by a woman from a brothel?! Even if I¡¯m from there, I have my own dignity!" The wicked concubine yelled in a hoarse voice because her throat felt so hurt after being throttled, she still didn¡¯t give up to defend herself even though everyone might have guessed which one was the truth.

    "I don¡¯t care about your dignity! I didn¡¯t say anything wrong. The brothel was indeed the ce where you areing from. Not only me, but everyone here knows about it perfectly well!" Xiao Fang said with an elegant voice and not raising her voice which made the difference between the two even more obvious.

    The wicked concubine¡¯s face darkened because she could feel the mocking expression from everyone --- her dark past was mentioned over and over again, it was like the Ce Fei kept trying to remind her of her ce. But what of it? She was already an Emperor¡¯s concubine! No one could shake her position anymore.

    Would a ghostpete with her? The answer was no!

    The wicked concubine smiled sinisterly while talking, "Hah! I admit that I came from a lowly brother. However, you are a nobledy... In the end, didn¡¯t I defeat you?! It was your man¡¯s stupidity for falling into my trap. Ha-Ha-Ha!"

    She forgot that the Ce Fei¡¯s man that she referred to was also his man. The Han Emperor¡¯s face turned for the worst when he heard the wicked concubine¡¯s words. ¡¯Falling into her trap?!¡¯ The Han Emperor thought to himself while he was suddenly getting a bad feeling about it.

    The Han Emperor asked in a harsh voice, "What do you mean? What trap?!" The more he heard what the wicked concubine said, the more his heard turn colder towards the former.

    The wicked concubine flinched when she heard the Han Emperor¡¯s question, knowing that she had blurted out her inner thought once again. Knowing that she had already too far gone, she decided to just go the hell with it. Besides, she saw a little chance that she could ruin Feng Yong Rui and felt that her life would end here anyway.

    She knew that she had finished, thus, she wanted to drag the Han Emperor down as well.

 Chapter 373 The Ghosts 9

    "What else? Everything was under my calction. The drugs, your daughter, everything! Ha-Ha-Ha! I bet you would never guess about it, right?!" The wicked concubine roared inughter while looking at the Han Emperor in disdain and hatred. She felt like floating in the air and couldn¡¯t hold herself back anymore... she just wanted the whole world to know the truth --- the whole truth.

    Inwardly, the wicked concubine wanted to p her own face and shut her mouth, but her body didn¡¯t listen to her, making her feel frustrated as well. It seemed like she couldn¡¯t stop her mouth from telling the truth.

    The Han Emperor felt his knees weakened and almost fell down when he heard that. Everything? Everything?! Her words confirmed what he had feared the most and he looked a few years older in a sh. His whole body was trembling due to the anguish that he felt.

    ¡¯What had he done?¡¯ The Han Emperor thought to himself while he took a step back and sat down at his throne. However, his eyes were dimmed and he massaged his forehead in distress. Everyone knew that he was feeling guilty, however, they only sneered at him because it was already toote to regret.

    Xiao Fang¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. They had made a guess that the wicked concubine might only be trying to frame Han Xiang because she wanted to remove the Ce Fei and her daughter from the position due to jealousy. The Han Emperor felt suspicious about the real daughter before, but he didn¡¯t make a move, so they were sure that he hadn¡¯t reallyid his eyes on Xiao Fang.

    It made Xiao Fang hope that they really didn¡¯t know that she was the real daughter --- she didn¡¯t want to be connected to such a lecherous father.

    They wondered why Han Xiang said that the Han Emperor was feeling suspicious of her identity. Was there something that they didn¡¯t know?

    However, looking at the Han Emperor¡¯s performance, he didn¡¯t seem to realize anything --- or maybe, the shock of the truth made him feel numb? Only the Han Emperor knew howplicated his thought was.

    There was only a small chance that their guess was correct and that was the reason why when nning everything, they decided to try this method and make a gamble about the result. They weren¡¯t sure that it would be a sess because there was no proof. Thus, they decided to gamble tonight and the way Xiao Fang led the conversation would be based on the wicked concubine¡¯s answer.

    It looked like they had won the gamble ah~!

    The wicked concubine¡¯s answer had proved that maybe... maybe everything was just a coincidence. If yes, it would be better!

    The Han Emperor sorted out his mind and asked weakly, "Tell me everything! If you don¡¯t, I will kill you!" He tried to be imposing, but with his current defeated state of mind, he looked like a weak old man.

    "Kill! Kill! Kill! You only know how to kill when something makes you feel displeased. Come ah~! Kill me so that you can feel better. You won¡¯t be able to bear the truth anyway!" The wicked concubine smiled brilliantly while taunting the Emperor with her choice of words. She knew how easy the Han Emperor could crush her with just a word of his, but she didn¡¯t seem to care.

    The wicked concubine felt like she was the victim of a conspiracy, so she felt that letting out the truth would be better ah~! She wanted to torture the Emperor so he would feel guilty for the rest of his life. After all, she had identally blurted out the truth a few times.

    The Han Emperor who really wanted to know the truth, he yelled, "Disperse everyone else!" He didn¡¯t want too many people to know the ugly truth. He looked at his fainting mother and felt guilty, after all, this matter had ruined her birthday banquet.

    However, he felt lucky that his mother had fainted before knowing anything --- or else, he would feel so ashamed of his own unruly behavior. After the matter ended, he would deal with the aftermath so no one would tell his mother.

    The Han Emperor still didn¡¯t understand that his well thought of n was merely wishful thinking.

    The pce guards started to move to obey the Emperor¡¯s word, in the end, no matter how nasty he was... the Han Emperor was still the current Emperor. They needed to obey his words. However, after only taking a few steps, they were stopped by Xiao Fang¡¯s words. " Who dares to move?!"

    They were rooted on the spot. Who dared to fight with a ghost ah~?!

    The pce guards¡¯ leader furrowed his eyebrows in displeasure. He didn¡¯t believe that the ghost would capable to do something to him, so he decided to defy Xiao Fang¡¯s order and move once again. He was a general if he let a woman ghost deter him, wouldn¡¯t it ruin the fame that he had gained so far?!

    Without saying another word, Xiao Fang smirked. This man was really looking for death ah~!

    Suddenly, his head was cut off out of nowhere and the blood spurted out everywhere --- some of the pce guards¡¯ leader¡¯s subordinates were bathed in their boss¡¯ blood which made them stun and didn¡¯t even dare to move anymore. Their boss¡¯ skills were pretty good and yet, with a mere smirk of the ghost, he was dead just like that.

    How could they not feel afraid? They decided to just disobey the Emperor¡¯s words.

    This time, it wasn¡¯t Yao Ling¡¯s work because thetter¡¯s hand was being held down by Yao Ying. Her power stayed calm whenever Yao Ying was doing that.

    It was one of Feng Yong Rui¡¯s hidden guards who actually did the killing. He was specialized in killing using soft and thin thread. He had been working on the trap slowly all around the Han Emperor and the wicked concubine because their main targets were those two.

    They didn¡¯t n to kill the Han Emperor, after all, he was still the Emperor. This thread was used to handle the Emperor¡¯s pesky subordinate. Everything had been within Feng Yong Rui¡¯s calction from the very beginning.

    Xiao Fang had served her purpose as a distraction with her ghost¡¯s disguise. No matter how powerful a man was, if his mind was distracted, he wouldn¡¯t pay attention to small details. Those generals were too shocked by the ugly truth and the nagging of their spouses, thus, they didn¡¯t realize when the trap was nted slowly. Besides, they sat pretty far from where the royal sat and there was no outstanding general at the Han Kingdom. The good ones mostly were guarding the borders at this moment and didn¡¯t join in with the fun.

    Yao Ying was quite surprised by Feng Yong Rui¡¯s subordinate¡¯s skills. It seemed like thetter had a lot of hidden cards, otherwise, everything wouldn¡¯t be as smooth as this ah~! In a way, Yao Ying understood the reason why the Han Emperor wanted to get rid of Feng Yong Rui. Thetter¡¯s influence was too powerful and outstanding. Judging from the look of it, if Feng Yong Rui wanted to be an Emperor, it was probably quite easy to seize the throne from the useless Emperor.

    Just like how it was in each kingdom, the Emperor was always feeling wary of their loyal subordinates.

    The audience stunned when they saw what happened to the pce guards¡¯ leader. They knew that thetter was quite powerful but his head was cut off easily by the Ce Fei¡¯s ghost, making them didn¡¯t dare to do anything. It was too scary ah~!

    Looking at so many weird and unbelievable things, they started to feel even more afraid of the ghost.

 Chapter 374 The Truth 1

    Xiao Fang said sinisterly, "I want everyone to know the truth so I can rest in peace after this. Besides, I need to get justice for my poor daughter! Even if I will go to hell because of this, so be it!" Her eyes turned redder and the blood tears came out once again.

    Honestly, her teamwork with Lin Jian was really good. One flick of his finger he could make the bead really broke --- even though the blood flowing down from her hair but it still looked like she was crying when the blood flow under her eyes. Xiao Fang wanted to wipe the blood but she could only helplessly stop herself.

    The Han Emperor couldn¡¯t do anything after Xiao Fang had said that, besides, he had no power at the moment. Even if he was an Emperor, what could he do when his life was under a threat?

    The Han Emperor wanted to see the ghost more clearly but the stage was full of eerie smoke which changed his idea --- it was better if they kept their distance. She could choke the wicked concubine for afar, so it would be dangerous if he went closer.

    Thus, he turned his gaze to the wicked concubine whose face turned even paler after listening to Xiao Fang¡¯s words and deciding to change his target. He vented his anger at that stupid woman and yelled in a loud voice, "Why don¡¯t you tell us everything?!" He felt wary when Xiao Fang kept looking at him with hatred. It was better if he diverted her attention to the wicked concubine, after all, thetter was the real mastermind.

    If the Ce Fei wanted to kill someone, she should kill the wicked concubine and everything would be back to normal ah~!

    The wicked concubineughed maniacally, feeling like she had be crazier by the seconds due to the pressure from every person in the banquet --- they were looking at her like she was actually a sinner and if their gaze could kill, she would have died a thousand times already. If she knew her craziness was the result of her most trusted maidservant¡¯s work, she would have killed that woman, after all, thetter was her supposed-to-be closest confidante.

    Her most trusted maidservant pretended to tug her sleeve just to stop the wicked concubine from talking, but the wicked concubine pulled her sleeve hard and didn¡¯t care about the warning. The more people wanted to stop her, the more her feelings to rebel grew.

    "I want to get rid of that woman because you love her. I want you to look at me! Only me!" The wicked concubine couldn¡¯t hide her envy.

    She continued talking loudly, "I suggested to use the drugs because sooner orter, the Ce Fei would hate you because you had forced her to serve your lust over and over again, besides, you also let me see the whole things. Of course, the woman would feel disgusted by you --- and by herself... After all, the Ce Fei wasn¡¯t a willing party."

    The Han Emperor¡¯s face turned paler. Back then, the wicked concubine convinced him that the Ce Fei would love him sooner orter if he kept giving her the drugs. He started to see how foolish he was all this time and believe in her nonsense. He didn¡¯t want to listen to the rest of the story just to escape the reality, but the wicked concubine didn¡¯t stop there.

    "I knew that she wanted to run away back then. She didn¡¯t need to say it but the way she behaved made it look so obvious... I pitied her so I helped her with my influence, so I could make her n be easier to do! Do you know why I didn¡¯t kill her? Because I want to make you feel the betrayal of being left alone by her! It¡¯s better if you regret it for the rest of your life... I believed with your personality, if she died back then, you would only regret it for a little while..." The wicked concubine finally told him her real thoughts.

    "I thought that I would be able to get out of her shadow when she was gone, but it was only wishful thinking on my part. But what did you do? You call me with her name whenever we had sex! The funny thing is... even her ghost stilles to bother me once again!" She yelled out her grievance as well while looking at Xiao Fang pointedly.

    The crowds gasped when the wicked concubine boldly said the word ¡¯sex¡¯ and felt disgusted by it --- they felt that the woman had no sense of shame. However, they were also hypocrites because it didn¡¯t deter them from listening to the wicked concubine¡¯s confession.

    Then, the wicked concubine continued, "I hate both of you, but I can¡¯t really get revenge on a woman who wasn¡¯t there and you... who is an Emperor --- you are too powerful for me to handle, besides, I get my current position because I¡¯m holding onto your golden thighs. That¡¯s why I turned my gaze at Han Xiang... she was the weakest one from all of you. I only want to ruin you all!"

    This woman really chose to express her hatred in an extreme way. If she behaved and didn¡¯t be a greedy woman, she would still be enjoying the glory of the Han Emperor¡¯s beloved concubine. She was too ambitious.

    She didn¡¯t stop there. "The more she grew up, the more I saw her as an eyesore. She was getting prettier and resembled that woman a little bit --- that one bit had already made me feel disgusted."

    Xiao Fang and Yao Ling were speechless when they heard this. Han Xiang¡¯s face didn¡¯t resemble Jiu Lan for one bit... It seemed like the wicked concubine was blinded by her own hatred and she became a bit paranoid.

    "Didn¡¯t I already kick her to the side? Why did you still hate her? She was so unloved and always being bullied... so why did you still hate her?" The Han Emperor forgot where he was and he bluntly told people his indifference treatment towards Han Xiang. He knew all the mistreatment that Han Xiang had gotten and he turned a blind eye!

    "Yes, you forgot about her. However, I wanted you to remember her so that I could work on my next n to torture her," the wicked concubine said with a wicked smile.

    Yao Ling¡¯s killing intention started to spark up once again --- she hated that filthy woman! She was so heartless that she even targeted a little girl.

    The Han Emperor thought back and indeed, the wicked concubine was the one who kept talking about Han Xiang and pretended to be a loving elder. She told him to let her live a better life and treat her better, after all, she was the Ce Fei¡¯s daughter. Her reminder about Han Xiang¡¯s birth mother made him hate Han Xiang even more.

    After all, he was still angry at the Ce Fei¡¯s betrayal at that time, so his emotion was quite unstable. He had been yed by this woman! She was clever enough to use his emotions and let him deal with Han Xiang without dirtying her own hands.

    "You... You..." The Han Emperor pointed at her while feeling dizzy. He knew if he didn¡¯t do something, he most likely would faint due to high blood pressure. He didn¡¯t hesitate to pinch himself hard so that he would be sober because he didn¡¯t want to appear weak, even though he knew that it was already toote.

    "But the test...?" The Han Emperor couldn¡¯t stop his curiosity as well, after all, everything had been out in the open and there was no use to start feeling ashamed at this moment.

 Chapter 375 The Truth 2

    The wicked concubineughed. "Aiyo~ it¡¯s just a mere test. With a little reward here and there and a little n, don¡¯t you know how easy it was to change the result? It¡¯s not like all the workers in the pce are loyal to one person only. I just needed money to do the talking. Besides, you didn¡¯t let Han Xiang take the blood in front of you because... you hated her, right? That made everything easier for me. I merely needed to change the blood when it was delivered to us," she said leisurely like she was telling a bedtime story.

    In the end, she also med this to the Han Emperor. He was the one who made it easier for her to bully little Han Xiang. If she could say, the stupidest person here was the Han Emperor --- it was so easy to manipte him.

    There was no trace of guilt in her expression, showing how much hatred that she harbored inside her heart towards the mother-daughter pair and also the Emperor.

    The Han Emperor felt his heart was broken and regretted that he had ever trusted this woman wholeheartedly. He admitted that he had an obsession with the Ce Fei, but he always treated the wicked concubine well. But why? Why did she betray him like that?!

    He had never tried to take a look at himself and see how selfish he was.

    "How... How could you?!" He looked at the wicked concubine with hatred. How could he not see the sinister look on her face all this time? Was he that blind?! He even supported her when the Empress wanted to punish her over and over again, after that, he looked at the Empress guiltily.

    The Empress saw his expression and she could only pretend to smile sadly. However, inwardly, she scoffed at him in disdain. Her heart had been dead a long time ago because of his own doing.

    On the other hand, the wicked concubine merely smirked at him and didn¡¯t n to answer. She was toozy to talk to such a stupid man.

    "She¡¯s... she¡¯s really my daughter?" The Han Emperor asked frailly. He would never think that the truth was actually like this.

    The wicked concubine furrowed her eyebrows when she felt how stupid the Han Emperor actually was. Thus, she confirmed it herself, "I guess so! As long as the Ce Fei had never betrayed you at that time, then she was yours." She didn¡¯t forget to nder the Ce Fei once more, even though she knew that the Ce Fei indeed had no chance to do that ah~!

    The wicked concubine would never think that her guess was actually correct. If she knew that she didn¡¯t need to do anything to the blood test, she would certainly vomit blood in anger. After all, who dared to lie to the Emperor? No one! Thus, no one actually would know or even dare to guess that Han Xiang wasn¡¯t the real daughter in the first ce.

    The Han Emperor knew that he had done an unforgivable sin for raping his own daughter --- even though she seemed to be willing, but he was the one who understood about it the most, it was due to the drugs. Otherwise, Han Xiang wouldn¡¯t be in depression and even killed herself...

    However, there was no medicine for regret.

    "But... You said... that my real daughter could be Feng Yong Rui¡¯s daughter!" The Han Emperor still didn¡¯t want to give up --- he wanted to justify himself even more. He didn¡¯t bother to cover up everything anymore.

    Feng Yong Rui gasped and asked in confusion, "What? Howe it was connected to me?!" He deliberately asked in a loud voice, showing how wronged he felt.

    Yao Ling and Xiao Fang¡¯s ears perked up when they heard this statement. So, the source of this rumor also came from the wicked concubine. They looked at each other from the corner of their eyes and sighed in relief --- it seemed like they didn¡¯t need to worry about this matter anymore.

    The wicked concubine answered him, "And... you believe me?" After that, sheughed out loud like a lunatic, feeling powerful when she realized how stupid the Han Emperor was.

    The Han Emperor shuddered at the thought of how vicious this woman was and he had slept almost his whole life with her beside him... on the same bed. He started to feel nauseated and didn¡¯t know how to answer the wicked concubine¡¯s question. He indeed believed her. Too much...

    The wicked concubine didn¡¯t n to tell him that she had said that because she wanted the Han Emperor to target Feng Yong Rui. Once the investigation led to that, she knew that she would be killed ah~! After all, she was trying to frame Feng Yong Rui so the rtionship between the Han Emperor and his loyal subordinate turned for the worst.

    Besides, she had gotten this information from her master --- maybe there was a truth in it, even though it seemed to be impossible in her mind. She answered, "Someone has told me about it whether it¡¯s the truth or not, I have no idea. At least, the information gave me such a wonderful idea to implement ah~! See? It worked perfectly, right?"

    At this point, who would believe that Han Xiang wasn¡¯t the real daughter? They merely thought that the wicked concubine was bluffing and tried to shift the me to someone else.

    Yao Ling and Xiao Fang were taken aback when they heard this. Someone had told her about it...? It seemed like they weren¡¯t the only ones who knew about this, but as long as the Han Emperor believed that Han Xiang was the real daughter, it didn¡¯t matter. Although they understood that they still needed to find out the real informant, otherwise, their n would be ruined as well.

    How could that person know about this matter ah~?!

    Xiao Fang decided to make everything worse by crying and said, "My daughter... My daughter... My poor daughter..." She looked so pitiful and delicate ah~!

    "You... You..." He pointed at the wicked concubine in anger.

    The Han Emperor was too vexed. He didn¡¯t even care whether the ghost would kill him when he moved or not, even if the ghost would, he would still choose to do the same. He pulled out the sword from the closest pce guard and he ran to the wicked concubine. Without beating around the bush, he pierced her with the sword right in the middle of her stomach.

    "Ompf...!" The wicked concubine was surprised by the sudden turn of the event. She didn¡¯t think that he would dare to openly kill her like this and already made a n to run away once this banquet was over. Her master had given her a way out, but... it seemed like she couldn¡¯t use it anymore.

    She looked down at her stomach in disbelief... He wanted to kill her...? It seemed like there was no use to cover up about Feng Yong Rui¡¯s matter anymore.

    The wicked concubine tried tough but she could only spurt out blood from her mouth while coughing nonstop. She tried to talk in a loud voice once more, using her full strength, "Ha-Ha-Ha! *cough* *cough* I want to get revenge... to... to you..."

    She pointed at Feng Yong Rui. Thetter was surprised because he didn¡¯t remember anything about the wicked concubine, so he pointed at himself and asked, "Me?"

    "Yes... you..." The wicked concubine wanted to say more, however, she knew that she didn¡¯t have that much strength left anymore.

    She looked at the Han Emperor and said, "Feng Yong Rui has been really loyal to you, but because of your narrowmindedness, you ruin the rtionship between you... yourself."

    *cough*

    *cough*

    The wicked concubine smiled sinisterly and with herst breath, she yelled while skimming over the officials, "The list... is true! I¡¯ve seen it!"

 Chapter 376 The Truth 3

    "You are a liar!" The Han Emperor yelled in annoyance. "The list isn¡¯t real! You¡¯re going to die and you dare to spout nonsense!" He didn¡¯t bother to cover up his hatred towards the wicked concubine anymore. This woman was the main source of his trouble and the one that had led him to make so many mistakes all this time.

    The Han Emperor was in a panic. After all, with his current state and reputation, it was better if people didn¡¯t know that indeed the list was real. If not, he knew that people would start to revolt one by one. He still wanted to be an Emperor! He wouldn¡¯t let his power go!

    The wicked concubineughed while vomiting blood, but she still didn¡¯t give up and wanted to say something else, making the Han Emperor feel afraid even more --- after all, this woman knew all of his secrets.

    Thus, before the wicked concubine could say anything else, he quickly pierced her stomach deeper until the tip of the swords fully prating her body and could be seen passing through her back. He was going for the kill to shut her mouth forever. More blood was gushing out of the wound, making the banquet turn into a gory scene --- a real murder scene.

    The atmosphere turned into a solemn one.

    The women audiences quickly turned their gaze away in fear and didn¡¯t dare to utter another word, feeling afraid that they would be the next target even though they had the urge to vomit. It was better if they hid obediently behind their husbands, knowing that the Han Emperor had gone berserk.

    The Han Emperor sneered at the dying woman, feeling that no one would believe in her nonsense once she was gone. A dead person couldn¡¯t talk. Even though it was a bit toote, at least, she couldn¡¯t say whatever n that he had concocted in detail to a third person anymore.

    However, everyone had already heard the confirmation that the list was true. People tended to believe in what they wanted to believe so despite the Han Emperor¡¯s final effort, everything had been toote. Besides, they weren¡¯t stupid enough not to see the fear in the Han Emperor¡¯s eyes. The Han Emperor forgot that a rumor was scarier than the real truth.

    In the end, their hearts chilled and didn¡¯t n to help the Han Emperor to do anything or cover up what happened inside this banquet. If they could, they wanted to see he was killed by the Ce Fei¡¯s ghost. It was better to have a new Emperor ah~! This one was useless!

    However, they also knew that everything wouldn¡¯t be that easy. No matter what, he was still the Emperor ah~!

    "She¡¯s lying!" The Han Emperor yelled, trying to exin himself to the crowds. Otherwise, he would lose everything! Feeling that he was too agitated, he calmed himself down and smiled, "It¡¯s just a misunderstanding. I would never betray my loyal subordinates."

    However, his face looked so eerie --- especially because of the blood that was covering his face from his recent murder. He looked like the devil himself and he hadn¡¯t even released the wicked concubine from his sword yet. The man didn¡¯t even feel that something was wrong from his appearance.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t want to continue staying there --- it was time to go because she felt that she had already gotten their revenge and she had had enough seeing the Han Emperor¡¯s hypocrite face. She felt grateful that she didn¡¯t look like him or she would resent her own face for a life time.

    Everyone had known the Han Emperor¡¯s real face and it was enough for her. If she could, she wanted to kill him --- but she couldn¡¯t do it herself, after all, it was an unfilial thing to do. No matter how unwilling she was, he was still her birth father.

    Xiao Fang nced at Yao Ling and thetter nodded in agreement. She was satisfied that the wicked concubine had already dead --- she could see it from her lifeless eyes and ceased breathing. Besides, they shouldn¡¯t stay too long here or people would be suspicious. It was such a short time --- maybe around an incense stick of times but they felt like they had be ghosts for a long time.

    "I hope that you will pay for your sin in the afterlife. I will meet you in hell!" Xiao Fang gave herst words to the Han Emperor with a condemning smile, before she decided to vanish and she didn¡¯t even wait for the Han Emperor¡¯s reply before doing that.

    For her, she wanted to close this chapter of her life. She would continue to be Feng Yong Rui¡¯s daughter and Qi Hao¡¯s sister.

    Everything went dark once again and seemed to be back to normal with all the fire from torches which were suddenly gone as well. It took a while before someone dared to lit up the torches. When they looked at the stage, it was so clean that people wouldn¡¯t be able to find a trace of the ghosts if they tried to search for one.

    No smoke, no blood, nothing.

    However, there was still a surprise awaiting them.

    They heard a muffled sound before but due to the dark, they couldn¡¯t see anything and didn¡¯t really pay attention to it. The audiences¡¯ eyes widened in surprise in surprise when they looked at the Han Emperor¡¯s direction.

    "How... How could it happen?" The Empress gasped in surprise...

    The audiences also murmured between them!

    The Han Emperor was stabbed at the same ce as the wicked concubine --- right in the middle of his stomach. Everyone was sure that the people beside them didn¡¯t move, so they could only guess thay this was the Ce Fei¡¯s ghost doing once again. No sane person would dare to kill the Han Emperor with such a tant attempt.

    The crazy thing was... the killer was able to do it in such a short time and in the darkness.

    Generally, people would move and quickly call the imperial physician after seeing such a scene. However, the momentum of what was happening just now was too great and left a strong impact to the audience. The way the imperial guards¡¯ leader was killed... still fresh inside their mind. Thus, everyone was looking around and it dyed the process of saving the Emperor. They didn¡¯t want to lose their heads as well.

    Feng Yong Rui squinted his eyes in satisfaction while his lips were slightly curling up. It seemed like he knew that this would happen. However, this expression only appeared for a moment before he changed his expression back to the previous one.

    He stood up and decided to help the Han Emperor, continued showing the Han Emperor his loyalty.

    Yao Ling and friends had gone from the banquet for real and they quickly erased their make up to blend in with the crowds, on the other hand, Xiao Fang needed to add the scar back to her face once more.

    They were surprised as well when they heard the sudden turn of event.

    Ah Man told them that the Han Emperor had been stabbed in the dark and this wasn¡¯t a part of their n. When they asked Ah Man, thetter only said that this was done by those two men which the eunuch had sent.

    They looked at each other, wondering how it could happen --- unless... this was done by their people. Didn¡¯t they change those two to their own people?

 Chapter 377 The Truth 4

    Their n for those two men was for them to kill the wicked concubine if they had failed. However... didn¡¯t the Han Emperor already kill the wicked concubine on their behalf? So, how could the target suddenly change to the Emperor?!

    If someone searched for the perpetrator, they nned to let those two men point at the eunuch who hired them to begin with. No matter who the eunuch¡¯s master was, they didn¡¯t care. It wasn¡¯t their business anyway to care about the power struggle inside the pce --- they just needed to get their revenge and leave the mess behind.

    "Is this Feng Yong Rui¡¯s doing?" Yao Ling whispered softly at Yao Ying. However, why would he do that? He was so loyal to the Han Emperor, so it didn¡¯t make sense for him to do this.

    Thetter murmured his agreement, "I think so as well." Feng Yong Rui was very powerful inside his mind, thus, he was very sure that this must have something to do with him. He saw with his eyes how many people in the ce who were actually Feng Yong Rui¡¯s men --- all of them weren¡¯t arranged for one or two days because most of them had quite high positions inside the pce.

    Arranging them with such a meticulous method would need a long term n and Yao Ying believed that Feng Yong Rui must have been nning this for a long time. But... for what?

    They felt that something wasn¡¯t right but they couldn¡¯t understand which part. Xiao Fang, who was always a bit slow, felt confused as well, but she tried to find a reasonable reason for this matter.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s suspicion was slightly dispelled when Xiao Fang said, "Maybe father wants to avenge the grievance for us?"

    If Xiao Fang had put it that way, it was certainly making sense. They could see how much Feng Yong Rui doted on Xiao Fang. However, Yao Ling didn¡¯t think that it was that simple.

    When Yao Ling was going to think more about it, her name was called from behind by a man, "Yao Ling..."

    She turned around happily because she recognized the voice. She quickly saw Rong Qiu and her worry turned into relief, and relief turned into happiness. "Father!" She yelled loudly and quickly hugged Rong Qiu without paying attention to where she was.

    Yao Ling looked at her father up and down, feeling slightly relieved when she didn¡¯t find something amiss. However, she still asked perfunctory questions, "Are you okay? What happened to you? Did the Han Emperor do something to you?" She kept bombarding Rong Qiu with questions that made thetter didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. How could he answer so many questions all at once? His daughter looked like a mother hen and he wondered which one the elder here? He found it really funny ah~!

    Yao Ying could only shake his head at Yao Ling¡¯s behavior, but he didn¡¯t prevent her from doing so because he knew how worried she was all this time. He just wanted to let the woman be happy for a little while.

    Lin Jian gave a suggestion, "Can we talk about thister? We should leave the pce first before catching up. Xiao Fang¡¯s father will deal with the aftermath so we don¡¯t have to stay in the pce anymore."

    Lin Jian was able to see that several people were looking at their direction while whispering to each other --- they didn¡¯t need to be gossiped at this time, after all, the pce was quite in a mess. It was better if they appeared low-key around this time.

    Everyone nodded in agreement. Ah Man already prepared a way out for them but he didn¡¯t follow them back to the prime minister¡¯s manor. He let someone else sent them home with two big carriages.

    "Why aren¡¯t youing with us?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion. The pce was in chaos and this was the perfect opportunity from them to be gone --- Ah Man wasn¡¯t the pce¡¯s people, so why did he want toe back inside?

    Lin Jian nodded his head in agreement, "Yes ah~! It¡¯s dangerous in there! They must be looking for a trace to see whether they were real ghosts or not and they could feel suspicious of an outsider such as you!"

    Ah Manughed and tried to cate them, "No need to worry! I will be fine. I have another matter to tend to inside the pce. Besides, someone needs to clean up the mess, right?"

    Thus, they let him go because his argument was quite solid. Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other but they felt that it was better not to care much about Feng Yong Rui¡¯s matter, even though they already got a bad feeling. It seemed like they only needed to wait for the news about what happened next --- as long as it didn¡¯t cross their interest, it didn¡¯t matter to them anyway.

    Yao Ling was hoping that the Han Emperor would be dead for real so that he could go to hell and being tortured because of his misdeeds in this lifetime.

    When they arrived back at the prime minister¡¯s manor, Yao Ling finally could ask Rong Qiu freely about what happened. "Father, what happened to you? Why did the Han Emperor imprison you?" She asked with a worried smile.

    Rong Qiu sighed. "Honestly, I never thought that the Han Emperor¡¯s paranoia level would turn for the worst like that. He was suspicious of me and felt that I might be working together with the esteemed guest all along, he has never been this weird before... Under the pretense of entertaining me who has nevere back to the capital all along, the Han Emperor investigated Hong Wen¡¯s death. I can¡¯t forget the way he sneered at me."

    Rong Qiu honestly couldn¡¯t understand the Han Emperor anymore... He knew that he wasn¡¯t a good man before, but... his current personality... *sigh* Rong Qiu was speechless as well.

    Yao Ling bit her lower lips. It seemed like the Han Emperor wasn¡¯t as stupid as they thought of him --- this time, he put his paranoid personality on the right matter. "How did Uncle Feng Yong Rui save you?" She asked curiously.

    Rong Qiu tilted his head to the side and seemed confused as well. "The funny thing was there was no resistance. It seemed like there was no hindrance just now... Ah Man directly picked me up at the courtyard where I stayed... The usual guards weren¡¯t there at all. Was there something big happening inside the banquet? Ah Man put me in a safe ce so I didn¡¯t know what happened inside the pce."

    It wasn¡¯t weird for Rong Qiu not to know about this matter, but Yao Ying was concerned about there was no guards part. It seemed like this matter wasn¡¯t as simple as it looked like from the outside. He sighed in relief. At least, they had been gone and there was no way the conspiracy would reach them.

    Everyone was taking a turn to tell what happened back at the pce which made Rong Qiu gasp in surprise. "Something like that happened?!" He asked loudly.

    The four youngsters nodded their heads at the same time.

    "Where¡¯s Feng Yong Rui now?" Rong Qiu asked.

 Chapter 378 The Truth 5

    Rong Qiu wondered to himself. Shouldn¡¯t Feng Yong Ruie back along with the others? They had already received the news that people had been going home one by one, not only that, but The Empress already warned them not to let a word about what happened at the banquet leak out. However, how could they cover up such a piece of big news?

    There were tended to be a few people with loose mouths here and there, and they believed that this news would leak out the next day. Besides, the youngsters didn¡¯t mind to help ah~!

    With the fainted Empress Dowager and an Emperor whose life or death was unknown, the Empress was the only one who could take charge of this matter. Thetter joyfully did her job, after all, she was finally free of that evil witch and she had gotten a full power here.

    Even though the Empress was feeling the euphoria of bing the most powerful person, she still did her job well. After all, she still preferred to rule over the harem rather than the kingdom. The job was too tiring and she made a big decision that made people feel surprised!

    Qin Hao answered Rong Qiu, "My father should be fine. The Empress is a part of my father¡¯s fraction so nothing would go wrong, I presume." He didn¡¯t think that something was wrong with his words, but Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian caught on something else from his words.

    They looked at each other and had the same guess. It seemed like Feng Yong Rui was actually a really ambitious man, but he hid himself really well. For them, it was lucky that they were on the same side as him. If they were on the Han Emperor¡¯s side... they believed that with Feng Yong Rui¡¯s influence, they wouldn¡¯t get a good ending.

    Rong Qiu sighed and muttered to himself, "It seems like he hasn¡¯t forgotten about his ambition."

    Yao Ling looked at Rong Qiu in surprise. "Father... you know about this matter as well?" When she heard the word ¡¯ambition¡¯, she began to feel intrigued. Was her father also an ambitious person?

    Rong Qiu furrowed his eyebrows. "It seems that you notice it as well..." Judging from this, Feng Yong Rui didn¡¯t seem to cover up himself anymore. He looked at Xiao Fang and Qin Hao, feeling that it was inappropriate for him to talk about Feng Yong Rui in front of them. From his children¡¯s innocent gaze, it seemed like his children didn¡¯t know about it at all.

    Thus, Rong Qiu could only weakly look at Yao Ling and mouthedter in which thetter nodded her agreement. Qi Hao was more astute than Xiao Fang and realized that they had covered up something, thus, he asked, "Why don¡¯t you tell us here? Is there something about my father that you don¡¯t want us to know?"

    Qi Hao knew how good the rtionship between the two old men, so he didn¡¯t believe that Rong Qiu would nder his father out of nowhere. He wanted to know what actually happened. He felt weird as well why his father kept staying inside the pce when it didn¡¯t really need him to!

    Somehow, he had gotten a bad feeling about this.

    "This..." Rong Qiu was speechless, not knowing whether he should tell them or not.

    On the other hand, Xiao Fang asked Qi Hao in confusion, "What do you mean, Da Ge? What about our father? Did something happen to father?!"

    "It seems like Uncle Rong Qiu knows something about our father that we don¡¯t know about!" Qi Hao answered while he kept looking at Rong Qiu with an inquiring gaze. However, Rong Qiu still didn¡¯t open his mouth to exin himself.

    Qi Hao snorted to himself when he looked at Rong Qiu¡¯s stubbornness and also indifferent look. So annoying ah~!

    "Uncle...?" Xiao Fang asked Rong Qiu in a soft voice despite her confusion. She also wanted to know what her brother was talking about ah~!

    Rong Qiu shook his head helplessly. "We should wait for your father... It¡¯s not my ce to tell you." He didn¡¯t want to tell his best friend¡¯s secret without the other¡¯s consent so he could only make the two kids feel disappointed.

    However, all of a sudden, Feng Yong Rui¡¯s voice was heard from outside of the room, "Wait for me for what?" He came inside with his usual gentle smile which was no different from usual. It didn¡¯t seem like anything amiss, but every person in the room was looking at him with eyes full of expectation which made Feng Yong Rui paused for a moment before he finally went into the room.

    He was bewildered when they looked at him intensely...

    Rong Qiu looked up in surprise because of Feng Yong Rui¡¯s sudden appearance, but he maintained his calmness and answered him, "It seems like my children notice about ¡¯that thing¡¯... and I don¡¯t know how to tell them the truth..." He gave him a signal and Feng Yong Rui understood what Rong Qiu meant.

    Feng Yong Rui looked around and saw them looking at him with interest. He knew that sooner orter they would find out about it, but he didn¡¯t think it would be this soon. It seemed like Rong Qiu¡¯s children were really smart or he was too hasty. Either way, it was fine for them to know anyway, so he didn¡¯t feel angry.

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head while massaging his own shoulder. He felt really old because it was so easy for him to get tired these days. "I will tell you allter. I¡¯m so tired and can you let me have a good night¡¯s sleep first?" Feng Yong Rui asked.

    When they paid more attention, indeed, he looked a bit lethargic and listless --- it seemed like whatever happened inside the pce really affected him.

    "Sure..." Rong Qiu answered for the behalf of the kids. However, he couldn¡¯t contain his curiosity and asked, "How is it in the pce? Is everything going smoothly?"

    Feng Yong Ruiughed. "Very... Very smooth... It¡¯s thanks to all of you. It makes everything easier for me."

    The youngsters looked at each other, still didn¡¯t understand what Feng Yong Rui meant precisely. However, they still patiently waited for Feng Yong Rui¡¯s exnation. Besides, it was alreadyte at night so they postponed it to the next day.

    All of them felt tired as well because of the performance, so they called the night off.

    Once they finished having breakfast, all of them quickly surrounded Feng Yong Rui and waited for the exnation. The youngsters couldn¡¯t sleep because they were too curious. Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian knew a bit, but they still wanted to hear the reason why Feng Yong Rui did that.

    No matter how many times they talked that they wanted to get involved, but they couldn¡¯t beat their own curiosity ah~! Thus, they followed the others to hear the truth!

    Feng Yong Rui didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry ah~! The youngsters really looked like they were afraid that he would run away and they didn¡¯t even give him a chance to take a breather. It was funny and yet, embarrassing at the same time.

    He helplessly looked at Rong Qiu and thetter merely shrugged his shoulder off. He clearly meant to tell Feng Yong Rui that thetter was on his own...

 Chapter 379 The Truth 6

    "Uncle..." Yao Ying started the conversation first even though he was still feeling hesitant. However, he was too curious ah~! Although he knew that curiosity killed the cat, he was still adamant to know everything!

    "Hmm...?" Feng Yong Rui asked with a smile on his face.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know why Feng Yong Rui looked sofortable ah~! Shouldn¡¯t he feel guilty or something?

    "I heard that you be this kingdom¡¯s regent sincest night under the Empress¡¯ decree. Is it true?" Yao Ying asked seriously. When he found out about it, he was feeling dumbfounded. After all, he didn¡¯t see iting at all! Since the moment he saw Feng Yong Rui, he only thought that thetter was a soft and amiable man --- who knew that he was actually able to be a regent in one-night span?!

    Last night, he told Xiu to inquire about the pce¡¯s matter. Even though he remembered that they couldn¡¯t find out any news from the pce the previous day, he still took a gamble. However, contrary to his expectation, it was actually easy to gain information --- it was like someone was deliberate to make it easier for him to inquire about any news from there. Yao Ying couldn¡¯t help but think that this must have been Feng Yong Rui¡¯s doing.

    However, whether it was really the truth or not, he still needed to confirm it to Feng Yong Rui ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui nodded with a smile, admitting it. "Yes, I am," he answered.

    Qi Hao furrowed his eyebrows when he heard this news and finally, he was able to connect the dots whether he believed or not. His father... as a regent? He would never dream of this before ah~! After all, the Empress was still there... Even though she was one of them, but... who would easily give up a monarch¡¯s absolute power?! Especially the royal family...

    "Is this your aim all along?" Qi Hao asked softly in disbelief. He nced at Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian... judging from their look, it seemed like they had already known about it --- or to be exact, guessing about it.

    But... why didn¡¯t his father tell him? This was the part that made him confused the most. Was it because he didn¡¯t trust him? If yes, it really hurt his feelings ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head once more. "You guess it right once again! Everything is under my n, and of course... my control," Feng Yong Rui answered confidently.

    "Why?" Qi Hao asked in a hoarse voice. He was brought up by his father to be righteous and loyal to the kingdom... But, doing this kind of thing? Wasn¡¯t it the same as treason?! Honestly, he didn¡¯t agree with what his father had done.

    This matter was just too bizarre ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui could see the dissatisfaction from his son¡¯s expression which made him quite helpless, on the other hand, Xiao Fang looked at him as foolishly as before in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. He could see how different both of his children were, however, he still loved them both regardless.

    "I have my own reasons," Feng Yong Rui answered --- even though he didn¡¯t feel guilty, he still felt ufortable ah~!

    "Then, tell me!" Qi Hao slightly raised up his voice.

    Feng Yong Rui sighed and asked in a low voice, "Do you know why your mother turns out this way?" It was lucky that his children had already grown up, it should be fine to tell them at this moment.

    Qi Hao looked at Feng Yong Rui in surprise, but honestly, he had never asked this question before. As long as he could remember, his mother was always sick. He thought that it was because of aplication that had happened right after she gave birth to his deceased sister and that was the reason why he had never brought this matter up.

    "Isn¡¯t mother always like this?" Qi Hao and Xiao Fang asked at the same time.

    Rong Qiu shook his head and sighed. Feng Yong Rui, this old fool, was always so righteous and stubborn. He could exin to them before he implemented the n and avoid the misunderstanding, but he didn¡¯t do it. He decided to guide the conversation by asking the next question.

    Rong Qiu asked Feng Yong Rui, "Why didn¡¯t you tell them before?" After that, he sighed and shook his head while muttering to himself, "You should have shared the burden with your children as well... Why do you want to shoulder it all by yourself ah~?!"

    Even though he talked in a low voice, everyone in the room could hear him clearly.

    Feng Yong Rui was grateful for what Rong Qiu had said, but he merely waved one of his hands and said, "It¡¯s better if they have a happy childhood."

    This was indeed the true reason! They didn¡¯t want his children to live with a grudge...

    "Stupid!" Rong Qiu murmured to himself. Whether he was the real Rong Qiu or not, in the end, his friendship with Feng Yong Rui was real and he really treated this fool as his best friend. Fortunately, he knew the story behind Feng Yong Rui¡¯s behavior, otherwise, he would feel disappointed as well!

    "What about my mother?" Qi Hao asked once again.

    "She was actually really healthy back then because the childbirth didn¡¯t affect her in any way. When she was recuperating, something happened to her maiden family which made her fall ill once again," Feng Yong Rui exined. At the end of his speech, his eyes were full of hatred.

    Qi Hao and Xiao Fang looked at their father in surprise --- this was a story that they had never heard before! They had never met their mother¡¯s maiden family. When they asked about it before, Feng Yong Rui told them that they were all already gone. Because they had never kept in touch with them, Qi Hao and Xiao Fang had never tried to inquire about them. It seemed like they really knew nothing about their mother¡¯s maiden family...

    "Is it the Han Emperor¡¯s doing as well?" Qi Hao asked in hatred. No matter what, everything was always back to that shitty Emperor. How many lives had been ruined by him so far? So many ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head. "Yes, it¡¯s all his doing --- like always."

    "Tell us, Father!" Both Qi Hao and Xiao Fang asked at the same time.

    Feng Yong Rui told them that their mother¡¯s family was framed back then. There was a rumor that was spreading slowly that the Han Emperor had used his power to bribe his way to buy the official¡¯s favor and there was actually a sufficient incident. Feng Yong Rui was indeed a loyal follower of the Han Emperor ever though thetter was still unfavored prince --- along with his wife¡¯s family, after all, they were all in the same boat.

    The Han Emperor mercilessly put all the me on his wife¡¯s maiden family as a sacrifice. To save them both, his father-inw deliberately cut their rtionship before they were all beheaded. The Han Emperor talked about the greater good and even though his wife¡¯s maiden family was willing, he still held a grudge.

    Especially after he found out that they weren¡¯t exactly willing... The Han Emperor threatened them with his and his wife¡¯s life, coincidentally... his wife was an only daughter and she was the apple of their parents¡¯ eyes. Because of this, his wife felt guilty and it led to the deteriorating of her health!

    Feng Yong Rui was popr for his loyalty and love to his wife, so when he saw her that way... how could he not feel angry? He nned to trap the Han Emperor slowly while pretending to be his loyal subordinate even though he really wanted to kill that man!

    Fortunately, he finally got the chance.

 Chapter 380 The Truth 7

    "So... you are actually using us...?" Yao Ying asked. He didn¡¯t me the man, but he still felt ufortable nheless. They deemed themselves as clever youngsters, but under the sly old fox¡¯s n and arrangement, they felt so stupid ah~!

    Feng Yong Ruiughed and answered them without feeling any guilt whatsoever, "How could you say that? The fact is... all of you were helping me ah~! Without your n, I didn¡¯t think I would be able to achieve my revenge. Besides, I never coerced you to n revenge too..."

    When others thought about it, it made sense. Feng Yong Rui never asked them to do anything!

    Feng Yong Rui honestly thought that way. Their n was the catalyst that made everything go in the right direction --- for him, at least. If they didn¡¯te up with this n, it would take him a few more years before the realization of his n. Who would have thought that the Han Emperor was that treacherous? If Han Xiang didn¡¯t tell Xiao Fang, no one would know about it.

    The wicked concubine was really hiding herself deeply. One of his people was her closest maidservant, but she didn¡¯t know about this matter at all! The first time Feng Yong Rui knew about this matter, he was surprised as well.

    Rong Qiuughed and talked as a mediator, "Not really... In actuality, all of you were helping each other out!"

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head in agreement while looking at the funny-looking youngsters. Honestly, their expression was quite hrious --- it was a mixture of surprise, annoyance, and anger.

    "Wait... Wait... Wait..." Qi Hao quickly cut them off. He was still in surprise so his reaction was quite slow just now. "Father... how long have you nned this?" He couldn¡¯t help but ask out of curiosity. He also saw his father¡¯s influence ah~!

    "Right after your mother has broken down and asked me to get revenge... After that, I slowly made a n and nted a lot of people inside the pce," Feng Yong Rui admitted. After looking at his pitiful wife, he couldn¡¯t help but start to hate the Han Emperor as well. His selfishness turned his life into hell --- his wife¡¯s condition had never improved at all! Seeing her in a vegetative state was really painful.

    Herst words were still echoing inside his mind until this day. It became his only source of power fo revenge.

    If he had no children, he would prefer to go into seclusion just like Rong Qiu. He needed to think of their future as well while thinking of a method to deal with the Han Emperor --- besides, his wife¡¯s medication and treatment needed a lot of money, so he could only provide it when he was an official. Thus, he had to endure and continue pretending to be loyal to that shitty Emperor.

    The Han Emperor was sacrificing people for the Emperor¡¯s title and the power behind it. Thus, the greatest payback for this type of person was by taking that power away while the Emperor was still alive to see it. Feng Yong Rui wanted to see the despair in his eyes!

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell us?" Xiao Fang asked in a sad tone.

    "It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you. At my weakest moment or even when I failed, I really wanted to tell both of you... But..." Feng Yong Rui sighed and answered hesitantly.

    "But what? Because you didn¡¯t trust us, right?" Qi Hao asked in a ming tone.

    "No! Of course not! How could I not trust both of you?!" Feng Yong Rui looked at Qi Hao in surprise. How could that be? That thought had never crossed his mind ah~!

    "Then, why?" Qi Hao pushed for an answer.

    "I want both of you to live a happy and carefree life... It¡¯s enough that I¡¯m alone who shoulder this burden... It was really exhausting and made me feel frustrated a lot of times. If it wasn¡¯t for you both and your mother, I would have long given up on this n..." Feng Yong Rui exined.

    "Father..." Qi Hao didn¡¯t know what to say because he would never think that his father did it for them --- they cared about them too much to involve them in his revenge n.

    Feng Yong Rui patted both of his children¡¯s heads lovingly.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t me him when he knew the real reason. That shitty Emperor was really cruel and it seemed like karma had finally found him.

    "How do you control the Empress?" Yao Ling asked out of curiosity. Without a good rtionship, it would be impossible for the Empress to give the imperial power to Feng Yong Rui just like that. The Empress¡¯ maiden family used to be so powerful but they were sitting on the opposite side of Feng Yong Rui from the information that they had gathered.

    "It was actually thanks to the Han Emperor¡¯s behavior himself. He only trusted that one wicked concubine and abandoned the others. I also wondered what kind of seduction that the wicked concubine had done --- she was able to make the Han Emperor totally under her palm. In the end, just like what had happened to my wife¡¯s maiden family, he dealt with the Empress¡¯ family because her maiden family was too powerful and hard to control. How could the Empress not hate him when he killed the Empress¡¯ maiden family down to the root? He only left the Empress with an empty title without power just to be called as a benevolent person by themoners.

    In the end, it gave me a way to make a deal with the Empress... The truth is... the Empress¡¯ maiden family was totally loyal to the Han Emperor. His wrong judgment to women andbined with the crazy decisions that he had made over time... led to his downfall. He shouldn¡¯t me another person but himself!" Feng Yong Rui told them honestly.

    It was true... if he treated his loyal followers well, no one would betray him. However, this Han Emperor seemed to make a lot of people feel disappointed in him!

    "He¡¯s really crazy," Xiao Fang muttered to himself. "I wonder how could he be an Emperor with such lousy personalities...? What kind of stupid people who helped him be an Emperor?!"

    Feng Yong Rui, "..."

    Didn¡¯t I already tell them that he was a part of the people who made him the Emperor? Did Xiao Fang forget about it or she deliberately dissed her own father? This youngss dared to call him stupid ah~!

    "I¡¯m one of them..." Feng Yong Rui admitted while pouting at Xiao Fang.

    Xiao Fang merely covered up her mouth andughed out loud. "I¡¯m sorry, Father! I forget ah~!"

    Her naughty expression made him understand that she was actually teasing him which made Feng Yong Rui rolled his eyes in annoyance. He had never tried to make his children afraid of him, but instead, they always talked like friends --- unlike other officials¡¯ household. This made their rtionship was closer than ever.

    "Nonsense!" Feng Yong Rui scolded her in a soft tone.

    The others shook their heads andughed as well --- it broke the previous tense atmosphere.

    Qi Hao¡¯s nonsense was even more bizarre than Xiao Fang. He sighed in relief while patting his own chest looked like he had just gotten a big fright, "That¡¯s good to hear. That¡¯s good to hear... I even thought that you have an illicit rtionship with the Empress for a moment."

    Feng Yong Rui, "..."

 Chapter 381 The Truth 8

    Feng Yong Rui was speechless ah~! ¡¯Illicit rtionship?!¡¯ He thought to himself. What kind of dirty thoughts that his son had?! He felt like throttling him ah~! He had always been loyal to his wife, so there was no way he would start a rtionship with another woman --- most importantly, that woman was an Empress ah~!

    Did he just say that he loved these two unconditionally before? He really wanted to take those words back and beat up these two unfilial children! How could they talk about him that way ah~?! Feng Yong Rui scowled at them in annoyance.

    He scolded Qi Hao, "What kind of nonsense that you are talking about? Are you crazy?! What illicit rtionship?!"

    Qi Hao merelyughed awkwardly. What? He was just saying the truth ah~! Any sane person would be thinking that way too... How could an Empress be submissive under his father¡¯s demand all of a sudden? Fortunately, it was just his imagination or else, he would be angry and hate his father!

    He didn¡¯t want the love between his parents to be a lie.

    Qi Hao opened his mouth and closed it once again, wanting to say something just to defend himself. However, he didn¡¯t dare to refute his father¡¯s words in front of so many people. Thus, he could only continue smiling awkwardly.

    Not only that, but he felt guilty as well for thinking of the worse...

    Rong Qiu saw all this and couldn¡¯t help butugh out loud. "So funny ah~!" He gasped in between hisughter while wiping the tears that threatened toe out from his eyes. Heughed until his stomach felt really hurt --- Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian followed him byughing as well!

    The misunderstanding was too funny for them to stay quiet at the side. Stupid? Illicit rtionship? They were speechless when they saw how creative those two were ah~!

    How could Qi Hao even think about an illicit rtionship between his father and the Empress ah~?! If that really happened, that would be too scary...

    "Stopughing!" Feng Yong Rui said in annoyance. He really wanted to throttle Rong Qiu... After all, thetter didn¡¯t hesitate to make him feel embarrassed in front of those youngsters and he still had the gut tough at his predicament!

    "I was actually thinking of finding a reason to make people lose their trust towards the Emperor and coincidentally, all of you gave me very good reasons. I didn¡¯t hinder your n because it went along with mine," Feng Yong Rui exined with a sly smile.

    The others couldn¡¯t refute that because if they were Feng Yong Rui, they would certainly do the same thing.

    "The Empress made a deal with me and that was the reason why everything went smootherst night. Don¡¯t you remember, Xiao Fang? She helped you to direct the conversation because I already told her about your n beforehand. We are all on the same boat and with the same kind of hatred, I know that she won¡¯t betray me," Feng Yong Rui said confidently.

    Xiao Fang gasped in surprise, "No wonder..."

    Lin Jian couldn¡¯t stop his curiosity and asked, "Uncle... what kind of deal that you made? Howe you believe that she won¡¯t betray you?"

    Feng Yong Rui answered leisurely, "It won¡¯t be a secret any longer so I might as well tell you now. The crown prince hasn¡¯t been decided until this very moment --- when I act as a regent, I will help her to secure the crown prince¡¯s position so that she could also strengthen her position inside the harem. Her son was still young --- only six years old and they need my protection. She took a dead concubine¡¯s child as her own but they had a really great loving rtionship. If she could, she also wanted to force the Emperor to abdicate --- however, I prevent her from doing so..."

    "It¡¯s good that you prevent her! It would only do damage for her son¡¯s reputation ah~!" Yao Ying said, nodding his head in agreement.

    Feng Yong Rui asked, feeling interested to know Yao Ying¡¯s reasons to say that, "Oh... Why do you think it is?" He wanted to see what was inside the youngster¡¯s mind --- whether he had the same idea as him or not. He could see that Yao Ying had a sharp mind --- even sharper than Qi Hao if he really admitted it.

    "It¡¯s not a good n to seize the throne right away. It would only make people think that all of those rumors were created by someone to change the Emperor. The rumor itself would lose credibility and the opposite party would use this opportunity to create another new rumor. If the Han Emperor is already under your control... it wouldn¡¯t bete to take the threr. Besides, this is also the best way to torture a person that is crazy about power just like the Emperor. He would be stressed out for sure when he finally sees that he couldn¡¯t do anything!" Yao Ying exined.

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head in satisfaction.

    "When you were chosen as a regent, did the old Empress Dowager know about it?" Rong Qiu asked.

    "No... the old woman is still unconscious... It seems like she¡¯s really afraid of the ghost..." Feng Yong Rui shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

    "I believe that she would create a ruckus once she woke up..." Rong Qiu said in a low voice.

    "I know but I will deal with itter! She¡¯s just an old woman, what could she do anyway?" Feng Yong Rui said with disdain. The old woman might look amiable, but she had a hand in destroying his wife¡¯s family, after all, the n came from that old woman.

    Seeing that Feng Yong Rui was so confident, Rong Qiu didn¡¯t say anything anymore. Thetter merely nodded his head in agreement. In the end, he finally added, "You still need to be careful. That old woman is very sly as well..."

    Feng Yong Rui answered with a smile, "I know. Don¡¯t worry! I already have a preparation." He wouldn¡¯t let go of that old woman as well. Did she think by dedicating her life to the Buddha would make his hatred towards her lessened? No, it wasn¡¯t as simple as that. He wasn¡¯t a forgiving person ah~!

    "What about the Han Emperor¡¯s condition?" Yao Ling asked.

    "He¡¯s in critical condition and he wouldn¡¯t wake up anytime soon..." Feng Yong Rui answered.

    "Was this assassination under your order, Uncle?" Lin Jian asked curiously.

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head. "I found out that the eunuch was actually working for the Emperor..." He said ¡¯was¡¯ because the eunuch had been killed by his subordinate the previous night as well.

    Yao Ying was taken aback. "Why did he use the third prince¡¯s name?!"

    "Last night, under the torture, the eunuch admitted that the Emperor wanted to shift the me to someone else and he had chosen the third prince as a sacrifice, after all, thetter didn¡¯t have the skill to be an Emperor. Whether I was killed or not, it didn¡¯t really matter to the Emperor. In the end, everyone would think that it was personal vendetta by the third prince..." Feng Yong Rui answered Yao Ying¡¯s question clearly.

    Even a tiger wouldn¡¯t eat its own cub... but the Han Emperor was really ruthless and that saying didn¡¯t apply to him. He didn¡¯t even remember that the third prince was also his real son! Really... there was no kinship in the royal family --- everyone would only think for their own benefits!

    "That was the reason why I didn¡¯t hesitate to give the order!" Feng Yong Rui admitted.

 Chapter 382 The Truth 9

    Rong Qiu sighed. "If I were you, I would do the same thing as well. No need to feel guilty for doing that," he admitted that he had the same thought as Feng Yong Rui and at the same time, tried to cheer thetter up.

    "The Han Emperor is too cruel to his own family. I agree with the others, it¡¯s better if he¡¯s dead!" Lin Jian said in an excited tone. They already lost their respect towards the Han Emperor, so why should they bother to cover up their feelings anymore?

    "I¡¯m not feeling guilty at all," Feng Yong Rui answered with augh. Indeed, he told the truth... His heart felt lighter after everything was sessful just like what he had nned for so long. He just hoped that he would really die, unfortunately, he was ¡¯still¡¯ in critical condition. The investigation was held by his own people --- he would probably need to find another scapegoat as well.

    Rong Qiu,"..."

    ¡¯You arrogant bastard! Really good, huh! I would neverfort you again!¡¯ Rong Qiu thought to himself in annoyance. ¡¯This ungrateful old fox!¡¯ Rong Qiu pouted and continued scolding Feng Yong Rui inside his mind. He was toozy to bother with the other anymore.

    Feng Yong Rui squinted his eyes and said, "I know what¡¯s inside your mind!" He could feel Rong Qiu¡¯s indignant feeling from miles away.

    "What?" Rong Qiu asked in an indifferent tone. How could he know what he thought ah~! Who did he think he was? A person with a hidden power like Yao Ling? That¡¯s bullshit! Rong Qiu merely looked at him and looked away like a scorned wife.

    In the end, they had been friends for so long and Lu Yi Feng was able to recite everything that was inside Rong Qiu¡¯s¡¯ mind and the summary was exactly like what Rong Qiu was thinking about. Rong Qiu could only gape at Feng Yong Rui in surprise while thetter was looking at Rong Qiu smugly.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other. Somehow, they found the rtionship between the two elders really funny and made them smile, feeling that those two adults were so endearing. It reminded them of Wang Luo Hai and General Lin ah~!

    If the four of them were able to meet each other, they might be able to be good friends. After all, all of them were so childish but at the same time, cherishing their rtionship really well. This made them quite miss their life at Wang Fu, after all, they had spent so much time in the Han Kingdom these past weeks. Even though Wang Fu was a new home for them both, they already treated Wang Fu as their real home as well.

    After this matter had been concluded and everything went well as they nned, it was time for them to go back to the Shu Kingdom. They felt that they had already fulfilled their promise to help Xiao Fang to get revenge. They knew that after this, the only thing that they needed was to go back home and find out Yao Ying¡¯s real identity.

    After they finished their talk here, they would persuade Rong Qiu toe with them and ask Xiao Fang permission to go back. If thetter wanted, they would invite her toe along with them as well --- just take it as a sightseeing journey. Besides, if she was here and Lin Jian went back with them, how could they improve their rtionship ah~?

    "Father, everything will be fine, right?" Xiao Fang asked worriedly. After all, she also learned a bit about the history of the Han Kingdom, everyone who acted as a regent generally was condemned as a person who was greedy of power and described as an evil person. She even shuddered when her teacher was telling her about the things back then.

    Who would have thought that her father became one as well?

    Her father was taking this position with so many difficulties, so... wouldn¡¯t he appear in history as the bad guy as well? She was so afraid of that! However, Xiao Fang didn¡¯t want his father to have that bad image. In her heart, Feng Yong Rui was the best! Besides, he had good reasons for doing this!

    Xiao Fang exined her worry clearly, which actually Qi Hao¡¯s worry as well. Feng Yong Rui sighed and answered, "Do you know why the history was written that way?"

    "Of course, because it¡¯s the truth!" Xiao Fang answered. In the end, the history book must have written about real events, otherwise, why people bothered to write one?

    Feng Yong Rui shook his head. "No, you are wrong..."

    "How?" Qi Hao was the one who asked the question. "I don¡¯t think that Xiao Fang is wrong... not only that, but I don¡¯t want you to choose the same path as those people in the history book --- an evil person." He talked even more bluntly that Xiao Fang.

    Feng Yong Rui nodded, receiving Qi Hao¡¯s advice with an open mind so he didn¡¯t get angry, but instead, he was feeling grateful for his children¡¯s care. "Let me tell you, I believe not all of those regents were bad people..."

    "If some of them were good, why didn¡¯t people write the glorious think that they had done?" Xiao Fang asked curiously and also, a bit skeptical.

    "In the end, history would always be written by the winners. All of those regents were defeated by the person who would be the next Emperor, right? As Emperors, they would need to uphold their good image inside the history book, after all, it would be passed down to the next generations. If those regents were good and they revolted, it would still the same as doing a heavy crime. How could they want to bear to be condemned as a criminal..." Feng Yong Rui exined and everyone thought for a little while, before thinking that it was true and quite possible.

    "Indeed, the winner could trample over the loser easily..." Yao Ling murmured her agreement. She didn¡¯t know that these words could be a motivation for her in the future when someone from Yao Ying¡¯s past appeared in their life.

    The others nodded their heads after hearing Yao Ling¡¯s words.

    Xiao Fang said, "Then... Father, you have to be the winner!" She wasn¡¯t stupid enough not to know that her father would be a target with such a high position --- their enemies would certainly covet this title as well.

    "I will..." Feng Yong Rui answered. "I didn¡¯t even want to stay in this position for too long. After everything was stabilized, I would give up this position and let the new Emperor take over. Besides, we own several family businesses, even without bing an official, our family could afford avish life..."

    Feng Yong Rui¡¯s meaning was clear --- they could live freely in the future once their revenge was done. Sometimes, being in the middle of conspiracies and politics for so long was really tiring. Feng Yong Rui felt that he was already old enough and wanted to live a peaceful life as well.

    When Xiao Fang heard Feng Yong Rui¡¯s assurance, she sighed in relief. Everything would be fine then... She felt that everything was so surreal, but at least, they had gotten their happy ending.

    Feng Yong Rui remembered something and he asked, "By the way, don¡¯t you feel that something isn¡¯t right back there?"

    "What do you mean?" Rong Qiu asked curiously. He didn¡¯t really know the full scene so he didn¡¯t understand what Feng Yong Rui meant.

    Feng Yong Rui exined which scene that he felt confused about. After that, he asked the others, "Who do you think choked the wicked concubine back there?"

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling, "..."

 Chapter 383 The Truth 10

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling were looking at each other helplessly. They had thought that no one would pay attention to that abnormality. However, choking a person without hands was quite a big event. However, it seemed like nothing would be able to escape Feng Yong Rui¡¯s keen eyes. It certainly gave them a headache ah~!

    How to exin this matter to Feng Yong Rui so thetter wouldn¡¯t feel suspicious?

    And maybe... there were also several keen eyes out there, for example --- the other officials could be paying attention to this matter as well. Honestly, not all of them were stupid and could be deceived easily. It was just some of them were deceived because they were afraid of ghosts, however, a few of them were just like Feng Yong Rui by second-guessing everything.

    Fortunately, they were disguising themselves so they didn¡¯t show off their real face. After she went back to the Shu Kingdom, Yao Ling¡¯s identity would be safe. Hopefully...

    Xiao Fang asked in surprise, "Didn¡¯t you arrange it as well, Father?" Xiao Fang had her suspicion as well but she didn¡¯t say anything about Yao Ling¡¯s secret even to her own father. Besides, she wasn¡¯t sure whether it was indeed Yao Ling¡¯s work or not.

    What if she identally said something wrong? So, it was better if she pretended that she knew nothing.

    Feng Yong Rui shook his head and answered in a low voice, "I didn¡¯t arrange anything because my main target was still the Han Emperor. Why should I care about a mere woman? I thought that once I got ahold of the regent position, it would be easier for me to kill her."

    After pausing for a little while, he continued talking, "That matter was really too weird ah~! If it was about the pce guards¡¯ leader¡¯s death, it was indeed my doing. It was done by my people who were specialized in assassination and we had nned it all along so my people continuously learned this special way to kill a person. However, there was actually concrete and real possible way to do that --- using thin strings and inner qi. However... what about the choking? How could people choke someone else without touching thetter¡¯s neck? It was really abnormal!"

    No matter how he thought about it, Feng Yong Rui couldn¡¯t find a reasonable exnation ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui was still feeling curious but he would never guess that this was Yao Ling¡¯s doing, besides, he didn¡¯t really believe in mystical power in the first ce. When the Han Emperor was busy imprisoning Aunt Yue back then, he just thought that thetter was very stupid for believing such a questionable power. In his eyes, it was just a fraud thing.

    Rong Qiu looked at Yao Ling and when he saw thetter tried to blink innocently at the others while looking at him helplessly, he understood that it must have been Yao Ling¡¯s doing. He started to notice that Yao Ling was as emotional as Su Wan and those emotions affected their powers as well. He knew he could trust Feng Yong Rui but he still didn¡¯t want to let too many people know about Yao Ling¡¯s power. Knowing this matter would only put people in danger, besides, the temptation was too big.

    Once people who were in power heard about this, he knew they would want Yao Ling to do this and that for them --- just like how his mother ended up. He didn¡¯t say that Feng Yong Rui would be like that, but he was just being cautious.

    Rong Qiu cleared his throat and asked, "Really? Such a thing could happen?" He pretended to be oblivious and didn¡¯t believe in Feng Yong Rui¡¯s words. Pretending to be stupid and know nothing was the best thing to do at this moment.

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head vigorously. "It¡¯s true... Really! You can ask the kids if you don¡¯t believe me," he said while his gaze was skimming over those kids.

    The youngsters quickly murmured the agreement. Everyone had seen it clearly so how could they deny it ah~?!

    Rong Qiu asked in a serious tone, "Maybe... it¡¯s the real ghost¡¯s doing?!" He didn¡¯t believe in ghosts as well but he just needed to find a usible reason.

    Feng Yong Ruiughed at him while said in a sarcastic way, "What nonsense are you talking about?! The Ce Fei¡¯s ghost? Ha-Ha-Ha! You are really stupid if you believe in that..." He mocked Rong Qiu which made thetter really want to kick him. The way he said it was really annoying!

    Rong Qiu could only point at him while muttered, "You... You..." He behaved like a scorned wife ah~! After that, he chose to shut his mouth and think that it was better if he stopped talking as well. That damned Feng Yong Rui was getting bolder and annoying!

    The youngsters helplessly looked at the childish elders and could only shake their head. However, they also found the amusing ah~!

    Qi Hao, who was the most innocent one regarding this matter among them --- after all, he really knew nothing about Aunt Yue or Yao Ling¡¯s power, asked, "Father, what if what uncle Rong Qiu said really true ah~? You have to think ah~! When it happened, I already looked around carefully and couldn¡¯t find anything weird around the wicked concubine. No weird equipment whatsoever as well, so I don¡¯t think that it was done by humans. Thus, what else do you think can exin this anomaly?"

    In Qi Hao¡¯s mind, the one thing that could exin this matter was... of course, the ghost! It seemed like the Ce Fei was reallying from hell and getting revenge on her own. The ghost must have been hiding herself so no one could see her when she was strangling that wicked concubine.

    Yes, Qi Hao¡¯s mind started to wander to a crazier direction while his face turned even paler. He was really thinking too much about the ghost matter.

    Feng Yong Rui, "..."

    He didn¡¯t understand why his son would believe in ghosts when he knew that Xiao Fang and Yao Ling were only acting like ones. There must be something else!

    "I will find out about it for sure," Feng Yong Rui answered confidently. He didn¡¯t believe that the people that did it didn¡¯t leave any trace.

    Xiao Fang rolled her eyes. "I don¡¯t think that you will be able to find out anything because I believe that it was the Ce Fei ghost¡¯s doing as well!"

    In the end, the three of them were fighting among themselves --- two versus one. The result was obvious... How could Feng Yong Rui win from those two ah~?! Not only that, but Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian were joining them to convince Feng Yong Rui as well!

    In the end, the old man could only relent and murmur his agreement, feeling afraid that they would hound him forever. It was better if they stopped talking about it!

    "What¡¯s your n after this?" Feng Yong Rui asked Rong Qiu. Thetter had told him that what Yao Ling said was the truth... Thetter was indeed Rong Qiu¡¯s daughter. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust Yao Ling, but he just felt that this news was so surreal and needed to confirm it to Rong Qiu himself.

    He also understood once Rong Qiu grasped his new identity, there was no way that he would stay in the Han Kingdom.

    "I will follow my daughter and search for my wife," Rong Qiu answered resolutely.

    "What about your son here?" Feng Yong Rui asked hesitantly.

 Chapter 384 Rong Heng 1

    Rong Qiu also got a headache when thinking about this matter. He hadn¡¯t visited his ¡¯son¡¯ yet and didn¡¯t know what to do. Should he tell him that he wasn¡¯t his real father? However, if he didn¡¯t admit it, wouldn¡¯t he ask the reason why he chose to move to the Shu Kingdom? His ¡¯son¡¯ would notice that he was behaving out of character ah~!

    In the end, Rong Qiu really felt helpless.

    Feng Yong Rui looked at Rong Qiu with pity, "You know your son¡¯s stubborn character... if you used the reasoning that Yao Ling is your daughter with someone else, he wouldn¡¯t make it easy for you. You¡¯ve upheld the loyal image to your wife pretty good for so long and your son has always been so proud of it. He also keeps bragging about it and copying you in this matter, if he knows that it was actually a lie..." He trailed off in thest part.

    Even though he didn¡¯t speak about it, he knew that Rong Qiu would certainly understand his meaning. Listening to this, Rong Qiu¡¯s headache was getting worse. His son¡¯s temper and personality... he knew it really well ah~!

    Yao Ling asked curiously, "Father, why are you so afraid of my brother?"

    Yao Ling deliberately called him ¡¯brother¡¯, because she knew... Rong Qiu had interacted with him for so long, he must have thought of him as his real son. So, how could he change his feelings towards her brother overnight? It was impossible!

    "Yao Ling..." Rong Qiu stunned. He didn¡¯t think that Yao Ling would receive Rong Heng this easily --- after all when she didn¡¯t receive a father¡¯s love, but instead, her real father gave his everything to Rong Heng. He expected a little bit of jealousy, however, he couldn¡¯t find any animosity from Yao Ling¡¯s expression. He deliberately ignored the words ¡¯afraid of¡¯...

    Rong Qiu gulped and asked, "Are you really willing to call him brother?"

    Even though he was cold towards his son, he still loved him all this time and when he was at Crescent Lake, they were still keeping in touch with each other and Rong Heng always sent a lot of things for him. No matter what, he wanted both of them to be living in a harmony as well.

    How could he abandon such a good kid? Rong Heng was a few years older than Yao Ling so he wasn¡¯t that old ah~! Even though he already got married, he still needed his guidance as well.

    Yao Ling nodded her head, "Of course! How could I let you choose between us? He has be your son for so long, Father!"

    Rong Qiu could only swallow his sadness, feeling guilty towards his own daughter. He could only mutter, "Thank you." He realized that he started to get teary once more --- he wondered how could he be so weak whenever he was facing his daughter...

    Yao Lingughed. "Why do you need to say thank you? I will get a new brother to protect me... How could I not be happy? This is the thing that I must do, Father!"

    Rong Qiu nodded his head in excitement. "Of course, he will protect you and dote on you too!. If not, I will punish him!" Rong Qiu said resolutely.

    Feng Yong Rui rolled his eyes when he heard Rong Qiu¡¯s boast. ¡¯He sure can talk!¡¯ Feng Yong Rui thought to herself. His son¡¯s temper was far bigger than him, honestly, how could he punish him? However, he knew better than to say this matter out loud ah~! It was too embarrassing towards Rong Qiu¡¯s image.

    Inwardly, Feng Yong Rui thought whileughing, ¡¯I really want to see how you deal with this matter!¡¯

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know what kind of brother that she would get, but she certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to think that her new brother was actually that ridiculous ah~! In her mind, she would get a doting brother who was so tender just like Qi Hao, but... oh well...

    Yao Ling nodded her head in excitement and asked, "When will we meet him?"

    Rong Qiu didn¡¯t know how to answer this --- he didn¡¯t even know where his son¡¯s current whereabouts ah~! He looked at Feng Yong Rui and asked, "Do you know where he is now?" With Feng Yong Rui¡¯s current power, it would be easy to find his whereabouts.

    Yao Ling was taken aback because her father actually didn¡¯t know ah~! But when she remembered that he kept staying at Crescent Lake all along, it quite made sense. Rong Qiu also admitted that he had rarely in contact with the outside world. He still kept in touch with Feng Yong Rui and Rong Heng, but only once in a few months. Thus, he wasn¡¯t that updated with thetest news.

    Feng Yong Rui rolled his eyes and answered sarcastically, "I thought that you would never ask..."

    Rong Qiu frowned but decided to ignore his childish friend. After all, he still needed his help ah~! He decided to bootlick Feng Yong Rui by saying, "Of course, I will ask you! Your informationwork is the best here, besides, you always help me keep a tab at him."

    Feng Yong Ruiughed. Yes, he was indeed taking care of Rong Heng on Rong Qiu¡¯s behalf based on Rong Qiu¡¯s wish before he went to Crescent Lake, but Rong Heng was quite clever so he could survive on his own while climbing up the official rank easily. He finally answered, "Somehow, you are really lucky. He is on the way to the capital at the moment and will arrive today, I suppose."

    "What is heing to the capital for?" Rong Qiu asked in surprise. His son was actually a general and instead of choosing a schr path like him, he chose to be a military man. Thest time he heard, he was being stationed at somewhere quite deserted. Would it really be okay for him toe in a whim just like this?

    He had nned to go visit him and exined everything, before continuing his journey to the Shu Kingdom with Yao Ling.

    "Because of you ah~! He could finally meet you, so of course, he¡¯s in a rush to the capital," Feng Yong Rui answered.

    Rong Qiu looked at him sarcastically. "Do you think I will believe you? I¡¯ve been stationed at the Crescent Lake for so long and yet, he only visited me twice..." He didn¡¯t me Rong Heng about this matter, because he knew that he was also being stationed to a faraway ce from Crescent Lake.

    Feng Yong Rui nodded his head. "It seems like you are not stupid! I just told him a little bit something to make hime in a hurry..."

    "What did you say to him?!" Rong Qiu asked in agitation. This old fox! He hadn¡¯t prepared his heart yet and he already made a move to call Rong Heng back! He didn¡¯t know what kind of excuse he would tell his son ah~!

    "I just said that you are in big trouble... Who knew that he would run back to the capital before my messenger finished talking..." Feng Yong Rui looked at Rong Qiu with an innocent face.

    ¡¯You, bastard!¡¯ Rong Qiu cursed him inwardly. He knew that Feng Yong Rui deliberately did this, knowing how Rong Heng would behave! Thinking of meeting him, Rong Qiu started to get a headache ah~!

 Chapter 385 Rong Heng 2

    Rong Qiu felt a headache. If Rong Heng really came, it would be better if they didn¡¯t stay in Feng Yong Rui¡¯s house. He didn¡¯t want them to see everything ah~! It was a family secret that was not so secret anymore because Feng Yong Rui knew about it!

    ¡¯That damn old fox!¡¯ Rong Qiu continued cursing his friend.

    Rong Qiu still had his own manor in the capital, but no one really lived there at the moment --- except their loyal servants, of course. The masters rarely stayed in the capital so the servants were the ones who took care of everything and continued to clean the ces so that when the masters came back from time to time, it would be ready for them to live in once more.

    He looked at Yao Ling and asked, "Why don¡¯t we go home for now? To our own residence... It¡¯s not good to keep imposing ourselves at Yong Rui¡¯s house... After I finish exining everything to your brother, then we will be able to go. Once we settle down, I can try to search for your mother slowly." He still held onto the belief that Su Wan was still alive.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other. Why did they feel like Rong Qiu was afraid of Rong Heng? Was there something that they should be wary about? However, if their father didn¡¯t n to tell them anything, they also didn¡¯t know how to ask the question. Well... they guessed they could only meet Rong Heng to know what kind of person he was.

    Feng Yong Rui almost couldn¡¯t contain hisughter anymore, after all, he knew that Rong Qiu was actually running away from here to cover up his embarrassment if Rong Heng made a fuss. However, he didn¡¯t want to prevent him to move back to his house because it was still Rong Qiu¡¯s own household matter. It was best if he didn¡¯t interfere anymore. No matter what, he was still an outsider here and knew his ce really well.

    Actually, it wasn¡¯t really a coincidence. It was lucky that he ryed the news to Rong Heng in time, or else, that kid would have gone AWOL once again and in the end, Rong Qiu couldn¡¯t settle the matter here early. Judging from those kids¡¯ appearance, they seemed to be not ordinary people --- at least, they must be the children of officials.

    He had sent people to take a look at their real background but the report hadn¡¯te yet. He especially wanted to know Lin Jian¡¯s background and characteristics --- to see whether he was suitable for his daughter or not. He knew the big picture but he wanted to know in detail.

    Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying and when she saw thetter nod in agreement, she turned back to Rong Qiu. No matter what, she had be Yao Ying¡¯s wife and still needed to get his approval beforehand. She answered with a happy smile, "Sure thing, Father!"

    She couldn¡¯t wait to see his father¡¯s residence ah~!

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to go back to Rong Qiu¡¯s manor once the decision had been made. After bidding his goodbye, Rong Qiu didn¡¯t feel any hesitation to let Feng Yong Rui take care of their belongings and send it back to their manor --- which made Feng Yong Rui¡¯s mouth slightly twitched, feeling that Rong Qiu became even more daring days by days. He even dared to order him around without any restraint!

    In a sense, Feng Yong Rui was already a regent ah~! And yet, he still needed to be at the beck and call of this old man! However, he could only relent because he still loved this old friend ah~!

    Xiao Fang was feeling quite sad when Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian finally left. She felt a bit lonely all of a sudden.

    Lin Jian was being forced to go ah~! Those two had already made a decision to leave this manor without his consent, so how could he be shameless enough to continue to stay here alone? No matter what, he still didn¡¯t have a direct rtionship with Xiao Fang. Even though he was feeling disappointed, he still needed to swallow his grievance with manly appearance ah~! He followed the others out sullenly which made Yao Ying really want to tease him.

    However, the teasing could wait after they went out of the Prime Minister Manoe --- oops! It supposed to be the regent¡¯s manor now.

    Once they were gone, Feng Yong Rui, Qi Hao, and Xiao Fang somehow felt that their manor became so quiet and empty. However, they knew that they couldn¡¯t prevent them from choosing to go home, but they still sighed in disappointment as well.

    Xiao Fang looked at them hesitantly before finally trying to brave herself and asked, "Father... Can I ask your permission for something?" She knew that her father might not like what she wanted to say, but she still needed to try anyway.

    Feng Yong Rui looked at his daughter and somehow, he knew what she wanted to say... But he still asked carefully as to not make Xiao Fang feel burdened, "What do you want?"

    "Can I... Can I follow Yao Ling and friends to the Shu Kingdom?" Xiao Fang asked while fiddling with her fingers nervously. She had been thinking of this all along and it took a long time for her to finally dare to ask for her father¡¯s permission.

    Even though the Han people enjoyed their freedom and weren¡¯t too conservative about the rtionship between men and women, as the daughter of an official, she wasn¡¯t that free ah~! She still needed to uphold her image. It was unheard for an unmarried woman to go on a journey by herself with a group of people from another kingdom...

    What would people think about her?

    This was also the reason she was feeling hesitant --- after all, she would travel along with Yao Ling¡¯s group to another kingdom that was quite far away from here. Would her father let her stay at a foreign kingdom, leaving the protection of her family?

    "What?!" Qi Hao asked in surprise. "Are you crazy? That¡¯s out of the questions! You are so silly..." Qi Hao couldn¡¯t stop ranting, feeling concerned about his sister¡¯s sudden request.

    Before he could say anything else, he was cut off by Feng Yong Rui all of a sudden, "Tell me the reasons why you want to do that first!"

    Qi Hao was taken aback. His father was usually stricter than him about this matter... Did it mean that he was going to agree to let Xiao Fang go? No... No... No... he wouldn¡¯t agree to this! It was too dangerous ah~!

    "Father..." Qi Hao was going to refute once again, but Feng Yong Rui raised one of his hands, telling him to stop talking for a moment. Thus, Qi Hao could only swallow his words back. He didn¡¯t dare to go against his father¡¯s words.

    "Tell me..." Feng Yong Rui patiently waited for his daughter to tell him the reasons at her own pace. He didn¡¯t urge her, but instead, calmly looked at her and encouraged her.

    "Father... I honestly want to see more of the world. Honestly, you and brother have protected me too well back then and when I went to Lin Zhou... I was just like a baby who knew nothing at all! If I didn¡¯t meet with Yao Ling¡¯s party by ident and received their help at that time, I would have been yed by Han Xiang. Even though the misunderstanding was settled but it still became a torn inside my heart. Without them, I don¡¯t think that I will be able to grow up... I wish to gain more experiences this time so that when I go home, you will be proud of me," Xiao Fang answered shyly but resolutely.

 Chapter 386 The Legendary Talk 1

    Feng Yong Rui felt proud of Xiao Fang when he heard her reasoning. If she only thought about that stupidd Lin Jian, he certainly wouldn¡¯t allow her to go even if she begged pitifully. Those two¡¯s feelings were so obvious from the outsiders¡¯ point of view, so how could it escape Feng Yong Rui¡¯s keen eyes? However, he didn¡¯t want his daughter to be blinded by a man --- any man, not only Lin Jian.

    He wasn¡¯t that biased to pick on Lin Jian, after all, the kid was pretty good. Fortunately, it seemed like his daughter wasn¡¯t that stupid or obsessed.

    Even Qi Hao was looking at Xiao Fang in awe because of her inspiring answer... He asked, "Are you really my sister? You aren¡¯t a ghost who posses my sister right? Or... did you copy your words from somewhere so that you will look like that you are so wise?" He blinked innocently at Xiao Fang who was actually being serious for once!

    Xiao Fang pouted at Qi Hao when she heard his sarcastic questions and pinch his waist in annoyance which made Qi Hao yelped in pain for a return. "What are you talking about? Who are you saying being possessed by a ghost, huh? Do you want me to beat you up?" Xiao Fang asked in vexation.

    Because she only had this one brother while growing up, when she was a little girl and hadn¡¯t learned the four arts, she was actually a tomboy. They used to fight with each other which always made Feng Yong Rui feel a headache. Apparently, he used to call Xiao Fang as ¡¯Little Monkey¡¯ due to her naughty behavior.

    Qi Hao merelyughed and tried to appease her, "Just kidding... I¡¯m just kidding!" He was too shocked just now so he talked mindlessly.

    Feng Yong Rui loved seeing the interaction between the two of them. Then, he asked once again, "Really...? Are you sure that those were the only reasons?" He squinted his eyes in disbelief.

    Xiao Fang was taken aback by her father¡¯s sudden question, she asked in confusion, "What do you mean, Father? What else do you think I want to do?" She honestly didn¡¯t understand what her father was talking about.

    Feng Yong Rui was speechless. He didn¡¯t know whether his daughter was pretending to be gullible or not. He sighed and gave a little clue, "What about that young man... who is he called again? Lin Jian?" He pretended to forget about thetter¡¯s name, showing how petty he was towards his daughter¡¯s future lover.

    "Er... what about him?" Xiao Fang looked down and blushed furiously. Why did her father suddenly call out his name? Did he know something or...? No... No... No... she thought that she had covered up her feelings really well ah~!

    Even though she also didn¡¯t want to separate from Lin Jian, it was only a small part of her thought and wasn¡¯t the main trigger that made her decide such a bold decision. But still... it was part of her reasoning.

    Feng Yong Rui asked bluntly while rolling his eyes, "Do you like him?"

    He didn¡¯t like to see her daughter being so shy when she thought of that boy, but he was also young once, he naturally had experienced those feelings as well. Thus, he could only swallow his grievance. At the very least, he wanted her to be happy.

    "Father... what are you talking about? I... I..." She didn¡¯t know what to say as well! How could she openly admit her feelings to her father?! It would be too embarrassing ah~! However, she also didn¡¯t want to lie to him.

    "You... You... What?" Qi Hao asked, wanting to know how she would answer this question. ¡¯Ah... She really has grown up...¡¯ Qi Hao thought to himself in disappointment because he still wanted her to rely on him for a few more years, but she had grown her wings and he couldn¡¯t stop her.

    Feng Yong Rui said, "Just tell us the truth!" He was toozy to talk in a roundabout way, the sooner they cleared up this matter, the better it would be.

    Xiao Fang had no choice but answered him with the truth. Her father¡¯s imposing gaze was too scary, besides, she rarely lied to her father and would feel ufortable to do so. Not only that, but she also realized that this matter seemed to be important for her father.

    She answered with a really small voice, "I... I like him... Father." Xiao Fang finally admitted shyly. Her face turned even redder while her heart was beating faster, somehow she also felt a bit ted because she could tell other people her real feeling.

    "And, what about your future n regarding him?" Feng Yong Rui asked curiously.

    "Hmmm... Future n? What kind of future n?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion once again, after all, she had never thought that far. She didn¡¯t really understand what her father was talking about ah~!

    "No n is a good sign," Feng Yong Rui murmured to himself, at least, it meant his daughter was still pure and innocent just like how she used to be. It improved Lin Jian¡¯s score in his eyes because he didn¡¯t try to use any seductive method so far or lead his daughter astray.

    If he knew that Lin Jian was still a ¡¯virgin¡¯, he would be even happier ah~! After all, it was rare for a man to stay pure at around their age.

    Feng Yong Rui looked at Xiao Fang intensely, feeling whether it was a good time to do the ¡¯talk¡¯ with her. He shuddered when he realized that he had to do this, but he had no other choice ah~! His wife couldn¡¯t do this because of her condition.

    He pondered over it for a little while before he finally said, "Xiao Fang, if I allow you to go along with them to the Shu Kingdom, would you do a stupid thing?"

    "What kind of stupid thing, Father?" Xiao Fang asked in a surprise.

    "For example, giving yourself to him in advance?" He asked bluntly, even Qi Hao also looked at him with wide eyes.

    Feng Yong Rui wasn¡¯t a woman and it was awkward for him to talk about this matter with his daughter. If it was his wife, she would probably say it in a gentler way and not as direct as this. However, in Feng Yong Rui¡¯s mind, this was the best thing that he could do ah~! He could only flinch at his own words...

    After all, where would they find another father who would talk about this matter with his daughter? Even Qi Hao was feeling embarrassed... although he tried to maintain his appearance, his red ears gave him away ah~! This was what Feng Yong Rui aimed at --- he didn¡¯t want to feel embarrassed all alone, thus, Qi Hao should also experience the same embarrassment as him.

    They were family, right?

    A family should share the good things and the bad things together.

    His mouth was slightly twitched. ¡¯Father... if you want to talk about this kind of thing... why don¡¯t you choose another time? When there is no ¡¯me¡¯ around ah~! I¡¯m not married as well!¡¯ Qi Hao thought to himself --- he really didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry, thus, he could only freeze on the spot.

    "Gi... Giving myself to him?" Xiao Fang was dumbfounded... Was this the legendary ¡¯talk¡¯? She whined inwardly, ¡¯Father! Should you be the one who asks and tells me all of this? This makes me feel so weird ah ~!¡¯

 Chapter 387 The Legendary Talk 2

    "Yes..." Feng Yong Rui nodded his head, however, after waiting for quite some time, there was still no answer from Xiao Fang. He wondered whether she understood what he meant or not. He had thought that he had put it so bluntly, but why was there no reaction from Xiao Fang at all?

    "Xiao Fang?" He called her name once again. However, Xiao Fang didn¡¯t seem to n to answer him any time soon and she kept looking down with a red face ah~!

    "Xiao Fang, do you need me to talk more bluntly? To exin what I meant just now?" He asked softly in concern. He really didn¡¯t mean to talk in a sarcastic way but he was also helpless.

    Feng Yong Rui also thought to himself inwardly --- how could he exin it more bluntly ah~?! He couldn¡¯t exin everything about what happened between a man and woman when they were making love --- it would be too crazy!

    Qi Hao felt like facepalming himself. Did he really have to join the sex talk ah~?! He didn¡¯t even know whether he should just cover up his ears or not! He could only look at his father with a ming eyes. Who would talk about this matter so openly like this?!

    "Father... what are you talking about? I¡¯m... I¡¯m not going to give it to anyone until I get married..." Xiao Fang finally answered. Of course, she knew what her father meant! She had been eavesdropping Yao Ying and Yao Ling when they... er... did ¡¯that¡¯ back then... But still... talking about it with her father was a bit...

    ¡¯Argh!¡¯ She yelled inwardly, feeling so embarrassed to death ah~!

    "If you know about it, then it¡¯s good!" Feng Yong Rui nodded in happiness. "I want to let you know a few things about men. You have to take care of yourself and not randomly give yourself away. Honestly, a man will appreciate a woman who is hard to get and treasure her! I¡¯m a man, so I know it better than anyone and I¡¯m not telling you this because I want to scare you!"

    He paused for a little while before admitting, "This is actually because of my experience as well. That¡¯s how your mother captured my heart --- she knew when to push and pull our rtionship, making me feel entranced." He sighed sadly. "If your mother was conscious, she would be able to teach you about this matter."

    Feng Yong Rui exined in a clear voice and Xiao Fang listened to him carefully --- no matter what, her father was doing this for her own good. She could see that he was feeling sad and almost couldn¡¯t hold back her tears as well. Her mother was her father¡¯s weak spot, she knew that.

    She understood what her father reallyw anted to say to her... that if she didn¡¯t cherish herself, no one else would cherish her. She needed to fully grasped Lin Jian¡¯s feelings first above of all, bound him with a marriage, and this was the time that she would finally give herself away!

    That was the correct sequence. It wasn¡¯t that she thought negatively about Lin Jian¡¯s personality, but she needed to think far ahead as a woman. She couldn¡¯t solely depend on a man... especially when they were both from different kingdom. If she needed help, it would be hard to ask for her father¡¯s help...

    "So... will you let me go and follow them?" Xiao Fang asked in a hopeful tone. Even though she felt sad, she still wanted to go and spread her wings.

    Qi Hao quickly interjected before his father said anything, "Father... don¡¯t allow her to go ah~! It¡¯s dangerous to let Mei Mei go all alone!" He was worried for her ah~!

    "Da Ge! I will be fine! Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian will be there with me --- even Uncle Rong Qiu will go along with us too! You can trust Uncle Rong Qiu, right?" She tried to persuade Qi Hao in a soft voice.

    Qi Hao knew about this as well, but he didn¡¯t want her to go that far away. What if something happened and they couldn¡¯t help her? He felt worried of her safety.

    How could Feng Yong Rui not see the concern in Qi Hao¡¯s face? After all, he had the same fear as well.

    Feng Yong Rui sighed. "Even if I want to hold your sister back, I won¡¯t be able to do so. You know your own sister¡¯s stubborness... If we refuse her request, she would run away again! Which one do you think is better?" Feng Yong Rui asked helplessly.

    Qi Hao, "..."

    Qi Hao couldn¡¯t say no to that because he knew her temperament really well. Didn¡¯t she just run away to chase Han Xiang without their consent? He almost forgot about it, it would be toote to scold her ah~! His father was correct --- it would be better if they knew where she was going because it would be safer.

    Xiao Fang was speechless as well. However, it was the truth so she couldn¡¯t refute it and could only lower her head in embarrassment. She was indeed too willful.

    "I will arrange hidden guards and the servants to protect and serve you for you. If you need help or want to contact me, you can ask one of the hidden guards to do that --- they know how to do that. Please bear in mind! I also want them to spy on you and protect you from any hot-blooded youth --- just in case both of you go too far..." Feng Yong Rui said.

    She was feeling embarrassed to death ah~! Why didn¡¯t her father skip this part ah~?!

    Xiao Fang somehow couldn¡¯t feel happy even though she managed to get her father¡¯s permission. Her mouth was slightly twicthed especially when she heard the word ¡¯spy¡¯ and ¡¯hot-blooded youth¡¯. Oh well... it was better than not being able to go at all. Thus, she nodded her head obediently and showed her gratitude, "Thank you, Father."

    After sending Xiao Fang away, Qi Hao asked Feng Yong Rui, "Father... I don¡¯t think you will let her go that easily. Do you have another reason for that?" He knew that his father must have another consideration but he couldn¡¯t guess what it was.

    Feng Yong Rui answered calmly, "Currently, I am in a high position as a Regent and people would certainly try to find my weakness --- the only weakness that I have is my family. Xiao Fang is too innocent at the moment and just like the case with Han Xiang, she¡¯s easy being used by those people. It¡¯s certainly better if she goes along with Yao Ling and friends. The benefits are a lot and I believe that she would be able to take care of herself."

    Qi Hao nodded his head because with the reasoning, there was no way he could refute anymore. "They will certainly protect Xiao Fang. Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian are good people and apparently, the rtionship between them and Xiao Fang is really good. But Father... what about their backgrounds?"

    Feng Yong Rui answered, "From the basic investigation, everything is good."

    "Father..."

    "Mmmm?"

    "Will it be dangerous after this?" He asked about the Regent matter.

    "Yes, it is... You have to prepare yourself as well," Feng Yong Rui gave an honest answer.

    "I will," Qi Hao answered while sighing. He fully agreed with his father¡¯s decision --- it was better if Xiao Fang stay far away from this muddy water. It would be good if she was able to live in a safe environment until the dangerous phase had passed.

 Chapter 388 Rong Qius Manor 1

    Xiao Fang was feeling ted because she finally got permission to go with the trio and visit the Shu Kingdom. It was like a dream came true for her. After all, she always stayed inside the Capital or went to Crescent Lake once in a while. Her visit to Lin Zhou was the first time she went out quite far on her own.

    She couldn¡¯t wait for her new adventure with the trio.

    On the other hand, Yao Ling wasn¡¯t as happy as Xiao Fang at the moment.

    Somehow she felt that her father¡¯s mood was quite solemn on the way home --- not only her father but Lin Jian as well. It made her and Yao Ying felt helpless and ufortable at the same time. Something was really wrong with the atmosphere.

    Yao Ling knew the reason why Lin Jian was pouting so she didn¡¯t pay him any attention. It wasn¡¯t like he would be separated forever from Xiao Fang... However, she still didn¡¯t understand his father¡¯s mood ah~! Why didn¡¯t he feel happy when he was going to meet his son? Didn¡¯t he say that he rarely met him?

    She whispered to Yao Ying, "Do you feel that something isn¡¯t right with him?" She pointed at her father while looking at her father¡¯s back with a face full of concern.

    "I think it¡¯s because of your brother..." Yao Ying admitted his thought.

    "I¡¯m thinking of the same thing as well ah~! Why do you think he looked so scared? Is my brother really scary?" Yao Ling pondered over the matter with a frown. Somehow, she became afraid as well. She was thinking of the worst for her brother which made her shudder even more.

    "If your brother is that scary, I think your father won¡¯t even want to continue recognizing him as his son..." Yao Ying persuaded her. It wouldn¡¯t make a good impression if she became timid once she met her new brotherter.

    "That¡¯s also true..." Yao Ling thought that what Yao Ying said was making sense.

    "Just wait for him toe and everything will be clear... Maybe it¡¯s not because he¡¯s scary..." He advised.

    "Okay..." Yao Ling nodded her head in agreement. She was tired of guessing anyway.

    Not too long after that, they arrived in front of a big manor. The manor was a little bit bigger than Wang Fu but still smaller than the Prime Minister manor. The decoration was not as extravagant as Wang Fu. After all, Wang Fu really had unlimited sources of money from their business and Wang Luo Hai sometimes was a bit show-off. On the other hand, Rong Qiu had always kept himself a bit low profile.

    Once the guards saw Rong Qiu, they quickly greeted their master and opened the door for him.

    The big manor looked majestic from the outside, but it was actually quite in and a bit humble on the inside, however, everything was neat and clean. Even though Yao Ling didn¡¯t ask, Rong Qiu exined to her, "The inner decoration is quite in because I am toozy ah~! When I asked your brother to decorate this ce on my behalf after he grew up, he only said that it would be a waste of money. Thus, this ce is mainly decorated by my personal servant which I left here to maintain everything."

    Yao Ling nodded in understanding, but she had to admit that the personal servant¡¯s taste was quite good because it didn¡¯t make the onlookers feel that the scenery was boring.

    The arrangement was quite nice and made her feel calmer. It blended unique, ornate buildings with natural elements. He didn¡¯t use any flowers but a mixture of nts, trees, and decorative rocks. The personal servant didn¡¯t forget to add water element such as pond which located at the center of the garden and it was like it was designed by an expert.

    Rong Qiu turned around and looked apologetically at Yao Ling, "I hope that you like the garden. Yao Ling, if you want you can add flowers here and there, isn¡¯t girl usually liking that kind of thing? Only men live here, so I didn¡¯t bother to tell them to add flowers."

    Somehow, Yao Ying and Yao Ling felt like this manor reminded them of General Lin¡¯s manor but due to the personal servant¡¯s taste, this garden was far better than Lin Jian¡¯s house.

    When they walked, they didn¡¯t see many servants roaming around. It seemed like Rong Qiu didn¡¯t hire many servants as well, after all, their job was so simple and the master wasn¡¯t living here for so long.

    Yao Ling answered, "It¡¯s okay, Father. It¡¯s far better than our house back in the vige." She grinned happily and joked with Rong Qiu. She wasn¡¯t that picky, to begin with.

    Her attempt to calm Rong Qiu resulted in giving the opposite effect. Rong Qiu felt slightly guilty, after all, it meant that she had been living in a hard life back at the vige while he was living a glorious life as an official. He wasn¡¯t that wealthy but he still had a great life.

    "I¡¯m so sorry..." He said weakly while feeling sadder than before.

    Yao Ling was taken aback and tried to appease her father, "Father... Why are you saying sorry to me? It¡¯s really fine... No need to feel guilty!" She didn¡¯t have the thought to me him at all ah~! It seemed like she shouldn¡¯t bring up her past... she didn¡¯t want her father to me himself.

    "If only we didn¡¯t lose you back then..." Rong Qiu sighed while murmuring softly.

    Yao Ling shook his head. "Father... you shouldn¡¯t say that. If we were together, we would have a different fate and there would be no guarantee that all of us could survive..."

    Rong Qiu sighed. "That¡¯s also true..."

    Yao Ying tried to ease up the tense atmosphere. "It¡¯s a happy asion for both of you to finally meet and live together. Don¡¯t waste your time by continuing being sad! If you feel regrets, just use the future to pay each other back!" He gave them a piece of advice.

    Indeed, the atmosphere became less tense after that. Not only that, but their attention was diverted by a chubby man who was running while panting the whole way --- until finally, he stopped in front of them.

    "Master... you finallye back!" The chubby man greeted Rong Qiu with teary eyes even though he couldn¡¯t stop panting.

    Rong Qiu was feeling helpless and said, "You are not young anymore, why are you behaving like this ah~?! Why are you running so fast?!"

    "Because of you, Master! Why didn¡¯t you tell me beforehand that you are going home? At least, I could prepare everything in advance!" The chubby manined.

    Yao Ying looked at Rong Qiu and asked, "Who is this, Father?" It seemed like the rtionship between Rong Qiu and this chubby man was quite good, even though thetter was merely a servant.

    "Ah... I almost forgot. This is my personal servant, Wu Cheng," Rong Qiu introduced him to Yao Ling.

    Wu Cheng looked at Yao Ling in surprise, "Father?" After that, he looked at Rong Qiu with a pair of ming eyes, "Master! Is she your illegitimate child?!" Because of the surprise, he forgot to think before talking.

    Rong Qiu hit his head quite loud while scolding him, "What are you talking about?! How could you talk nonsense! She isn¡¯t an illegitimate daughter! She¡¯s my real daughter!"

    Wu Cheng mumbled softly, "Who would believe that ah~? Madam has died for a long time and if she¡¯s not the daughter of Madam... shouldn¡¯t she be called as an illegitimate child?"

    Everyone could hear him clearly.

    In the end, Yao Ling couldn¡¯t hold it back anymore. Sheughed out loud!

 Chapter 389 Rong Qius Manor 2

    Rong Qiu was taken aback because of Yao Ling¡¯s reaction. Why did sheugh out loud after she was called an illegitimate child ah~? He thought that she would be feeling offended by that statement.

    Yao Ling would never guess that her father would be able to integrate perfectly with Uncle Qiu¡¯s life. His rtionship with Wu Cheng was enough proof. She had asked Rong Qiu once... Why did no one notice that Uncle Qiu had changed into Rong Qiu overnight and taken the former¡¯s identity ah~?! Rong Qiu remembered one or two things about this matter --- he was still Rong Qiu back then when Aunt Yue made the preparation.

    One, this could happen because their appearance almost looked the same, but the people closest to him would certainly notice the difference. Uncle Qiu had noticed this point beforehand so he had given Aunt Yue the list of people that were closest to him and it made everything easier.

    Two, his mother helped with her power to tweak the memories of the people closest to him a little bit --- for example, Wu Cheng. He didn¡¯t know what Aunt Yue had done but by the time he had forgotten everything, everything went smoothly and no one noticed the difference.

    Rong Heng was still too young at that time so he wasn¡¯t being included inside the list. In a way, he was really brought up by Rong Qiu himself.

    Rong Qiu looked at her with questioning eyes, wondering why she wasughing and Yao Ling answered honestly, "Father, Uncle Wu Cheng is so funny..." She was happy to see how refreshing their rtionship was. It wasn¡¯t like an ordinary rtionship between a master and a servant. They could talk to each other openly, and honestly, it was very rare ah~!

    Judging from their interaction, Yao Ling decided to give a face to Wu Cheng and choose to call him Uncle, instead of directly calling his name. She didn¡¯t feel that it was polite, besides, she didn¡¯t want to offend Wu Cheng on their first meeting.

    Wu Cheng quickly answered, "No... No... Young Lady... I¡¯m just the head servants here... It¡¯s not good to call me Uncle ah~!" Even though Rong Qiu treated him really well, he had to maintain the formality. No matter what, he had to be conscious of his own position.

    Rong Qiu rolled his eyes and told Yao Ling, "We¡¯ve been with each other ever since we are young... I think of him as my own brother. It will be okay to call him Uncle."

    Yao Ling got his meaning --- it seemed like Wu Cheng was indeed the real Uncle Qiu¡¯s personal servant. No wonder he was on the list... it was because they grew up together. Aiyo~ This was getting moreplicated. Telling Wu Cheng would only break his heart because the real Rong Qiu had been dead for so long, besides, wouldn¡¯t he feel guilty for not noticing this matter? Yao Ling didn¡¯t think that he would be able to ept it.

    What more Rong Heng ah~? Somehow, this made Yao Ling feel nervous. She nced at her father --- no wonder his mood was quiteplicated.

    Rong Qiu sneered at Wu Cheng. "Since when you are being so decent?" The man had never behaved that polite to him --- the real master ah~!

    Wu Cheng, "..."

    ¡¯What does he mean by that? He isn¡¯t that shameless ah~! After all, he doesn¡¯t know personally this new daughter. How could he behave familiarly with her?¡¯ Wu Cheng whined inwardly. He wanted to refute but he could helplessly give up, after all, he still needed to be polite in front of so many outsiders.

    "Then, thank you for calling me Uncle," Wu Cheng bowed politely. He was still feeling unconvinced whether she was really his daughter or not --- after all, he knew how loyal his master was.

    Wu Cheng looked at Rong Qiu and said, "I heard that you brought a few people home and currently I already give an order to a few servants to prepare their room, but it will still take time for the rooms to be ready. But... we have one more problem... we have no maidservants." He looked apologetically at Yao Ling. How could he let servants serve her?

    Rong Qiu pped his own forehead. "Oh, I forgot about this! There¡¯s no woman in the manor so I have never bothered to hire maidservant. Wu Cheng... What about your wife or daughter? They could temporarily help my daughter first." If he let Wu Cheng¡¯s wife or daughter serve Yao Ling, he would be more assured because they would certainly treat Yao Ling really good.

    Yao Ling quickly chimed in with a gentle smile, "No need to worry about me! I¡¯m not picky, besides, I have Xiao Yu with me. I used to do everything by myself so I¡¯m fine." She preferred to be served by her own people as well --- she could trust them more. Besides, she wouldn¡¯t stay long here and that was also one of the reasons why she didn¡¯t want to make a fuss.

    Rong Qiu sighed in relief when he heard this. "Sorry, Father couldn¡¯t do anything for you." He felt guilty for not thinking about Yao Ling¡¯s needs.

    Yao Ling started to realize that her father kept feeling sorry for her and it made it even more awkward --- she should find a chance to talk about this matter privately. She had never med him so he shouldn¡¯t feel guilty and punish himself over and over again.

    "Father, I¡¯m really fine..." Yao Ling helplessly said.

    Wu Cheng led them to the main hall of the manor and let them rest there. He had told his people to bring tea and snacks for them. Rong Qiu sat on the main seat while massaging his forehead tiredly. After being imprisoned, he hadn¡¯t had a proper rest yet and he was feeling really tired.

    Wu Cheng stood beside Rong Qiu and he wanted to ask directly about Yao Ling¡¯s sudden appearance but when he saw how tired Rong Qiu was, he decided to wait for the right time. "Master, do you want to rest first?" He asked in a low voice.

    Rong Qiu opened his eyes and shook his head. "No, I¡¯m waiting for Rong Heng." He preferred to solve everything first before resting because he knew he couldn¡¯t really sleep due to the nervousness that he felt as well.

    Wu Cheng was taken aback. "Young Master ising home too?!" He asked in surprise. If there was no big event, Rong Heng would nevere back home so Wu Cheng felt that something must have happened.

    "Master... Is it about the youngdy?" He asked in a whisper.

    Rong Qiu nodded his head. "Yes..." He whispered back. "I will tell both of you about it at the same time so we need to wait for Rong Heng. Feng Yong Rui told me that Rong Heng will arrive today."

    Wu Cheng nodded his head. "Then, I will send people to wait for Young Master at the Capital¡¯s main gate, so when he finally arrives, we will know about it."

    "Good idea!" Rong Qiu quickly praised him. If he knew beforehand, he would have more time to prepare himself ah~! "Quick... Quick! Find a person to go ah~!" Rong Qiu urged Wu Cheng.

    Wu Cheng was going to say yes when there were sounds of heavy footsteps were heard by them from the outside. Rong Qiu didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry...

    They werete ah~!

    Not too long after that, they heard a boisterous voice of a maning from the outside, "Why do you want to do such a bothersome thing? I¡¯m already here!"

 Chapter 390 Rong Heng Was Back 1

    Wu Cheng looked helplessly at Rong Qiu, "It seems like we are toote!" Who knew that the young master woulde so soon? Why did everyonee back without telling him first ah~! Wu cheng started to get a headache because he had no preparation.

    Rong Qiu gave him the dirty eyes in annoyance. Did he really need to say that? He also knew about it when he heard Rong Heng¡¯s loud and boisterous voiceing from the outside!

    Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Lin Jian quickly looked at the door, wanting to see Rong Heng¡¯s appearance. Everyone¡¯s weird emotions about this man made them feel really curious.

    They wondered how did he look like in reality. Scary, maybe?

    Rong Heng came in and everyone looked at him in awe. He was unlike Rong Qiu who had a schrly look --- everyone assumed that the real Uncle Qiu must have been nine to ten points looking like Rong Qiu¡¯s appearance.

    He was brawnier than Lin Jian --- to be exact, he was physically attractive and with well-developed muscles which were the result of his hard work by training every day. No matter what, he was a general so he had to maintain his health and ability to fight.

    Rong Heng had a chiseled and good looking face --- he looked younger than his age which was supposed to be a few years older than Yao Ling. When he came in with confident strides, he had dimples on both of his cheeks which made him even look more attractive. His smile must have been entracing so many women.

    Yao Ling guessed that he must have been looking like the real Uncle Qiu¡¯s deceased wife because there was no resemnce between Rong Heng and her father at all.

    Contrary to his young-looking face which would make him look like a pretty boy if he had white skin, he had a tanplexion due to his activities which required him to be under the sun all the time. However, it added a masculinity charm to his previous attractiveness.

    Honestly, his look was out of the trio¡¯s expectation. They expected a burly looking man ah~! His face looked harmless so why did Ring Qiu feel slightly afraid of him ah~?!

    Rong Heng looked around and furrowed his eyebrows when he saw that there were three new faces inside their manor. He didn¡¯t want to be impolite so he slightly nodded his head towards them so the trio greeted him back by nodding back as well --- only Yao Ling added a little curtsy because she wanted a good first impression.

    Rong Heng took his gaze away and looked at Rong Qiu with a heartyugh. He quickly ran to him and hugged thetter tightly. "Father! I miss you!" He didn¡¯t hesitate or felt shy to show his emotions in front of so many strangers --- he was always this straightforward.

    Rong Qiu was almost being squeezed to death by Rong Heng, after all, thetter didn¡¯t hold back the strength of his hug ah~! Rong Qiu whined inwardly, ¡¯This kid will really be the death of me ah~! Is this a payback from him?¡¯ Rong Qiu knew that this sly fox must have been deliberately doing this to him.

    Rong Heng might look harmless due to his good look but he was actually quite petty and didn¡¯t want to suffer a grievance! If someone harmed him or made him angry, he would pay it back tenfold slowly.

    Rong Qiu whined, "Let me go! Let me go! It hurts!" He tried to get away but to no avail. He was merely the schr type so how could he beat a general ah~?! This son of his really didn¡¯t give him any face in front of the others! Rong Qiu gritted his teeth in anger.

    At first, the trio was feeling warm after seeing such a sweet scene. However, when they saw the effect of Rong Heng¡¯s hug, they really didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry ah~! How much power did he use just for a hug? Was he pranking his own father?

    Rong Heng said in a low voice, "Father... I¡¯m missing you... Why do you want me to let you go? Don¡¯t you miss me as well?" He didn¡¯t seem to feel guilty at all.

    Wu Cheng looked all of this with ease --- nothing had changed between the father and son after so long and this used to be a daily urrence. He nced at Yao Ling and wondered what kind of expression that Rong Heng would make when he knew that he had a long-lost sister. It would certainly be funny.

    Rong Qiu whined once more. "Let me go, you unfilial son!" Without further ado, he pped the back of Rong Heng¡¯s head, trying to make him release him as soon as possible.

    After feeling satisfied, Rong Heng finally released him for real.

    Rong Qiu wanted to kick him but Rong Heng dodged him easily which made Rong Qiu¡¯s face darkened even more. He decided to sit down in a huff and turn his face away from Rong Heng. When he met Yao Ling¡¯s eyes, he flinched in embarrassment. How could he forget about his daughter ah~?!

    He behaved so childishly in front of her and knew that it would shatter his image!

    He started to get a headache again because he still needed to exin everything to Wu Cheng and Rong Heng --- it wouldn¡¯t be fair for them if he kept the truth from them. Not only that, but he wouldn¡¯t have a reasonable reason to follow Yao Ling back to the Shu Kingdom. It was better to tell them everything from the very beginning.

    Rong Heng looked at the trio and asked Rong Qiu, "Father, who are they?"

    Rong Qiu introduced them one by one and told him that they came from the Shu Kingdom that had helped Xiao Fang and after meeting them, he found out some truths that he wanted to share with Wu Cheng and Rong Heng.

    "What kind of truth?" Rong Heng asked in a low voice. He rarely saw his father looked this serious, somehow, he could feel that this must have been something important. But he was confused... what was the connection with the people from another kingdom?

    It wasn¡¯t like his father had any dealing with people from another kingdom --- except that Aunt Yue. He didn¡¯t know what kind of infatuation that his father had towards that woman, but he knew that it wasn¡¯t the love between man and woman. It was a different kind of attraction...

    He couldn¡¯t really guess ah~! This made him feel ufortable because he had always proud of his ability to guess what was on people¡¯s minds and calcte everything.

    "Yao Ling,e here!" Rong Qiu called her over.

    Yao Ling obediently came and smiled at Rong Heng. She felt really nervous at the moment and could only bite her lower lip to calm herself down. Rong Qiu saw this and he quickly held Yao Ling¡¯s hand, trying to assure her that everything would be fine.

    Rong Heng was surprised by their gesture because it looked so intimate in his eyes. His eyes kept following their connected hands... Rong Heng couldn¡¯t cover up his shock because he certainly wouldn¡¯t guess that they were actually that close!

    "Don¡¯t tell me that you want to take this young woman as your new wife?!" Rong Heng asked in a loud voice.

    When Rong Qiu introduced them, he didn¡¯t tell Rong Heng that Yao Ying and Yao Ling were a married couple, so it was understandable that he made such a conclusion.

 Chapter 391 Rong Heng Was Back 2

    Rong Qiu and Yao Ling¡¯s jaws dropped so wide due to the surprise. They talked at the same time, "Ew! What are you talking about?!" They couldn¡¯t even imagine that kind of scenario, so how could think of such a disgusting thought ah~?!

    No matter what, they were still father and daughter ah~! They felt really weird when they heard that and awkwardly looked away from each other. Rong Qiu felt that his son was always making trouble since he was young! Was that really the appropriate thing to ask?!

    Yao Ying and Lin Jian were also feeling dumbfounded at first, but in the end, they really wanted tough out loud when they saw Rong Qiu and Yao Ling¡¯s expression. This new brother of Yao Ling was quite funny... They guessed that he must have been joking --- if not, then he must be a really weird man or well... maybe a bit too straightforward. He didn¡¯t filter the questions that he wanted to ask despite the situation.

    Rong Qiu pointed at Rong Heng in anger and scolded him with a loud voice, "Why are you so dirty-minded? Don¡¯t talk nonsense ah~! Don¡¯t you see that she¡¯s too young to be my wife?!"

    When Rong Heng saw their reactions, he sighed in relief. It seemed like his worry didn¡¯t really happen --- who wanted to have such a young woman as his mother? In fact, his question wasn¡¯t a joke... He was being serious.

    However, he didn¡¯t know that he would be surprised by another kind of news... If he knew about it, he wouldn¡¯t have sighed in relief in advance.

    "Then... why are they here?" Rong Heng gave them a smile and exined politely, "I didn¡¯t mean to be rude, but there were a lot of people who wanted to get close to my father for benefits. I just want to know your purposes for being here."

    Rong Qiu frowned. Which one was the father here?! He really neede to teach his son a lesson ah~! Where was his respect towards him... his father?!

    But... Rong Qiu actually knew the reasons why Rong Heng behaved defensively like this. He somehow understood that Rong Heng actually hated how his real father was helping the Bei Yue people back then --- because of helping them, the real Uncle Qiu even let Rong Heng stay in the capital all alone for quite some time while he was going out on a journey to where the Bei Yue people came from.

    In a way, little Rong Heng felt abandoned by his father due to those unknown people. He could see that Rong Heng started to get vignce towards strangers at that time --- not all strangers, but strangers that wanted to get close to Rong Qiu.

    Not only that but right after he was big enough, Rong Qiu left him and stayed with Aunt Yue... Rong Heng felt that Rong Qiu kept choosing strangers who needed help over him, his own son. Ever since then, Rong Heng¡¯s repulsiveness towards new people that got closer to him became even more evident. That was the reason for his headache. He wondered what kind of reaction he would make when he knew the truth ah~!

    Feng Yong Rui knew about this and that was the reason why he wasughing at Rong Qiu¡¯s predicament. ¡¯That sly old fox!¡¯ Rong Qiu whined inwardly.

    "Wait... Wait... Wait... Why are you being so rude to them?! I will be the one who exins everything to you!" Rong Qiu answered in a low voice. He felt apologetic towards the trio for being treated rudely that way. He mouthed ¡¯sorry¡¯ for the trio and the three of them nodded their heads.

    They didn¡¯t feel offended because they seemed to notice that there must be a reason for Rong Heng to do that. Once they had listened to Qi Hao who mentioned Rong Heng in one of their talks and they knew that he was a good man who protected his beloved in a quite hardcore way --- maybe he was just being too overprotective.

    Rong Heng just shrugged off his shoulder. "I just don¡¯t want you to be taken advantage of by unknown people and that¡¯s why I want to know the reason why they are here. I know that it¡¯s hard for new people to get closer to you... and yet, you bring the three of them home. How can I not feel worried about you?" Rong Heng exined his point of view.

    "They are not asking for anything from me!" Rong Qiu answered, feeling that his son started to get more paranoid each time they met.

    "Then... why are they here?" He asked in a better and kinder tone than before. It seemed that he had finally warming up for a little bit. After hearing Rong Qiu¡¯s exnation, Rong Heng started to loosen up a little bit. It seemed like he had mistaken their reasons for being here.

    Wu Cheng looked at his young master pitifully... ¡¯Young Master... you will be surprised in a moment...¡¯ He thought to himself and flinched when he thought of what was going to happen after this.

    "This..." Rong Qiu said hesitantly. He honestly didn¡¯t know where to start and Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help him in this matter. The revtion of the truth was actually the matter between him and Rong Heng.

    Yao Ling asked in a low voice, "Er... would it be better if we wait outside?" She wanted to give them a chance to have a little privacy.

    Rong Qiu thought that it was a good idea and nodded his head in agreement. In the end, the trio really went out of the room and Wu Cheng asked a servant to serve them. After the trio was gone, the atmosphere started to be tense once again.

    Rong Heng was wondering why it was so hard for his father to say the reasons ah~! His mind started to wander around, feeling that this must have been a really important matter. Maybe it was about Xiao Fang¡¯s matter? He had heard about it in bits and pieces... Thus, Rong Heng decided to ease the tension so it would be easier for his father to talk.

    "Father, can I sit down first?" He asked.

    Rong Qiu thought it would be better ah~! If he stood up, maybe he would fall down because he was too shocked! He quickly nodded his head and answered, "Good... Good... You can sit down first... Sit down first..."

    After he sat down, Rong Qiu still didn¡¯t say anything and it made Rong Heng feel really helpless. Thetter rolled his eyes and tried to make a small joke, "What? It¡¯s not like you are going to tell me that she¡¯s your newfound daughter... Why are you being so nervous ah~? If you have something important to tell me, why don¡¯t you just say it?" Heughed out loud when he said that.

    He expected that Rong Qiu would sigh in relief and scold him just like before... but he found that something wasn¡¯t right. The expression that he had waited from his father didn¡¯te... Rong Heng looked up and paid close attention to his father¡¯s reaction.

    His father... was getting tenser...?

    In the end, his father didn¡¯tugh along with him, but instead, he looked at him with wide eyes. Rong heng started to be sober instantly. Why didn¡¯t his father¡¯sugh? How could he know that he had actually guessed correctly? He was just wondering what was wrong with his father.

    Even Wu Cheng was surprised by his young master¡¯s perfect guess... Did Young Master be a shaman after he left their home?

 Chapter 392 Rong Heng Was Back 3

    "Father...?" Rong Heng called him once again when thetter still didn¡¯t give him a satisfactory answer. Due to the tension, he became nervous as well. His father had never been looking so serious like this before... He really started to make Rong Heng feel scared to hear his answer. Somehow, he felt that his guess was correct.

    However, he still didn¡¯t want to believe in it.

    Was... Was his guess actually correct?! Was she really his father¡¯s daughter?!

    Rong Heng asked himself over and over again. He wanted to ask once again but his question was stuck inside his throat when he heard Rong Qiu¡¯s question.

    "How do you know?" Rong Qiu asked in a super low voice while furrowing his eyebrows in surprise. If Rong Heng wasn¡¯t a martial arts practitioner, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hear what Rong Qiu had just said. But too bad... he was exactly the person that would be able to hear his low whisper.

    It felt like he was being electrocuted by a thunderbolt when he heard it. Rong Heng looked at Rong Qiu with wide eyes and threw a question in an urgent tone, "Please say that again?! What do you mean by ¡¯how do you know¡¯?! Is my guess actually true?"

    "It¡¯s true... she¡¯s your sister..." Rong Qiu answered awkwardly. He didn¡¯t say that they were blood-rted, after all, they actually weren¡¯t.

    He didn¡¯t know what kind of expressions that he should show him ah~! If heughed happily, Rong Heng would be offended because he felt that he was his legal son. If he said it sadly, it would look like that he didn¡¯t want Yao Ling when in fact, she was his real daughter. This was truly giving him a headache ah~! Everything had beplicated due to a decision from the past.

    In the end, he could only look at Rong Heng helplessly. It was better if he chose to say it with a nk face.

    "You... You... How could you... do that?" Rong Heng pointed at Rong Qiu while he was speechless. The former had thought that his father was loyal to her mother and used him as his role model. But... he found out that it was actually a lie. He looked at Rong Qiu with a hurt look on his face.

    However, in the end, there was actually nothing that he could do.

    If his father wanted to have a woman, could he prevent him as his child? He couldn¡¯t. He also knew that when her mother was gone, his father was still in the prime age of his life. How could he endure the loneliness... and the urge to do ¡¯that¡¯.

    But still... a sister?

    Out of nowhere?

    Somehow, he couldn¡¯t ept it ah~!

    "When? How? Why?" Rong Heng wanted to know the details while looking at Rong Qiu intently and waiting for his exnation.

    Rong Qiu didn¡¯t even know where to start the story. Since the beginning when he took his father¡¯s spot? Or when he met Yao Ling first? He had already nned what he wanted to say beforehand but when he saw Rong Heng¡¯s disappointed expression, he couldn¡¯t remember any of it at the moment. He couldn¡¯t even look at Rong Heng straightly because he could only feel guilt in his heart.

    "We just found it out by ident as well..." Rong Qiu started his story. No matter what, he had to tell the story in detail.

    "How?" Rong Heng asked.

    It seemed like he should tell Rong Heng what really happened back at Crescent Lake, but he started the story with Xiao Fang¡¯s journey to find Han Xiang and the hidden truth about the Han Emperor which led Yao Ling and friendse to the Crescent Lake. Thus, they found out the truth and that truth involved him as well.

    Rong Qiu looked at seriously at Rong Heng and said, "You should have known that I really didn¡¯t have a n to lie to you... What happened is really a piece of surprising news for me as well... Even until now, I¡¯m still feeling everything that had happened is so surreal."

    Rong Heng red at him. Surreal? If he didn¡¯t have any intimate rtionship with another woman, how could this happen? Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t ¡¯pop¡¯ out of nowhere without them doing the deed ah~! In the end, it was all because he couldn¡¯t hold back his own urge to copte! Rong Heng knew that he was being unfair here but Rong Heng just couldn¡¯t stop ming Rong Qiu --- he didn¡¯t want him to forget about her mother.

    Rong Qiu could see the ming look on Rong Heng¡¯s face but he decided not to dwell on it that much. In the end, he continued to tell Rong Heng and Wu Cheng the story without batting eyshes. Both of them were too shocked at the revtion and they didn¡¯t even have the chance to ask a question throughout the story-telling process.

    They listened to Rong Qiu seriously without making any sound, not only that, but they also could only look at Rong Qiu with wide eyes and open jaws, feeling so surprised.

    What... What... What... What?! What kind of crazy thing that they had just heard?

    Did they hear it wrongly? But when they looked at the bewildered look between the two of them, it seemed like they heard it right. But... But...

    How could they feel that it was actually a myth or... a lie that was created by Rong Qiu just to make them feel better? A hidden power? Bei Yue n? Aunt Yue?

    How could they believe in such nonsense? But... even the Han Emperor also believed in it... thus, they were speechless as well.

    "Father... I know that you are feeling guilty, but do you really need to make up a weird story like that?" Rong Heng asked in disbelief. He lowered his voice and said, "I¡¯m not as gullible as the Han Emperor who believes in that nonsense."

    Rong Qiu smacked his head. "Even though the Han Emperor is unconscious, you can¡¯t talk badly about him. Remember the consequences!"

    Rong Heng just grinned sheepishly. He used to talk openly with the other soldiers and forget that this was the Capital --- he needed to guard his mouth.

    Rong Qiu sighed. "Why would I lie to you?! Besides, this is not the end of the story yet... There are more bizarre things that will make you feel that I lie to you again..."

    "Oh yes... yes... You haven¡¯t told me who Yao Ling¡¯s mother is!" Rong Heng eximed, thinking that Rong Qiu was talking about this matter. Due to the crazy magical story, he almost forgot about that matter.

    Wu Zheng opened his mouth, wanting to ask something but finally deciding against it. This kind of private matter, it would be better if Rong Heng was the one who asked the question.

    Rong Heng had a tacit understanding with Wu Cheng and asked, "Is her mother... Aunt Yue?"

    Rong Qiu really got a headache. This matter again! Aunt Yue was his mother, alright?! However, everyone knew how young his mother¡¯s appearance was so no wonder people would think of her as his woman.

    "No! Of course not!" Rong Qiu yelled. He couldn¡¯t stand it anymore because he was really feeling frustrated. He started to get angry, thus, he said, "Shut your mouth! Let me finish telling you the story!"

 Chapter 393 His Confession 1

    Rong Heng and Wu Cheng flinched when they heard what Rong Qiu had just said. They rarely saw him got angry, so they could only keep their silence. After that, they didn¡¯t dare to talk anymore. No matter what, Rong Qiu was still Rong Heng¡¯s father and Wu Cheng¡¯s master. They needed to respect him.

    "Aunt Yue is Yao Ling¡¯s grandmother..." Rong Qiu finally answered with the truth.

    "WHAT?!" Rong Heng and Wu Cheng asked at the same time. "GRANDMOTHER?!"

    Did he think that they would believe in his nonsense? His father must have been exaggerating everything! They didn¡¯t want to talk and make Rong Qiu angry once again but how could they shut their mouths when they heard such a piece of juicy news ah~!

    Of course, they needed to throw him with a few important questions...

    "Father! How could it be possible?! Aunt Yue is still so young!" Rong Heng eximed. They had heard about this matter from the rumor at first, but Rong Heng met her when he visited Rong Qiu at the Crescent Lake back then and understood that it wasn¡¯t just a rumor --- she even looked younger than Rong Qiu ah~!

    "Yes, Master. She was so young... How could she be Yao Ling¡¯s grandmother at such a young age? Yao Ling seems to be only a few years younger than Young Master." Wu Cheng said at the same time.

    "I have never heard that she has a daughter! Don¡¯t make an imaginary woman just to lie to us!" Rong Heng frowned in displeasure and couldn¡¯t help but feel hurt because he felt that Rong Qiu keep lying to him.

    Rong Qiu looked at them in disdain. He was also tired of being used over and over again ah~! He felt like pulling out his hair in frustration. Did they think that he was a liar? He didn¡¯t believe in all that at first too, alright? Besides, was there really a need for him to lie?!

    *Sigh*

    When he thought back of his reaction, he couldn¡¯t really me them. "Didn¡¯t you remember what I said? She had a certain power and it made her able to keep retaining her youth even though she was far older than me," Rong Qiu exined.

    Rong Heng and Wu Cheng merely stared at him nkly. After that, theyughed out loud. Rong Heng said, "Please don¡¯t joke around anymore, Father!"

    They didn¡¯t even believe in that ¡¯so-called¡¯ power ah~!

    Rong Qiu didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. He didn¡¯t know how to exin it anymore and he was rendered speechless by those two. He tiredly massaged his forehead. "Go... Go... Go... If you don¡¯t trust me, then there is no use for me to exin anything." After saying that, he rxed his stance and closed his eyes while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

    He gave up.

    He was toozy to talk to them.

    Just let themugh all they wanted ah~!

    Rong Heng and Wu Cheng looked at each other, feeling guilty when they finally saw the depressed look on Rong Qiu¡¯s face. After all, they could see that he was being serious. But...

    They could only sigh and relent --- maybe Rong Qiu really believed in that nonsense and they would pretend to believe in him as well, it was better than making Rong Qiu as sad as this.

    "Father..."

    "Master..."

    They called him at the same time, trying to make him talk once more. They really felt like they were actually coaxing a little kid, but Rong Qiu didn¡¯t n to give them an answer even after their coaxing had finished. Just let them guess where Yao Ling wasing from by themselves. ¡¯Hmph!¡¯ He harrumphed inwardly.

    They didn¡¯t trust him anyway.

    The two became helpless and continue coaxing him, "Tell us more about it!"

    "Yes, tell us the full story, Father!"

    "No!" Rong Qiu refused straight away.

    "Sorry... Sorry... We will listen to you..."

    "Yes, we will not make a single sound..."

    "We promise..."

    "Really..."

    "We believe in you... but it¡¯s just too weird..."

    "Unbelievable!"

    "Surreal..."

    They tried to cajole the angry Rong Qiu so that he would continue telling the story. Somehow, they felt even more guilty when they looked at Rong Qiu¡¯s defeated face.

    Rong Qiu opened his eyes and asked, "Are you sure that you will trust me? I already told you that the truth would be really bizarre! If you don¡¯t believe, I also have no choice --- at least, I already give you an exnation. Believe it or not, it depends on yourself."

    "Trust! Trust! We will trust you!" They answered at the same time.

    However, whether they really trusted him or not, Rong Qiu didn¡¯t know. At least, he would tell them the full story and let them think by themselves. He wasn¡¯t going to beg for them to believe in him. It was easy to prove it --- he could just call Yao Ling and let her show her power a little bit, but he didn¡¯t want that.

    The power should remain a secret between them.

    Besides, they knew that he wasn¡¯t a liar, so why didn¡¯t they trust him?! That was the reason he felt angry the most!

    "So... where¡¯s the mother?" Rong Heng really wanted to know this part and Rong Qiu still didn¡¯t give him a definite answer.

    "I will get back to itter because it means I have to tell another story in detail..." Rong Qiu said.

    Rong Heng and Wu Cheng looked at each other and nodded their heads in agreement.

    "This story is even crazier than before... so both of you should sit down before you fall down after listening to the rest of the story..." Rong Qiu gave them a piece of advice in a serious tone. Hey! He had already told them from the start that he wasn¡¯t joking.

    "Before I started... Please remember... I lost my memory before so... please forgive me..." Rong Qiu said sadly in a low voice. He added something at thest part inwardly, ¡¯I didn¡¯t mean to lie to you...¡¯

    Lost his memory?

    The more they listened to Rong Qiu¡¯s words, the more they thought that there must have been something wrong with his brain ah~! They had never known that he had once lost his memories... So, when did it happen?! But... they didn¡¯t dare to ask a question.

    The duo could only follow his advice and wanted to see what kind of shocking news that they could get. It was even crazier than the magical power?! Hah! They honestly doubted that.

    But they didn¡¯t know... that it was indeed crazier than that magical power things...

    Rong Qiu started to tell the story from the beginning --- where the Bei Yue nned to run away from their hometown and find another ce to live. Then, they fall to the Han Emperor¡¯s hands. Rong Heng and Wu Cheng felt that it was weird for Rong Qiu to tell the story from a third-person point of view but they continued listening to him because honestly, the story was quite interesting.

    However, after they listened to his full story... they felt like everything was a surreal mix of fact and fantasy.

    What did they just hear?!

    The real Rong Qiu was dead and he became the recement? A simr-looking Bei Yue person?

    The duo gaped at him without blinking due to the surprise.

 Chapter 394 His Confession 2

    Rong Heng and Wu Cheng looked at Rong Qiu without blinking. Was this some kind of a prank? Didn¡¯t it mean that he was actually someone unknown to them and he took his father¡¯s position? But... But...

    They were rendered speechless.

    Then, who was the man in front of them?

    They couldn¡¯t believe that he wasn¡¯t the real Uncle Qiu. They didn¡¯t dare to believe in such an ugly truth!

    Rong Heng felt that he was struck by a thunder... he felt really baffled --- the one that felt hurt the most was, of course, him if what he said was the truth. What about his life? Was it all a lie? From the beginning? He had really thought of him as his father all along.

    Didn¡¯t it mean... he wasn¡¯t his real father?

    His mind was in a mess and he couldn¡¯t even control his train of thoughts. It was so confusing and he was in shock. For the first time in his life, he was feeling helpless. Thest time he felt like this was the time when his father chose to help those Bei Yue people and go back to their homnd. It took several months and he was entrusted to someone else.

    They didn¡¯t treat him bad but also not that well either --- in the end, he was only a little boy and he kept ming his father for choosing others!

    When he came back, he was beyond happy. But now... what did he just say?

    He wasn¡¯t his real father?!

    A counterfeit?

    But... How...?!

    Rong Heng¡¯s mind was nk. He really didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. He didn¡¯t think that he was able to believe in him. Even if he was good at covering up his feelings, but this time, he couldn¡¯t mask his feelings well.

    He was already a father himself and yet, he had the urge to cry at this moment --- it was really hard for him to breathe. He forced a smile which was uglier than a cry and begged, "Father... please..."

    Rong Heng begged Rong Qiu so that he would say that it was only a joke... It wasn¡¯t the truth --- it was just a stupid prank.

    However, Rong Qiu looked at him guiltily but he still insisted that it was the truth. He didn¡¯t know what to say and in the end, he could only say three words, "I¡¯m so sorry."

    Rong Heng¡¯s smile faltered while he was trying to make sense of what he had just heard. The ¡¯sorry¡¯ word echoed inside his ears over and over again. If that was the truth, it would be better if he lived in the dark forever. It was better if he didn¡¯t know the truth.

    This... was too cruel! If he wanted to act, why didn¡¯t he act until the end?!

    "Father... don¡¯t joke around! How could that be?" Rong Heng slightly choked when he said that.

    Rong Qiu solemnly answered, "I¡¯m not joking around..."

    "Father... this time, I really couldn¡¯t believe you. Even if it¡¯s the truth, I don¡¯t want to believe it!" Rong Heng said resolutely.

    "True ah~! Master, please don¡¯t joke around about such an important matter!" Wu Cheng pleaded seriously, then he added, "You will hurt Young Master¡¯s feelings ah~!" He took a peek at his young master and his heart hurt for thetter, after all, he was the one who took care of him most of the time --- especially, when Rong Qiu wasn¡¯t there for him. He even looked mingly at Rong Qiu and thetter flinched at that.

    This time, Rong Qiu couldn¡¯t bear to get angry because he could clearly see their miserable expression. He sighed in defeat, "Do you think that I really want it to happen? It took me a long time to ept that my own mother had erased my memory and let me live as someone else without knowing anything! I have lived as another person for so long and honestly, it¡¯s really painful..."

    He decided to admit his feelings and his thought so far...

    "Why... Why do you want to tell me all of this? You have be my father for a long time, so why don¡¯t you act until the end?" Rong Heng threw the question at him and he added another hard question, "Why are you being so cruel to me?!"

    Rong Qiu was taken aback. Cruel? Was that true? He didn¡¯t think too much back then about their feelings because he just wanted to tell them the truth so that he could follow Yao Ling with a peaceful mind... he started to realize that he was being selfish and those two were feeling betrayed by him. However, he had been living as another person his whole life... He forgot about his own wife and daughter...

    He really hurt a lot of people because of this matter and somehow, he med his mother for forcing him into this situation. But what else he could do? Everything had already happened.

    In the end, whatever steps that he chose from both choices that he had... would end up hurting someone... either Rong Heng or Yao Ling.

    Was he that cruel? Would it be better if he lied to them?

    Somehow... he still didn¡¯t think it would be a better step.

    He looked guiltily at Rong Heng but he knew that he had chosen this step and he couldn¡¯t take it back. He... he had to hurt this little boy... no, he was a man now... Rong Qiu tried to convince himself that as a man, he should be able to ept it better, right?

    Rong Qiu started to get a headache. In the end, Rong Heng had gotten his love for so long but Yao Ling had grown up without it. His heart was painful for both of them, but he needed to face the truth as well. His wife was waiting for him to save her somewhere out there...

    "I... I..." Rong Qiu felt bbergasted. Even though those were his real thoughts, he didn¡¯t know how to put it into words. The matter of the heart was really tooplicated ah~! However, he needed to be responsible. Thus, he gathered his thought and told them everything that was inside his mind --- along with the consideration between the pros and cons and also, why he decided to choose to admit everything to them.

    He tried to tell them with the softest words that he could muster, even though in the end, it would still hurt them.

    "But how do you rece my master? I¡¯ve been growing up together with him together... How could I mistake an imposter as my master?" Wu Cheng asked in disbelief. He still believed in his own judgment. The man in front of him was the one who grew up together with him, so how could he say that he wasn¡¯t the real one?

    "It¡¯s easy for my mother to manipte your mind, besides, she got a pointer from the real one... before he died," Rong Qiu answered. "This was also the reason why I told you that it was soplicated."

    Rong Heng and Wu Cheng knew that there was no advantage for him to tell the truth, so they started to believe in him. Everything fell into pieces IF the power that he had mentioned was real.

    "What is the proof? Where¡¯s my real master¡¯s grave?" Wu Cheng asked in sadness.

    "This..." Rong Qiu didn¡¯t really know how to answer this.

    "Tell us the truth!" Rong Heng demanded in a soft voice.

    "I refused to take his identity because of my wife and I told my mother that the man was still alive... Why didn¡¯t he just continue to live on and cherish his son until the end? My mother answered that he only had a few days to live and after saying that, she erased my memories..." Rong Qiu answered hesitantly.

    "So... you don¡¯t know where it was..." Rong Heng tly answered on Rong Qiu¡¯s behalf.

    "I..." Rong Qiu didn¡¯t know what to say. "I heard a few things about his wishes though..."

    "What do you mean?" Rong Heng asked in confusion. "What kind of wishes?"

 Chapter 395 His Confession 3

    Rong Qiu answered honestly, "He wanted me to raise you and let you be happy... and not only that but he wanted his body to be burned after he died and he pleaded us to scatter his ashes to the ocean so that he could follow you wherever you go through the wind..."

    This was indeed what the real Uncle Qiu said a few days his memory was being erased. He remembered those memories clearly after he remembered the past.

    Even though he had rejected his offers several times, but the man was persistent enough to tell him his wishes. He continued begging for his help even though the real Uncle Qiu knew that he was being selfish. However, thetter continued to convince himself that they were helping each other --- he wasn¡¯t using Rong Qiu for the benefits of his own family.

    In the end, they needed to do the exchange identity thing to survive. How funny their intertwined fate was! When he remembered how he adamantly rejected his offer back then, he felt that his behavior so stupid. In the end, didn¡¯t he unknowingly fulfill all his wishes?

    "I believe that my mother would follow his will... His ashes must have been really scattered so that he could fly along with the wind..." Rong Qiu answered. Even though he knew that his mother wasn¡¯t in the best position at that time, but still... he believed that she would fulfill the real Uncle Qiu¡¯s wishes. After all, she must have been feeling grateful for Uncle Qiu¡¯s help to their n.

    He had a guess that the ashes were probably not being scattered at the ocean though, at most, the ashes would be scattered at Crescent Lake because she was being confined in that ce. The ce was surrounded by deserts so how could she possibly find an ocean there?

    "So... there was actually no grave for my real master to rest in peace? His ashes were being scattered just like that?" Wu Cheng asked sadly. Didn¡¯t it mean the real Uncle Qiu didn¡¯t have anything to remember him by...? How sad was that?

    He couldn¡¯t believe his ears but he knew that with his master¡¯s stubbornness, he would certainly able to do that. Before he died, he still tried to guarantee Rong Heng¡¯s safety and happiness despite his hard situation at that time. He didn¡¯t know whether he should get angry at him or praise him.

    He wondered why he didn¡¯t tell him anything when he was in such big trouble. He kept saying he treated him as a brother --- not a servant, at the very least, shouldn¡¯t he tell him about it if he really treated him as his brother? Honestly, Wu Cheng felt bitter inside his heart. He even decided to tweak his memories to let him recognize other people as his master.

    How cruel was he to be able to do that?

    Wu Cheng shook his head, knowing that it was already toote to talk about that matter. It would be better if he stopped that line of thought because it would only be a painful memory for him. After that, he sighed because his thoughts had wandered off once again.

    In their time, it was really important for people to have a grave or memorial tablet that should be put on top of a sacrificial altar, so that their name could be remembered and the younger generation would be able to show their filial and pray for him. But... But... no one knew that he was dead for so long and no one had prayed for him.

    How pitiful it was!

    Wu Cheng really wanted to cry for the real Uncle Qiu... It was really hard for him ah~! He must have been really sad at the afterlife --- no one was burning joss papers for him.

    He looked at Rong Qiu¡¯s guilty expression and he was still sane enough to understand that Rong Qiu was also being forced into this. At least, by telling the truth, it wasn¡¯t toote for them to make a memorial tablet for Uncle Qiu.

    Should he me Rong Qiu? He couldn¡¯t... after all, he had lived with him long enough and treated him like brother --- he was a good man as well. Besides, this was the real Rong Qiu¡¯s wishes.

    Aiyo~ This matter was soplicated ah~! When he nced at Rong Heng¡¯s nk expression, that was the thing that made him feel worried the most --- Rong Heng¡¯s feelings.

    Rong Heng and Wu Cheng couldn¡¯t deny the truth anymore.

    "Heng-er..." Rong Qiu called Rong Heng in a low voice, wanting to know his reaction. "Are... Are you okay?" He hesitantly asked, feeling worried about his son --- yes, no matter what, he was still his son! He wouldn¡¯t be able to deny this matter, besides, he didn¡¯t want to do it.

    Even though Rong Heng was feeling sad and hurt inwardly, but because of his experience as a general which was famous for his viciousness and also calmness when he dealt with the enemies¡¯ n, he learned to adjust his state of mind in a short time. He masked his feelings really well and made his face a nk canvas --- no one would be able to guess what he was thinking about even though they paid attention to him carefully.

    This made Rong Qiu feel even more nervous than before.

    ¡¯Okay...? How can I be okay with such a piece of news?¡¯ Rong Heng thought to himself with a bitter smile inwardly. He couldn¡¯t even joke around and pretended that it was only a lie...

    However, Rong Heng could see Rong Qiu¡¯s worry towards him and he felt so helpless --- in his eyes, he was still his father ah~! He was so young when his real father had died, so how could he remember about him clearly?

    Yes, he felt abandoned by the real Uncle Qiu at that time, but it didn¡¯t mean that he remembered the event clearly --- he only remembered his own hurt feelings...

    "I... I don¡¯t know what to think and what to feel..." He honestly said.

    Rong Qiu quickly said, "No matter what happened in the past... You will forever be my son!" He didn¡¯t want Rong Heng to misunderstand and think that he didn¡¯t want him. No... he wanted him! How could he erase their rtionship easily after more than a decade of bing father and son?

    "Then, why did you tell me all this?" Rong Heng asked in a hoarse voice. What was the point? Honestly, he didn¡¯t understand it for one bit. Wouldn¡¯t it be fine to just stay the same like before?

    "I..." Rong Qiu felt guilty once more.

    Rong Heng felt disappointed and he threw a question before Rong Qiu could answer him.

    "Is it because you want to abandon me, Father?" The little kid who was scared of being left which was hidden deep inside Rong Heng¡¯s heart... came out once again. He was afraid that it would be like how it was in the past --- he was being abandoned once more.

    Rong Qiu looked at him in surprise! "No! That thought has never crossed my mind ah~!" He quickly denied.

    "Then, why?" Rong Heng pushed for an answer. He didn¡¯t believe that Rong Qiu didn¡¯t have any motives for telling him all this.

    He really wanted to know the real reason ah~!

 Chapter 396 His Confession 4

    "I... I want to acknowledge your sister and I hope that you will too..." Rong Qiu hesitantly said, finally admitting the real reason why he wanted to tell them the truth. He couldn¡¯t very well abandon Yao Ling and didn¡¯t give her any status, right?

    Rong Heng furrowed his eyebrows. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to have a new sister, but he felt a bit ufortable to have a stranger as his sister. He didn¡¯t know who thas Yao Ling was and what kind of identity that she had. Didn¡¯t his father say that she wasn¡¯t from around here just now?

    "Where is sheing from?" Rong Heng asked.

    "The Shu Kingdom..." Rong Qiu answered.

    "Are you sure that she¡¯s not lying to you?" Rong Heng quietly asked the most important question. He was afraid that his father was being swindled by that trio...

    "No... she¡¯s not. I¡¯m still able to judge clearly about it. Don¡¯t worry!" Rong Qiu said with clear eyes.

    Rong Heng could only sigh when he heard that. There was a bit jealousy in his heart because Rong Qiu cared about another person so much. He started to realize that he was quite petty when the matter was rted to his ¡¯father¡¯. He was already this big and yet, he still craved for his father¡¯s love. Somehow, he felt a bit ashamed of his own selfishness but couldn¡¯t help but keep doing that.

    Rong Qiu was an important person to him and would always be his father! He shook his petty thought away and focused on the matter at hand...

    "Which identity that you want to use to acknowledge her with? As my father or as a Bei Yue person?" Rong Heng asked curiously because those two identities would lead to a different result. He didn¡¯t really understand what his father actually wanted to do.

    "This..." Rong Qiu hadn¡¯t thought that far yet because he was too concerned about Rong Heng¡¯s reactions. He just wanted both of them to acknowledge each other and he didn¡¯t even think about his own identity. For Buddha¡¯s sake! This was so confusing ah~!

    He was thinking about his identity¡¯s matter seriously. They already knew that he wasn¡¯t the real Rong Qiu, so how could he possibly continue pretending to be one? Wouldn¡¯t it make him look like he was so shameless?! He didn¡¯t really have a thick face to continue the facade ah~!

    "But I... How can I continue taking your father¡¯s ce when both of you already know the truth?" Rong Qiu asked helplessly. He already had a n if he couldn¡¯t use Uncle Qiu¡¯s identity anymore... He might as well make a new identity if he needed to use his Bei Yue identity. The Bei Yue people were being hunted for their power, so there would be no peace if he became his real self once more.

    It would also make people pay more attention to Yao Ling --- after all, she was the descendant of Aunt Yue. A smart person would know that Yao Ling would certainly inherit Aunt Yue¡¯s power sooner orter and it would make her be a target.

    Wu Cheng also looked at Rong Heng, waiting for his answer. Even though he already epted Rong Qiu¡¯s exnation, he didn¡¯t know what kind of thoughts that Rong Heng had. In the end, he would follow along with the decision that Rong Heng would make. No matter what, he would stand by Rong Heng¡¯s side.

    Rong Heng frowned, contemting. He could see the hesitancy in Rong Qiu¡¯s eyes, thus, he sighed inwardly. "Father... You will always be my father. My real father had given you permission to take his ce so I don¡¯t see something is wrong with it if you want to continue using my real father¡¯s identity," he honestly said.

    "Besides, if you suddenly go missing out of nowhere when you are this healthy, what do you think people will talk about? Especially the Han Emperor..." Rong Heng added.

    He didn¡¯t say that he actually didn¡¯t remember anything about his real father, after all, it would be an insult to thetter, besides, he could see that his real father was important for Wu Cheng and he wanted to respect his feelings as well, and no matter what, Rong Qiu was the one who brought him up so he would always be his father.

    When Wu Cheng heard what Rong Heng had just said, tactfully understanding what he meant. He nodded in agreement and quickly said, "You will always be my master forever as well..." Wu Cheng didn¡¯t try to be a bootlicker by saying that but he honestly felt happy with Rong Heng¡¯s choice. At least, he would still have a family. If he rejected Rong Qiu, he also knew that Rong Heng would be sad.

    "Is that really okay?" Rong Qiu still felt ufortable, feeling like he was robbing someone else¡¯s life. However, there was a hopeful glint of happiness in his eyes which Rong Heng could see clearly. Rong Heng¡¯s mood became better because it meant that Rong Qiu still loved him, right?

    Rong Hengughed softly despite hisplicated feelings. "Father... It¡¯s really okay..." He hoped by continuing to be his father, he wouldn¡¯t leave or abandon him all alone once again. "We will forever be father and son."

    "Thank you," Rong Qiu answered in a hoarse voice, feeling so grateful and happy --- it meant that Rong Heng really appreciated him as his father, right?

    Both of them smiled at each other and understood that Rong Qiu would continue using the real Uncle Qiu¡¯s identity once again --- maybe, even forever.

    "So..." Rong Qiu trailed off while biting his lower lip out of nervousness once again. He felt that his current behavior was quite awkward but he just couldn¡¯t get back easily to his usual way of interaction with Rong Heng. Oh well... it would take time.

    "About Yao Ling..." Rong Qiu wanted him to meet Yao Ling more formally ah~! However, he also couldn¡¯t force Rong Heng if thetter didn¡¯t want to do that right away. Even though he would be disappointed, he would relent and introduce them once againter.

    Rong Heng understood what he wanted to say and felt better because Rong Qiu still cared about these feelings. "Why don¡¯t we call my new sister in? I want to get to know her better," Rong Heng said with a smile.

    "Good! Good!" Rong Qiu said happily while pping his hand excitedly. It seemed like Rong Heng had started to ept the idea of having a new sister, at least, this was a start.

    "I will call her in," Wu Cheng offered his help because he wanted to know about Yao Ling as well. Thus, Rong Qiu and Rong Heng waited patiently.

    "Can I tell you a little bit about your sister?" Rong Qiu asked softly.

    "Go ahead!" Rong Heng nodded in agreement. Knowing a little bit about her would be a good start as well.

    Rong Qiu gave a brief exnation of Yao Ling¡¯s past --- including how the Ce Fei became her mother and how they lived a humble life in a vige. Rong Heng could only gape in surprise because honestly, the rtionship between Yao Ling and Xiao Fang was actually thatplicated.

    "Father, that¡¯s unbelievable!" Rong Heng eximed.

    No wonder his father wanted to acknowledge her as soon as possible, it seemed like it was because he felt guilty for Yao Ling¡¯s situation and wanted to let her live a better life. If Yao Ling was good, he wouldn¡¯t prevent his father.

 Chapter 397 Her Lucky Star

    Yao Ling walked into the room hesitantly --- they deliberately didn¡¯t call Yao Ying and Lin Jian over as well, because they wanted to talk to Yao Ling alone. After all, what they wanted to talk about was a private matter inside their family. It would be better if they solved everything first before telling others about the result.

    Besides, Yao Ling didn¡¯t want Yao Ying to feel awkward as well.

    When she arrived in front of the room, she squeezed her sleeves tighter because of her nervousness. Wu Cheng told her politely, "Just go in! Master and Young Master have been waiting for you in there." Yao Ling gave him a forced smile and nodded her head.

    "Thank you," she muttered softly.

    Wu Cheng smiled back, trying to give her assurance. He already saw his young master¡¯s stance, thus, he understood that she would be the future young miss as well.

    Yao Ling took a deep breath and then decided to step into the room slowly. "Father..." She called Rong Qiu softly, trying to feel in the atmosphere inside the room. Was it a good one... or a bad one? She wondered whether their talk was actually sessful or not.

    When Wu Cheng called her, he didn¡¯t exin anything to her about the result of the task and the former kept his nk expression all the time when they were on their way. She didn¡¯t know Wu Cheng beforehand and didn¡¯t think that it was a good idea to ask him some questions about that matter, so she kept quiet all the time.

    "Yao Ling! Quicklye in here and meet your brother!" Rong Qiu said cheerfully while waving one of his hands at Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling looked at Rong Qiu¡¯s happy appearance and it seemed like the talk went well and she sighed in relief. She quickly came over with a soft smile nervously while standing beside Rong Qiu obediently. Honestly, she didn¡¯t know how to face his brother.

    She had been so happy to have a new brother but she knew that thetter might not have the same idea as her.

    "Quick... Quick! Call him Da Ge [= Big Brother]!" He excitedly said while pointing at Rong Heng. Rong Qiu tried to make the introduction as smooth as possible. Fortunately, he made the right decision to tell Rong Heng about Yao Ling¡¯s life story because he could see that it made Rong Hend soften considerably.

    "Is... Is it really okay?" Yao Ling looked at Rong Heng with big watery eyes which made thetter¡¯s heart weaken.

    "Of course," he answered while nodding his head carefully.

    Yao Ling looked up shyly at Rong Heng and called him in a soft and cute voice, "Da Ge!" She felt ted when Rong Heng gave his permission to call him Da Ge.

    Rong Heng was still feeling reluctant at first but when he heard Yao Ling¡¯s sweet voice, he felt his heart faltered. He actually always wanted to have siblings but there was no chance for that -- after all, his father had no partner. It seemed like his wishes hade true in a pretty weird twist of fate.

    He understood Rong Qiu¡¯s line of thoughts. If he wanted Rong Qiu to continue to be his father, he needed to admit this new little sister, after all, he couldn¡¯t abandon his blood-rted daughter.

    Rong Heng nodded his head and greeted Yao Ling back, "Mei Mei [= Sister]..." It was bittersweet for him to call her that.

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard his acknowledgment. She was moved and couldn¡¯t hold back her tears anymore. Yes, she was crying due to happiness. She finally had a real family --- of course, she meant other than Yao Ying.

    The two men jumped up in surprise when they saw her crying, after all, they thought that she would be happy. Both of them asked at the same time worriedly, "What happened?! Why are you crying? Does someone bully you?"

    Yao Ling was quite surprised because Rong Heng quite cared about her --- it was a big leap from his previous displeasure towards her and he even asked her whether someone was bullying her or not. She was touched by his words because it meant that he actually concerned about her, right? She shook her head softly, "No... it¡¯s not that..." Her voice became hoarse because of her tears.

    "Then, what happened?" Rong Heng asked while furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

    When Rong Qiu noticed that Rong Heng showed his care towards Yao Ling, he cleverly stopped talking and letting the brother and sister pair to slowly bond --- after all, he had already seen an improvement ah~! Why didn¡¯t he encourage them more? Let them talk more!

    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m just too happy..." Yao Ling honestly answered with a sweet grin.

    Rong Heng massaged his forehead --- he almost forgot that women were really aplicated being. They cried when they were sad and they also cried when they were happy. He shook his head exasperatedly, remembering his own wife who had a mood swing as well. Thus, he didn¡¯t me Yao Ling.

    Women were reallyplicated human beings and yet, men couldn¡¯t live without them, thus, he could only relent and sigh indulgently.

    "Why?" Rong Heng asked curiously. "Why are you so happy?"

    Was it because she ended up bing the daughter of an official? Or because of something else? Rong Heng wasn¡¯t that narrowminded, he would still give her the benefits of the doubt until she exined everything. After all, she was the daughter that his father had acknowledged and he was pretty sure that his father wouldn¡¯t be that blind even though Yao Ling was his blood-rted daughter!

    "I used to live all alone with my mother and how I wished that I could have a father and brother to protect me and mother just like the other vigers. Both of us are women so sometimes there would be one or two vigers who wanted to take advantage of us. However, I also knew that it was only my wishful thinking, but... who would have guessed that my wish woulde true someday?" Yao Ling exined with teary eyes while smiling at the same time.

    "I find my real birth father and even gain a new older brother..." She said softly. "How could I not be happy? I have never thought that I would really be able to find my real family... after all, I only have a hairpin as proof. I thought I will be all alone... Fortunately, I found Yao Ying or else... I wouldn¡¯t be able to travel this far..."

    Yes, Yao Ying might be her lucky star!

    Her simple answer warmed Rong Qiu¡¯s heart --- it felt bittersweet to him because he couldn¡¯t easily erase the guilt inside his heart. Rong Qiu looked at Rong Heng, wondering what his next step would be. He couldn¡¯t force him to say something nice to Yao Ling because Rong Heng already had his own mind...

    "I know a little bit of your life story from father so I also understand that you have lived a hard life before you be a stepdaughter of a merchant at the Shu Kingdom... I will treat you well just like my own sister, but I have to give you a warning beforehand," Rong Heng said seriously.

    Yao Ling tilted her head to the side and asked innocently, "En... What kind of warning, Da Ge?"

    Rong Heng thought that she would make a tantrum but she didn¡¯t, so he had a better impression of her.

 Chapter 398 Yao Lings Identity 1

    "Don¡¯t bring a cmity or havoc to our family..." Rong Heng warned with a heavy tone while he was looking at Yao Ling with a stern face.

    Yao Ling and Rong Qiu stunned. What did he mean by that?! They didn¡¯t fully understand. If it was referring to Yao Ling¡¯s power, it was impossible! After all, Rong Qiu didn¡¯t tell him about it.

    Rong Qiu stood up and wanted to scold Rong Heng for talking nonsense, however, Yao Ling stopped him just in time by tugging his sleeves softly. Yao Ling didn¡¯t want them to have any conflict after recognizing each other as brother and sister. She shook his head, telling Rong Qiu not to meddle in this and theter could only swallow his words back and sit down once again.

    His children were already this big and they should be able to resolve this problem by themselves, right? Although he was thinking that way, he still looked at them worriedly.

    "Da Ge... What do you mean?" Yao Ling asked softly. She felt a bit offended but she wanted to know Rong Heng¡¯s reasons for saying that first before she judged him as well! She didn¡¯t want to start a fight with him out of nowhere.

    "Just a precaution! A lot of people tried to take advantage of the rtionship between our father and them so that they could gain benefits because of our father¡¯s position as an official --- for example, abusing their authorities for their own personal benefits. This doesn¡¯t only happen once or twice and that¡¯s the reason I be vignt. It¡¯s better if I tell you all of this beforehand so there will be no hard feelings in the future if something like that happens and I punish you. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, but honestly, this is the first time I meet you and I don¡¯t understand your characters very well. However... we can slowly get to know each other in the future..." Rong Heng exined his point of view with clear eyes --- he really meant what he said.

    Yao Ling paid attention to his words and sighed in relief. It seemed like it wasn¡¯t because he was questioning her characters, but instead, he was just warning her because he was worried about Rong Qiu. It made sense... because she heard that he was so overprotective over his beloved ones.

    "I will pay attention to it, Da Ge," Yao Ling answered obediently and it made Rong Heng like her even more. "I promise that I¡¯m not going to take advantage of our father and I will also control the people around me, but honestly, I don¡¯t think I have the chance to do that as well even if I want to..." She said with a lovely regretful smile.

    "Why?" Rong Heng furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "Why do you think you will have no chance to do that?" He found that something was wrong.

    Yao Ling took a nce at Rong Qiu before saying in a stutter, "I... I... n to go back to the Shu Kingdom when everything has been settled here. Our initial n is when Xiao Fang¡¯s matter has been solved... After all, I already got married and I should follow my husband wherever he goes ah~!"

    By this time, Yao Ling already knew that Rong Qiu hadn¡¯t told him about this and also his n to follow her to the Shu Kingdom. She finally wondered whether Rong Qiu would really go with her or not. She realized that he basically had his own life here as well, even though he used another person¡¯s identity and she felt sad because of it... Could he really leave with her?

    Rong Heng frowned.

    "If you ept the new identity as my sister and my father¡¯s daughter, shouldn¡¯t you continue staying here?" Rong Heng asked. Somehow, he didn¡¯t want his newfound sister to leave. No matter what, she had be Rong Fu¡¯s Da Xiao Jie [= Big Miss of the Rong Family].

    He only heard about the big picture and thought that Yao Ying and Yao Ling were orphans, so they should be able to leave anything behind at the Shu Kingdom and stay here with them, right? Why did she need to go? In his heart, he rejected the idea of them leaving.

    Rong Heng nced at Rong Qiu and wondered whether he wanted to leave with Yao Ling or not...

    Yao Ling felt surprised that Rong Heng actually wanted her to stay --- did he really ept her? She thought that he was still being skeptical about her. Yao Ling helplessly shook her head. "I can¡¯t... What about my husband?" Yao Ling asked him back. "My husband has been taken in as Wang Luo Hai¡¯s legal son and they already recognized each other as father and son, so of course, we have to go back home..." Yao Ling trailed off.

    Rong Heng was surprised. This Wang Luo Hai... he, of course, had heard about him and remembered that he was General Lin¡¯s best friend. They were from different kingdom so he paid attention to the biggest enemy of their kingdom, General Lin. Although his rank wasn¡¯t that high, he never lost a battle at all --- if it wasn¡¯t his hatred to his own Emperor for giving away his wife, he would already be a great general!

    As far as he could remember, this Wang Luo Hai wasn¡¯t a simple person. His mind becameplicated when he found out about this... This made their rtionship with Yao Ling turned even moreplex.

    Both of their kingdoms were doomed because of the shitty Monarch, but they were still enemies ah~!

    "Father... if you recognized Yao Ling as a daughter and she has be the enemies¡¯ daughter-inw... won¡¯t it bring you trouble at the court?" Rong Heng asked casually.

    Rong Qiu pondered over a moment. "It would be troublesome if I directly acknowledged her because it would mean that Yao Ling could only be a Shu Daughter [= Daughter of the Concubine}..."

    Yao Lingughed and answered cheerfully, "I¡¯m fine with anything... as long as I can proudly call you as my father..."

    "No... No... I can¡¯t do that..." Rong Qiu shook his head.

    "I have an idea..." Rong Heng hesitantly said.

 Chapter 399 Yao Lings Identity 2

    "What kind of idea?" Rong Qiu asked while furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know anything about the rules of nobles or officials¡¯ household, so she could only listen to both men talking while her eyes kept darting around between the two of them. It would be better if she stayed quiet on the side.

    Rong Heng answered, "Just spread to the outside world that Yao Ling has saved your life and you want to take her in as your legal daughter and already gain my permission."

    "But... about her background?" Rong Qiu still felt that it didn¡¯t make any difference.

    "We can use ¡¯showing gratitude¡¯ as a reason to evade their usation. Could we choose our own benefactors¡¯ background? We couldn¡¯t, right?" Rong Heng answered with a soft smile. "Besides, in this way, Yao Ling could be the Di Daughter as well and no one would ask a question about her mother."

    Rong Qiu nodded his head in agreement while Yao Ling was shaking her head --- just for the sake of recognizing each other, they needed to go so many troubles ah~!

    "Father... don¡¯t you have something else to say to me?" Rong Heng asked.

    Rong Qiu was taken aback while sweating. "What? What are you talking about?"

    Rong Heng scoffed. "Don¡¯t you have a conscience? You still don¡¯t want to tell me about it. Don¡¯t you already make a n before you tell me everything about Yao Ling, huh?" He asked in displeasure.

    "What... What do you mean?" Rong Qiu pretended to be stupid while evading eye contact with his own son. He wasn¡¯t ready to tell him ah~! He thought that he wasn¡¯t being that obvious, howe Rong Heng could understand his thoughts so well ah~?! Was he the worm inside his stomach?

    Rong Qiu frowned.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. The role between these two was indeed being reversed ah~! Which one was the father and which one was the son ah~! Rong Qiu¡¯s aggrieved look looked like a guilty kid being reprimanded by his parents.

    Rong Heng said, "You don¡¯t need to lie to me! When you lie, you keep pinching your own sleeve and your eyes keep darting around!" He looked pointedly at Rong Qiu¡¯s hand and Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but look in the same direction. She wanted to know whether it was true or not ah~!

    Rong Qiu was dumbfounded when he heard his son¡¯s usation. Did he really do that? When he looked down at his own hand, he really pinched his own sleeve and he quickly let it go like he was being burned. He really did that!

    Was this the reason why his son always knew that he was lying?! Why did he tell him at this moment ah?!

    "What are you talking about?! Nonsense!" Rong Qiu quickly denied. It was too embarrassing ah~! How could he admit it?

    Yao Ling really wanted tough when she listened to their banter. No wonder her father was feeling afraid to meet this Da Ge, he could hide nothing from Rong Heng ah~! Besides, why did she feel that Rong Heng was even more mature than Rong Qiu?

    Rong Hengughed sarcastically. "Please... I already know that you have reached a decision. I can see it in your eyes. You want to go and follow Yao Ling, right?" Rong Heng was toozy to y around with words and directly asked the questions. It would be better if they talked everything out as soon as possible.

    Rong Qiu stunned. "How... How do you know?" He forgot to cover up his lie and directly admitted that what Rong Heng had just said was true... When he realized it, it was already toote. Rong Qiu really wanted to p his own mouth ah~!

    Rong Heng¡¯s face darkened because it meant that his guess was true. "You¡¯ve just told me about it yourself! Previously, it was just a mere guess but... now I know the truth..."

    Rong Qiu could only look down guiltily and sigh helplessly. "If you already guess it, then I will tell you everything. You know... I want to spend more time with Yao Ling, be a good father to her, but... at the same time, I also can¡¯t bear to let you go. That¡¯s the reason why I haven¡¯t told you yet... It¡¯s because I¡¯m still confused. Why don¡¯t both of you live in the same kingdom ah~! This matter really gives me a headache."

    Rong Qiu massaged his forehead in despair.

    Rong Heng sighed and looked at Yao Ling who looked helpless as well --- he also knew that she yearned for her father¡¯s love as well. If he continued holding onto his father, wouldn¡¯t it make him appear so selfish? After all, he was older than Yao Ling. The bigger one was usually the one who should sumb to the younger one.

    "If you want to go, then just go... You can retire and let me handle everything here..." Rong Heng decided to take a step back, after all, how could he fight with a girl? Besides, he could see that Rong Qiu really wanted to go.

    "You mean...?" Rong Qiu asked in disbelief. "You agree...?!"

    "You can go... but..." Rong Heng wanted to give him a condition.

    "But what?" Rong Qiu asked warily.

    "You have to visit me from time to time. Your grandchildren also want to see you..." Rong Heng answered with a smile. He already had his own family and decided not to be petty. Rong Heng actually wanted to say that he would also miss him but he was too embarrassed to say that in front of Rong Qiu and Yao Ling.

    However, the other two could see it clearly and didn¡¯t point it out. Rong Qiu would never think that their talk would go so smoothly and felt happy because he had an understanding son. "Thank you," Rong Qiu said gratefully. "Of course, I wille back. I will miss you!" He admitted.

    No matter what, Rong Heng was his son ah~! That condition was so easy to fulfill so he had no objections.

    "There is also another reason for Father to go," Yao Ling said in between their sweet talk. She wanted her brother to understand his father better.

    "What kind of reason?" Rong Heng asked in confusion.

    "He wants to search for my real mother, his real wife," Yao Ling answered softly. "She has gone missing and from thetest information that we have gotten, it seems like she¡¯s imprisoned..."

    Rong Heng was taken aback and blurted out his question, "She¡¯s not dead? Imprisoned? Why?!"

    Rong Qiu smacked his head. "Of course not! Watch your mouth! She¡¯s still alive and kicking!" How could he jinx his wife ah~?!

    Rong Heng knew that what he said was inappropriate, so he only grinned sheepishly while apologizing. "Sorry! I will help you find out about her as well," Rong Heng offered. "Tell me everything about her!"

    The father-daughter duo told him everything and Rong Heng got a headache once they were talking about the weird mystical power, but he believed in them now. Thus, he listened to everything carefully. After that, their conversation became smoother and they looked like one big happy family.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t try to listen in but he wanted to know whether his wife was being bullied or not by her new brother, thus, he stealthily went near to the main room where those three were talking. When he found that the atmosphere was quite nice, he was able to sigh in relief and go back to their room in a smile.

    It seemed like everything had gone well.

    ----------

    In the end, Rong Qiu really did what Rong Heng had suggested. Everything became easier because Feng Yong Rui acted as the regent around this time. His retirement was approved without the need to beg and he could follow Yao Ling back to the Shu Kingdom as soon as possible. She had gotten the identity of an official¡¯s daughter at the moment, even though Rong Qiu had retired, Rong Heng was still powerful so he could be a pir of support for Yao Ling in the future.

    It took less than two weeks and everything had been ready. However, in between the preparation, they found something out... and it seemed like they needed to be more careful on their way back home...

 Chapter 400 Stupid...

    A few days before they started their trip back to the Shu Kingdom, Xiao Yu called Yao Ying over. Thetter was busy with the preparation of their trip, well... okay... it was mostly apanying Rong Heng who kept giving him a lot of ¡¯advice¡¯ about Yao Ling. It was so boring and made him want to yawn, however... he didn¡¯t dare to because he still needed to be polite to Rong Heng. Yao Ling was really fond of this Da Ge ah~!

    ¡¯You should treat her well...¡¯

    ¡¯You are not allowed to take concubine...¡¯

    ¡¯You must sumb to her if both of you have an argument...¡¯

    ¡¯If you do something to her, I will be the first one who will find and punish you!¡¯

    So on...

    So on...

    And so on...

    Everything was for Yao Ling¡¯s behalf. Yao Ying really didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry... It had been three days and Rong Heng still didn¡¯t stop bothering him. Wasn¡¯t Rong Heng the one who didn¡¯t want to ept Yao Ling as his sister right away? Now, he was really into the role of big brother and be his sister¡¯s ve... Thetter was the reason why Yao Ying patiently listened to his nagging --- for his wife ah~!

    No wonder his father inw was afraid of meeting Rong Heng --- thetter could really nag people to death with his words ah~!

    When Xiao Yu called him to take a look at Yao Ling, he felt like he was being pardoned. Yao Ying quickly bid his goodbye to Rong Heng and followed Xiao Yu. Rong Heng actually wanted toe along as well, but Yao Ying prevented him because the former had more important things to do --- he promised that he would give Rong Heng an update of Yao Ling¡¯s condition.

    "What happened to Yao Ling? Is there something wrong with her?" He asked Xiao Yu in a low voice while panicking. She was fine the night before, so what went wrong this morning?

    "Young Mistress is not feeling well, Young Master. She said that she is fine, but this servant really doesn¡¯t think so. Young Mistress forbids this servant from calling a doctor so this servant could only call Young Master for help," Xiao Yu exined.

    Not feeling well?!

    Yao Ying was stunned when he heard that. Without asking more, he quickly used his qing gong and went to their room in a sh. When he opened the door and went inside the inner room, he didn¡¯t see Yao Ling¡¯s usual cheerful or graceful smile. But instead, he was greeted by Yao Ling¡¯s pale face and a weak smile.

    Yao Ying was worried to death when he saw his wife¡¯s condition. He was looking at her limp wife with an anxious expression, wondering whether she was really okay or not. Yao Lingid down on their bed while looking at him with a pitiful expression.

    "Husband~," she weakly called him. She really didn¡¯t have the power to smile and could only blink at him with her watery eyes, making her look even more sorrowful. Yao Ying¡¯s heart felt painful because of that.

    Yao Ying almost choked on her expression. Why did her weak expression make him want to bully her once again?! He really needed to smack himself... His wife was feeling unwell ah~! How could his mind be so dirty whenever heid eyes on her? He needed to calm himself down!

    He wasn¡¯t a wolf ah~!

    Didn¡¯t he already bully her enoughst night? How could she make his little Yao Ying work up only by giving him such a look ah~?! Then, he remembered something else... They did it three timesst night and Yao Ling begging for mercy while moaning heavily. Didn¡¯t it mean that she liked it as well?

    ¡¯Please... don¡¯t tell him that her sickness is because he has bullied her too muchst night?!¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself, feeling guilty all of a sudden. It seemed like he had to take into ount his little wife¡¯s stamina ah~!

    "How are you feeling now? Is it better?" He already asked for several times since the beginning but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking ah~! He looked at how pale she was but he couldn¡¯t help her with anything to ease the pain. He tried to help by massaging her shoulder but it didn¡¯t seem to make it any better...

    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine..." Yao Ling answered. She tried to assure Yao Ying but both of them knew that she was lying.

    "Are you sure?" Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows. Why did his little wife so stubborn ah~?! They should call a doctor so that she could be healthy enough to set off in a few days. If they postponed their departure, Wang Luo Hai would certainly scold them. After all, it was almost the busiest time of their business. He had sent several letters, asking when they would go home.

    Yao Ying made a decision and firmly said, "I will call a doctor!" He turned around and was going to yell at Xiu to call a doctor for him.

    "No need... No need..." Yao Ling answered. She gripped Yao Ying¡¯s sleeve tightly while shaking her head weakly. She had been vomiting all day and whenever she ate something, she threw up again. This, she could onlyy down weakly on the bed.

    "But... how can you survive because the trip back home will be a long and arduous journey?" He asked in a fit of slight anger. Why was she so stubborn ah~? The sooner they called a doctor, the sooner she could get better!

    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m not sick..." Yao Ling said in a low voice while looking at Yao Ying¡¯s eyes intently.

    Yao Ying really wanted to open her head and see what inside her brain was. "Why are you so stubborn?" He asked helplessly and sat beside her.

    "I know my own body... I¡¯m also learning medicine, remember?" Yao Ling patiently exined.

    "Then... what happens to you?" Yao Ying asked in confusion. "Do you need any medicine? I will tell Xiu and Xiao Yu to prepare it for you..."

    "I don¡¯t need any medicine... This is actually a piece of good news ah~!" Yao Ling looked at him with twinkling eyes.

    "Good news?" Yao Ying looked at her, feeling dumbfounded. Since when being sick became a piece of good news ah~?

    "Yes... Don¡¯t you understand?" Yao Ling asked while blushing shyly. She didn¡¯t dare to move around too much because she would certainly vomit. She had vomited through the whole morning and didn¡¯t want to start a new batch ah~!

    "No... Should I understand about it? I¡¯m not a doctor..." Yao Ying asked hesitantly.

    "Stupid..." Yao Ling was feeling helpless. She already gave a hint and yet, he still didn¡¯t understand! She wanted to say it out loud but she was also shy.

    Yao Ling bit her lower lip, waiting for her husband to understand what she meant. However, looking at his confused and helpless expression, it would take a long time for him to understand. Yao Ling could only grit her teeth in annoyance and finally said, "I am pregnant..."

    "What?" Yao Ying couldn¡¯t hear what she said because of her small voice.

    "I¡¯m pregnant!" Yao Ling said loudly --- even Xiu and Xiao Yu who waited outside of the room could hear it clearly. Both Xiu and Xiao Yu looked at each other happily because they would have a little young master or young miss to y with ah~!

    On the other hand, Yao Ying stared at Yao Ling dumbfoundedly. "Pregnant? Then... doesn¡¯t it mean...?" His mind was still nk and he didn¡¯t know what to say ah~!

    Yao Ling tried to be helpful and said, "You will be a father..."

 Chapter 401 Pregnant?!

    "Ah... Ah... Ah... Really?" Yao Ying stuttered. He couldn¡¯t believe at the news that he had just heard ah~! Pregnant?! Father?! He could only blink stupidly when he tried to digest the news, making Yao Ling really want tough at him. in the end, she could only smile weakly.

    "Father...? I¡¯m going to be a father?!" Yao Ying muttered to himself in disbelief. His mind was being blown away and he didn¡¯t know how to react at this moment.

    Yao Ling really wanted to pinch his ear because of his stupid reaction. How could he be so slow ah~?! Shouldn¡¯t he feel giddy or happy at this very moment?!

    "Yes..." Yao Ling said weakly once again. The loud announcement just now had used up all of her energy. It was better if she was sleeping after this because she felt really ufortable. At the very least, she could recharge her energy once more because she knew that it wasn¡¯t good for her to drink medicine when she was pregnant.

    When she had just closed her eyes to rest and let Yao Ying continue being silly, she felt a warm lip kissing her all over her face before it finally ended up on her mouth. She opened her eyes in a daze and looked into Yao Ying¡¯s bright eyes directly. "Thank you... Thank you... for giving me a baby... I love you!" He dered loudly with an excited face.

    His happiness started ever since he met Yao Ling and now, she finally gave him the greatest gift ever! He would have his own child! It didn¡¯t matter to him if he couldn¡¯t remember anything of the past anymore... he had a family --- a warm family! He was beyond ted.

    He really hoped that this kind of joy wouldst forever!

    Yao Ling smiled at his childishness. "I love you too..." His cheerful smile was really contagious.

    Yao Ying carefully touched Yao Ling¡¯s stomach and patted it carefully, while he couldn¡¯t stop grinning widely. "Our baby is in there... It will grow up in there..." He looked at it with a silly expression which made Yao Ling smile as well. This was their little bundle of happiness. He or She came at the right time --- everything had been stable for their family and she supposed, it was already good enough.

    She just wanted to live her life peacefully with her little family.

    Rong Qiu and Rong Heng quickly came over when they heard the happy news. They were concerned because Yao Ling didn¡¯t only get morning sickness, but also noon sickness, night sickness, any time sickness --- the conclusion was she had been vomiting all day long which made her body weaker than before.

    They called a doctor and he gave a prescription to ease the unstoppable vomiting, but Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to drink it and insisted that she would get better soon --- it made the others be even more worried. Would it really be fine? After all, it was almost the time of their departure.

    Rong Heng cleared his throat and found the chance to say happily, "You can go back home first if you are in a hurry, Yao Ying. Yao Ling will stay here to recuperate and maybe give birth to the baby before she goes back to the Shu Kingdom." He was excited at his own idea because, after several days of hanging out with her, he truly liked his new little sister. She was smart, kind, and funny. If she could stay longer here, he would be happy. He could introduce her to his wife and knew that they would hit it off right away.

    Yao Ying looked at him with resentment. What kind of nonsense it was?! Yao Ling was his wife, of course, he would apany her. After giving birth to the little baby, thetter wouldn¡¯t be able to endure the journey because he was too small and they would certainly postpone their trip once again. In the end, they wouldn¡¯t meet for several years ah~! That was just too crazy! He wouldn¡¯t agree with Rong Heng¡¯s annoying advice.

    If the reason for the dy of their trip was because of Yao Ling¡¯s pregnancy, he knew that Wang Luo Hai would let them off because thetter had been wanting to have grandchildren for so long. This was a piece of happy news for him as well ah~!

    Rong Qiu didn¡¯t say much, after all, he would follow along Yao Ling wherever she went. Thus, he only smirked when he heard both Rong Heng and Yao Ying bickered. After the former met Yao Ying, he had stopped pestering him and made his day be calmer.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. Rong Heng and Yao Ying really behaved like little kids that were fighting for candies. She quickly interrupted them with a helpless look, "Let¡¯s see my condition in a few days! If I¡¯m already fine, we can go together. But if not, we can talk about thister."

    Both of them couldn¡¯t help but nod. However, both of them were hoping for different results... Rong Qiu sneered at them while letting both men fight on their own.

    Fortunately, Yao Ling had gotten a bit better the day before the trip. Her vomiting had toned down a little bit, but she was still pale. Due to this, she was several pounds lighter which made Yao Ying feeling worried even more. She looked so thin that even a gust of wind would be able to blow her away. He had tried to ask Xiao Yu to prepare a few different dishes at each meal, but she would still vomit right after eating them.

    In the end, he felt really helpless. Yao Ling patted his back and said, "I¡¯m fine... I saw several women went through the same symptoms as me back at the vige. It will calm down in several days." She tried to appease him, but she wasn¡¯t too sure as well.

    He even scolded the little baby inside her tummy in a low voice, "If you continue to torture your mother, I will smack your bottom once youe out. Remember it, okay?" He threatened softly which made Yao Lingugh out loud. It seemed like Yao Ying was trying to bond with the baby.

    "What are you talking about?" Yao Ling chided softly. "Our baby won¡¯t even understand what you said! He or she hasn¡¯te out yet and you already scold him or her ah~! What if the baby hates youter?" She asked while joking.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "No... No... I think the baby can ah~! The baby should thank me for teaching him or her to take care of you..." He said proudly.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Whatever floated your boat! Anything she said would fall into deaf ears anyway, but she still enjoyed this moment ah~!

    After she felt that she was better, Yao Ling knew that it would be better if she went back along with Yao Ying¡¯s party. She didn¡¯t want to be separated from her husband as well. What if a woman came out of nowhere and took him away ah~?

    "I think I will be able to start the trip tomorrow," Yao Ling said to Yao Ying, Rong Qiu, and Rong Heng.

    Rong Heng quickly asked, "Are you sure? You can stay longer if you want!"

    Yao Ying, "..."

    He hadn¡¯t said anything and yet, this Da Ge already tried to start a fight with him.

    Yao Ling was feeling helpless and she looked at Rong Qiu, asking for his help. Rong Qiu had gotten a daughterplex and alwaysplied with Yao Ling¡¯s request. In the end, he sorted both of them and reached a decision that they would start the journey just like how they had nned before.

 Chapter 402 The Spiess Reports

    At some other ce...

    The esteemed guest received a report from his spies. He raised one of his eyebrows and asked once again, "What did you just say?!" He stood up and went closer to one of his spies while threatening him, "If you give me the wrong information, I will kill you!"

    The spy was trembling in fear and quickly kowtowed, "This servant doesn¡¯t dare to lie to you, Master!"

    "Tell me in detail once again..." The esteemed guest furrowed his eyebrows seriously.

    The spy nodded his head confidently. "All of us found a trace of power that was simr to what Aunt Yue has back at the Han Empress Dowager¡¯s birthday banquet..." The spy quickly repeated his report once again. If only one of them felt it, it could be a mistake but everyone was able to feel it at that time, so they believed that they couldn¡¯t be wrong.

    He was slightly faltered when the master threatened him, but after remembering that, he hardened his heart and told what they had found once again.

    The esteemed guest pondered over for a little while. A simr power? If Aunt Yue was still alive... would she really dare to show up inside the pce? But for what? She didn¡¯t seem to have any attachment to the pce.

    There was a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes. What if... someone had misled him?! He had a guess about something but he wasn¡¯t really sure about it. It was only a mere guess and to be sure, he needed more proof.

    "How is the situation at that time?" He asked in a low voice. If his guess was right, that person must have been there as well. If he connected the dots slowly, it should be her...

    The spies were among the people that were invited by the Han Emperor and they were able to describe everything perfectly well. The esteemed guest furrowed his eyebrows and thought of several keywords, the wicked concubine, strangled by the weird power, the Han Emperor --- it seemed like an act of revenge?

    But who would hate that woman so much and that person must have a certain connection with Aunt Yue...?

    "What do you think the weirdest thing that happened there? Something that was amiss back then..." The esteemed guest asked. They might have missed something.

    "The qujin yer and the Ce Fei¡¯s ghost..." They answered in unison.

    "Oh... Why? Don¡¯t you all believe in ghosts as well?" The esteemed guest asked, feeling interested after listening to their answer. No matter how good the performance was, there must be some kind of loopholes --- especially to those who weren¡¯t involved in the matter, they would be able to see more clearly.

    The spies shook their heads altogether. "No, we believe in ghosts as well, after all, it has been drilled inside our minds from our ancestors. But we indeed felt that something wasn¡¯t right back then," they honestly answered.

    "So...? Give me a reason!" He asked once more.

    "She was there all along on the stage, but we couldn¡¯t find out what kind of method that she had used to make it look so real..." One of the spies answered. After all, they couldn¡¯t deny that it looked so real. "However, one thing for real..."

    "We can feel her breathing, so we believe that she¡¯s still alive. The same thing happens to the one who pretended to be the Ce Fei... They are both still alive..." Another spy gave an exnation as well. They looked at them from a hidden ce, thus, they were able to pay full attention to their every move and they could see that there were men that guarded each of them.

    "Hmmm..." The esteemed guest thought to himself --- there was no way that his people would make a mistake regarding this matter. He had a gut feeling that one of those two women might be Aunt Yue or maybe... her sessor.

    "That performance... who prepared it?" The esteemed guest asked curiously.

    "If we are not mistaken, it was prepared by the Prime Minister, Feng Yong Rui..."

    "He has be the current Regent..."

    "Master, does it have something to do with him?"

    "Otherwise, how could he be a Regent so easily like that?"

    "But... It will be hard to spy on the Prime Minister..."

    The spies talked one after another, telling their master their thoughts.

    The esteemed guest stroked his chin leisurely. "Interesting... Really interesting..." He thought to himself. He touched the Bei Yue¡¯s precious jade that he had gotten back at Crescent Lake and looked at it intently. There seemed to be a lot of hidden things that those Bei Yue people had --- it made him feel interested even more. They weren¡¯t simple folks ah~!

    He clutched the precious jade tighter with a dangerous glint inside his eyes.

    The esteemed guest seemed to feel that there was something important about this jade, but he hadn¡¯t found out about it yet... Sooner orter, he would crack the secret of this precious jade... he promised to himself. He wanted to know the Bei Yue¡¯s secret and possess it!

    "Investigate what happened inside the Prime Minister manor right before the banquet, there must be a lead somewhere around that time... He could be a regent around this time and it proves that he is indeed powerful. I believe that he knows something about the abnormality... Pay more attention to him!" The esteemed guest gave an order to his spies.

    "Yes, Master," all of them answered at the same time. They didn¡¯t think that this was really important before and the master was as smart as usual ah~!

    When they were going to leave and preparing themselves for the new assignment, the esteemed guest remember something and called them back once again, "Wait a minute!"

    "Yes, Master?" They asked at the same time once more.

    "What about the things that I asked you all to investigate?"

    One of them asked, "Master, is it about the woman?"

    The esteemed guest nodded his head. "Yes..."

    "We can only find out that she¡¯s married to a man who has lost his memory, Yao Ying. That woman¡¯s name is Yao Ling and she¡¯s the one who saved Yao Ying. Because of luck, they be a merchant¡¯s stepson and step daughter-inw but they are being acknowledged as the Di son and Di daughter-inw," he exined.

    The spy thought that those people were really lucky. After all, they were able to quickly be the main son and daughter-inw right after they left their vige and started their journey. Look at him! He went out of his vige and could only be a shadow guard!

    "Why are they going to the Han Kingdom¡¯s capital? It¡¯s quite far from the Shu Kingdom." The esteemed guest asked. It was rare for merchants to go that far by themselves --- they usually sent their most trusted subordinates to go.

    "It¡¯s because they are going to a honeymoon --- they said," one of the spies said. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t know Yao Ling and Yao Ying¡¯s rtionship with the Mi Hui. Wang Luo Hai and General Lin covered up their tracks really well. They spies indeed thought of them as a mere passerby and what they did back at Lin Zhou didn¡¯t attract their attention because they didn¡¯t appear by themselves.

    "Hmmm... What a coincidence..." The esteemed guest was quite smart and he didn¡¯t believe in that reason, but for the time being, he could only agree with the investigation¡¯s result. Maybe that was true... maybe that wasn¡¯t...

    "Where are they now? Still in the Han Kingdom?" He asked softly.

    "No, Young Master. They are on their way back to the Shu Kingdom..." The spy exined and after that he opened and closed his mouth once again, feeling hesitant to tell his master about something else. It seemed to be a small matter but... maybe, it was important for his master.

    "But... there¡¯s also other news about that woman..." The spy didn¡¯t know whether he should tell the master about this matter or not...

 Chapter 403 The Estemeed Guests Plan

    "What?" The esteemed guest tilted his head to the side curiously. He looked so innocent when he behaved this way, but the spy knew better than that. His master was a lunatic and temperamental man. He was afraid to tell him the next news but if he didn¡¯t tell him now and the master knew about it, he would be killed ah~!

    "The woman..." The spy didn¡¯t know how to continue with the news because he was certain that his master wouldn¡¯t like it.

    "Quickly speak!" The esteemed guest hated a dilly-dally person and he yelled impatiently while taking a cup of warm tea on the side table and nning to drink it to calm his nerves. How bad would it be? For him, losing Aunt Yue was already the worst thing that had ever happened! Searching for her would take a long time ah~!

    "The woman seems to be pregnant..." he said in a low voice but enough for the esteemed guest to hear it clearly.

    The esteemed guest¡¯s gaze sharpened. "Which woman?"

    "Yao... Yao Ling Gu Niang..." The spy answered in a stutter. Did he really need to ask?! Who else ah~?!

    When the esteemed guest heard that, the cup that he had just hold was crushed into broken pieces. The warm tea scalded his white hand and turned it into red color, however, it didn¡¯t seem to bother the esteemed guest for one bit because his mind was elsewhere. "Pregnant?" He said in anger and his face darkened. He would never guess that it was actually this type of news!

    Even though he didn¡¯t mind having a tainted woman as his woman, he didn¡¯t want her to bear a child for another man! His unreasonable jealousy started to re up. Thus, he felt so angry. He hadid his eyes on her and would get her no matter what the expense was!

    "Ma... Master... your hand is bleeding..." The spy pointed out worriedly but still didn¡¯t dare to move.

    "Shut up!" The esteemed guest said while gritting his teeth and the spy could only look down in fear. "All of you go away! Remember to pay attention to her! Send a few people to follow her..." He ordered them.

    After the spies went out of the room, the esteemed guest called one of his closest confidantes over. "Yes, Master?" The confidante asked in a respectful tone.

    "I have an order for you..." The esteemed guest said with a ruthless glint in his eyes and he said several things towards his confidante.

    The confidante was taken aback by his order, wondering whether it was really nessary to do that or not. He wondered why he was that besotted towards that woman --- he only met her face to face for once! However, he didn¡¯t dare to say anything to his master. Thus, he could only answer before he was gone in a sh, "Yes, Master."

    No matter what, he still needed to do the big boss¡¯ order.

    ----------------

    Yao Ling, who was already on the way back to the Shu Kingdom, didn¡¯t know that she continued to be targeted by a lunatic. She sneezed out of nowhere when the esteemed guest gave an order to his confidante, she merely thought that she caught a cold.

    She was having a hard time on the way back... she couldn¡¯t stop vomiting even though it was better than before. Her Da Ge was kind enough to prepare a beautiful carriage for her so she didn¡¯t need to ride the horse and in direct contact with the sands.

    Because of her, the pace of their trip became a bit slow. Fortunately, in the middle of their journey, Yao Ling felt slightly better. She only vomited in the morning and slowly regained her weight. Yao Ying could finally sigh in relief after being worried for a few days.

    When they reached Lin Zhou, Yao Ling¡¯s appetite was finally back and she was able to eat everything that she wanted without throwing up. She turned into a little glutton. Her big appetite made everyone feel baffled --- she could even eat two times more than Yao Ying¡¯s usual portion ah~! The fortunate thing was she didn¡¯t be fatter and still as gorgeous as ever.

    There was one thing that she didn¡¯t like from this pregnancy though --- Yao Ling was feeling suffocated because of Yao Ying¡¯s continuous nagging.

    ¡¯Don¡¯t do this!¡¯

    ¡¯Don¡¯t do that!¡¯

    ¡¯Think of the baby!¡¯

    ¡¯Be careful!¡¯

    ¡¯You are not allowed to do this...¡¯

    ¡¯You are not allowed to do that...¡¯

    If she stayed around him for another second, she would go crazy ah~! Thus, she decided to go out and bring only Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu along with her --- she needed to refresh herself so at least, she didn¡¯t feel like wanting to smack Yao Ying¡¯s head every time she met him. She took the chance when Yao Ying was busy dealing with Wang Luo Hai¡¯s tasks, it seemed like he wanted to expand his business a little bit and ask Yao Ying to meet several people.

    After they were able to get out of Yao Ying¡¯s eagle eyes and walk freely at the crowded street, Xiao Yu asked, "Young Mistress, will this really be okay? You should tell Young Master ah~ if you want to go out! Won¡¯t this make Young Master feel worried about you if he goes back and finds us missing?"

    "We will go back as soon as possible ah~! It will be fine! He drives me crazy and I need time for myself..." Yao Ling admitted.

    Xiao Fang tried to put in a good word for Yao Ying, "It¡¯s because he¡¯s worried about you ah~!"

    Yao Ling helplessly answered, "I know! Just for a few shichen, okay? We will go back before the sky turns to dark..."

    Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu looked at each other and nodded their heads helplessly. "Fine..." They also felt that Yao Ying was a bit too naggytely, maybe because he was nervous and that was the reason they relented at Yao Ling¡¯s request. They apanied Yao Ling looking around and they didn¡¯t know whether they shouldugh or cry when they saw Yao Ling behaving like a little child.

    She seemed to want to buy everything and try every food that she saw--- unlike her usual graceful self ah~! In the end, when they felt tired, they chose to rest in a tea house. The waiter saw that they seemed to be wealthy people and directly offered the VIP room.

    Once they were seated, Yao Ling asked, "Xiao Er, what are your most popr snacks?"

    Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu, "..."

    They couldn¡¯t believe that she still wanted to eat. However, they didn¡¯t stop her from ordering several snacks. They chatted merrily until the snacks were finally being served. Yao Lingughed happily when she was them --- it looked so delicious.

    Once the waiter went out of the room, she wanted to eat it. However, she smelt the snacks and felt that something was wrong with it. Due to her medical skills, she was able to discern the weird smell that came from the snacks. Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu were going to eat as well, but Yao Ling quickly shook her head and mouthed, "Don¡¯t eat it!"

    Both of them looked at her in confusion and sensed that something was wrong. "What¡¯s wrong?" Xiao Fang asked softly.

    Yao Ling mouthed, "Something is wrong with the snacks."

    They were surprised. Who would want to target them ah~?! They didn¡¯t seem to offend anyone --- except the Han Emperor of course. However, thetter was still in aa.

    So, what happened?!The traditional way of calling the waiter "Xiao Er" in a teahouse.

 Chapter 404 The Osmanthus Cakes

    "Do you know what kind of ingredients which are being added inside?" Xiao Fang asked softly while looking around carefully and starting to be vignt towards her surroundings. She didn¡¯t think such a famous tea house would have a shady deal with others and do this kind of underhanded method to their customers.

    Yao Ling waved her hand, telling them to continue talking and acting like they knew nothing so that no one felt suspicious. Someone must have been listening from the outside to make sure that they ate these snacks. Thus, Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu continued chatting while Yao Ling was busy by herself.

    "I will need to check it out first and it will take some time." She mouthed softly. After all, she couldn¡¯t judge it right away because some shady ingredients couldn¡¯t be smelt easily --- maybe it was mixed with something else.

    Honestly, she was feeling curious about the perpetrator¡¯s purpose. Why did they target them? She didn¡¯t think they had something special that would make someone covet for, they didn¡¯t even bring that many things with them on this trip. How could Yao Ling know that her beauty was actually the reason?

    The smell of the weird ingredient was quite subtle, if Yao Ling was at her usual condition, she might not be able to smell it because the smell was being perfectly covered up by the sweet and fragrant smell of the osmanthus cake. The perpetrator was quite meticulous, however... too bad, ever since Yao Ling was pregnant, she had a crazily sensitive nose. Yao Ling would never think that such a trait would actually help her at this dire moment.

    She felt so lucky!

    The reason for her excess vomiting was because she couldn¡¯t stand some of the smells that she usually liked turned unappealing --- including this osmanthus cake. The added ingredients made her want to vomit and her stomach already started to churn in difort.

    Before she started investigating it, she even needed to throw up first. Yao Ling could only helplessly stare at her stomach and really want to scold this little one.

    She broke down the osmanthus cake carefully and pulled out a bottle of medicine that she had kept inside her sleeves. After that, she poured over the thing inside the bottle and the osmanthus cake¡¯s color turned to ck, making Yao Ling feel angry even more. It meant that the poison was quite potent.

    Xiao Yu looked at her worriedly and whispered while she kept moving and pretending to be eating the foods, "Young Mistress, do you find out something weird in this snack?" When she saw the darkened look in Yao Ling¡¯s eyes, she knew that she must already have a conclusion in her mind.

    She wondered why Yao Ling looked so angry. "Young Mistress... what kind of poison is that?" She asked curiously, pushing for an answer.

    Yao Ling sighed. "This isn¡¯t actually a poison..."

    "Eh?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion. "Then, what is it?" If nothing was wrong, why did she look so grim?

    "This is an abortion drug for pregnant women and a quite potent one. If a woman who isn¡¯t pregnant eat this snack, it won¡¯t do any harm to her body --- maybe she will feel ufortable a little bit, but that¡¯s all. This won¡¯t affect her womb or something..." Yao Ling answered solemnly. After knowing this, her whole body was sweating because she almost lost her baby.

    "What?" Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu asked at the same time. "A --- Abortion drug? But... how? Why?"

    Then, the target must be Yao Ling ah~! No one else... But she was wondering who was targeting her?! The only ones who knew about her pregnancy were only a few of them and they hadn¡¯t announced it to the world. Besides, the baby didn¡¯t have any important status whatsoever... This matter was really baffling to them!

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t believe that Wang Luo Hai¡¯s women would be able to reach this far. She only brought Xiao Yu along with her, no other maidservant and Yao Ling believed that Xiao Yu wouldn¡¯t leak this matter to anyone else. Thus, she concluded that this had nothing to do with Wang Fu.

    Why...? Why did someone target her? Yao Ling realized that from this moment onwards, she should be careful when going out. She didn¡¯t know who her enemy was and this was even scarier!

    Yao Ling shook her head. "I have no idea as well."

    She didn¡¯t think that she had offended someone else...

    "What should we do now?" Xiao Fang asked Yao Ling while furrowing her eyebrows in worry.

    Yao Ling answered, "This type of drug won¡¯t show its effect right away, so it should be fine if we behave normally around this time. We need to have a n so that the enemy thinks that he or she seeds..." She didn¡¯t want to be targeted again and needed to protect her baby.

    Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu looked at each other, then they nodded their heads at the same time. Xiao Yu asked, "Let me eat the snacks so they won¡¯t be suspicious, Young Mistress..."

    Yao Ling shook her head. "Don¡¯t!" Yao Ling didn¡¯t allow her to eat it because even if the drug didn¡¯t have any specific use for women who weren¡¯t pregnant, it was still not good for the body.

    "Just call the waiter over!" Yao Ling ordered.

    "But..." Xiao Yu was hesitant.

    "Just call him over!" Yao Ling insisted and Xiao Yu had no choice but to follow Yao Ling¡¯s order when she saw Yao Ling¡¯s determined look.

    The waiter quickly came and his gaze fleeted for a second towards the osmanthus cakes. When he saw that one of them had been eaten and Yao Ling was the one who held half of it, he sighed in relief. It was only a subtle expression but Yao Ling saw it.

    "Yes, Miss? Is there something that this servant can help you with?" He asked politely.

    Yao Ling asked, "Xiao Er, this osmanthus cake is very delicious. Can you pack it up for me and add one more portion? I want to bring it home..."

    "Of course, Miss. I will pack it up for you right away but we have no more stock of these osmanthus cakes," he said politely. He got a lot of rewards from this one simple mission --- just give this woman the osmanthus cakes, so these cakes weren¡¯t made by their chef. He was afraid that thisdy would be able to taste the differences.

    Yao Ling pretended to ask innocently, "Xiao Er, this osmanthus cake is so sweet but why is there a hint of bitterness in it?"

    The waiter looked at her in surprise. "Eh? Really?" His job was only to give her the osmanthus cakes, other than that, he knew nothing. He only thought that someone must have been in love with this youngdy and didn¡¯t dare to show it openly, so he sent the cakes secretly.

    Yao Ling squinted her eyes but she didn¡¯t find any weirdness from the waiter¡¯s expression. Thus, she let him go. It seemed like this thing didn¡¯t have any connection with the tea house... The waiter didn¡¯t seem to panic when she said that something wasn¡¯t right with the osmanthus cakes.

    So... who was the mastermind?!

 Chapter 405 Rooting Out The Spy 1

    Once they went out of the tea house, Yao Ling pretended that she really enjoyed the snacks that the tea house had offered so everyone would believe that she had eaten the osmanthus cakes. Whenever she thought about what was going to happen if she really ate them, she felt her whole body sweating in fear.

    She started to get vignce and feel that someone was following her. It seemed like they wanted to make sure that she had indeed lost the baby. She needed to tell Yao Ying about this as soon as possible.

    Despite her agitation, she was able to act quite nicely.

    The person who had been sent by the esteemed guest¡¯s confidante was convinced that Yao Ling had indeed eaten those cakes. However, his boss had told him over and over again that he needed to make sure that the baby indeed had been aborted sessfully. He had no other choice but to follow Yao Ling stealthily despite his unwillingness.

    He actually wondered as well why their master thought that this baby was so important...

    When Yao Ling finally arrived inside their inn, Yao Ling said loudly, "I will keep the cake with me, so I can eat it at night..."

    The spy nodded his head in agreement. "Good... Good..." He muttered to himself in a whisper. He didn¡¯t think that someone would find that the osmanthus cakes had a problem, even a careful physician would find it hard to detect that ingredient.

    Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu continued to act along with Yao Ling until they finally arrived inside the room. With the men¡¯s presence around them, the spy didn¡¯t dare to go closer to them just in case they found him. When Yao Ling found Yao Ying, she jumped into his embrace and sobbed softly.

    She was really afraid of losing the baby!

    Yao Ying, who wanted to scold her because she went outside without any protection without telling him, was taken aback and he forgot what he wanted to say. "What happened?" He asked in confusion. Xiao Fang and Xiao Yu tactfully left them all alone without answering Yao Ying¡¯s question which made thetter feel helpless --- Both women knew that Yao Ling would want Yao Ying tofort her and they let Yao Ling do the talking as well. Both of them would ry the news to Lin Jian and Rong Qiu.

    Yao Ying hugged her back and kissed her head while waiting for her to tell him what was wrong. He didn¡¯t know how to deal with a crying woman ah~! Thus, he could only stay quiet.

    Yao Ling exined in between her cry, "Husband... I¡¯m sorry for being naughty. I won¡¯t dare to go out alone anymore after this..."

    Yao Ying jumped up in surprise. "Did something happen just now?" His heart was being faster due to his worry. It was actually a simple matter and when he was going to scold her, he thought she would only grin naughtily just like usual.

    It took a little while for Yao Ling to calm herself down and she was finally able to tell Yao Ying everything that had just happened.

    "What?!" Yao Ying eximed in anger. He also didn¡¯t have an idea who would dare to do this. It seemed like they shouldn¡¯t have let down their guard! After all, someone was targeting his child.

    To do this kind of thing, was it because of jealousy? He didn¡¯t have any other woman so the inner courtyard fight wasn¡¯t going to happen. Did another man like Yao Ling? Even so, how could someone be so cruel?

    Lin Zhou... Lin Zhou... He only remembered that there was a weird man that gave Yao Ling a jade pendant with the ¡¯Wu¡¯ word carved on it. He didn¡¯t know why his mind fleeted towards that man but his instinct told him that something wasn¡¯t right with that man.

    Yao Ying was also a man... He knew very well that the man was interested in Yao Ling, otherwise, why would someone give her such an important jade pendant out of nowhere? Yao Ling actually met that man back at Wen Feng and that was the only weird encounter that he had remembered. Other than that, nothing stood out.

    But... how could he know that Yao Ling was pregnant? It didn¡¯t make any sense --- she was on the early stage of the pregnancy ah~! The symptom was only throwing up... and other people always thought that she might be sick. Her stomach didn¡¯t even have a bulge...

    Unless... he was keeping a tab at them...

    If yes, that would be too scary because he couldn¡¯t feel the spies¡¯ presence at all!

    Yao Ling felt tired after crying for so long and she directly fell asleep at Yao Ying¡¯s embrace. Yao Ling had whispered to him that they still needed to act like the baby was gone and Yao Ying agreed with her, however, he convinced her to rest first. Besides, it wouldn¡¯t be toote to act after she woke up. Yao Ling had told him that it took half a day to two days for the abortion drug to work --- depended on the dosage.

    By pretending to lose the baby for now, at least, the other party wouldn¡¯t try to do anything funny anymore.

    Yao Ying decided to let Xiu go and ask for A Thousand Words¡¯ help! He still had those three free pieces of information that Hei Yue and Qing Hui had offered. He didn¡¯t want to use Mi Hui¡¯swork because this was a private matter and he hadn¡¯t fully believed in that organization yet. Somehow, he felt that this man wasn¡¯t as simple as he looked like.

    Rong Qiu and Lin Jian agreed with Yao Ying¡¯s decision. On the surface, they didn¡¯t appear to be doing anything out of characters, however, they added severalyers of protection secretly.

    In the end, they were able to spot the spy that was paying attention to Yao Ling. He disguised as the inn¡¯s staff --- in a nce, no one would find something wrong with him.

    But Lin Jian found that he was... too friendly...

 Chapter 406 Rooting Out The Spy 2

    The most obvious thing was the fact that the spy was too concerned about Yao Ling¡¯s condition. He did it in a subtle way by a few nces here and there or deliberately went closer to Xiu with a helpful smile, and under normal condition, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find out that something was wrong, but because they had already let up their guard, they were able to find the abnormality easily.

    The spy kept going around Yao Ling¡¯s room a few times and yes, he was serving other people as well. But there was one thing that he couldn¡¯t cover up, his eyes couldn¡¯t lie. He always looked at Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s room with a meaning nce in a sh, seemingly to wait for something exciting to happen.

    Yao Ling deliberately used the maximum time the abortion process should happen so that the spy would be agitated and make a mistake by revealing his anxiousness. They didn¡¯t n to catch him right away, but they wanted him to lower down his guard and bring them to his master.

    So, when Yao Ling finally felt that it was the right time, she yelled loudly at Yao Ying from inside the room in well... a bit exaggerated voice so everyone could hear themotion, "Argh... Husband... my stomach... it hurts... something is wrong with the baby... it hurts..." She gasped and tried to make her breathing as hectic as possible.

    "Help... Help me..." She didn¡¯t forget to say those words in a pitiful voice.

    Yao Ying, who watched her t expression said such convincing drama queen words, really wanted tough out loud. However, he still remembered to hold himself back. After all, his child was on the stake here. They felt lucky that they were at the first stage of pregnancy or else, this n wouldn¡¯t be feasible.

    After several rounds of wailing, Yao Ling directly pretended to faint. There was a loud bang inside the room which made Xiu and Xiao Yu feel panicked as well. They were standing right outside of the door and quickly came inside without closing the door once again.

    Coincidentally, the spy was right outside of the door --- passing by. His eyes lit up when he realized that the abortion process must have been started! The spy quickly used his identity as a servant to came over worriedly and asked, "What happened?! Do you need any help?"

    If they were really in dire need of help, they would already feel grateful for the attentive servant.

    "Wait! You should wait outside! Something happens to my Young Mistress...! No man should be allowed toe inside..." Xiao Yu quickly chased him out in a hurry. Before the spy went out, Xiao Yu added, "If we need something, we will need to ask for your help!"

    "Oh... okay... okay..." The spy quickly came out and closed the door while waiting there patiently. He caught a glimpse of the pale woman and her sorry state and his beating heart became calmer --- he was afraid that he had failed.

    This didn¡¯t escape Lin Jian¡¯s eyes and made thetter sneer. How could the excitement on the spy¡¯s face escape his notice? He really wanted to kill that man! Killing a baby and yet, he was still able to smile!

    There was wailing inside and also the sound of an angry man --- the spy couldn¡¯t hear it clearly and could only wait outside. Not too long after that, Xiao Yu ran out to call a physician over. The spy quickly asked, "What happened?"

    Xiao Yu sneered inwardly, but she actually looked like that she was in distress from the outside. "My young mistress seems to be having a miscarriage! I will call a physician!" After that, she ran away without looking back at the spy. After she was out of sight, she slowed down and paid attention to the man¡¯s behavior.

    The spy didn¡¯t dare to appear too helpful because it would envoke suspicion. Once the physician came over and gave the final verdict, he could leave this ce. When Xiao Yu came back, she brought a physician that had been given rewards so that he would lie and say that Yao Ling had indeed lost the baby along with her.

    The act continued and even Lin Jian and Rong Qiu felt an admiration --- after all, it looked so real ah~!

    When the spy already made sure that the baby was indeed gone --- judging from the bloody water and the physician¡¯s diagnose, he sighed in relief.

    His job was finally over.

    When he was going to go in a good mood, he heard that he was called over from behind. She had just stepped out of the room and she was the one who called the spy over.

    Did he think that she would leave him out easily? Not that easy! Xiao Yu scowled to herself inwardly.

    "Yes, Miss?" the spy asked. Because he wanted to go, a trace of impatient could be seen from his expression but he masked it pretty well. Xiao Yu merely scoffed inwardly. The more he wanted to go, the more she would hold him back and she would give him a pretty good surprise.

    Xiao Yu brought out a basin of bloody water --- which blood was actually taken from chicken just like the previous Ce Fei¡¯s ghost case and asked the man with an apologetic expression, "Can you help me to throw this out? My young mistress needs me to take care of her and I can¡¯t leave her all alone in there."

    Even though the spy felt disgusted, he still showed her his best smile and answered, "Of course!"

    "Thank you!" Xiao Yu looked gratefully at him. "I will give it to you right away..."

    She hurriedly walked two more steps to the front before she pretended to stumble upon something and almost fall down."I¡¯m sorry..." Xiao Yu said before she walked a bit wobbly. It seemed like she hadn¡¯t bnced herself really well.

    It made her couldn¡¯t hold onto the basin well and in the end... the basin fell out of her grasp and itnded right on top of the spy¡¯s head in an upside-down manner. Yes, the bloody water was poured over him deliberately by Xiao Yu. She was too angry at the injustice that her young mistress had gotten ah~!

    The spy was drenched head to toe with the smelly bloody water. Xiao Yu gasped and apologized once again, "I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!" She could only wring her sleeves in distress and look at a loss at what to do.

    The spy was feeling so bbergasted. Was... this the blood of that unborn baby? No matter what, the blood of women was deemed as dirty by men in this era. He felt so disgusted and wanted to throw up! He could only look at Xiao Yu in wide eyes in disbelief.

    "Argh!" He yelled loudly in disgust.

    "I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!" Xiao Yu could only say that while looking at him with a smug look. She pretended to ask, "Should I help you wipe it? It¡¯s really an ident!"

    The spy couldn¡¯t hold back his temper and he refused Xiao Yu¡¯s help with contempt in his eyes, "No need! Just go! Tend to your young mistress! I will clean myself up!" There was no politeness of his previous self. He quickly ran away from the hellish ce! After cleaning himself up, he would just go!

    When the man was out of sight, Xiao Yuughed out loud and the others joined her while looking at the man with a jeer.

    An act of simple revenge calmed them down a lot!

    Served him right!

    Who told him to aim at an innocent baby?!

 Chapter 407 Rooting Out The Spy 3

    The spy kept cursing on the way back to his room and he had to hold his breath all the way there, otherwise, he would really throw up right then and there.

    ¡¯That damned maidservant!¡¯ He thought to himself.

    He actually could dodge it easily with his qing gong, however, he was doing an undercover mission ah~! He could only let himself being poured over by that bloody water! He cursed Xiao Yu a thousand times inside his mind while scrubbing his body over and over again.

    Once the spy had cleaned himself up, he prepared to make sure that the baby was indeed gone with one look before vanishing from Lin Zhou. He didn¡¯t think that the other party had found any faults in him. When he arrived in front of Yao Ling¡¯s room, the atmosphere was solemn and he saw with his own eyes the physician said that the baby was gone --- he couldn¡¯t barge into the room so he could only believe in the old man¡¯s verdict.

    The baby was gone and it was time for him to go.

    He was gone in a sh.

    He didn¡¯t realize that he was being followed by two people. Yao Ying was too angry with this attack, so he followed the spy himself --- along with Lin Jian. He wanted to know what kind of person was cruel enough to kill an unborn baby. Maybe, someone with a grudge?

    The man didn¡¯t go to the Han Kingdom¡¯s direction, but instead, he chose to go to the direction of the Qin Kingdom. Yao Ying and Lin Jian were taken aback. Didn¡¯t it mean... this person wasn¡¯t a Han or Shu person?

    But... what kind of enmity that they had with the Qin people ah~?!

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t think that they met any Qin people in their journey. He looked at Lin Jian, asking with his eyes whether he knew something about this matter or not. Just like what he had predicted, Lin Jian shook his head. Although he had a guess that Lin Jian didn¡¯t know, he still felt disappointed with his answer.

    They finally stopped at the border between the Shu and Qin Kingdom. Unlike the Han kingdom which was consisted of the desert, the Qin Kingdom consisted of dense forests and it made it easier for Yao Ying and Lin Jian to hide near that man. The spy nned to meet the esteemed guest¡¯s confidante first to report thepletion of his task before he went back to his own post.

    He waited there patiently, knowing that the confidante woulde sooner orter.

    Yao Ying¡¯s heart was beating faster while waiting as well. He wondered why he felt a certain excitement and mncholy feeling when he passed through this forest. The closer he was to the border, the more he felt agitated --- his heart was beating faster and faster.

    This had never happened before.

    Only when he had a dream back then --- a dream about a familiar woman who turned into a ghost...

    Had he been here before? If yes, it might have been before he lost his memories --- his past. He bit his lower lip, trying to calm himself down. Was he a Qin person?

    No! No! No!

    He should stop thinking about this matter. This could wait. He already had a clue and should investigate it carefullyter.

    Yao Ying knew that he needed to focus on the task at hand.

    It took more than one shichen for someone to finally appeared in front of the spy. Yao Ying¡¯s body tensed when he saw the person --- it seemed like he recognized that person... he had seen him somewhere!

    Yes, he was really certain!

    Suddenly, he felt a massive headache and needed to bite his own lower lip to prevent him from crying out loud --- it hurt so much that he felt like he was going to faint! Because of holding back the pain, his whole body was sweating badly.

    "Ugh!" He mumbled to himself. Fortunately, his voice was low enough so no one could hear him --- even Lin Jian who squatted beside him didn¡¯t find his abnormality because he was focusing on the talk between the spy and his friend.

    "How is it going?" The confidante asked.

    "Leader, everything has gone ording to the n. The mission is a sess," the spy answered seriously. Even though he was happy, he didn¡¯t dare to be smug in front of this man. The confidante was as cruel as their big master, otherwise, how could those two get along so well?

    "Have you seen it with your own eyes?" The confidante knew how important this matter was to their master so he tried to make sure that nothing had gone wrong in between. The consequences would be dire if they failed.

    The spy was a bit hesitant because he couldn¡¯t go inside Yao Ling¡¯s room to see the abortion process himself, but he was pretty sure that everything went as they nned because the blood was real. When he remembered the blood, he was shuddering in disgust. That was a memory that he didn¡¯t want to remember!

    His hesitancy was gone in a sh because he was sure of himself. Nothing would go wrong. How could he know that he was deceived from the beginning until the end? Thus, he nodded his head confidently and answered, "Yes, Leader! Everything has been solved."

    "Good! You can go and back to your post now! I will contact you when there is a new mission," The confidante ordered.

    After that, they went to their separate ways. It happened in a sh which made Lin Jian quite surprised. He thought that they would at least talk more about something that could make him guess their identity correctly.

    It seemed like they weren¡¯t simple... Based on their careful interaction, their master must have a high position back at the Qin Kingdom.

    Lin Jian was going to follow the confidante to find out more --- he could feel that the neer had far higher martial art skills than the spy. He turned around and wanted to say something to Yao Ying. However, he was surprised when he saw Yao Ying¡¯s condition.

    His face was so pale while he kept clutching his head, his lower lip was bleeding because he was biting it with full strength. His whole body was trembling and his gaze was nk!

    Lin Jian quickly abandoned the idea to follow that man. Yao Ying was in dire condition ah~! He asked in a low voice, "Yao Ying... Yao Ying... are you okay? What happened to you?"

    He felt at a loss at what to do.

    His body¡¯s tremor started to be more powerful... It scared Lin Jian so much and he quickly pierced Yao Ying¡¯s acupuncture points to make him faint. It was so easy because it seemed like Yao Ying¡¯s mind was being preupied with something.

    Yao Ying kept mumbling a few things...

    "The Qin Kingdom..."

    "Spy..."

    "His past..."

    "His memory..."

    "It hurts so much..."

    Lin Jian tried to listen to his words and get the gist of it --- it seemed like it had something to do with his past... His mind turnedplicated. The Qin Kingdom¡¯s people were more ruthless than the Han people --- the royal family¡¯s fight was far more vicious.

    Was Yao Ying a Qin person?

    If yes...

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t know whether he should be happy or not if Yao Ying recalled his memories!

 Chapter 408 Start Investigating

    Lin Jian brought him back to the inn and with such a condition, Lin Jian couldn¡¯t lie to Yao Ling and told her everything that had happened before Yao Ying¡¯s episode.

    "So... both of you were witnessing their exchange when he became like this?" Yao Ling asked.

    Lin Jian nodded his head. "Yes..."

    Yao Ling remembered that Yao Ying had been this way once... but she didn¡¯t dwell on that matter because he didn¡¯t want to tell her more about it. Back then, he also met a certain woman who triggered his memories... thus, she was sure that he must have some kind of connections with the confidante. After all, Yao Ying didn¡¯t have any reaction when he saw the spy.

    There was a lump in her throat.

    Another person from his past?

    The people that he met weren¡¯t simple and they were people who usually worked in the background but had high statuses... what kind of status that Yao Ying had back then? Who actually was he?! She couldn¡¯t think of any possibilities.

    Did he... remember something? Yao Ling thought to herself doubtfully. She felt at a loss...

    She didn¡¯t know whether she should be afraid or happy for him. Could she be selfish for once? In her mind, this baby¡¯s appearance was a blessing at this moment. No matter what kind of past he had, he couldn¡¯t abandon her because of this baby... She had to fight for the baby and... their current love...

    Hopefully, Yao Ying could be trusted.

    If he didn¡¯t keep his promise to her --- that he would never take any concubine, but they lived in the era which allowed men to have a lot of concubines and no one would criticize him if Yao Ying took a few. The position of a woman in his husband¡¯s family wasn¡¯t that high...

    Maybe because a pregnant woman always thought too much... the same thing happened to Yao Ling --- her mind was in a mumble-jumble and the negative thinking kept bursting inside her mind. She looked at Yao Ying¡¯s sleeping face and touched it softly, tracing each part of his face and trying to grain it inside her memories. Lin Jian hit his acupuncture point so that he could sleep and remove the headache as well. Thus, the man didn¡¯t know Yao Ling¡¯s predicament or what she did to him at this moment.

    If he saw her sad and broken look, Yao Ying would certainly feel guilty and broken as well... However, he was in no position tofort her.

    "What will I do if I lose you?" Yao Ling asked softly. She realized that even though she had grown up and became stronger, she also relied on Yao Ying¡¯s help to achieve that. Without him, she was nothing...

    Once that thought appeared inside her mind, she quickly kicked it far away. No... she had to be strong! She didn¡¯t believe that Yao Ying was an irresponsible person. She believed in his current character... Even though someone forgot their memories, they wouldn¡¯t change their characters as well, right?!

    If she kept thinking negatively, it would make her a bitter woman who was full of jealousy. She was supposed to choose the white lotus path and let him feel how understanding she was --- in the end, it would make him feel guilty if he hurt her.

    En...

    That was true!

    She had made a decision to choose the white lotus part!

    Yao Ling knew she needed to be careful and clever enough to capture Yao Ying¡¯s heart --- forever! There was a glint of determination in her eyes.

    After feeling that Yao Ying was alright, she went out of the room to search for her father. Yao Ying¡¯s condition was better than his previous one so she didn¡¯t need to do acupuncture for him. She wanted to discuss this matter with Rong Qiu. "Father... do you think you can help me to find out about Yao Ying¡¯s past?" Yao Ling carefully asked.

    It would be better if she could find something out about his past first. At least, she would have preparation before Yao Ying imed his real identity. She wouldn¡¯t give up easily! Unless... he pushed her away...

    Rong Qiu sighed. He knew sooner orter Yao Ying¡¯s lost memories would bring trouble to them, but he didn¡¯t think that it would be this fast... But the sooner they passed through the hurdle, the better it would be --- at least, their feelings to each other was at its strongest. He patted his daughter¡¯s head and consoled her, "Everything would be fine..."

    "En..." Yao Ling answered.

    Looking at her sad expression, he decided to change to a more important matter. "I need a clue to start the investigation..." Rong Qiu honestly told her. Based on her exnation, it would be hard to search the man based on his look --- especially if he was the man who was working in the dark. He would rarely appear ah~!

    The clues that they had gotten so far were vague. The two people that triggered his memories seemed to be unrted to each other --- one from the Shu Kingdom and one from the Qin Kingdom. What kind of rtionship that they would have?

    It was soplicated and would be hard to decipher because they must have been doing everything secretly and that made it even harder to investigate.

    Yao Ling answered, "About the woman from the Mi Hui, I will ask for Lin Jian¡¯s help to investigate her because she is a part of Mi Hui¡¯s organization itself --- it would be easier for Lin Jian to check it out... On the other hand, we don¡¯t really have the power to investigate someone from the Qin Kingdom..." She trailed off in thest part, hinting something at her father.

    Rong Qiu sighed and answered, "I also rarely pay attention to outside matter ever since I was being cooped up inside the Crescent Lake, but I can ask for Feng Yong Rui and Rong Heng¡¯s help because they have their own channels to gain information. I will take care of this matter."

    "Thank you, Father..." Yao Ling smiled at him and hugged him. She needed his warm embrace to calm herself down before she was facing Yao Ying once again. It felt really good to have a father that she could rely on...

    Rong Qiu patted her back while hugging her with augh. He was happy that she showed her spoiled side to him, it meant that they were closer than ever. "Don¡¯t thank me yet... I don¡¯t even know whether we can find something out or not... I will ask Lin Jian the details of that man..." He said.

    Yao Ling nodded her head in agreement. "It¡¯s alright... Thank you for helping me..." Yao Ying said with a smile.

    "You are my daughter. Is there really a need to say thank you?" Rong Qiu chided her lovingly.

    They stayed that way until Yao Ling felt calmer.

    After this, Yao Ling came back to her own room and take care of Yao Ying, then continuing to live her life just like usual. The weird thing was... after the whole abortion fiasco, it seemed like no one was trying to harm her once again.

    Was it really because of the baby?

    Yao Ling¡¯s party was wondering about this weird thing but they couldn¡¯t reach any conclusion. They didn¡¯t understand what the mastermind really wanted...

 Chapter 409 Going Back Home

    Once Yao Ying woke up, he still didn¡¯t remember anything. However, there were a few blurry images inside his mind that he couldn¡¯t make out and it was clearer than before. He sighed, knowing that he might be able to recover his memories if this continued on.

    A bad thing?

    Or a good thing?

    It was still unknown to them.

    Yao Ying honestly told Yao Ling and thetter nodded her head in understanding. "I hope that you will remember about it soon, so we could deal with it as soon as possible if there are some brewing troubles and in the end, we can stay together forever..." Yao Ling told him her mind.

    She wanted them to have their happily ever after...

    Yao Ying nodded his head. "I know..." He smiled at her, trying to reassure her. "Forever..." He said resolutely.

    Yao Ling smiled back. "Well... Let¡¯s go back to Wang Fu first, we have been away for too long, it¡¯s time to clean up the messy things there... Besides, we can¡¯t do anything without the spies¡¯ report anyway..." Yao Ling made a decision. She didn¡¯t want to change their destination just because of the interlude --- she felt safer if they stayed at Wang Fu, at the very least, they would have full protection there.

    They hadn¡¯t forgotten about the person who had sent assassins to kill them when they were on their way to the Han Kingdom. They needed to unravel the culprit --- Zhuo Li might have known who the woman was because he had met her, however, he didn¡¯t know her name... Thus, they were quite curious about that person. Besides, they actually wanted to keep it as a surprise.

    Feng was the one who dealt with that woman by reminding her from time to time about the failed assassination and her dead maidservant. After all, he was the only man that could be trusted in this matter.

    "Ling-er, what is your n regarding your father?" Yao Ying asked curiously. They only talked about bringing him along, but not the full n.

    Yao Ling pondered over a little while. "I n to buy a decent resident for my father. Don¡¯t you remember about the money that we had gotten back then? When you did the Mi Hui¡¯s mission? I want to buy a good one with that money... Who knows that that money woulde in handy so soon?"

    Yao Ying nodded his head. He wasn¡¯t a stingy person when he had a lot of money, besides, he took Rong Qiu as his own father as well. Yao Ying didn¡¯t want him to lose face back at An Yang because it would certainly affect Yao Ling as well. Actually, they were quite underestimating Rong Qiu because of how humble he lived back in the Han Kingdom. Rong Qiu had a lot of money as well and buying a good house was an easy feat for him.

    "Sure," Yao Ying answered.

    "Can we prepare it beforehand? However, you need to do it secretly..." Yao Ling begged him with pitiful eyes. She didn¡¯t want to be the center of attention.

    "Sure thing... If you want to be sure, we can send Zhuo Li to go back first and let him contact Feng... Let Feng do all the work! I think he¡¯s more familiar with this kind of thing," Yao Ying said.

    Yao Ling murmured her agreement, after all, it sounded like a good idea.

    "Don¡¯t forget to buy a few servants to clean up the courtyard as well! Everything should be ready by the time we arrived there," Yao Ling said.

    "Alright..." Yao Ying helplessly answered.

    "Er... what about my mother?" Yao Ling asked in a low voice. She got a headache because of so many things that they should deal with! She almost forgot about this matter.

    Yao Ying sighed. "We need to find out the people who were involved at the Bei Yue¡¯s tragedy back then. My hunch says that she is being imprisoned by those people... I¡¯m sure that sooner orter your father will remember something about it. He would be the biggest clue if he recalls all of his past memories. I have also sent people to carefully investigate this matter, but judging from the look of it, it will be best if I start with the esteemed guest¡¯s identity..."

    Rong Qiu remembered his past but not in detail, after all, it had been so long...

    From Rong Qiu¡¯s story about what happened back at Crescent Lake, it seemed like the esteemed guest was very interested in Aunt Yue¡¯s matter. That was the reason why Yao Ying was investigating that man.

    Yao Ling nodded her head in agreement. "Hopefully, we can find something out as soon as possible..."

    They didn¡¯t know that the esteemed guest, Bai Bing Wen was actually the same person who was targeting Yao Ling because of his so-called fickle love and weird possessiveness. On the other hand, Bai Bing Wen hadn¡¯t found out that the woman that he fell in love at first sight... was actually Aunt Yue¡¯s descendant.

    It was called a twisted fate.

    Their lives were intertwined with each other since the very beginning.

    The part of their journey that started from Lin Zhou until they arrived at An Yang was very smooth --- no assassinations whatsoever and they could enjoy their journey as well. They weren¡¯t in a hurry because they still needed to think about Yao Ling¡¯s current fragile condition. Fortunately, Yao Ling had stopped vomiting ever since the abortion fiasco happened --- it might be because the baby had a gut feeling that he or she should stop bothering his or her mommy so that he or she could survive.

    Feng picked them up at the An Yang City¡¯s gate because he had received the news that his young master and young mistress would arrive soon. He had brought the new servant that he hired especially for Rong Qiu and the new servant would be the one who brought Rong Qiu to the new house. He had calcted everything...

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t send Rong Qiu by herself because she needed to pay respect to Wang Luo Hai along with Yao Ying --- after all, she had already married into the Wang Family. It wouldn¡¯t make sense if she went back to her maternal side of the family first after such a long honeymoon trip, no matter what the reason was.

    She didn¡¯t want to make it difficult for Yao Ying and let people criticize him, after all, their position at Wang Fu was still quite fragile --- especially because their grandmother was very strict with the rules.

    Fortunately, Rong Qiu didn¡¯t mind because he understood the couple¡¯s predicament as well. He obediently followed the new servant to the new house. It was near Wang Fu because the new house was located on the same street. They would drop Rong Qiu first because they passed through the new house.

    Lin Jian didn¡¯t wait for them and once they stepped their feet inside the familiar city, he decided to go home first and pay his respect to his father. Because Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to involve Xiao Fang in their family struggle, she let her stay at Rong Fu --- that was how they called the new house. Xiao Fang was no stranger to Rong Qiu so she didn¡¯t mind, besides, she could meet up with Yao Ling anytime she wanted just by going to Fu Rong or visit Wang Fu.

    When Yao Ying and Yao Ling arrived in front of Wang Fu, they looked at the familiar house and somehow, they missed their home... Yes, Wang Fu had be their home...

 Chapter 410 They Would Clean Up The Wang Fu

    Wang Luo Hai, Madam Wang, and the matriarch had been waiting for them inside the hall for a long time, so they were feeling excited when they knew that Yao Ying and Yao Ling had finally arrived at the Wang Fu¡¯s gate. Somehow, they really missed them.

    After all, they had left for a few months in total.

    Maybe they had gotten used to their presence, so because they weren¡¯t there, the house felt so lonely. The matriarch¡¯s usual cheerfulness was also gone, making her didn¡¯t have the heart to eat and visibly thinner than before.

    The matriarch had heard about Yao Ling¡¯s pregnancy and she was beyond happy! Her dream hade true ah~! She would be able to hold her grandchild soon and her loneliness would be gone at once! She had a little baby to hold and y with...

    However, the matriarch already knew beforehand that she should keep it a secret because the news of the child was being targeted had travelled into Wang Luo Hai¡¯s ears and it made Wang Luo Hai angered to death. They were confused about the reasons but they were being extra careful --- who knew? Maybe the culprit was actually one of their people.

    Wang Luo Hai told everything to the matriarch and what surprised the matriarch the most was the fact that Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t even tell Madam Wang a word about it. Did she miss something?

    "Why don¡¯t you tell your main wife?" The matriarch asked.

    Wang Luo Hai merely smiled and looked a bit evasive, but he exined briefly, "I want to give her a surprise... Besides, the baby has been targeted so the lesser people who know about the baby¡¯s survival, the better. I only tell you because I don¡¯t want you to feel lonely, Mother... If Yao Ling has a baby, you will have someone to y with!"

    The matriarch felt that something was wrong but she didn¡¯t want to dwell on this matter --- she knew that Wang Luo Hai was able to deal with his own women. If he didn¡¯t want to tell Madam Wang, then she would keep quiet as well.

    That was the reason why she was anxious and her emotions turnedplicated. Even if she wanted to look at Yao Ling¡¯s stomach, she needed to do it carefully and not to let people see her happy emotions --- honestly, it would make her feel so frustrated but she would act along with them.

    She felt that everything had been so perfect inside their family ever since they took Yao Ying and Yao Ling as the Di son and Di daughter inw. Their family¡¯s luck had turned for the better and she was happy that she had supported Wang Luo Hai¡¯s decision back then --- albeit she did it unwillingly.

    They didn¡¯t call the concubines to join them in receiving the couple because their presence wasn¡¯t really needed. They weren¡¯t close to the couple and the couple didn¡¯t need to give respect to them. They just wanted to save Yao ling from the trouble.

    Once Yao Ying and Yao Ling stepped their feet into the main hall, they quickly greeted the elders. Once Yao Ling saw the tears brewing inside the matriarch¡¯s eyes, tears ran down on her face as well --- she became so moody after the pregnancy.

    Yao Ying helplessly looked at her. Even though she had stopped vomiting, she couldn¡¯t stop crying. A mere little thing could trigger her cry for a long time ah~! The matriarch was surprised by her sudden burst of cry and helplessly patted her back after Yao Ling jumped into her embrace.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel that she was close enough to Madam Wang, thus, she just gave an ordinary perfunctory greeting just now.

    Wang Luo Hai liked to see the closeness between Yao Ling and his mother. On the other hand, Madam Wang¡¯s pettiness started to re up once again --- she felt that Yao Ling didn¡¯t put her in her eyes... No matter what, she was still her legal mother. How could she suck up to the matriarch like this?

    How could Madam Wang¡¯s expression escape Wang Luo Hai¡¯s keen eyes? This was also one of the reasons why he didn¡¯t want to tell her about Yao Ling¡¯s pregnancy. He started to notice how petty his wife had be...

    Yao Ying took a nce around the room and felt disappointed that the concubines weren¡¯t here... He wanted to see which one of them tried to assassinate them but it seemed like they had to wait for Feng¡¯s report.

    Yao Ying had a n in his heart but he wondered if it was feasible because this n involved Wang Luo Hai --- he didn¡¯t know whether he would give them justice if he knew about the assassination. Oh well... they had just gotten back, they should rest first before dealing with everything.

    Yao Ling was brought to the matriarch¡¯s room to catch up by the matriarch, on the other hand, Wang Luo Hai took Yao Ying to his study. Both of them wanted to hear their stories. Madam Wang who was left behind at the main hall could only bite her lower lip in a grievance. She felt wronged even though they had bid their goodbye politely towards her.

    Did they forget she was here all along? Then, why bother to bring her here?

    She felt that her existence had been scarce ever since those two came into this household! The matriarch usually brought her along but this time, she also forgot about her!

    Madam Wang wrongly med the matriarch... It wasn¡¯t that the matriarch didn¡¯t want to bring her along --- she just couldn¡¯t. The matriarch wanted to talk about the baby ah~! She couldn¡¯t talk freely if Madam Wang was there.

    While the atmosphere at the Matriarch ce was quite light and full ofughter, the atmosphere inside the study was quite heavy. They nned to talk about an important matter.

    Wang Luo Hai wanted to know everything that had happened in detail. Yao Ying told him everything and asked out of curiosity, "What will you do if I remember about my past?"

    Wang Luo Hai sighed, knowing that this matter would happen sooner orter. He had heard bits and pieces about them from his spieswork, he knew that Yao Ying¡¯s memories had been triggered even though he still remembered nothing.

    He patted her shoulder gently and said, "No matter who you are --- you will always be my son."

    Yao Ying smiled gratefully at him.

    Wang Luo Hai continued talking, "But of course, if you used to be a viin, I would beat you up so you would change for the better..."

    Yao Ying, "..."

    ¡¯Shouldn¡¯t hefort him and at least say... ¡¯I believe in you¡¯?¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself helplessly. However, he felt happy because Wang Luo Hai would still treat him like a son.

    After going out of the study room, Yao Ying was in a better mood. He had told Wang Luo Hai about their assassination and also, what they did to one of his women. At first, he was angry which made Yao Ying flinch. However, he was feeling grateful that Wang Luo Hai wasn¡¯t angry at them, but to the culprit.

    They had made a n and there would be a fun thing to see the next day...

    They would clean up the Wang Fu.

 Chapter 411 Hold Back His sUrges

    Yao Ling listened to Yao Ying¡¯s n and asked, "Does Father really agree to do this? After all, they are his women..." Would he really willing to deal with one of those women? Somehow, she doubted it. After all, they weren¡¯t his real children --- yes, sometimes, she was still doubting their worth in Wang Luo Hai¡¯s eyes.

    They only knew him for what... a few months? On the other hand, he was already with those women for a few years.

    Yao Yingughed. "I was surprised as well... but if I thought back and saw from his behaviors, he doesn¡¯t seem to love his women that much..." Including Madam Wang, if he could say it out loud. Yes, there might be respect between husband and wife, but that was it.

    Yao Ling nodded his head. "I think... he must have known that my stepmother was actually the person that he and General Lin love... right? The one that they keep looking for... Did he ask you something about it?" Yao Ling was feeling interested to know wang Luo Hai¡¯s reaction.

    Yao Ying sighed. "Yes... he asked me about that matter as well and I honestly told him everything..." He could see how much Wang Luo Hai missed and loved Jiu Lan from his expression --- it turned gentler.

    "What¡¯s his reaction?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "I don¡¯t know for sure... he masked his expression really well. However, he told me that he is happy..." Yao Ying didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to cry or make a fuss because she felt sorry about Wang Luo Hai¡¯s one-sided love. With her current condition, it would take a long time to stop her from crying!

    "Eh... why?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. "Happy? Isn¡¯t my mother¡¯s death a piece of bad news?"

    Yao Ying sighed and exined his thoughts, "He probably has preparation for that matter. They couldn¡¯t find her after so long, so at one point, he must have thought that she was already dead."

    "Well... that makes sense..." Yao Ling answered.

    As a man, how could Yao Ying not understand Wang Luo Hai¡¯s feelings? It seemed like he only loved one person in this life --- it was Jiu Lan. Even though he couldn¡¯t get her in the end, didn¡¯t fate continue to make him intertwine with her? If before this Wang Luo Hai had a certain idea when he took them in as his children, the idea might have changed when he knew this fact.

    Yao Ying was sure that he would certainly take good care of Yao Ling --- the stepdaughter of his beloved woman. He would be able to really love her just like his own daughter. For Yao Ying, this was also good. Wang Luo Hai would certainly protect Yao Ling wholeheartedly.

    Then, Yao Ling remembered something and asked, "What about the bet? Did he say something about it?"

    Yao Ying felt helpless when he heard that question, "Of course he said something about it... he will bring us to Lin Fu right after we finish dealing with the matter here!"

    "Huh? Why?"

    "Of course because he doesn¡¯t think that he has lost!" Yao Yingughed.

    "Howe?!" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    "If he counted how long your pregnancy was, he found out that the baby could be made before the time limit ended, so... he doesn¡¯t think that he has lost! Thus, we should apany him there and exin everything to General Lin..." Yao Ying exined.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    These two old men were really stubborn ah~! Wang Luo Hai already made a decision and they could only follow along the next day.

    "Have you told him about my father?" Yao Ling asked while biting her lower lip because she was feeling nervous. She wanted to introduce Wang Luo Hai to her birth father but she didn¡¯t know whether Wang Luo Hai would ept it or not.

    Yao Ying patted her shoulder. "Why are you being so nervous? You know father really well, right? He¡¯s happy for you, but everything should wait after we clean up the mess, alright?"

    Yao Ling¡¯s mood turned better and she smiled sweetly. "Of course! As long as my father-inw is alright with it, I¡¯m already feeling happy!"

    "What about you? What were you talking about with Grandmother?" Yao Ying asked.

    Yao Ling exined that she merely talked about everything that they had gone through in a summary and told her the funny things that happened so that the matriarch¡¯s mood turned for the better. She was already old, so they couldn¡¯t talk that long because both of them already felt tired. They would continue talking when they had a chance the next day.

    The matriarch already knew about her pregnancy and she taught her a few things about the pregnancy which she had never heard before. It was passed down from generation to generation to maintain her beauty and slimness while she was pregnant, so Yao Ling was quite interested in it.

    The matriarch told her that she would be the one who took care of her diet and sent an old Mo Mo who was good at nursing a pregnant woman. Yao Ling felt very grateful for the matriarch¡¯s kindness. When Yao Ying knew that the matriarch would take care of her, he sighed in relief and finally could put his anxiousness down.

    Everything was perfect for them at the moment!

    Both of them wanted to call a night earlier, after all, they still felt tired after the long journey. Yao Ling was sleeping soundly when she felt that someone was ying around with her two meat buns and even twirling around the lovely cherries on top of it. Ever since the pregnancy, her whole body had be so sensitive.

    Because of it, she couldn¡¯t hold back her moan. She could feel the pleasure shot up through her whole body and make her trembling.

    What was this?!

    Did she have a wet dream?!

    She woke up but she was still sleepy and couldn¡¯t differentiate between a dream and reality... She didn¡¯t know that Yao Ying was actually grinning widely behind her... He cleverly controlled his breath so Yao Ling thought that he was sleeping --- only both of his hands were actively pinching and teasing Yao Ling¡¯s lovely meat buns tenderly.

    It had been so long ever since thest time they were ¡¯doing¡¯ this --- they had never done it after he knew that Yao Ling was pregnant. He heard that the first three months were the most fragile time, so he had to hold back his urge to ¡¯do¡¯ it...

    However, he couldn¡¯t hold himself back at this moment.

    He just wanted to ¡¯eat¡¯ her... as long as they didn¡¯t do any intercourse, it should be fine. Yao Ying had done his homework and asked around about this matter --- when he knew that it was indeed fine, he would happily tease his wife to death ah~!

    His little Yao Ying really missed Yao Ling¡¯s sweet little hole ah~!

    He had already satisfied himself with his own hand for so long. Yao Ling was having morning sickness so he couldn¡¯t bear to let her help him with his predicament. He had already observed Yao Ling¡¯s condition and she looked fine --- he already asked Yao Ling about her condition so he was feeling even sure that she was fine...

    A little y... wouldn¡¯t hurt, right?

 Chapter 412 Trying To Use His Old Trick

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know that her wolfish husband had started to target her with his naughty n when she was already sleeping soundly. He shamelessly ying around with her breasts and at one point, Yao Ling felt annoyed so she pped his hands away with full strength --- she still thought that it was only a dream so she didn¡¯t open her eyes.

    "Mmmm... stop moving around," she unconsciously said while moaning in pleasure.

    Her p didn¡¯t really hurt him and didn¡¯t deter him to continue pestering her. Yao Ying really wanted tough out loud when he saw her cute reaction. Even though she kept saying no, in reality, she seemed to quite enjoy it. Her enchanting moan was proof of her enjoyment.

    ¡¯Let¡¯s see how long she could resist his charm...¡¯ He thought to himself in excitement. He took this as a challenge. If Yao Ling wanted to me someone, she should me their child, after all, the morning sickness hindered their lovey-dovey moment so it left him unsatisfied for so long.

    He warned the baby inside her stomach and said, "Stop torturing your mother with morning sickness! Don¡¯t prevent Father from having fun, okay?" He was behaving shamelessly. If Yao Ling knew, she would certainly scold him for talking nonsense!

    Yao Ying continued his assault while smiling wolfishly and could feel his own hardness turn harder and harder. Why didn¡¯t she wake up ah~?! Yao Ying was wondering how to make her feel that this wasn¡¯t just a mere dream? He needed her help to find a release...

    Should he touch her sweetness down there to make her feel aroused as well?

    Or should he add a little bit pressure on his touch...? Her twin buds already hardened but the woman was still sleeping soundly while moaning softly.

    Somehow, this was getting fun for him.

    He decided to use his old tactic that hadn¡¯t been used for a long time. He whispered softly on her ears, "Yao Ling... Yao Ling..." Maybe it would be easier if he called her name... She was always sensitive when her name was called, maybe because she used to work hard back at the vige and Jiu Lan usually called her name loudly to wake her up early in the morning so it became a habit. If someone called her, she would be more alert --- even if she was sleeping.

    This was Yao Ling¡¯s weird quirk that Yao Ying had noticed a long time ago.

    "Hmmm...?" Yao Ling responded.

    When he thought that this would work, he quickly called her name again until she woke up, "Yao Ling... Yao Ling..."

    "What?!" Yao Ling asked in annoyance. She always loved her sleep, so even if Jiu Lan was the one who called her back then, she also answered this way.

    Yao Ying knew that she would soon wake up.

    "Yao Ling... Yao Ling..." He called again, not willing to give up so soon. He circled her tender buds with his fingers, trying to make her sensitivity reach to a whole new level.

    Yao Ling was so annoyed with the itchy feelings on her breasts, so she finally opened her eyes and when she looked at her surroundings --- it was still night time ah~! So, who called her? Yao Ying?! If yes, she would kick him out of the bed!

    Then, she started to realize that someone was groping her breasts happily. So... it wasn¡¯t a dream just now?! She felt the tingling all over her body but she still wanted to resist because she wanted to continue to sleep ah~! She couldn¡¯t even open her eyes properly, thus, she wanted to continue her dream.

    When Yao Ying felt that she was going to wake up soon, the man cleverly closed his eyes and pretended that he was still asleep --- despite his hands which were working nonstop to arouse the poor Yao Ling. The man was really persistent.

    Thus, when Yao Ling turned around, the man looked like he was sleeping for real. His breath was steady and there was no shady movement on his face¡¯s expression. She looked at him doubtfully, then looked at his hands which were still moving restlessly. Could someone sleep while ying around with his wife¡¯s breasts?

    She wasn¡¯t stupid and didn¡¯t believe it for one bit!

    "Stop it!" She gritted her teeth in annoyance. She pped his hands but still got no response --- his hands¡¯ movement didn¡¯t stop.

    Yao Ying still pretended to be sleeping. He used his old style by opening his mouth and closing it once again, pretending to be eating something delicious. "Hmmm... meat buns... so yummy..." He said in a low voice.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    ¡¯Again?!¡¯ She thought to herself. Did he think that she was food?! Why did he keep thinking that her breasts were meat buns?!

    "Yao Ying... stop it!" She ordered him once again. "Let me sleep!"

    The man didn¡¯t even stop, but instead, he chose to tweak her lovely twin buds. "Come on! Don¡¯t run away... Let me taste you and eat you up!" He shamelessly said in a serious tone.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but shudder.

    Did he think that this kind of trick would work on her once again? Hah! He must have been dreaming!

    Yao Ling was sleeping at the inner side of the bed and she was facing the wall. On the other hand, Yao Ying was spooning her from behind. She tried to turn around but the man¡¯s power was stronger than her so she couldn¡¯t get out of his grasp!

    She gritted her teeth in annoyance.

    She --- wasn¡¯t --- in --- the --- mood!

    Even though she was aroused, it wasn¡¯t safe to do an intercourse yet! Why did this man be so persistent ah~?!

    She didn¡¯t hesitate to hit his stomach with her elbow which made Yao Ying yelp in pain. She thought that he would finally relent and stop whatever he was doing at the moment. However, she was really underestimating his persistence side.

    "Ah! Meat bun... why did you attack me? Do you miss me that much?" Yao Ying mumbled.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Maybe she should really apud him! How could he pretend to be sleeping until now? Didn¡¯t he feel the pain at all?

    "I¡¯m warning you once again! Let - me - go!" Yao Ling threatened him with zing eyes. "Remember about the baby!"

    "Ei... meat buns... why are you being so noisy?! There are a lot of ways to reach the heaven... Use your hands to satisfy me!" Yao Ying gave a very obvious hint!

    ¡¯Please touch and satisfy my little Yao Ying!¡¯ He begged inwardly, hoping that Yao Ling would pity him.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Was that his hint?

    Oho... So he was really sober this whole time... right?

    Then, she should give him a lesson!

    "I want to prepare myself for tomorrow¡¯s confrontation... So, I¡¯m sorry! This meat bun rejects your plea. You can satisfy yourself!" Yao Ling finally said it loud and clear.

    Without a second thought, she used all her strength and kicked him. She didn¡¯t know which part of him that he kicked, but the man was yelping in pain and well... he fell out of the bed in a thump.

    "Ouch!" Yao Ying whined loudly...

 Chapter 413 I Feel You

    "Serve you right!" Yao Ling said without looking back at Yao Ying. She was toozy to do that because she was still angry at him for bothering her. She didn¡¯t really want to kick him out of the bed, but oopsie... it was an ident because she put too much strength on her kick. However, she didn¡¯t really feel that guilty.

    He was a strong man, so he should be fine --- it was just a mere kick from a weak woman who had no martial art skills whatsoever, so how bad could it be?

    "You... You... How could you do this to me?" Yao Ying asked her in annoyance and Yao Ling thought he was too exaggerating. His voice sounded like he was being choked and holding back a crazy pain.

    "What? It¡¯s just a mere kick! I don¡¯t believe that it could hurt you for real!" Yao Ling answered back. Knowing that he wouldn¡¯t stop talking, Yao Ling turned around to look at Yao Ying --- she wanted to prove that he was only faking it.

    She was surprised when she looked at his condition and the part that he covered with both of his hands. Her eyes widened and she quickly became sober.

    "Are you okay?!" Yao Ling quickly sat up and took a look at him. When she felt that she couldn¡¯t see it clearly, she stood up and then squatted beside him, checking his condition.

    Yao Ying answered her with a question through gritted teeth, "What do you think?!"

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. She only randomly chose a target, how could she know that she actually kicked his little Yao Ying just now ah~?! She flinched when she thought how painful it must be --- it was the same if someone kicked her breasts, she would certainly cry herself to death due to the pain. When she imagined it, she shuddered.

    ¡¯Ouch! I feel you...¡¯ She thought to herself.

    "I¡¯m sorry..." Yao Ling quickly apologized because she was honestly feeling guilty at the moment.

    Yao Ying sighed. "Even though we already have a baby together, but it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t want to have another child in the future. Please spare my little Yao Ying ah~! We need it to make our second child!" Yao Ying said sarcastically. The baby wasn¡¯t born yet and his wife already wanted to cripple him...

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry when she heard that! This drama king! It was just an ident ah~! How could she bear to cripple him? After all, she also enjoyed making love with him if she wasn¡¯t tired. However, she knew that her kick really hurt him and also, she was the guilty party here, so she couldn¡¯t refute his words.

    "Okay... Okay... Okay... I¡¯m sorry!" Yao Ling answered him. "I will protect little Yao Ying well in the future. I promise that I won¡¯t hurt little Yao Ying anymore..." She tried to appease him.

    Inwardly, she thought, "I will target another area to kick if you keep annoying me again next time --- except for that fatal one." The little Yao Ying was also precious for her ah~!

    If Yao Ying knew her thoughts, he would certainly be angered to death!

    "Let me help you up!" Yao Ling finally relented and at the same time, tried to distract him as well.

    Yao Ying nodded his head. Of course, he needed her help. It seemed like she almost used up all of her strength for this one kick because it hurt like hell! It was a bit hard for him to stand up... and honestly, it was so embarrassing.

    Because of the pain, his previous arousal was gone in a poof. He just wanted to sleep so when he woke up, the pain would go away. Yao Ling could only pat his back, trying to calm him while trying to act cutesy so that Yao Ying would cease his anger.

    "Pain... Pain... Go away... Dear..." She chanted a few times so that the pain would be gone.

    Yao Ying, "..."

    Did she try to coax a little kid? How could this pain go away in a short time? However, her soothing voice indeed calmed him a little bit.

    Yao Ling made a promise, "We can do it tomorrow night. Okay? I¡¯m really tired today... I¡¯m sorry..."

    Yao Ying harrumphed. "Let¡¯s see whether I¡¯m in the mood or not...!"

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Wow! She didn¡¯t know that he could be that petty. However, she merely nodded her head fawningly and answered, "Of course... it¡¯s up to you tomorrow!" Yao Ling thought that they would be sleeping after this and if he didn¡¯t want to do it, it was fine too.

    However, the man added in a low voice, "Tomorrow night... okay?! You make a promise!"

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Where was your integrity dear? She shook her head inwardly.

    "Of course..." Yao Ling answered with a sweet smile.

    A promise was a promise --- she had to fulfill it!

    Yao Ying grunted in satisfaction after he had gotten her promise. In actuality, her kick wasn¡¯t that painful. He only needed to act a little bit to trap her so that she would willingly hand herself to him. Feeling satisfied, he closed his eyes and smiled.

    If Yao Ling knew that she had been tricked, she would certainly kick him ¡¯there¡¯ for real!

    After that, both of them went back to sleep... After all, they still needed to work hard the next day. Of course, it wasn¡¯t about their bed exercise but instead, it was about cleaning up Wang Fu from the evildoers.

    Once Wang Fu was safe, they would be able to focus on Yao Ying¡¯s past while searching for Su Wan.

    With that thought in mind, Yao Ling was able to sleep soundly.

    ---------

    When morning had arrived, Yao Ling found Yao Ying was already gone by the time she woke up. When she touched his side of the bed, it was already cold, showing that he had gone for a while. She knew that he had gone back to the morning routine and it was time to do his morning exercise. She called Xiao Yu over and asked curiously, "Is Young Master exercising?"

    "Yes, Young Mistress," Xiao Yu answered.

    "How is Young Master¡¯s mood this morning?" Yao Ling asked after pondering for a little while.

    Xiao Yu felt that something was weird when Yao Ling asked that question, but she still honestly answered, "Young Master¡¯s mood seemed to be bad ever since he woke up. He asked for one on one fight with Xiu and well... he seemed to be venting something and beating Xiu up for half shichen." Xiao Yu was feeling worried for Xiu and when she heard Yao Ling¡¯s question and knew that this must have something to do with her young mistress.

    Did something happenst night?

    However, she didn¡¯t dare to ask.

    How could a virgin like her guess that it was because her young master couldn¡¯t eat young mistress¡¯ tofu?

    Yao Ling was too embarrassed to exin it to Xiao Yu. Thus, the former changed the direction of the conversation by asking, "How is the preparation going?"

    Xiao Yu smiled happily. "Everything is ready...!"

    Yao Ling nodded her head in satisfaction.

 Chapter 414 She Noted The Sarcasm

    When Yao Ling met Yao Ying after his morning exercise, his mood looked far better thanst night and he even gave her a smile which made her feel bewildered.

    "Are... are you okay?" Yao Ling asked awkwardly while looking at his little Yao Ying pointedly. She was embarrassed but it wouldn¡¯t be good if she didn¡¯t ask how ¡¯it¡¯ was, after all, she was the one who hurt ¡¯it¡¯ in the first ce. At least, she should show some concern, right?

    Yao Ying raised one of his eyebrows at her and asked with a stoic face --- which made Yao Ling couldn¡¯t really guess his current mood, "What do you think?"

    "Er... Better?" She asked while grinning sheepishly.

    "Of course..." Yao Ying rolled his eyes. "If not, how could I do the morning exercise? I would still sleep beside you and groan all the time..."

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Well, alright... she noted the sarcasm.

    "Then, it¡¯s all good!" Yao Ling replied with ease. Her guilt was gone when she knew that he was already as healthy as a horse...

    Yao Ying nodded his head. "Yes... don¡¯t worry! I can perform very well tonight!" He said with a wicked smile, reminding her just in case she would pretend to forget about her promise.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    She was beyond speechless. However, she still answered him, "Fine..."

    Because of her consent, Yao Ying turned into a happy person which made Xiao Yu and Xiu feel bewildered. It seemed like the only one who could handle their young master was only their young miss... Xiu really wanted to cry, why didn¡¯t young mistress wake up sooner and help him ah~?! Young Master kept bullying him the whole morning!

    Yao Ling really didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry... How could she not feel Xiu¡¯s ming eyes? But oh well... she also had just managed to cheer the drama king up ah~! Xiu was being tortured in the morning, on the other hand, she was the one who would be tortured tonight!

    -----------

    The morning routine at Wang Fu started just as usual --- the couple was eating breakfast together at the main dining room along with everyone. The only difference was the concubines joined them as well.

    Madam Wang asked in the middle of their breakfast all of a sudden, "Husband... Is there a happy asion today?" She smiled softly with a hint of excitement in her eyes, however, she still looked as elegant as usual. There was a hint of curiosity in her expression.

    "Oh... why do you think so?" Wang Luo Hai asked curiously with a smile. However, there was a doubt in his heart --- did she notice something about Yao Ling? Wang Luo Hai paid more attention to her answer but he looked indifferent from the outside.

    Madam Wang smiled bashfully when she saw Wang Luo Hai was looking at her in a happy mood. "It¡¯s just a mere guess. After all, it¡¯s so rare for us to eat breakfast together and besides, the foods are more luxurious than usual..."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded his head. "Well... it¡¯s to celebrate how Yao Ling is actually the daughter of my long-lost friend," he answered truthfully. Well... there was a second reason --- her pregnancy, but he couldn¡¯t tell the others about that.

    He thought that he still needed to celebrate it by having a luxurious breakfast, otherwise, he would feel guilty. The child was his first grandchild, so of course, he should do something for the baby. If there was no assassination attempt, he would already hold a party for three days and three nights! Too bad, he couldn¡¯t even acknowledge the baby... for now.

    "Oh... which friend?" Madam Wang asked, somehow she had a bad feeling. Wang Luo Hai only had a few close friends and judging the way he treated Yao Ling differently from before and even with more warmth, it seemed like that person wasn¡¯t a simple friend. Who was it?!

    The matriarch didn¡¯t know this part as well, so she asked as well, "Oh... I¡¯m also curious. I know almost all of your friends. Do I know that person? Such a wonderful fate!" She pped her hands happily.

    Wang Luo Hai smiled and answered mncholically, "Indeed... it¡¯s such a beautiful fate..." After saying that, he nced to see everyone¡¯s reaction but everyone still looked just like usual --- only Madam Wang¡¯s face looked slightly darkened.

    "Both of you know her..." Wang Luo Hai admitted.

    When Madam Wang heard the word ¡¯her¡¯, her face started to change. Her mind drifted to Jiu Lan, but how could that be? The woman had be someone else¡¯s wife. She forgot where they were and asked in a sharp voice, "Who is she?!"

    The matriarch nced at her and asked in displeasure, "Why are you so concerned about this matter? Whoever her mother is... Yao Ling is your child now..." She could hear Madam Wang¡¯s unpleasant tone and she didn¡¯t like it for one bit. A wife should be virtuous.

    Madam Wang knew that she had made a mistake, she quickly tried to appease the matriarch, "Mother, I know... I¡¯m just curious."

    "If you are curious, then you should talk with Wang Luo Hai in private..." The matriarch said. She wanted to give her a lecture but she still tried to give her some face in front of the concubines.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling didn¡¯t talk at all when the conversation between the elders happened, they continued to eat silently and wait for the good show.

    "I will let Yao Ling tell you both in private togetherter..." Wang Luo Hai answered mysteriously. He didn¡¯t think that it would be good for many people to know Yao Ling¡¯s full background --- especially those concubines.

    Yao Ying had already asked for a report from Feng --- the one that had sent assassins back then was one of the concubines. When he took a look at them inside the hall, he could see that three of them were still in their best appearance and didn¡¯t seem to be any different than before.

    However, one of them had received some kind of stimtion from Feng each night. It changed every night because Yao Ying had given him a full reign to do whatever he wanted. After Zhuo Li sent her closest maidservant¡¯s corpse to her courtyard, the woman had been scared to death so it was easier to make her live in fear.

    Sometimes, Feng would hide on the roof and then made a little hole there. After that, he would let a few drops of blood flew down and fell onto the woman¡¯s face --- until she was awake. By the time Feng was gone, the woman had already yelled in fear while trembling.

    The clever thing was she had never made a fuss and attracted Wang Luo Hai¡¯s attention. She was in the wrong so she decided to keep it to herself and threaten her own people that she would beat them if they dared to spread gossips about ghosts. In front of others, she was still the same as usual.

    What a strong mentality!

    If they didn¡¯t know it better, they wouldn¡¯t have guessed that there was something wrong with her.

    It was Yao Ying¡¯s opinion. It was different from Yao Ling¡¯s point of view. Even though she looked like usual, she used heavy make-up to cover up her haggard appearance. She was a woman, thus, she knew the trick as well. It seemed like this woman wouldn¡¯t be so easy to deal with --- unlike Liu Li.

 Chapter 415 One Yao Ling Was Already Enough

    From the first time she had met her, this woman had been so quiet and made people didn¡¯t notice her presence at all. She didn¡¯t like to mingle with other people so no one really knew anything about her. No one could read her mind or expression at all. However, Wang Luo Hai was quite favoring her, so she must have been smart all along and knew how to read the situation well.

    Even until at this point, the woman still managed to behave really well, making Yao Ling know that she wasn¡¯t that simple. Did someone be her backing? Her background wasn¡¯t that good, so where was the money to hire the assassins came from?

    She had inquired the price from Zhuo Li and it wasn¡¯t a low amount! The previous day, Yao Ying told Wang Luo Hai about this and when he heard the amount, he was surprised as well. He was very clear what kind of dowry that the concubine had brought from her family and due to her low status, her monthly allocation wasn¡¯t that high even though their family was wealthy, so she wouldn¡¯t be able to fork out that much money!

    This would certainly be an interesting morning.

    When the matriarch, Madam Wang, and Wang Luo Hai had finally stopped talking about Jiu Lan, they ate quietly and Yao Ling felt that it was time for her to start the n.

    Yao Ling asked in a low voice and looked at Concubine Xi in concern, "Concubine Xi ah~! Why do you look thinner than usual? Is there something wrong with you?" It was out of Yao Ling¡¯s character to care about a concubine but when everyone looked at Concubine Xi¡¯s face, they started to notice the difference in her face as well.

    Yes, Feng¡¯s report told them that it was Concubine Xi¡¯s doing... so their current target was this concubine.

    Concubine Xi¡¯s face turned pale when she heard this because she had tried not to draw people¡¯s attention towards her. She put a lot of effort into her make-up but if everyone paid close attention to her, they would be able to see her haggard face. Her eyes were slightly reddened due to theck of sleep and it waspleted with the heavy dark circles under her eyes. Because this happened for a few months in a row, she became thinner and didn¡¯t have the heart to eat --- sometimes, she even vomited out of fear.

    There was no one that she could talk to about this matter and it frustrated her --- because the maidservant that was killed was actually her closest confidante and she didn¡¯t trust the other maidservant. She knew that some of them were spied that were nted by the other women, it really made her feel depressed.

    If she didn¡¯t always hide her presence well, people would long notice her change. However... how could Yao Ling suddenly mention her? She had juste back from the trip --- or... did she find out about it? Somehow, she got a bad feeling and her back was sweating in fear. She hardened herself and calmed herself down by pinching her thighs, knowing that she had to behave just like usual to avoid the suspicion.

    She quickly answered elegantly and said with a gentle smile, "This concubine is fine... Young Mistress, thank you for your worry."

    The matriarch furrowed her eyebrows. She had a certain high demand regarding women, as a woman herself, she always wanted to look pretty in all asion and she could see that something was wrong right away. "Hmm... Indeed... Something is not right. What happened to you?" She asked in displeasure.

    Concubine Xi felt a thump in her heart --- the most terrifying person in this family was the strict matriarch. "Old Madam, nothing is wrong with this concubine. This... This concubine is really fine..."

    The two-faced Concubine Lan could see Concubine Xi¡¯s ufortable state and smirk to herself. If she lost one of herpetitors, it would be good ah~! She quickly said, "Jie... your face looks paler than usual. If you are not feeling good, I can apany you to go back to the room, after all, this luxurious breakfast is prepared to celebrate something special for Young Mistress..."

    She wanted people to see how kind she was and for thest part, she implied softly that Concubine Xi was an eyesore. How could she look so haggard when attending this rare luxurious breakfast? She deliberately used Yao Ling¡¯s name to make a gap between them.

    Yao Ling quickly gasped and said, "No need to be that severe. This is just an ordinary meal... No need to exaggerate it. I¡¯m simply worried about Concubine Xi..." She pretended to look guilty and look down in embarrassment.

    Madam Wang furrowed her eyebrows. She was her legal mother, so Yao Ling should be more concerned about her... why did she care about a lowly concubine? The more she saw Yao Ling, the more she felt that she was not pleasing to her eyes. The knot in her heart was getting bigger --- ever since the first time sheid her eyes on the couple, she didn¡¯t like them because she felt that they were up to no good.

    They were only a vige boy and girl!

    If not because of the matriarch and Wang Luo Hai¡¯s firm decision to take them in, she would certainly refuse to be their legal mother! However, she didn¡¯t join in the conversation and continued to eat silently.

    The matriarch saw how ufortable Yao Ling was and she quickly ended this matter --- she would investigate personallyter about Concubine Xi and she hated how Concubine Lan try to make such a simple matter into a big one. "No need to fuss over such a small matter. Go back to eat!" The matriarch ordered both concubines. The kid was just too kind for worrying about a concubine, but they dared to make it turn into their own show.

    Concubine Lan was feeling embarrassed for being rebuked in front of a lot of people but she could only swallow her grievance. She turned her watery eyes to Wang Luo Hai but thetter didn¡¯t pay any attention to her and it made Concubine Lan feel more unreconciled!

    Concubine Wan wasn¡¯t as brazen as before ever since her past experience so she only stayed quietly on the side. She sighed in relief because she made the right choice by didn¡¯t join them --- she was indeed bing wiser. There was a hint of mockery in her eyes.

    Yao Ling¡¯s goal had been reached --- she just wanted people to take notice of Concubine Xi¡¯s weird appearance so that their next step of the n would be sessful.

    Yao Ying had another thought when he saw the scene. The inner courtyard battle was reallyplicated ah~! This was only a simple and short one but it already gave him a headache! For a man, if they didn¡¯t like each other, they would talk bluntly about it and then solved it with their fists --- after that, everything would be good. However, the women kept backstabbing each other with gentle words.

    He felt lucky that he had only one wife... He didn¡¯t want to take concubines!

    One Yao Ling was already enough...

 Chapter 416 Feng Was On The Move

    If Yao Ling knew that Yao Ying felt more sure about his choice because of this matter too, she would certainly not know whether she shouldugh or cry. Oh well... at least, she was the one who got the benefit in the end.

    Yao Ling took a peek at Wang Luo Hai, wanting to ask whether they should do the next part of the n now. After they nted the suspicion, it was easier to affect the others¡¯ minds at this time. Wang Luo Hai understood what she meant and gave a brief nod. Yao Ling noticed it and quickly kicked Yao Ying underneath the table gently as a signal. Yao Ying pretended to cough and drink the tea as a signal for Feng to do the next part as soon as possible.

    His cough was quite loud because Feng was a bit far from where he was. It even made the matriarch surprised. Thetter asked in concern, "Are you alright?"

    "I¡¯m fine, Grandmother. I identally choked on something," he answered with a smile. His face was slightly flushed due to the excess coughing that he had to do. Yao Ling really wanted tough out loud but held herself back, instead, she showed some concerns to him.

    Their interaction looked so natural so no one felt something was suspicious of their behavior --- including Concubine Xi. Thetter was too worried that the matriarch or Wang Luo Hai would find out about her deed, so her thoughts were elsewhere.

    Feng was sitting on the roof the whole time while waiting for Yao Ying¡¯s signal for quite a long time. He started to feel bored when he finally heard the loud cough, he quickly prepared himself because he was going to do one of his little tricks once again. Because this n was approved by Wang Luo Hai beforehand, Feng was being protected by Wang Luo Hai¡¯s shadow guards as well. They chased away irrelevant people with one way after another, thus, it was easier for him to do his job and he could do it openly from the outside.

    He opened one of the rooftop tiles slowly so he wouldn¡¯t identally make a loud sound so no one under him noticed that something was amiss. He looked at the ce where Concubine Xi was sitting and taking note of their distances. Feng could see that the woman was distracted and smirked to himself.

    It was easier to do this at noon because of the light.

    He shed his own finger so that he could squeeze a few drops of blood --- he didn¡¯t dare to use too much blood just in case it fell on top another person, such as the matriarch, then he would be a lump of dead meat!

    *Thud*

    *Thud*

    There was a faint sound of something dropping from up above --- only the three people knew about this and they were excited to see what would happen next. Once Feng felt that it was enough blood already and made sure that the bloodnded at the right target, Feng quickly put back the tile and went out of there as soon as possible with his qing gong skill.

    There was nothing amiss from the outside and no one would find Feng¡¯s presence...

    At first, Concubine Xi didn¡¯t realize that there was something weird with herself. She was sweating pretty bad due to fear so she didn¡¯t notice the blood that was slowly trickling down from her hair to her face. Wang Luo Hai, Yao Ying, and Yao Ling noticed it but they didn¡¯t make any sound and continued eating at ease --- waiting for someone to tell concubine Xi about it.

    They wanted to borrow another person¡¯s hands.

    Concubine Wan was the one who saw the blood first. "Argh!" She yelled loudly, after all, she was afraid of blood and honestly, Concubine Xi¡¯s face looked a bit scary. Her whole body was trembling while her finger was pointing at Concubine Xi but she couldn¡¯t say anything --- only saying incoherent words.

    The matriarch felt really angry at this time. Why did the concubines make a scene one after another?! Did they even respect her?! She wanted to eat a peaceful breakfast but they wouldn¡¯t let her.

    After today, she didn¡¯t want to eat with the concubines once again and let them eat by themselves once again. The matriarch put down her chopstick and sighed in annoyance. She pped the table in anger and asked in a loud stern voice, "Concubine Wan, what are you doing?! You make me lose my appetite!"

    She looked at Concubine Wan intensely and didn¡¯t pay attention to Concubine Xi so she hadn¡¯t noticed the blood on thetter¡¯s face yet. Madam Wang looked up as well and looked at where Concubine Wan¡¯s eyesnded, feeling curious about the thing that made her feel scared. Madam Wang sneered in contempt but when she saw the blood on Concubine Xi¡¯s face... she almost fainted in fear as well. Just now, the blood wasn¡¯t there ah~!

    What had happened in such a short moment?!

    "Mo... Mother... That... that..." Madam Wang pointed at Concubine Xi¡¯s direction while stuttering. She felt at a loss at what to say...

    "What?" The matriarch asked in annoyance. Concubine Wan didn¡¯t answer her and Madam Wang followed the former in making a fuss --- she was getting angrier. What kind of things that would make them had an exaggerated reaction?!

    However, when she wanted to look at Concubine Xi right away, Wang Luo Hai quickly covered her eyes which made the matriarch bewildered. "Luo Hai, what are you doing?" She pped his hand away in annoyance. Honestly, it was too impolite!

    Wang Luo Hai was afraid that his mother¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t stand it so he warned her first that there was blood on Concubine Xi¡¯s face and looked a bit scary. The matriarch nodded her head and said that she understood, so he could let go now. After making sure that his mother looked fine, Wang Luo Hai took his hand back. He knew his mother was quite strong but she was already old and he didn¡¯t want him to faint because of being stimted by this matter.

    He felt a bit guilty because he almost forgot about this...

    Concubine Xi felt that people were looking at her with wide eyes and exaggerated expressions, she was feeling confused. "What happened?" She asked doubtfully.

    "Your... Your face..." Concubine Lan was afraid as well, but she still tried to tell her about the blood.

    Concubine Xi touched her face and when she felt something wet on her face, she looked at her hand --- blo... blood! "Argh!" She yelled in fear. She thought it was only sweat just now!!

    This time she was really breaking down because she remembered everything that haunted her at night! The memory was being triggered and she couldn¡¯t keep up with her calm appearance once again. She was in fear!

    Was... was her maidservanting to get revenge for her unpeaceful death?!

    She touched her face and tried to wipe it with her handkerchief. It didn¡¯t make it any better, but instead, she smeared her blood all over her face. She threw her handkerchief away when she saw how full-of-blood it was!

    "I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry..." Concubine Xi mumbled softly to herself. "It¡¯s not my fault! It¡¯s not! You shouldn¡¯t haunt me!!"

    Concubine Xi started to go crazy and surprised the others...

 Chapter 417 Concubine Xi Went Crazy

    "What happened to her?" The matriarch asked in confusion. The blood on Concubine Xi¡¯s face didn¡¯t affect her anymore after she was listening to Concubine Xi¡¯s weird words. Honestly, the woman looked like a lunatic, unlike her usual graceful self. It was better if she stayed without being noticed just like before!

    What the hell actually happened to her? People who didn¡¯t understand the truth were questioning this matter. She seemed to be afraid of something, or... someone, to be precise.

    If Concubine Xi didn¡¯t do anything bad, how could she be affected like this? They looked up and didn¡¯t see any trail of blood from up there --- so, where did the bloode from? They were pretty sure that Concubine Xi didn¡¯t have any wounds on her body.

    Concubine Xi had totally broken down because of the distress, fear, and guilt that kept gnawing inside her heart for so long. Honestly, that was the first time she hired an assassin and it backfired. She wouldn¡¯t dare to do this kind of thing anymore in the future. She was in despair and had forgotten where she was at the moment. Everything seemed so blurry in her eyes but she could see a vague image of a woman in front of her.

    That woman moved at a fast speed all around her which made her feel dizzy. To the others, Concubine Xi seemed to be looking around and pointing at something randomly --- she had be delusional in such a short span of time.

    Concubine Xi felt like she was being haunted by her deceased personal maidservant.

    Yao Ling started to pretend to be afraid as well and distanced herself from Concubine Xi while Yao Ying and Wang Luo Hai stood up and decided to be vignt, just in case the woman would attack the others. With her skill, Yao Ling only needed to give Concubine Xi¡¯s a little something to make her fall into a hallucination.

    She sat right beside Concubine Xi so it was easier for her to give her a certain drug that only needed to be smelt for a certain period of time. It worked like magic. This drug would enhance her guilt and make her feel tortured... sooner orter, she would tell them the truth.

    Concubine Xi yelled loudly to something that could only be seen by her, "I didn¡¯t kill you! They are the ones who killed you! You shouldn¡¯t have found me! I do nothing wrong! Nothing wrong!" After that, she closed her eyes and squatted down in fear beside the table. She hugged her own legs and hid her head inside her knees so she could see nothing while rocking herself back on forth.

    "Not me..."

    "Not me..."

    She kept muttering to herself.

    The matriarch and Madam Wang looked at each other... "Kill?" They asked each other at the same time. They wondered what kind of thing that Concubine Xi had involved herself with? Concubine Lan and Concubine Wan quickly moved to the other side of the table, standing behind the matriarch and Madam Wang --- both were supposed to be sitting beside Concubine Xi but they were afraid of her at the moment. It was better to stay far away from her --- even the servants and maidservants didn¡¯t dare to get closer to her as well.

    Who would want to get closer to that lunatic ah~?! They were afraid that they would be implicated as well!

    Wang Luo Hai pped the table to show his authority in anger, "Concubine Xi! What are you doing? Why do you behave so out of character? You scared everyone here!"

    Concubine Xi looked up when she heard Wang Luo Hai¡¯s question --- somehow, listening to his voice, she felt safe... after all, he was her man. She knew that he could protect her. She crawled to Wang Luo Hai while trying not to see the surroundings, feeling afraid that her ex-maidservant would jump out of nowhere and appear once again.

    "Master... please... please help me..." She hugged Wang Luo Hai¡¯s legs and buried her face there.

    Wang Luo Hai looked at her in disgust and resisted the urge to kick her, after all, she was smearing the blood all over his clothes. "Tell me... how do you want me to help you? What did you do?!" He still managed to ask in concern despite the disgust. However, he retracted the hand that wanted to help her at first. He couldn¡¯t stand the sight!

    "My personal maidservant was killed by someone for quite some time but... but... why didn¡¯t she haunt the person that killed her?! She keeps haunting me!" Concubine Xi was trembling in fear.

    The matriarch furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Madam Wang which was in charge of the household matter, asking with her eyes whether something like this happened or not. If yes, why didn¡¯t she hear of it? A personal maidservant¡¯s disappearance should be a big matter.

    Madam Wang quickly shook her head. "She reported to me that her personal maidservant had a family matter and asked her for a holiday. Concubine Xi said that she had approved it. I thought that it was only a simple matter so I didn¡¯t put it inside my mind..."

    "Why did she lie before?!" The matriarch wondered while furrowing her eyebrows. Her attention was back to Concubine Xi.

    Wang Luo Hai asked in a soothing voice, "Who killed her? Tell me! I will get justice for you!" He was coaxing her, wanting to know the truth.

    "A man... A man killed her! I believe that it was the assassin!" Concubine Xi answered honestly. She was already muddle-headed and couldn¡¯t this straight, otherwise, how could she admit easily like this?

    "What assassin?!" Wang Luo Hai asked in a loud voice.

    The matriarch sneered. She was a mere concubine --- who would want to target her? They had been living harmoniously for more than a decade... so she didn¡¯t think the culprit was from Wang Fu. Why would an assassin kill a mere maidservant?! There must be something behind this?

    "It¡¯s... It¡¯s the assassin that someone told me to hire on her behalf!" Concubine Xi made a confession.

    "Hmmm... Assassin?! Who did you want to kill?!" Wang Luo Hai asked in anger. It was really the truth! He didn¡¯t want to believe it at first but the woman had already confessed. However, who was the one behind her?!

    "Young Master and Young Mistress..." She answered in a low voice, admitting everything.

    Someone inside the room gritted her teeth in anger! This stupid bitch! How could she admit everything so easily?! She really needed to prepare a way out! She gave a signal to her personal maidservant and thetter nodded her head despite the fear. She understood what to do.

    Yao Ling gasped. "Me?! What do I do wrong?!"

    The matriarch quickly patted her back and whispered so no one could hear her words, "You are not allowed to agitate!" She was afraid that it would affect the baby. She was d that they kept the pregnancy a secret. Someone already wanted to kill Yao Ling even before there was a baby inside her womb!

    It was too dangerous!

    Then, the matriarch said in a louder voice, "Grandmother is here for you! I will be the one who will get justice for you! Luo Hai! Handle your woman well!" She med it on Wang Luo Hai.

    Wang Luo Hai, "..."

    How could it be his responsibilities ah~?!

    Oh well... at least, his mother loved Yao Ling well. He nodded his head in agreement.

 Chapter 418 What Did She Mean?

    "Why did you agree to the demand of whoever it was behind you?! Do you deliberately want to oppose my decision as well?!" Wang Luo Hai asked with a hint of ruthlessness on his face. Someone dared to y around with the decision that he had made. Not only that, he genuinely liked the couple and who knew... they were actually connected to Jiu Lan in a magical way.

    No one dared to talk when they saw how angry Wang Luo Hai was --- even Madam Wang was shuddering when she saw the look on his face. After all, Wang Luo Hai was usually a happy-go-lucky person who rarely got angry. She had never seen him this vexed before.

    Why... Why were Yao Ying and Yao Ling so important to him? They were just nobodies! They were just stepchildren that could be reced at any moment! However, she didn¡¯t dare to say her thoughts out loud... She merely gritted her teeth and stayed still on the side while looking at the couple in hatred.

    Concubine Xi quickly answered guiltily, "She... she... had taken my only sister... I could only do her bidding, otherwise, she would kill her..." She answered with the truth. She had covered up the fact that she had failed, but after Yao Ying and Yao Ling had arrived safely yesterday, she knew that the mastermind must have been angered to death.

    She couldn¡¯t sleep and it made it easier for her to be affected by the drug. She hadn¡¯t gotten the time to beg the mastermind to let off her sister... However, the mastermind was currently inside the room as well... She had betrayed her, so she knew that she wouldn¡¯t let off her sister and her!

    When Concubine Xi realized that she had blurted out the truth just now, she knew that she couldn¡¯t cover it up anymore --- besides, the guilt kept bothering her, making her feel distressed, and it made her live in fear all the time! Maybe... Maybe... Wang Luo Hai could save her sister just by looking at the fact that she had been serving him for so long.

    Concubine Xi quickly kowtowed while knocking her head to the ground and asked for his help, "Please help me save her, Master! Please!" She didn¡¯t even care if her forehead was hurt --- it was more important for her to save her sister and of course, her own life.

    If she wasn¡¯t being threatened, she wouldn¡¯t want to involve herself in this matter. She was just a mere concubine. Would she get any benefits from killing Yao Ying and Yao Ling? Not really... after all, she didn¡¯t have any child herself.

    ¡¯She was actually being threatened!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. She looked at Concubine Xi in contemtion from behind the Matriarch, thetter didn¡¯t look back and thought that Yao Ling was scared of Concubine Xi¡¯s behavior and Yao Ling deliberately let her think that way. She wanted to see the reaction of each person inside the room carefully, however, she found no abnormality there.

    Yao Ling squinted her eyes. If she remembered it correctly, Concubine Xi was amoner¡¯s daughter and she indeed had one little sister. Their age gap was quite big so the little girl must have been only twelve at this time.

    She sighed when she looked at Concubine Xi, however, Yao Ling didn¡¯t feel any pity for her. If she didn¡¯t retaliate, she would be the one who was dead first --- along with Yao Ying. She knew that she was being forced, but she could have chosen another way out. In the end, she had chosen to kill them, it meant that they were also nothing to her eyes.

    There was no use to help such people. Besides, Yao Ling was also selfish. Her family was also her priority, so in a way, she also knew why Concubine Xi made such a decision.

    Wang Luo Hai whistled and called his shadow guards over, telling one of them to go search for Concubine Xi¡¯s sister while the others were surrounding the dining room. Wang Luo Hai wanted to catch the mastermind.

    "Tell me! Who is the mastermind?!" Wang Luo Hai asked.

    Concubine Xi looked up and opened her mouth to tell him the name, however, she suddenly gasped and fell in a thud. Wang Luo Hai quickly squatted down and checked on her, he found that she had already died on the spot.

    Yao Ling raised one of her eyebrows and looked carefully at Concubine Xi¡¯s corpse. ¡¯Oh... someone has killed her to shut her mouth?!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself.

    This was getting interesting because the mastermind even dared to kill Concubine Xi in front of Wang Luo Hai. She wondered what would Wang Luo Hai do when he found out about the mastermind¡¯s identity? After all, it must be one of his women.

    Yao Ling could see in a nce that it was done by poison and gave Yao Ying a signal about it. Yao Ying nodded and told Wang Luo Hai about it, not telling thetter that Yao Ling was the one who knew about it first. They wanted to keep Yao Ling¡¯s skills in secret just to let other people lower their guards down and see her as an ordinary woman.

    At least, this would be her hidden cards.

    Concubine Xi¡¯s condition was quite gory and it was scary to look at, so Yao Ling didn¡¯t want to take a closer look at the woman, feeling afraid that it would bring bad luck to her baby. Thus, she would let other people do the job of checking the corpse.

    Wang Luo Hai called his shadow guard who was profound in the poison art to check on this matter while everyone was waiting on the side. No one was allowed to leave the room by Wang Luo Hai. The shadow guard whispered a few things to Wang Luo Hai¡¯s ears after he finished investigating. It seemed like he found something out.

    "Do it!" Wang Luo Hai gave him a signal of approvement.

    "Father, what is the result?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "She was being poisoned but the poison wasn¡¯t so easy to detect so it took quite some time for him to determine the cause of death. However, it would be easy to check on the one who did it..." Wang Luo Hai answered in a low voice.

    "How so?" This time, it was the matriarch who was joining in the discussion. She was so angry but fortunately, she had gotten a good granddaughter. Yao Ling was massaging her temple, trying to make her feel better.

    "There will be a certain reaction on the killer¡¯s hand when that person touches the water that my people will prepare after this. No matter what, that person wouldn¡¯t have the time to wipe out the residue of the poison that is left on her or his hands," Wang Luo Hai exined.

    He deliberately said it in a loud voice so that everyone in the room could hear it clearly.

    The maidservant who had done that could feel that her whole body was trembling. Her mistress said that she would be fine... But... how could this be? She nced at her mistress, questioning thetter with her eyes and asking what she should do.

    She could see her mistress frowned and shook her head.

    What did she mean?

    Did she mean that she had given her up... or that the master was only bluffing?!

 Chapter 419 They Still Needed Proof

    The maidservant tugged her mistress¡¯ sleeves softly with trembling hands and asked in a gentle whisper, "Mistress, what should we do?" She made sure that no one would hear her even for people who were sensitive to voice. It showed that she had gotten used to doing bad deeds such as this.

    However, Yao Ling was able to hear her voice clearly. ¡¯Catch you!¡¯ She thought to herself.

    Did they think it was easy to cover up their crimes?! She sighed when she looked briefly at the culprits and wondered what they did wrong so that person so bent on killing both her and Yao Ying. She bit her lower lip in disappointment, but she didn¡¯t expose them right away despite her anger.

    After all, she still needed proof to apprehend them. She would get it no matter what happened!

    The maidservant didn¡¯t hear an answer from her mistress and started to feel afraid. What was the meaning of this?! Did her mistress n to sacrifice her? She was an extremely selfish person and she had gotten used to having the privilege of a first-rank maidservant... She would only do something that could gain her a benefit, so their rtionship wasn¡¯t based on loyalty at all.

    She would choose a master which brought her the most benefits.

    The maidservant didn¡¯t want to be sacrificed and decide to give her mistress a hint... they were in this together. If she sold her out, she would do the same as well!

    "Mistress, what should WE do?" She repeated the question and emphasizing the ¡¯we¡¯ part. She didn¡¯t believe that her mistress didn¡¯t understand the meaning. We... as they were in this together! If she had said ¡¯what should I do¡¯, it meant that she would take the me for herself. Why should she do that?!

    "Don¡¯t worry! Everything would be fine! They are just bluffing... there is no way to check the residue!" Her mistress answered confidently and it made the maidservant sighed in relief. In truth, the former was just lying so that the maidservant would shut her mouth before the other found out.

    The mistress looked around carefully, checking whether someone was currently paying attention at her or not. She didn¡¯t know that whatever she did, it wouldn¡¯t escape Yao Ling¡¯s eyes who was beside her. Whenever she looked around carefully, Yao Ling always seemed to be focused on Concubine Xi¡¯s corpse and there was a terrified expression on her face. She sneered when she looked at the weak Yao Ling and confident that thetter wouldn¡¯t notice anything.

    The mistress pulled out a small needle from her sleeve when she saw that the maidservant had rxed her vignce and paid no attention to her. She was going to stab her fatal point with the needle so that she would be dead --- a dead person couldn¡¯t talk so it would be safer to kill her first. Even if they found the residue on her hands, so what? They couldn¡¯t connect it to her anyway.

    Her hand was trembling but it was better than to let Wang Luo Hai know her deeds! No! She would survive again this time! She had never killed people before but she didn¡¯t mind to do it for the first time as long as she could be free from the suspicion.

    Yao Ling knew she had to prevent her from killing the maidservant, otherwise, she would miss a good showter. Thus, she tugged at the mistress¡¯ sleeve and asked in a soft voice, "Are you okay? Why do you look so pale?"

    The mistress jumped up in surprise because she didn¡¯t think that Yao Ling would talk to her all of a sudden. They weren¡¯t even close enough to each other! Why did she pretend to be a good girl at this point?! The way Yao Ling looked so worried and it made the other party¡¯s speechless.

    Fortunately, the needle was still covered by her sleeve so she didn¡¯t think Yao Ling could see what she was doing. She hid the needle back to its original ce as soon as possible with her still-trembling hand and forced a smile, "I¡¯m fine... No need to worry about me."

    Yao Ling nodded her head and smiled at her.

    The mistress sighed in relief when she found that nothing was amiss from Yao Ling¡¯s expression. She gritted her teeth, needing to find another chance to kill the maidservant before the shadow guard came back while bringing the water in.

    It would be the end of her of that happened!

    Yao Ling pretended to look at another thing, but every time the mistress was going to pull out the needle, she kept interfering and it made the mistress really want to throttle Yao Ling so that thetter could shut her mouth and let her do the killing as soon as possible!

    "Why are your hands trembling if you are not afraid? Come on! Let me hold your hand so that you can calm down!"

    Yao Ling said that when she was going to stab the needle and it almost touched the maidservant¡¯s fatal point. Not only that, but she also took her hand and held it tightly. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t the hand that was holding the needle all along.

    "I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯m talking too much... At least, it will reduce my fear!"

    Yao Ling smiled at her when she said that and it made her want to p the annoying smiling face.

    "Where are you going?"

    Yao Ling said that when she was going to find a good chance to get closer to the maidservant because she had to stand closer to Yao Ling due to thetter¡¯s nagging.

    "Are you really okay?"

    And so on.

    And so on.

    Those were some things that Yao Ling had said. The woman was so angry because Yao Ling kept gluing herself to her and making her miss several good chances --- she was sweating so badly because of her fear and anger!

    All in all, Yao Ling was annoying her to death!

    The matriarch heard their interactions but she didn¡¯t prevent them from happening, after all, it was good if their talk could calm Yao Ling¡¯s nerves --- she was thinking for the baby¡¯s sake and didn¡¯t feel that their behavior was suspicious.

    Only Yao Ying knew the truth and he really wanted tough when he saw the anger in the mistress¡¯ expression. He really wanted to apud Yao Ling for her quick thinking...

    When the mistress knew that the shadow guard was almost there, she became even more agitated because she hadn¡¯t solved the maidservant yet! She wondered why did the n go wrong?! She had calcted everything!

    She knew the weakness of the poison from the person that sold it to her --- it was easy to prove who used it because of the residue, but she had thought because it was hard to be determined what kind of poison it was when the target had been killed, no one would be able to find out the poison¡¯s name and she would easily escape the responsibilities. Who knew that the master had a poison master as a shadow guard?!

    This was called unlucky! Not only that but she had chosen a pig teammate which wanted to sell her out the first time they met trouble like this!

    However, it was toote to regret it!

 Chapter 420 She Is Fine, Right?!

    The shadow guard finally came in and the mistress knew that she had missed the chance to kill that maidservant. She really needed to think of a way out at this moment! The more distressed she was, the happier Yao Ling was. When people weren¡¯t in their calmest minds, they tended to make a mistake and she couldn¡¯t wait for that to happen.

    The mistress felt like Yao Ling was mocking her with her gaze and smile. ¡¯Does she know something?¡¯ She thought to herself. It made her feel nervous, after all, she didn¡¯t want Wang Luo Hai to hate her. However, she shook the thoughts away --- what kind of things a vige girl would understand?!

    The mistress mocked Yao Ling back with her gaze...

    Yao Ling saw her mocking gaze and it infuriated her, thus, she smirked at the mistress. She was feeling like taunting her which made the mistress¡¯ heart beat faster. Did she really know something?! The more Yao Ling behaved this way, the more nervous she was.

    The mistress really wanted to stab Yao Ling with her needle as well, but she knew that this wasn¡¯t the right time yet. Even if Yao Ling perished right at this moment and she felt happy, she would be killed as the evildoer as well so she wouldn¡¯t get any benefits at all!

    She gritted her teeth in fear... No! She should stop thinking about killing Yao Ling!

    Yao Ying found the mistress¡¯ expression trulyical, he wondered how Yao Ling was able to hold back herughter ah~?! It was like they were watching a pstickedy. He shook his head inwardly but he paid close attention to them --- just in case, the mistress tried to do something funny to Yao Ying.

    Sometimes, desperate people could do crazy action. It was better if he got ready before something happened.

    Once the shadow guard came in, the mistress had no choice but to think of a new n. The more nervous she was, the more her head became nk --- she couldn¡¯t find a sound n at all, until her eyesnded on Yao Ling and her eyes sparkled with happiness.

    Didn¡¯t everyone always like her? If something happened to her... they would be in a panic, right?!

    When her gazended at Yao Ling, the mistress smirked to herself, then, she pretended to fall down. She deliberately fell onto Yao Ling and pushed her down. She wanted to make amotion, so people would look at Yao Ling --- instead of her. She didn¡¯t think that the n would be effective because she didn¡¯t know about Yao Ling¡¯s pregnancy and this was merely a gamble for her.

    What would she lose if she tried this n? Nothing!

    "Argh!" Yao Ling said loudly when she felt that she was being pushed. She didn¡¯t think that the mistress was bold enough to do this to her! She quickly covered up her stomach with both of her hands, trying to protect it from the impact.

    People quickly looked at her and jumped up in surprise when they saw that Yao Ling was going to fall down. Wang Luo Hai and the matriarch quickly stood up and tried to save her as well but they were too far away from her and could helplessly look at her falling down.

    The mistress wanted to get a chance to kill the maidservant, so when all of this happened, she quickly pierced the needle to the maidservant¡¯s fatal point. Thetter¡¯s eyes were widened in surprise and she looked at the mistress in hatred. She didn¡¯t think that the mistress was such a cruel person!

    However, before she could say anything else, she was already losing her breath. The maidservant fell down in a thud, dead. This was covered by themotion that was created by saving Yao Ling!

    When Yao Ling was falling down, Yao Ying quickly saved her before shended on the ground in a thud. His heart almost stopped beating due to fear! They could lose the baby ah~! He wondered why did people keep targeting at their baby? However, he was pretty sure that this woman didn¡¯t know that Yao Ling was pregnant!

    Yao Ying realized that she did it for a chance to do something to the maidservant, even if he knew, he didn¡¯t care --- the most important thing was Yao Ling¡¯s safety!

    His gazended at the mistress and thetter pretended to be worried, however, they could see that the maidservant had already died. ¡¯Damn!¡¯ He cursed inwardly.

    Yao Ying used his eyes to talk to Wang Luo Hai. Thetter took a look at where Yao Ying¡¯s gazended for a brief moment and he could see that the maidservant had died. He gritted his teeth and told his shadow guard to handle the matter.

    Yao Ying knew that Wang Luo Hai would take care of that matter so he sighed in relief. He asked Yao Ling softly, "Are you okay?"

    "I¡¯m fine..." She said softly. Her heart was beating faster but she quickly tried to calm herself down. She quickly looked down and when there was no blood trail, she sighed in relief.

    Because of this, she looked at the mistress in hatred! If she wanted to cook up some nasty ns, Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t even care --- unless it was like just now! Her n involved her and her baby! She quickly cried and asked pitifully, "Why... Why did you push me?" There was a hint of ruthlessness in Yao Ling¡¯s eyes because she was beyond angry at the moment, however, she covered it with her weak look.

    She wanted to look as pitiful as possible.

    Others might not know, but the matriarch and Wang Luo Hai understood what Yao Ling had implied.

    The mistress paled when she heard this. She thought that this vige girl was usually behaving really well --- a simple sorry would suffice so she would let her go after identally pushing her! Why did she turn it into such a big deal?! It was like she wanted to kill her baby or something like that!

    The mistress could only grit her teeth and looked down guiltily, "I¡¯m sorry... It was just an ident! I slipped just now..." She could only appease Yao Ling for now.

    It was embarrassing for her to apologize to a younger person but what else she could do? She saw how Wang Luo Hai and the matriarch looked at her with a sharp gaze... Why?! Why did he care so much about this stupid girl?!

    The matriarch looked down and saw that there was nothing down there that could make her slip. Was she deliberately pushing Yao Ling? What was the benefit for her?! She knocked her cane to the ground angrily and yelled, "How could you be so careless?!"

    The mistress was surprised because even the matriarch who was always doted on her was scolding her. The woman didn¡¯t even really fall to the ground! Her husband saved her!! Even though she was being resentful, she could only swallow her grievance.

    She couldn¡¯t help but say, "She is fine, right? Besides, it was just an ident! Why are you cornering me because of such a simple matter! Yao Ling is still young, I¡¯m sure she¡¯s in good condition. You are in good condition, right... Yao Ling?"

    The mistress tried to put all this to Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t answer her but she looked down in defeat. She knew that she had to give the mistress a face, after all... she was...

 Chapter 421 What A Lie!

    Madam Wang. Her supposed-to-be current legal mother-inw!

    Yes, the one who wanted them to be dead was Madam Wang all along! She was a possessive woman and didn¡¯t like Wang Luo Hai to put her attention to another person! Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t really know her possessive way because she covered it up really well.

    Yao Ling actually had a guess about this matter before but she didn¡¯t want to make Wang Luo Hai and the matriarch sad. After all, her position was far different from those concubines. It would be easy for them to handle the concubine, but she was the legal wife! Yao Ling was pretty sure that their feelings ran deeper towards Madam Wang.

    She also felt a loss at what to do --- the only thing that she could do was to tear off Madam Wang¡¯s mask!

    At first, she hoped that she was wrong as well! But, well... the truth was like this, so she had no choice but ept that Madam Wang might really hate her and Yao Ying so much. If not, why did she send assassins to kill them?!

    Yao Ling knew that she needed to act at this time so that people would pay attention to Madam Wang¡¯s weird behavior. The more Yao Ling pretended to look weak, the more people pitied her. Besides, Madam Wang didn¡¯t really look repentant, but instead, she looked quite domineering! It made her look like an unreasonable and wicked stepmother.

    The matriarch furrowed her eyebrows. "Ruo An... What are you doing?" Was it so hard to give a simple apology to Yao Ling? Fortunately, Madam Wang didn¡¯t know about Yao Ling¡¯s pregnancy, if she knew and still as unreasonable as this, she would certainly punish her without giving her any face! To the matriarch, a descendant was far more important than a petty woman¡¯s jealousy ah~!

    She had epted Yao Ying and Yao Ling, so Madam Wang should also know her own ce!

    "Mother... It was only an ident! Why are you all so overreacted?!" Madam Wang was too angry and she forgot that she should maintain her amiable appearance in front of others.

    "You... You...!" The matriarch pointed at her in anger but she couldn¡¯t blurt out the truth and say that Yao Ling was pregnant. Yao Ling saw that something was wrong with her grandmother. It seemed like if the matriarch continued to be angry, she would feel dizzy and in the end, fainted.

    Yao Ling quickly went over to the matriarch and patted her back. "Grandmother... It¡¯s fine... I¡¯m fine... You don¡¯t need to get angry..." She tried to calm her down. Yao Ling heard that the matriarch¡¯s health wasn¡¯t really goodtely and she didn¡¯t want anything to happen to her backer ah~!

    The matriarch waved her hand and looked at Yao Ling lovingly. "I¡¯m fine... No need to worry about this old woman..." She sighed and wondered where the virtuous Madam Wang was gone. Her image was shattered at this moment.

    Wang Luo Hai scolded Madam Wang with a re. "Shut up! Can you stop making a fuss?! If you are in the wrong, just say sorry! Why are you talking so much and making Mother angry?!" Wang Luo Hai was famous for being filial and yet, his wife had just done the opposite!

    Madam Wang could only hold back her tears, feeling that she was being wronged with how everything turned out, and after thinking a little while, she was too embarrassed to stay there and it was better if she went out of this ce as soon as possible --- besides, this was a good chance to run away from her own crime scene. Hence, she decided to walk to the door¡¯s direction.

    Wang Luo Hai felt that his legal wife¡¯s behavior was really out of character today! When he saw that she walked to the door, he quickly asked, "Where are you going?"

    Madam Wang¡¯s body stiffened, but she still answered him, "I¡¯m going out of here!"

    Wang Luo Hai was speechless at how childish she was! Everything hadn¡¯t finished in here and Concubine Xi¡¯s body hadn¡¯t gone cold yet, but she wanted to go out all of a sudden?! And what? Leave everything behind?! She was supposed to be the person in charge! The one who managed their manor... how could she be so selfish?!

    Wang Luo Hai felt like everything looked like a joke!

    Yao Ying sneered to himself. How could he let her go that easily after doing this to Yao Ling and their baby?! If Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t talk, then he would be the one who talked --- after all, it could be said that he was the young master here, right? Thus, he quickly said, "Mother... we still have things to solve! How could you leave here? How... How would people look at it?" He wasn¡¯t Yao Ling, so she didn¡¯t need to beat around the bush to say what he wanted to say.

    The matriarch felt he didn¡¯t question anything wrong and she was also reminded that Madam Wang was supposed to be in charge. The one who died was Wang Luo Hai¡¯s concubine, shouldn¡¯t she show anypassion? Instead, she was still making a fuss.

    Madam Wang had no choice but to turn back and go back to where she sat down just now. She asked quietly, knowing that it wasn¡¯t time to lose her temper once again, "Didn¡¯t Luo Hai already take care of it? I... I can¡¯t stand the gory sight."

    Yao Ling sneered. She was able to kill without batting her eyshes, and now, she said that she was scared? What a lie!

    Wang Luo Hai and the matriarch were toozy to bother with her, anyway, the most important thing was to find out the murderer. "Don¡¯t all of you feel that something was amiss?" Wang Luo Hai asked in a low voice.

    Yao Ying nodded, "One of the maidservants has died..."

    The others were taken aback because most of them were too focused on Yao Ling and they didn¡¯t pay attention to the surroundings. This was the effect that Madam Wang wanted --- she smirked inwardly, thinking that her scheme had worked perfectly!

    The matriarch nodded her head. "I also saw it... She died right after Yao Ling fell down..." She identally saw it from the corner of her eyes, so it was actually by chance.

    Madam Wang sweated. She was afraid that the matriarch was able to see what she did...

    Wang Luo Hai asked, "Mother, do you remember who stood the closest to that maid?"

    The matriarch shook her head. "I¡¯m too busy helping Yao Ling... I didn¡¯t pay any attention after that..."

    Madam Wang sighed in relief.

    Wang Luo Hai called over the shadow guard that had juste in with the water.

    "Yes, Master?"

    "Check on that deceased maidservant¡¯s hand, see whether there was any residue of the same poison that Concubine Xi had inside her body," Wang Luo Hai ordered.

    "Yes, Master."

    Indeed, people could see by themselves that the color of that maidservant¡¯s hands and the water turned to purple. It was a piece of irrefutable evidence.

    Wang Luo Hai said with a sigh, "It seemed like someone killed her to shut her mouth when she saw a chance just now..." Everyone knew that he was referring to themotion.

    Everyone looked at each other while waiting for what Wang Luo Hai would do next.

 Chapter 422 It Was Really Her...

    Wang Luo Hai asked his people to check on the maidservant¡¯s corpse carefully --wanting to know the reason for her sudden death. She was clearly fine just now so she must have been murdered to shut her mouth. He wasn¡¯t stupid and started to know that his women weren¡¯t as harmless as how they looked like on the surface. He gritted his teeth in anger --- even though he didn¡¯t really love them, they were still his women ah~! They should have thought of him before doing something.

    They even dared to kill someone right in front of him. Such a woman, what else she wouldn¡¯t dare to do?! How could he ept such a vicious woman?! If he knew who it was, he wouldn¡¯t keep such a crazy woman inside his manor! Wang Luo Hai vowed to himself in annoyance.

    Some of the shadow guards quickly investigated it in front of everyone but they couldn¡¯t find anything amiss from her body even though they had searched thoroughly. Yao Ling knew that the needle that Madam Wang used was very thin and it would be hard to discern it with naked eyes. It was still possible to be found if the people who investigated it knew what they were looking for, but if they didn¡¯t know, she was pretty sure that they would miss it --- just like now.

    Thus, she felt like she had to give a hint to the others. Yao Ling whispered a few words to Yao Ying¡¯s ears and thetter nodded his head in agreement.

    "Why don¡¯t you try to see whether there is a needle mark somewhere on her body?" Yao Ying asked carefully. "Preferably the right side of her body..." He added after thinking for a little while. Wang Luo Hai¡¯s men seemed to understand what he meant and they quickly searched for the needle mark.

    When Madam Wang heard this, her whole body was trembling in fear. She wanted to go out to find a chance to throw away the needle, however, it was toote now. Something was shing in her eyes --- she needed to do something. She nced around, trying to think of something.

    However, when her gazended on Yao Ling, she saw thetter look at her intently while smiling eerily. At this point, she started to understand that Yao Ling really knew something. Which part that she knew? Concubine Xi¡¯s death? Her assassination? Or the maidservant¡¯s death?

    ¡¯That bitch!¡¯ Madam Wang thought to herself in hatred. She wouldn¡¯t let herself lose to a vige girl! It seemed like she was really underestimating her... She needed to think of a way out by looking around and tried to find a chance to do something.

    While Madam Wang was cooking up another desperate n, Wang Luo Hai paid more attention to Yao Ying¡¯s words just now. "Needle mark?" Wang Luo Hai asked carefully.

    Yao Ying nodded his head while trying to gauge Wang Luo Hai¡¯s reaction. He wanted to see whether Wang Luo Hai would behave partially or not.

    "Why? How do you know that?" Wang Luo Hai asked in suspicion. Wang Luo Hai needed to know the reason because he felt that the couple must have known something. He didn¡¯t think that they were the mastermind, but they must have already known the perpetrator. Otherwise, how could they be so sure that there would be a needle mark on the maidservant¡¯s body?

    "Father, can I talk to you about it in private?" Yao Ying asked politely. He didn¡¯t want to let the matriarch know because he was afraid that her heart couldn¡¯t take it. No matter what, he could also see how much she doted on her daughter-inw.

    Wang Luo Hai nodded his head. He knew that the culprit was inside the room and it must be hard for Yao Ying to tell him in front of the others. Somehow, he had a bad feeling about this. "Sure... we can talk behind the screen..." He said in a low voice while taking Yao Ying to the ce that he meant.

    The dining hall was a big room and there were several screens that were used to separate the main dining hall with a few small rooms. For example, the ce that they went in was prepared for the matriarch if she wanted to rest and they already prepared a Luo Han bed there...

    "Tell me..." Wang Luo Hai turned around and ordered Yao Ying in a low voice.

    Yao Ying hesitantly said, "Father, you won¡¯t like what you are going to hear..." He needed to warn him beforehand.

    Wang Luo Hai sighed. "It¡¯s okay... Just tell me..." He had already prepared his heart, besides, he had already gone through so much... What kind of things that he hadn¡¯t seen ah~?!

    Yao Ying exined, "When Yao Ling was falling down... she was able to see everything from her point of view. The one that deliberately pushed her was Madam Wang..." He trailed off in thest part.

    "Wait a minute! Did you just say deliberately?" Wang Luo Hai asked while furrowing his eyebrows. "Tell me with more details..."

    Yao Ying felt ufortable as well but oh well... it implicated his wife ah~! If he continued to let Madam Wang be, he didn¡¯t know what kind of things she would do next time. He wanted to eradicate everyone that brought danger to his family!

    "After pushing her down, Yao Ling was able to see that Madam Wang pulled out the needle and stabbed it to the poor maidservant. It was a brief moment but she could see it clearly. If you don¡¯t believe us, you can check it from the position. Who was the closest to that maidservant at that time? And... because the needle mark was on the right side of her body, well... the culprit should be standing at the right side, right?"

    They both knew that the only one who stood there was Madam Wang. The other concubines were standing a bit far from the maidservant and also, on the left side.

    Wang Luo Hai sighed in defeat. It was really her... Madam Wang ah~!

    He shook his head in defeat, feeling sad. After thinking for a little while, he decided to say a few points to Yao Ying. He decided to harden his heart because she had made her feel disappointed over and over again.

    "We still need to find the needle mark to prove it, not only that... that maidservant wasn¡¯t Madam Wang¡¯s personal maidservant, but instead, she was Concubine Lan¡¯s personal maidservant," he exined.

    Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry when he saw Yao Ying¡¯s surprised and dumbfounded expression.

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Shouldn¡¯t he at least cover up a little bit for his wife? Why did he look so sad and yet, do nothing? Instead, he was talking about the way to prove that it was indeed Madam Wang¡¯s doing... Was there something that he didn¡¯t know about?

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity and asked, "Why...?" He wanted to know the reason!

    "Why what?" Wang Luo Hai asked while raising one of his eyebrows.

    "Why didn¡¯t you look surprised? Not only that... why didn¡¯t you try to protect Madam Wang?" Yao Ying asked in confusion.

 Chapter 423 It Wasnst Me!

    Wang Luo Hai sighed when he heard the question. He didn¡¯t know how to answer Yao Ying because it was painful for him as well! He could merely say, "This isn¡¯t the first time she has done this kind of thing..."

    Yao Ying looked at him in surprise, "And, you let her be?!" He didn¡¯t mean to judge Wang Luo Hai, but in his eyes, thetter was a wise man and honestly... wasn¡¯t stupid... but why did he keep such a vicious woman beside him all this time if he already knew that she wasn¡¯t as nice as how she looked like on the surface?

    Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t want to say anything else to divulge the truth. "You will know after we find the evidence and confront herter... I¡¯m also feeling tired of protecting her..." Wang Luo Hai finally admitted. He wasn¡¯t a patient person, to begin with, but for her, he had been holding himself back for several times. However, she went too far this time...

    It seemed like there was no need for him to protect her anymore...

    When he knew that Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t want to tell him, Yao Ying didn¡¯t force him --- after all, this was indeed his private matter. As his son, he couldn¡¯t meddle in that matter as well... Thus, he could only nod his head --- it was up to Wang Luo Hai how he wanted to deal with Madam Wang.

    He asked because he was merely curious about the reason. Love? Errr... he doubted it because he knew that Wang Luo Hai was still in love with Jiu Lan even after so much time had passed. He could see it from his eyes when he knew that Yao Ling was Jiu Lan¡¯s adopted daughter.

    Once they finished their talk, they went out of the side room.

    Madam Wang was sweating badly and wondered what they were talking about. They didn¡¯t know that it was her, right? She couldn¡¯t let Wang Luo Hai know! She quickly went to Wang Luo Hai and asked in a soft voice. She was fluttering her eyshes at him in a tempting way and asked, "Husband... what are you talking about?"

    Just like what Yao Ling had predicted before, the more people panicked, the more they would behave out of character. Madam Wang was generally an aloof person who rarely meddled in Wang Luo Hai¡¯s business --- besides, she must have known that they were talking about the case, so it wasn¡¯t her position to ask about this matter...

    Wang Luo Hai merely looked at her with a hint of disgust in his eyes. However, Madam Wang wasn¡¯t able to see the disgust, but she was still feeling ufortable with the way he looked at her... "Wh -- What?" She asked in a low voice.

    "Nothing..." Wang Luo Hai turned his gaze away and said once more, "There¡¯s no need for you to know. It¡¯s about work-rted matters. Just deal with your own job... shouldn¡¯t you calm down the others first?"

    Madam Wang flinched for being rebuked just like that but she still smiled amiably. "Yes, Husband. I will do my job..." Even if she was angry, she couldn¡¯t show it. Indeed, she had forgotten to behave just like usual. She should have appeased the matriarch and the concubines, but she was too scared and forgot about it...

    Once Wang Luo Hai used work as a reason, Madam Wang knew that there was no chance for her to know what they were talking about. At least, it was better than talking about this case. She thought that she was clever enough and thought that she didn¡¯t need to hide the needle.

    She quickly went over to the matriarch and said in a soft apologetic tone, "Mother, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just too shocked just now and not doing my job really well..."

    The matriarch patted the back of Madam Wang¡¯s hand, knowing that this wasn¡¯t time to throw a tantrum. Even though she was feeling dissatisfied with Madam Wang, she didn¡¯t let it show on her face. However, she didn¡¯t bother to talk to her, only nodding her head in acknowledgment.

    Yao Ling sighed when she saw the scene in front of her, feeling that each one of them really knew how to act. To her who used to behave straightforwardly, it was kind of a pain to look at.

    "Found it!" One of the shadow guards suddenly yelled, turning everyone¡¯s attention to him.

    Wang Luo Hai quickly asked him while standing up, "The needle mark?"

    "Yes, Master..."

    The shadow guard looked at Yao Ying in awe, making thetter didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. The former didn¡¯t really believe in Yao Ying¡¯s guess at first but in the end, the young master was the one who guessed it correctly. It was pretty ufortable to receive the praise on behalf of someone else¡¯s deed. He could only awkwardly give a nod to the shadow guard.

    Wang Luo Hai checked the needle mark carefully himself and it was consistent with Yao Ling¡¯s story. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Madam Wang¡¯s work. He stood up and asked in a chilling voice to the crowd, "Who stood the closest to this maidservant in the first ce? It seems that I have been too lenient to all of you! You even dare to kill right under my nose without caring about the consequences."

    Concubine Lan quickly said, "Master, it¡¯s not me! She¡¯s my personal maidservant... how... how can I kill her?" Concubine Lan didn¡¯t know that her personal maidservant had been bought by Madam Wang a long time ago. She was only a lowly person and that maidservant was her sworn sister --- everyone in Wang Fu knew about their rtionship and how Concubine Lan doted on the maidservant.

    "Where did you stand just now?" Wang Luo Hai asked.

    Concubine Lan didn¡¯t dare to lie and told him the exact position. Yes, she was the closest but she stood on the left side of the maidservant so she shouldn¡¯t be the one who did it and she also said that Concubine Wan was beside her. Both of them were in tacit understanding the first time in their life and honestly admitted that they didn¡¯t find each other doing anything suspicious.

    They knew that they didn¡¯t want to be the scapegoat ah~!

    Madam Wang didn¡¯t like where this was going, after all, she was also standing the nearest to the maidservant. Just now, their personal maidservants were scattered all over the room and only three of them were the main suspects!

    She quickly said, "But she is your personal maidservant, I bet she must have been listening to your instructions all along. You are the one who told her to kill Concubine Xi, right?" Madam Wang didn¡¯t hesitate to attack Concubine Lan with her words.

    "What?! No! It wasn¡¯t me!" Concubine Lan quickly denied. Just now, she was also feeling surprised when the shadow guard found the residue of the poison on her maidservant¡¯s hands! She turned around to Wang Luo Hai and kneeled down, "Master... someone must have wanted to frame me... I really know nothing... You know how I am, Master... Please give me justice, Master!"

    Honestly, if Yao Ling didn¡¯t see it for herself, she also thought that Madam Wang¡¯s n was really good. She was using another person¡¯s personal maidservant to do her bidding. The main suspect? Of course, the master of the deceased maidservant ah~!

 Chapter 424 Her Subtle Hin

    Wang Luo Hai hadn¡¯t said anything from the very beginning when he was the person that was supposed to be in charge of handling this matter, and yet, Madam Wang didn¡¯t stop from trying to attack Concubine Lan with her verbal argument. Wang Luo Hai was in disbelief because he didn¡¯t seem to recognize the aggresive woman in front of him at all.

    He had never seen her this way and started to realize that she might have been putting up an act all this time.

    Yes, the inner courtyard was under her supervision, but once there was a murder or somethingplicated like this happened, it was Wang Luo Hai¡¯s turn to be in charge. Wang Luo Hai could only shake his head inwardly. Until now, she still wanted to frame another person... She even dared not to give him a chance to talk --- it seemed like she really didn¡¯t put him in her eyes at all.

    Wang Luo Hai wanted to see how far she would go.

    "Master... Master... please help me... Not me... It¡¯s really not me..." Concubine Lan was still begging him while sobbing. With Madam Wang¡¯s usations, she could be killed as the punishment ah~! Her only chance of survival was Wang Luo Hai --- she hoped that he could give her the justice that she deserved.

    Madam Wang shook her head sadly and said to Concubine Lan --- not giving a chance for Wang Luo Hai to talk at all, "How could you do this, Concubine Lan? The husband was right in front of us and yet, you dared to kill twice inside this room... This was actually a happy asion ah~! However, you ruin everything! How... How could you be so cruel?!" She cleverly changed her aggressive voice into a soft and sympathetic one...

    Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and Wang Luo Hai who already knew the truth were all looking at her like she was a clown... They were looking at her in amazement. She still dared to say all that despite being the real culprit! If they didn¡¯t know better, they would have fallen into her act!

    Concubine Wan felt that something wasn¡¯t right even though her mind wasn¡¯t that bright. She clearly saw that Concubine Lan didn¡¯t do anything just now and yet, Madam Wang kept pushing the me to her. She didn¡¯t know whether it was because Madam Wang had a guilty conscience or she just wanted to remove an obstacle? It was quite fishy...

    Yao Ling saw Concubine Wan¡¯s confusion and saw this as a chance! It would be the time for her to provoke something between them ah~! She already got Wang Luo Hai¡¯s permission to clean up Wang Fu, so it should be fine...

    Yao Ling quickly said in a worried tone, "Mother... why don¡¯t you sit down and calm yourself down? I¡¯m sure Father will handle this matter well... It¡¯s not good for your body to be that agitated."

    The matriarch agreed with Yao Ling. "You should sit down and let Wang Luo Hai handle this matter..." She warned softly.

    Yao Ling¡¯s words had double side meaning --- it was either she was trying to make Madam Wang stop meddling in and reminding her that it was Wang Luo Hai¡¯s job or she was being filial and feeling concerned about Madam Wang¡¯s condition. She had learned a lot from their banters and knew that she had to be able to fight with words as well.

    On the other hand, Concubine Wan was still indecisive previously because she didn¡¯t know who she should help at this time. She saw both of them as her rivals and almost wanted to choose Madam Wang as her ally so that she could have a leisure life after this. If she had a better rtionship with the legal wife, wouldn¡¯t her life would be better after this? At least, there would be an increase in her monthly allowance.

    However, if only she was the only one left as the concubine, wouldn¡¯t it be easier for Madam Wang to crush her under her feet in the future?! After all, she was the legal wife... She couldn¡¯t fight her all alone --- actually, the three of them were able to maintain their positions because there was a tacit understanding between them to maintain the bnce inside Wang Fu.

    If she was able to topple her over from her position, she would still able to fight Concubine Lan because both of them didn¡¯t really have a strong background. The way Yao Ling called her as Mother... reminded her of this thing! She almost made a big mistake!

    Concubine Wan already made a decision in her heart and even thanked Yao Ling inwardly for reminding her. She quickly kneeled down and said to Madam Wang in a righteous tone, "Madam Wang, I can vouch that it wasn¡¯t Concubine Lan¡¯s doing. I stood right beside her all the time and she really didn¡¯t do anything. Honestly speaking, didn¡¯t that maidservant stand closer to you if I remember correctly?" She trailed off at thest part, seemingly afraid to say the truth.

    Concubine Lan didn¡¯t know why Concubine Wan helped her but she knew that there must have been a reason behind that and she believed that it might be a selfish reason for her own benefits. However, she was still feeling grateful nheless. After all, she was the only one who had spoken on her behalf. Her words might be able to save her.

    Madam Wang was angered to death when she heard what Concubine Wan had just said. ¡¯So... that bitch wanted to fight with me, huh?!¡¯ She thought to herself in annoyance. How dared she?! It seemed like she had treated her too well all this time --- she even dared to oppose her at this crucial time!

    Madam Wang pped the table out of anger and asked, "What?! So, you are using me, huh?! do you think that I am the one who killed those two?! Are you crazy?!"

    Concubine Wan quickly lowered her head, pretending to be in fear. "No, of course not, Madam! I... I was just saying what I¡¯ve seen honestly... I didn¡¯t mean anything... I just thought that maybe you saw something weird back then, after all, you were the closest one to that maidservant..." Concubine Wan quickly said. "I... I don¡¯t know who did that because I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes... I just want everyone to know our positions before based on my memories... Nothing else..."

    Even though she looked like that she was in fear, in actuality, Concubine Wan was sneering inwardly. At least, she didn¡¯t directly use Madam Wang so thetter couldn¡¯t really me her. She was pretty sure that everyone must have understood her subtle hint, however, whether she was sessful or not in creating a discord, it still depended on Wang Luo Hai¡¯s decision.

    If he wanted to protect this woman, there was nothing else that she could do. Concubine Wan knew that she was the one who chose to gamble in this matter so she would ept the result willingly, besides, she was merely telling the truth.

    What could Madam Wang do to her?! She really wanted to see who would be the winner this time!

 Chapter 425 Should I?

    Wang Luo Hai pped the table as well and it was far louder than Madam Wang¡¯s p just now --- everyone flinched when they heard that and there was even a sign of crack at the table! Yao Ling took a peek at the table and wondered whether Wang Luo Hai¡¯s hand was in pain or not --- if she remembered correctly, he didn¡¯t have any martial art skills...

    ¡¯Ouch!¡¯ She thought to herself while flinching inwardly. However, she understood his feelings. He must have been feeling betrayed by Madam Wang and yet, the woman was still behaving like this... She didn¡¯t seem to feel guilty at all --- honestly, it showed how many times she had plotted something bad before...

    Yao Ling paid more attention to Wang Luo Hai¡¯s expression and it seemed like he was full of hostility and hatred.

    "Do you all think that I¡¯m dead?!" Wang Luo Hai asked in a loud voice. "I haven¡¯t talked yet and you dared to fight in front of me!"

    Madam Wang and the concubines quickly shut their mouths. They didn¡¯t dare to make a sound when they saw how angry Wang Luo Hai was. They waited for him to talk in silent. Wang Luo Hai pointed at his own women indifferently before finally talking.

    "All of you wait on the outside here first! Yao Ling was being pushed down so she had no chance to do that while Yao Ying was helping her, besides, he stood the furthest away from Concubine Xi --- so they aren¡¯t the culprit. My mother isn¡¯t idle enough to kill Concubine Xi out of nowhere, so the culprit should be one of the three of you."

    It sounded reasonable to them but they still felt unreconciled --- especially the ones who didn¡¯t do it! They felt like they weren¡¯t being trusted but they knew they could do nothing.

    The three women¡¯s face became paler and quickly tried to refute him, however, his piercing gaze made them quietly shut their mouth. He went back to the side room where he had juste out from and said, "Concubine Lan, youe with me first!"

    Concubine Lan could only stand up with the help of a maid. She was feeling slightly dizzy because she kept banging her head on the ground to prove her innocence just now. She followed him meekly. When she came out, her expression was quite solemn which made Madam Wang sweated in fear even more.

    Madam Wang felt that everything was getting out of hand. She was feeling afraid because she didn¡¯t know what kind of things that those two would say or what kind of questions that Wang Luo Hai asked them. If they were talking in the open, at least, she would know how to fight and defend herself while searching for a way out!

    After Concubine Lan, it was Concubine Wan¡¯s turn. What they said was still the same as before and Wang Luo Hai knew that they weren¡¯t lying. After all, he already knew the truth beforehand.

    The only one left was Madam Wang. When she went to the side room, she felt her whole body sweating even though she was still smiling softly on the surface. Everything didn¡¯t go well and for the first time, she felt afraid to be alone with her husband. She tried to hide her trembling hands underneath her sleeves.

    She had to get through this hurdle! She could find a chance to kill Yao Ying and Yao Ling another time! Yes, the woman still didn¡¯t repent even up to this moment.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling looked at each other, feeling curious at how Wang Luo Hai would deal with this. Why didn¡¯t he judge her in front of all of them? Did he n to help her once again? Yao Ling felt unreconciled and she called Xiao Yu over. It would be best if she had another preparation.

    Yao Ling asked for the matriarch¡¯s permission, saying that she wanted Xiao Yu to bring her tonic and the matriarch knew what it was all about. It was for the baby, so of course, she gave her permission despite the concubines¡¯ inquiring eyes. Even if they had questions, they wouldn¡¯t dare to ask at this time. They didn¡¯t want to bring more troubles to themselves.

    However, they merely thought that the tonic would be given to the matriarch.

    Yao Ling gave Xiao Yu an instruction while she also wanted her to bring Liu Li back --- she had confirmed that Liu Li¡¯s master who had abandoned her was Madam Wang as well. Wasn¡¯t this a good time for Liu Li if she wanted to get her revenge? She knew that she had so much hatred for Madam Wang inside her heart.

    She wanted to kill her, then she would also fight her to the death!

    Xiao Yu merely got the signal but she already understood what Yao Ling had meant. They had prepared this for a long time and their people kept giving Liu Li the best treatment so she could be used when the time was right. Of course, Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t abandon her even after she didn¡¯t have any use anymore. After all, there were a lot of jobs that could be given to her as long as she didn¡¯t try to stir up any trouble again.

    Yao Ling looked the side room intently once again, wondering how the talk between the couple went.

    Wang Luo Hai asked Madam Wang, "Where did you stand just now?"

    "I... I don¡¯t remember..." She said in a low voice while looking down.

    "Howe?"

    "I... I identally fell onto Yao Ling and I was in a panic, so I didn¡¯t really pay attention to where I stood..." Madam Wang answered while looking like that she was feeling sad.

    Wang Luo Hai felt that Madam Wang was actually really smart --- even though she had used it wrongly. "Why did you push her?" Wang Luo Hai asked softly.

    Madam Wang was taken aback. "Push? No, I wasn¡¯t pushing her... It was an ident..."

    "How?"

    "I slipped..."

    "Slipped because of what?"

    "I... I don¡¯t know... I don¡¯t really remember..." Madam Wang lied without batting eyshes. "Are you doubting me?" She asked in a low voice and put up an expression of being wronged. She tried to look as pitiful as possible.

    Wang Luo Hai looked at her with inquiring eyes, "Should I?"

    Madam Wang almost choked on her own saliva when she heard his answer. After all, she didn¡¯t expect him to question her back. She hoped that he would answer that he would always believe in her, but in the end, she got a surprising answer.

    "Of course, you shouldn¡¯t!" Madam Wang quickly answered.

    "Why?" Wang Luo Hai asked once again.

    "Because I deserve it!" Madam Wang said confidently. She added, "I have never betrayed you and I will always be loyal to you..."

    "But... it didn¡¯t stop you from killing people and scheming behind me, right?" Wang Luo Hai asked emotionlessly.

    "Wha --- What?" When Madam Wang heard Wang Luo Hai¡¯s words, she was feeling dumbfounded. She would never think that he would ask her something like this! No... judging from his tone, he wasn¡¯t asking her... it seemed like he was sure of it.

    ¡¯What... What actually happened?!¡¯ She thought to herself.

 Chapter 426 Better Than Anyone Else?!

    "What are you talking about? I have never done that before!" Madam Wang pretended to be innocent and she still asked confidently without any shame, "Did someone try to frame me?! Don¡¯t believe in those concubines! I really have nothing to do with this matter! We have be husband and wife for so many years, you should know me better than anyone else!"

    Wang Luo Hai felt like he was looking at a joke. Better than anyone else?! He felt like he didn¡¯t even know her anymore! She used to be so gentle and pure, and yet, she became full of jealousy and vicious woman...The one thing that he didn¡¯t realize was when did this thing start to happen... He realized it toote.

    Of course, he knew her better than anyone else! He wasn¡¯t stupid or blind! It was just he pretended not to know anything as long as she didn¡¯t push his limit. They had be husband and wife for a long time, so feelings towards her... he still had it, even though it wasn¡¯t the feeling of love.

    "Do you think that I¡¯m that stupid and can¡¯t differentiate between right and wrong?" Wang Luo Hai threw another hard question for Madam Wang to answer. He was toozy to y words with her --- he wasn¡¯t the woman of inner courtyard who liked to talk around the bush! It was better to be straightforward and deal with this matter as soon as possible.

    "No... of course not!" She quickly denied. Madam Wang tried to gauge his expression but his indifferent face was really hard to understand. She didn¡¯t know whether he was really angry or not.

    "Then... do you think you can lie to me forever?" Wang Luo Hai asked in a sharp voice. His voice was quite loud so the people outside were looking curiously to their direction. They wished that there was no partition to see everything that happened inside clearly. It seemed like Madam Wang had made the master angry. Did it mean... she was the culprit?!

    ¡¯What happened in there?¡¯ All of them had the same question in their minds.

    "Hus... Husband... What do you mean? Why are you being like this... You really make me scared!" Madam Wang said in a low voice while her body started to tremble in fear.

    Wang Luo Haiughed bitterly at her. "Do you know why I want to question all of you one by one?"

    "Why...? To catch the culprit, right?" Madam Wang asked while answering him with the obvious.

    Wang Luo Hai was really amazed at how she pretended to be stupid even until this moment. Didn¡¯t he already give her enough hints up until now that he already understood everything?! He could onlyugh bitterly in disappointment while muttering to himself, "You are so shameless!"

    "What?" Madam Wang asked because she couldn¡¯t hear what he said clearly.

    Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t bother to repeat his words because he knew that it was meaningless. "Not only to catch the culprit... But also for you," he finally admitted.

    Madam Wang was taken aback. "For me?" She took it the wrong way and her previous fear was gone, instead, it was reced with happiness. She didn¡¯t understand that it was all for her, sheughed happily, "Thank you, Husband. I know that you always treat me well..." She blushed shyly.

    Wang Luo Hai merelyughed. "Yes, I always treat you well but you don¡¯t cherish it. This is thest thing that I can do for you as your husband."

    "What do you mean by thest thing?! I don¡¯t cherish it?! When? I always cherish you!" Madam Wang asked in a loud voice. Yao Ling heard her words as well --- she really wanted to peek in ah~! On the other hand, Yao Ying was able to hear everything clearly with his sensitive ears.

    "I want you to maintain your dignity until the end," Wang Luo Hai answered in a stoic face. "Whether you cherish it or not, you know it yourself. You be so greedytely..."

    He didn¡¯t want other people to see her fall down from grace. If he wanted to deal with her, it would be so easy... After all, even though her family was quite powerful, he could still crush them under his feet with his hidden power... It was just... he still thought of her as his legal wife.

    "What... What dignity?" Madam Wang asked in a stutter --- she had a bad feeling about this.

    "Do you still need to pretend to be oblivious?"

    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m not pretending ah~!" Madam Wang denied.

    "I know that this isn¡¯t the first time you did something so vicious!" Wang Luo Hai decided to drop the bomb to her.

    "No, of course not! I swear... I never did anything vicious at all! I... I would never lie to you..." She quickly kneeled down while biting her lower lip in despair, she faltered at herst words but she had decided to lie until the end so she tried to strengthen her stance. The only thing that she could do was to deny every usation! She didn¡¯t want to be implicated! She knew that she would lose her position as the legal wife if Wang Luo Hai knew everything.

    Wang Luo Haiughed bitterly. "I couldn¡¯t even believe in your oath anymore..." It seemed like he really shouldn¡¯t hope for her to change.

    "Wh --- What?" Madam Wang stared at him dumbly. "What do you mean?! Why couldn¡¯t you believe in my oath?!"

    Wang Luo Hai looked at her with ruthless eyes and pped her on the cheek. He was really sick of her now! Madam Wang gasped in surprise while holding her cheek with teary eyes, "Why... Why did you do this?!" This was the first time Wang Luo Haiid his hand on her --- he used to be very gentle to her!

    "Don¡¯t you know about it yourself? You are the one who killed that maidservant, right?! Not only that, but you are also the one who told her to kill Concubine Xi before that! You are so good ah~! You even bribed Concubine Lan¡¯s personal maidservant! You better stop ying games with me... Tell me the truth now!" Wang Luo Hai used her without beating around the bush!

    "I... I..." Madam Wang was going to deny it once again when Wang Luo Hai said, "If you lie to me once again, I will use my everything to crush your family until they are finished!" Wang Luo Hai knew her Archilles heel was her family --- she had a beloved younger sister that she had doted on because she had no children herself and that sister of hers would get married into a good family soon. If he ruined her family, then it would also mean killing her little sister --- after all, thetter¡¯s reputation would certainly be ruined as well. How could her soon-to-be husband want her?

    Madam Wang paled when she heard this.

    She knew that Wang Luo Hai had already known everything. After knowing that, she decided that there was no use for her to pretend anymore. She stood up and admitted everything with her vicious re at Wang Luo Hai, "Yes! I did it! I did it all! Ha - Ha - Ha!"

    Madam Wangughed like a lunatic!

 Chapter 427 Already Got My Revenge

    Madam Wang said everything in a loud voice and didn¡¯t even care if the people outside would hear her or not --- and indeed, they had heard everything clearly. The matriarch was surprised when she heard this, "What?! How could she... do this?!" She couldn¡¯t believe her ears.

    Such a sweet woman, how could she do such a vicious thing?! She even dared to kill using her own hands! The matriarch had been through a lot of experiences and known about the inner battle courtyard as well, but as far as she knew, no one had dared to dirty their own hands --- this was really a first! Even she... she wouldn¡¯t dare to kill with her own hands.

    If she used other people¡¯s hands, she didn¡¯t see the killing herself so at least, her life would still be peaceful...

    Yao Ling could feel that the matriarch¡¯s breath turned into disarray and the former knew that her heart must have been broken, after all, she had just found out the truth herself. It seemed like Wang Luo Hai took this matter seriously because he didn¡¯t cover up her past crime. She thought that maybe... Liu Li¡¯s presence wasn¡¯t really needed.

    Yao Ling patted the matriarch¡¯s back. "Grandmother, we should just listen to everything first, maybe she would finally tell Father the reason as well... Calm yourself down..." She didn¡¯t forget to massage the correct acupuncture points so that the matriarch could be more rxed when she heard more about the truth.

    "Or, do you want to go back first? I will tell you all about it to youter?" Yao Ling offered.

    The matriarch waved her hand. "No need... It¡¯s better if I hear about it myself..." She wanted to know what kind of things that Madam Wang had done behind her all this time. If other people were the ones who told her this, she wouldn¡¯t believe it. It was better if she knew the truth sooner!

    "Grandmother... if you want to stay here and listen to them... promise me to calm yourself down, okay?" Yao Ling quickly tried to ensure her health by asking her to pay more attention to her state of mind.

    The matriarch nodded her head because she understood Yao Ling¡¯s concern. Somehow, it warmed her heart to know that someone still cared about her and not faking her concern. "I know..."She forced a smile.

    She looked around to the people inside the room and said in a stern voice, "All of you... go wait outside!"

    The matriarch didn¡¯t want this news to leak out so she asked all of the maidservants and servants to go outside and bring the concubines along with them --- she only let Yao Ying and Yao Ling stay inside the dining hall. They had be the legal children and above of all, she trusted them. The others had no other choice but to go out of the room even though they were curious about the conversation.

    The concubines were feeling unreconciled but what else could they do?! They were smirking inwardly because it seemed like today was Madam Wang¡¯s doomsday. After thinking about it, their moods turned for the better.

    Yao Ying, Yao Ling, and the matriarch continued to listen in to the conversation inside withplicated expression on their faces.

    "Why?" Wang Luo Hai asked in a choked voice. He could see that there was a mixture of disappointment and hatred deep in her eyes. He didn¡¯t think that he had done something wrong to her --- he always treated her well!

    "Ha -- Ha -- Ha!" Sheughed out loud like a lunatic. "Do you really need to ask me why?! How could you not understand my heart?! It seems like I really waste my youth for you! You have never thought about me in your heart, right?!"

    "What do you mean?" He asked in annoyance. What about her heart?! It was her heart that was ck enough to kill people around them easily! How could she me everything on him?

    "In your heart, you only have that stupid Jiu Lan! Then, what am I? I have been your wife for so long and you don¡¯t even put me in your eyes! No matter what I do, you never love me back!" The woman used him of anger.

    Wang Luo Hai tilted his head to the side. "Before we got married, I already told you everything... I love another woman and it would be hard for me to love another one. Didn¡¯t I already make it clear to you?! What do you expect?"

    For a man who used his logical thinking, he knew that this was just a marriage without love and as long as he had given and provided everything, she should be satisfied! However, for a woman who used her emotional side, how could she not love him deeply more and more after spending a lot of time with him? Not only that but they also had an intimate rtionship --- of course, the woman would expect more.

    This was actually the result of different perspectives and feelings...

    "I expect your love! Until I be crazy! I¡¯m the silly one, thinking that I¡¯d be able to make you love me as long as I tried hard enough!" Madam Wang said the thorn inside her heart. She had been wanting to vent her anger and talk about this for a long time --- it seemed like today was the right time to do that.

    Wang Luo Hai shook his head andughed bitterly. "If I had known that you will be greedy, ask for too many things, and finally turn into ... this... vicious woman, I wouldn¡¯t marry you back then." He didn¡¯t even want to get married in the first ce and that was also the reason why he proposed those conditions to Madam Wang --- and she had agreed!

    The matriarch sighed when she heard this. Was this all her fault? She forced Wang Luo Hai to get married and forget about his love for Jiu Lan... When he agreed, she had thought that he finally gave up his love --- it seemed like it was only her wishful thinking. They even had such an agreement behind her back...

    Did she also the one who made Ruo An turned like this? The matriarch felt really guilty inside her heart...

    Madam Wang talked once again, "Ha - Ha - Ha! It is toote for you to regret it! You have hurt me over and over again and I already got my revenge!"

    Wang Luo Hai answered quietly, "I know..."

    Madam Wang was surprised by his words but she didn¡¯t put it into her heart, because she knew... if he knew everything, he wouldn¡¯t let her off. Why would he bother to wait until this time to reveal everything?!

    "What do you mean by knowing? Do you know that I was the one who..." Madam Wang was going to tell him her revenge back then.

    Wang Luo Hai directly cut her off. "The one who gave me the infertile medicine...?" He asked in anger.

    The first time he knew about this back then, he was beyond angry and became numb. He couldn¡¯t have his own children and it was the biggest shame for a man. He really wanted to kill her!

 Chapter 428 Raised An Ingrate

    The matriarch gasped. "What?! It was all her doing?!" She used to think that it was Wang Luo Hai¡¯s enemy doing. Who would have thought that the culprit was actually one of Wang Luo Hai¡¯s women? Usually, they were fighting to have children with their husband ah~! Howe Madam Wang want to kill off their offsprings just like that?!

    What she couldn¡¯t believe even more was the fact that her son had long known about it... why didn¡¯t he do anything about it?! Instead, he let her stay as his wife until now! What kind of situation was this? She didn¡¯t understand! Really, really did not understand!

    The matriarch felt like she really had raised an ingrate! After all, she had known Ruo An ever since she was a little girl and always doted on her. Seeing her as a kind and sweet girl, she pushed Wang Luo Hai to marry her because she knew how much Ruo An loved Wang Luo Hai. But why?!

    However, what she disappointed in the most was the fact that she had such a stupid son! Why didn¡¯t he tell her about this matter?! He didn¡¯t even deal with it properly!

    She was so angry that she stood up and rushed over to the side room, not caring about what Yao Ying and Yao Ling would think about her --- besides, they should understand the reason why she was so angry. The matriarch had totally lost herposure due to her anger. "What did you say?!" She asked Wang Luo Hai. "Did she really the one who gave you the drugs?!"

    "Mother..." Wang Luo Hai trailed off. He forgot about her presence --- he was too angry just now! "Mother, calm yourself down!" Wang Luo Hai tried to persuade her.

    How could the matriarch calm down after she heard everything just now?!

    Without a second thought, she raised her cane and beat Madam Wang with it. No one was able to stop her in time because Wang Luo Hai was too surprised. On the other hand, Yao Ling was also shocked by how this matter turned out. What kind of crazy woman would give her own husband such medicine?! Was she really crazy?! Yao Ying felt that it wasn¡¯t his ce to meddle in this matter so he continued waiting for them outside of the room.

    Wang Luo Hai wanted to stop her but he knew that his mother was beyond angry and he could only look helplessly at Yao Ling. However, Yao Ling merely watched on the side at how the matriarch beat her ferociously and didn¡¯t seem to have a n to stop her. After all, it served Madam Wang right!

    So in the end, it was Wang Luo Hai who pulled the matriarch back because he was afraid that there would be a mishap. Who knew his crazy wife would be angry and push his mother? It would make the matter even worse.

    "Mother... you don¡¯t need to bother with her! Let me deal with her!" Wang Luo Hai persuaded her in a soft soothing voice so that she wouldn¡¯t be too agitated.

    The matriarch turned her gaze to Wang Luo Hai in disbelief and looked at him with teary eyes. "You? Deal with it? If you deal with her sooner, we won¡¯t be pierced from the back by her until now. She made you infertile and could never produce an offspring. And yet, she still didn¡¯t feel satisfied! She also wanted to kill Yao Ying and Yao Ling whom you have recognized as your legal children. In the end, what is her goal and why didn¡¯t you kick her out after you knew the truth?! Why do you let her keep her position until this moment?!"

    Madam Wang also wanted to know this point ah~! She thought he didn¡¯t know so her position was still as strong as ever. Who knew that he actually knew?!

    Wang Luo Hai couldn¡¯t answer the matriarch¡¯s question, after all, he had his selfish motives as well. "This..." He stopped midway and sighed helplessly.

    Madam Wang didn¡¯t even make a sound when she was being beaten but she red at the matriarch in hatred --- Yao Ling could see how stubborn she was from her expression. It was better if she let the matriarch sit a bit far from her. Madam Wang currently looked a bit dangerous.

    "Grandmother... please sit down first! Why should you dirty your hand by doing this? Let Father talk to her! I¡¯m sure that she will tell everything soon," Yao Ling slightly quipped at Madam Wang, pointing at her like a dirty thing. The woman had been so angry, so of course, she would vent her anger and say everything that was inside her mind to them. Besides, what she said just now must have provoked the woman as well.

    Yao Ling nced at her and Madam Wang¡¯s re was directed at her.

    Fortunately, the matriarch was willing to listen to Yao Ling and finally sitting down despite her anger. She waved her hand and said to Wang Luo Hai, "Continue..."

    Wang Luo Hai, "..."

    Honestly, he felt ufortable when his mother kept looking at him with a piercing gaze... It made him remember the memory of being punished by her when he was a little boy. However, he had no other choice. He turned to Madam Wang and asked, "Why did you give me the medicine? Didn¡¯t you always want a child of your own?"

    Madam Wang wiped the blood that was flowing down at the corner of her mouth and looked stubbornly at Wang Luo Hai. "Why? Ha - Ha - Ha! You don¡¯t even know why! I feel so silly for loving you all this time!"

    The more they talked, the more Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t understand what Madam Wang actually wanted. "I don¡¯t know!"

    "Because you are jealous of the concubines?" Yao Ling decided to help Wang Luo Hai and asked. Wang Luo Hai was really too oblivious about the matter of the heart.

    Madam Wang looked at Yao Ling in disdain. "They are just mere concubines. Why should I put them in my eyes? Besides, I know Wang Luo Hai doesn¡¯t have any feelings for them."

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Why did Madam Wang look at her in disdain? She was a neer in this household, how could she know who loved who ah~?! She didn¡¯t even want to be involved in this matter in the first ce!

    "But I¡¯m pretty sure that it¡¯s because of your petty jealousy, right?" Yao Ling asked once again.

    "Ha! You are correct! I¡¯m afraid that if one day... Jiu Lanes back, what would be of me?! He still keeps her picture somewhere in his library... I saw him looked at it with a longing look a few times and it made me angry!" Madam Wang admitted.

    "It¡¯s only your imagination. Even if shees back, she already has her own husband --- General Lin, so what¡¯s the connection between the infertility of father and Jiu Lan? Don¡¯t you think that your thoughts are a bit too farfetched?" Yao Ling asked but she didn¡¯t directly tell her that Jiu Lan was actually her mother because it would certainly add another trouble for her.

    She looked apologetically to Wang Luo Hai, after all, she would hurt his feelings by saying that. She understood that he was really in love with her mother...

 Chapter 429 Deranged

    Wang Luo Hai waved his hand, telling her that he didn¡¯t mind because it was the truth. Jiu Lan had never loved him and he knew that perfectly clear. In her eyes, there was only that hateful General Lin. It was him, the one who couldn¡¯t let go of her. Besides, he had never thought to force her to be his woman.

    Madam Wang said while crying like a lunatic while pointing at Wang Luo Hai, "What if Jiu Lan falls in love with him and they have children together?! It would drive me crazy!"

    Yao Ling indeed felt that Madam Wang was a bit deranged! It was such illogical thinking! How could she expect Jiu Lan toe back when she had been gone for so long?! She wondered whether someone was trying to put those thoughts inside Madam Wang¡¯s mind. It seemed a bit weird...

    Yao Ling asked in confusion, "But... it¡¯s only what if... Why do you live in fear of her shadow? If you clever enough to seize the chance and have a son, everything might turn differently. Father can even dote on us even though we are not his biological children. If he had his own children, wouldn¡¯t he love his children as well? From the way I see it, Father is a family man..."

    The matriarch and Wang Luo Hai nodded their heads in unison. That was the perfect description! Didn¡¯t she want to catch Wang Luo Hai¡¯s heart? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for her if she had a son with him? Why did she do the opposite thing instead?

    Madam Wang couldn¡¯t refute anything when she heard this. After a little while, she red at Yao Ling, "No... even if I have children, he would still love that bitch!"

    Wang Luo Hai almost wanted to p her once again, fortunately, Yao Ling stopped her.

    "But you also kill your own chance to have children with father... At least, with children around, you won¡¯t feel so lonely and your imagination wouldn¡¯t run wild..." Yao Ling said in a soft voice, asking the thing that everyone had been wondering about.

    Madam Wang turned pale because of that and she finally said, "It was a miscalction on my part..." She realized her mistake after she had given him that medicine, it was her impulsive moment and she also wondered why she had done that back then! However, there was no medicine for regret... she could only swallow her grievance by herself.

    Wang Luo Hai shook his head. The funny thing was... she had never stopped ming him for not having a baby --- his eyes and ears were everywhere inside this mansion, so how could he not know what she thought about?!

    Yao Ling was dumbfounded. It was either Madam Wang who was stupid, too impulsive, or under other people¡¯s persuasive. The matriarch wouldn¡¯t even consider her as Wang Luo Hai¡¯s wife candidate if she was stupid. She believed that it must have been between thest two choices. But in her mind, no matter which option, for her, she was just a weak and stupid woman for doing something so outrageous.

    Yao Ling came over to Madam Wang, pretending to help her sit down, but she actually touched her pulse and tried to feel something from there.

    "Why are you helping her?" The matriarch asked in surprise. "Be careful!" She was afraid that Madam Wang would push Yao Ling just like before. She wanted to pull Yao Ling back but she was just too weak to do that. After she was hit by so many news at once, she could feel that her body weakened.

    Yao Ling believed that Madam Wang wouldn¡¯t dare to push her. Just now, she pushed her because she wanted to find a chance to kill the maidservant --- she wouldn¡¯t dare to harm her in front of everyone. Besides, Yao Ling needed to make sure whether Madam Wang was an impulsive person or not.

    Yao Ling said, "Father, Grandmother, Madam Wang is still my legal mother... It will be better if we let her sit and talk everything out. Once she is deemed guilty, it won¡¯t be toote to do something to her..." She pretended to be graceful while she looked deeply into Madam Wang¡¯s expression.

    It was actually a gamble... If Madam Wang was really an impulsive person, she would certainly push her. It was fortunate that Yao Ying was waiting for her outside, or else, he would certainly scold her for being careless and taking such a risk.

    Her gamble was worth it because Madam Wang didn¡¯t push her --- she just looked at her, feeling dumbfounded. It seemed like she wasn¡¯t an impulsive person. Madam Wang wondered what kind of game that Yao Ling yed at this moment. Shouldn¡¯t she feel happy when her enemy was gone?

    Why did she help her at this crucial moment?!

    Yao Ling wasn¡¯t that nice but she had a selfish motive --- she just wanted to find out whether there was something weird in her body. It seemed like she wasn¡¯t being poisoned... then what? Any sane person wouldn¡¯t make such a rash decision.

    She felt that something was really weird --- her reasoning was illogical but she seemed to be sober when she had done all that... Until finally, she found something weird on her pulse... It was only a subtle feeling and it was gone in a heartbeat. If she didn¡¯t pay attention carefully, she would have missed it.

    However, this was the only abnormality that she had so she guessed that this might have been the reason.

    When Yao Ling looked up, she saw Wang Luo Hai was looking intently at her. It seemed like... he understood something. Yao Ling tilted her head to the side and asked Wang Luo Hai, "Do you know about this matter as well?"

    Wang Luo Hai knew that Yao Ling had medical skills which she kept as a secret, so Yao Ling must have understood the reason why he continued to keep his silence even after knowing the truth. "I know..." Wang Luo Hai said while nodding his head. He silently looked at her, telling her that this was the reason he could do nothing to Madam Wang.

    Yao Ling sighed and went back to the matriarch¡¯s side. If it was like this, she had no other choice but to keep her silence as well. It was better if Wang Luo Hai was the one who handled this matter. She didn¡¯t dare to meddle in it.

    The matriarch saw their exchange and felt confused. She grabbed Yao Ling¡¯s hand and asked, "Yao Ling ah~! What is actually going on?"

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know how to answer the matriarch. She finally answered, "Grandmother, it would be better if Father is the one who tells you all about it. I don¡¯t really understand too..." Yes, she didn¡¯t fully understand why it was like this as well... She didn¡¯t lie about it.

    The matriarch wanted to ask another question but after looking at Madam Wang, she knew that this wasn¡¯t the right time to do that. She didn¡¯t want to talk any secret in front of that deranged woman.

    If the matriarch could see their exchange, Madam Wang could also see. "What...? What are you talking about?"

    Yao Ling took a peek at Wang Luo Hai and see what he would do next.

 Chapter 430 His Verdic

    Wang Luo Hai really got a headache, but he knew that he wouldn¡¯t let Madam Wang continue staying at Wang Fu. However, he didn¡¯t really have a piece of direct evidence that she did all that. Fortunately, she confessed on her own just now.

    However, about the thing that Yao Ling had found out just now... it was the only reason that he was feeling hesitant to kick her out. He couldn¡¯t use that reason to do anything to Madam Wang and he didn¡¯t have a good reason... until now!

    Yao Ling looked helplessly at him because he knew that he was in predicament as well. Who knew that this matter would include those kinds of bigger things? Thus, she didn¡¯t dare to push Madam Wang about the infertility matter.

    At this time, Xiao Yu had finally brought Liu Li in. Yao Ying saw that things had turned into a stalemate inside, thus, he deliberately let Liu Li into the side room --- of course, he called Yao Ling over and asked for Wang Luo Hai¡¯s permission as well. He didn¡¯t know what Yao Ling had found out but he knew that it must have been something big from the way she acted.

    Yao Ying could only wait patiently outside while listening to everything from there.

    When Liu Li came in, Madam Wang looked at her in a surprise, "What? Howe you are here?! Didn¡¯t you already...?" Once she realized that she almost said something that shouldn¡¯t be said, she quickly shut her mouth.

    Liu Li was a pawn that she had used before and neglected after. She thought that she must have been perished or something --- after all, she had been hit a lot of times and should have be a cripple. How could she be here? Besides, her condition was better than ever, judging from the clothes that she wore.

    Yes, Liu Li was a cripple, but at least, she had a good life because of Yao Ling. Thus, she had promised herself to be loyal to the young mistress. She knew that she came here because Young Mistress wanted her to tell the truth in front of everyone and she was more than happy to do so. It was a good chance for her to get her revenge as well.

    It was a win-win solution for both of them.

    Wang Luo Hai looked at Yao Ling in confusion, but thetter convinced him that this Liu Li would be able to help him reach a decision soon --- or better yet, a conclusion. Wang Luo Hai was also helpless because he felt that it was hard to talk to Madam Wang when she was being like this and that was the reason why he agreed to try Yao Ling¡¯s method.

    Thus, they didn¡¯t prevent Liu Li from talking. Yao Ling gave a signal to Liu Li so that she would do what she should do. Of course, Liu Li was feeling grateful for this chance. She looked at her former master ruthlessly. She hated Madam Wang to the core for abandoning her after being so loyal to her all this time.

    "Why do you seem so afraid to see me here, Madam Wang?" Liu Li asked in a mocking way. "Do you feel afraid that I will tell everyone what you wanted me to do back then? And also, what did you promise me back then as well?" She didn¡¯t bother to beat around the bush.

    The matriarch asked in a sharp tone, "Don¡¯t tell me that she is the one who told you to seduce Yao Ying in the first ce?" She could clearly remember what happened back then. This woman was the maidservant that had received flogs after failing to seduce Yao Ying.

    "Yes, Old Madam," Liu Li answered the matriarch politely. She still knew who held the power in this room so she should respect thetter. "Madam Wang is the one who instructed me to do that."

    "Why?" The matriarch asked. "What kind of n that she had cooked up this time? What kind of promise that she has given you?!"

    Madam Wang¡¯s whole body was trembling because it seemed like everything would be out in the open. "She¡¯s lying!" Madam Wang tried to defend herself.

    Wang Luo Hai nced at her and said, "We will find out the truth soon... Why do you look so agitated if you did nothing wrong?"

    Madam Wang couldn¡¯t refute that statement and could only look down in despair. Finished! She was finished!

    The matriarch became impatient and repeated her question once more, "What kind of thing that she has promised you?" The matriarch asked while massaging her forehead once more. Her headache was getting stronger each time she heard more bad news.

    "She promised me that once I was able to seduce the young master and be her concubine, she would be my backer. Not only that but... if I¡¯m able to give birth to a boy, he would be the sessor. She had only one requirement --- she would be the one who raised my son in the future," Liu Li exined everything in one breath.

    She was just a lowly maidservant, how could she not be tempted when she got such an offer? She could climb to the top and if his son had be the sessor, she would get all the glory in the end.

    The matriarch didn¡¯t know what to say. This was the first time that she knew how ambitious Madam Wang --- she even nned that far. She was still alive and healthy, but Madam Wang had already thought about controlling the power inside this household.

    Yao Ling asked in confusion, "Mother... why don¡¯t you think of that if you are in a good rtionship with me... you will also get the same thing... the same glory? Honestly... I don¡¯t understand why you hate me and Yao Ying that much... We never do anything to offend you, right?"

    They barely interacted with each other ah~!

    "Huh? You? How do I know that you will be sincere enough to me? At least, I can control Liu Li because she was my maidservant in the first ce. I just ced her at Concubine Wan¡¯s ce to spy on thetter. But you? I don¡¯t even know you. What if... after you raise in power, you will kick me out from Wang Fu?" Madam Wang asked with hatred.

    Yao Ling was speechless. She didn¡¯t think that they had ever done anything to offend this woman, but she kept thinking negatively towards them. It seemed like it was useless talking to this woman --- in the end, she couldn¡¯t change her mind and point of view.

    The woman was too narrow-minded and selfish!

    Wang Luo Hai wasn¡¯t that surprised because he already found out that Madam Wang was actually rotten to the core after everything that he had seen and heard just now. It was pointless to talk to her.

    This matter really could make him do something about that woman --- finally ah~! He nodded his head at Yao Ling, showing his gratefulness. Yao Ling nodded her head back in understanding.

    Wang Luo Hai sighed. "Madam Wang has no virtue and vicious so I will divorce her and send her back to her family..." He finally said his verdict loud and clear which surprised everyone who heard it.

 Chapter 431 A Divorce?!

    Divorce? Wow! This was really a surprising decision ah~!

    Even Yao Ling didn¡¯t think that Wang Luo Hai would go this far... It seemed like he was really fed up with Madam Wang... Yao Ling felt sympathetic towards Wang Luo Hai, then she turned to the matriarch and could only see her stoic face. If she was the old matriarch, she wouldn¡¯t agree to this divorce no matter what, but after knowing the truth, she didn¡¯t even try to put a stop on this.

    Indeed, Madam Wang was too vicious! She dared to kill left and right --- what else she couldn¡¯t do? Sooner orter, she might have targeted the matriarch.

    Madam Wang gaped at Wang Luo Hai. She didn¡¯t think that he would reach the decision to divorce her. In her thoughts, at most, he would probably just banish her to a secluded courtyard but she would still maintain her position as the legal wife --- the worst thing was she would be treated badly. After all, she also knew that Wang Luo Hai wanted to keep his face because the divorce could certainly affect his reputation out there.

    It would be too embarrassing for Madam Wang to be divorced for such reasons --- her reputation that she had built so far would be ruined. But... how could he?! How could he choose this kind of decision?! She knew that he didn¡¯t love her, but how could he dare to divorce her?! Why didn¡¯t he remember that she had apanied him and be his wife for more than a decade?!

    The woman was still arrogant even until this moment...

    If he really divorced her, how could she look at other people on the face?! It would be humiliating to death and she would be the joke in this city. If she went back to her family, her father would certainly kill her for bringing shame to the whole family and smearing their name!

    After all, she was the daughter of an official! His father always loved his face --- even more than his daughters. He was always good to her because Wang Luo Hai was wealthy and quite powerful in his own way. Without Wang Luo Hai¡¯s influence or her position as the legal wife, what would be of her?!

    "How could you? I will not agree to the divorce!" Madam Wang stood up and yelled at Wang Luo Hai like a shrew. "I will use my family¡¯s influence to suppress you! Let¡¯s see if you are able to do something to me!" She said in hatred, not bothering to pretend anymore. The woman was poor enough to think that her family was stronger than Wang Luo Hai¡¯s force.

    Wang Luo Hai sighed. "You have done a lot of wrong things and yet, it doesn¡¯t seem that you are being repentant. I don¡¯t need to mention how you gave me an infertile drug as the reason, but the fact that you wanted to kill Yao Ying and Yao Ling is a good enough reason to divorce you --- killing my offsprings!" Wang Luo Hai said sternly --- he had passed the stage of anger. He merely looked at Madam Wang in a chilling expression.

    "Offsprings? What kind of offsprings? They are justmoners! They aren¡¯t even your own children! Why did you choose a bunch of stupid vigers, huh? Do you really want to lower your standard that much?" Madam Wang yelled loudly while pointing at Yao Ling in disgust.

    "Their names have been written inside the genealogy book so they are considered my real legal children. If I bring this matter up to any judges, they will agree with the divorce. After the divorce, I will erase your name and find a suitable legal mother for them --- the one that would love and cherish them just like me! So... do you want a quiet divorce or and ugly one?!" Wang Luo Hai gave her two difficult choices with an indifferent expression. He was feeling tired of her unreasonable behavior!

    "And what? Let Jiu Lan upy my position when she came back?!" Madam Wang asked in between her crazyughter and cry! Her hope had been erased. This hateful man wouldn¡¯t even care about her if she died in front of him at this moment.

    The people who heard her were confused. Why did she keep mentioning Jiu Lan? Did she actually know something about Jiu Lan?! The woman wasn¡¯t even alive anymore!

    "Are you crazy? Why are you keep connecting this matter with Jiu Lan?! You reap what you sow! This is the result of your own doing! I already told you over and over again that Jiu Lan always loves Lin Zheng! Why are you alwaysparing yourself to her and then, bing jealous out of nowhere?!" Wang Luo Hai really wanted to throttle her!

    "Even if shees back, she won¡¯t be staying here and bing my wife! I had already exined to you before we got married that no one would be able to shake your position as long as you knew your ce! And what did you promise me?!" Wang Luo Hai asked. He knew that someone was using his wife but what hurt him the most was the fact that she never trusted or understood him!

    "If I didn¡¯t tell you before our marriage, it was my fault. However, I already gave you an exnation and you already knew what you would have gotten into after the marriage. Why are you still doing this?" Wang Luo Hai continued his rant.

    "Tell me! What did you promise me back then?" Wang Luo Hai kept pushing for an answer.

    Madam Wang opened and closed her mouth. "I... I..." She stuttered because what Wang Luo Hai had said was actually true! She was the one who stupidly trying to get his heart and fail miserably.

    "What did you promise me?" Wang Luo Hai repeated his question again.

    "I would always stay by your side forever and support you in everything you do... I wouldn¡¯t try to rece Jiu Lan in your heart..." Madam Wang finally admitted in despair.

    "Then... what went wrong?" Wang Luo Hai asked in a low voice sadly. No matter what Madam Wang upied a small part of his heart, after all, they had be husband and wife for so long. It was impossible not to have any feelings for her --- but still, it wasn¡¯t the feeling of love...

    "What went wrong? What went wrong?!" Madam Wang kept chanting to herself. It seemed like she was in shock...

    Liu Li hesitantly looked at Yao Ling. She wanted to say something but she didn¡¯t know whether she was allowed to.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" Yao Ling asked her with a questioning expression.

    "This servant... seems to have a guess about it, but this servant doesn¡¯t really know whether it¡¯s true or not..." Liu Li said.

    "About what went wrong?" Yao Ling asked, trying to make sure that they were talking about the same thing.

    "Yes..." Liu Li nodded her head.

    Madam Wang heard their conversation and red at Liu Li. "You are merely a servant. What do you know?!"

    They didn¡¯t pay any attention to Madam Wang. Liu Li sighed in annoyance at her former master and finally, Yao Ling gave her permission to talk after. "Just say it..."

    "I used to be best friend with Madam Wang¡¯s personal maidservant whichined to me whenever Madam Wang¡¯s younger sister came over for a visit..." Liu Li softly said.

    "What do you mean?" Wang Luo Hai asked, feeling rmed. It seemed like things really weren¡¯t that simple! Did this involve Madam Wang¡¯s family as well?!

 Chapter 432 A Be

    Liu Li exined that the maidservant hadined several times to her, although thetter didn¡¯t dare to say too much about her mistress¡¯ matter, Liu Li got the gist of it. They both knew that Liu Li was working for Madam Wang as well, hence she dared to say a thing or two to her.

    Madam Wang¡¯s personal maidservant had been serving her even before Madam Wang had gotten married and she already disliked the younger sister that Madam Wang had doted on the most. The younger sister seemed to be sly and have a hidden motive to get closer to Madam Wang!

    The maidservant could see the greediness inside Madam Wang¡¯s younger sister¡¯s eyes a few times, besides, she kept deliberately talking about Jiu Lan in front of Madam Wang --- even though she knew that it was a taboo. After all, she also knew that Madam Wang had always been jealous of the person that had been gone for a long time. Was it really nessary to bring her up every now and then in their conversation?

    However, the younger sister cleverly used her words and it always made Madam Wang hate Jiu Lan even more. The maidservant had tried to warn and remind Madam Wang several times about her younger sister but she got harsh rebukes because Madam Wang didn¡¯t believe her. That woman was too smart so even the cautious Madam Wang fell deeper into her scheme.

    Thus, the maidservant couldn¡¯t do anything about it and give up telling Madam Wang to be careful around the younger sister.

    Yao Ling asked softly, "Her younger sister? Doesn¡¯t mother dote on that person the most? Why would she try to get in between my father and mother¡¯s rtionship? She won¡¯t get any benefits even if they wreck their rtionship... Instead, she would lose a backer!"

    Wang Luo Hai reminded her, "She won¡¯t be your mother for long..."

    Yao Ling, "..."

    Er... That wasn¡¯t the maint point ah~! They were talking about the younger sister here...

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. It seemed like Wang Luo Hai really hated Madam Wang at this point and Yao Ling could only helplessly nod her head in agreement. She didn¡¯t know how to call her ah~! Maybe she should call him Madam Wang just like everyone else...

    Liu Li seemed a bit hesitant and said, "If the personal maidservant sees it based on their interactions... it should be that she wants to be a part of this family ah~! After all, the younger sister isn¡¯t really Madam Wang¡¯s blood-rted sibling --- she¡¯s only the daughter of a concubine. She must be jealous of Madam Wang. This is just spection... I also don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s true or not, after all, I only worked for Madam Wang for less than two years... I didn¡¯t interact much with the younger sister --- only a handful of times. My impression is that the woman isn¡¯t simple..."

    "Where is that maidservant?" Yao Ling asked.

    Liu Li sighed, feeling helpless. "She has been dismissed by Madam Wang under the younger sister¡¯s persuasiveness..."

    Yao Ling shook her head, seeing how muddleheaded Madam Wang was --- she even dismissed a loyal maidservant...

    "But the younger sister has been engaged with a pretty good family!" Yao Ling eximed.

    Wang Luo Hai answered this question because he knew that Liu Li might have not known the groom-to-be¡¯s condition. "Yes, it¡¯s an official family but the title isn¡¯t that high and most importantly, there¡¯s a gossip that they aren¡¯t that wealthy... They look morous from the outside but they have a money problem inside. The madam of that household doesn¡¯t really have the talent to manage the inner courtyard."

    Yao Ling nodded her head in enlightenment. "No wonder she tries to find another family to get married into..." However, she was quite vicious because she chose to betray the person that doted on her the most.

    Madam Wang merely snorted when she heard all that --- the woman wasn¡¯t only muddleheaded but also stubborn to the core. "I don¡¯t believe you!" She merely said that while frowning in displeasure.

    "How about we make a bet?" Yao Ling asked. She believed in Liu Li¡¯s judgment, besides, she didn¡¯t have any reason to lie at her.

    "What kind of bet?" Madam Wang looked at her in a distrustful manner. She took a peek at Wang Luo Hai and thetter didn¡¯t seem to mind Yao Ling¡¯s words --- it seemed like he was more indulgent of the little girl more than ever. If she knew that it was because he found out that Yao Ling was the daughter that Jiu Lan had raised, Madam Wang would certainly vomit blood in anger!

    Actually, Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t really change that much. He had already liked Yao Ling from the very beginning, he just liked her even more after knowing the truth...

    "It¡¯s only a simple bet. You seem to be sure about your younger sister¡¯s personality even though she had instigated you to do several stupid decisions. So, it¡¯s only to prove whether your younger sister has other motives or not..." Yao Ling said with a smile. "It¡¯s easy, right?"

    "This..." Madam Wang was speechless but she believed that her younger sister wasn¡¯t such a person. Even though she hesitated at first, she decided to go with it. "What do you want to bet about?" She asked in a low voice.

    Yao Ling looked at Wang Luo Hai and said, "Father, you should be the one who decides about the bet..." She just wanted to do this to ensure their divorce to go smoother than ever. Besides, he was a master of betting --- look at how many times he was ying around with General Lin ah~! They hadn¡¯t even confronted thetter about the pregnancy bet.

    Madam Wang¡¯s gazended at Wang Luo Hai.

    "If Yao Ling is correct, you will agree with the divorce. On the other hand, if you win, you can choose to stay as my legal wife. However, I will warn you first --- you won¡¯t get the previous treatment and I will take back your power over the household. In other words, it will be just an empty title," Wang Luo Hai said resolutely.

    Madam Wang gritted her teeth and thought to herself, ¡¯This is her chance! At least, she will be able to retain the title for now. She can make a n after that... She will slowly rise to power once again --- she¡¯s just bidding her time.¡¯

    Her hopeid on her younger sister.

    "Fine!" Madam Wang agreed. "How do you n to prove it?" She asked Yao Ling who came up with the idea.

    "It¡¯s pretty easy. We will just say you lose your power here and Father has banished you to a secluded courtyard. Don¡¯t worry! We will spread the news only to your family... I believe that they know about Liu Li as well, right? She will be the one who will bring the news to them..." Yao Ling said.

    Liu Li nodded her head in acknowledgment when Yao Ling looked at her. "Yes, Young Mistress. They know me really well..." Liu Li¡¯s words gave confirmation that Madam Wang¡¯s family seemed to have a hidden agenda...

    "And then?" Madam Wang asked. She didn¡¯t see how it was going to prove anything!

 Chapter 433 The Ugly Truth

    "If she has a hidden agenda, sooner orter, she will certainlye to our Wang Fu," Yao Ling said. "We could see it from her behavior at that moment whether she really wanted to be a part of our family or not."

    She still used a more refinednguage to describe the ugly truth about how the younger sister wanted to grab Madam Wang¡¯s husband, however, Madam Wang was still feeling offended by her words.

    Madam Wang frowned. "Of course, she will being for sure! She must have been worried about me and would ask your father to release me ah~! I don¡¯t believe that she woulde for that crazy reason!" She insisted.

    Yao Ling shook her head because she was indeed too naive.

    "It¡¯s up to you whether you believe us or not. You can see it for yourself whether she is worried about you or not when the time came, right? How? Do you dare to have a bet with me?" Yao Ling asked with a soft and yet, cunning smile.

    She didn¡¯t believe that Madam Wang wouldn¡¯t fall into her trap. It was better if she eradicated the dangerous person that kept trying to harm her family, especially with the babying. She already nned to find another woman for Yao Ying --- even before Yao Ling got pregnant ah~!

    What more if she was pregnant?!

    Hmph! For that reason alone, she wouldn¡¯t let go of Madam Wang.

    "How?" Yao Ling asked once again when Madam Wang didn¡¯t have the confirmation that she wanted.

    Madam Wang gritted her teeth and answered loudly, "I agree!" She would fight for her position in this household! It wouldn¡¯t be that easy to kick her out and the bet seemed to be easy for her to win.

    "Good!" Yao Ling said.

    And, the bet started just like that.

    The matriarch and Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t stop her because by looking at Yao Ling¡¯s determined face, they knew that she must have a n or she already made a detailed investigation about Madam Wang¡¯s family. Otherwise, how could she be so sure about the bet¡¯s result?

    They went all out when preparing for the bet. Fortunately, there were no maidservants or servants around so only a handful of people knew about their bet. It would be easier to make everything looked so real.

    Wang Luo Hai quickly arranged their servants to hastily go and prepare a secluded courtyard for Madam Wang to stay. It was simr to a cold pce for the Emperor¡¯s women --- a humble courtyard without any expensive decoration. Madam Wang would be getting a worse treatment for real from now on and could only take four personal maidservants at most.

    It made the household turned into a chaos, after all, it was a big news that the legal wife was being demoted and banished just like that. However, they were clever enough not to ask any question. However, people understood that the death of Concubine Xi and that maidservant must have been rted to Madam Wang somehow.

    Madam Wang¡¯s monthly sry would be cut off and the current household power would be taken back by the matriarch. They weren¡¯t going to give such a power to the concubines and Yao Ling was still too young to handle it by herself --- besides, she didn¡¯t have any experience in this area.

    The matriarch knew that she was getting older and easily getting tired nowadays, so she decided to teach Yao Ling about managing the whole residence slowly --- especially about the ount books. She didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to be tired because she was pregnant --- after all, she also needed to go back to work to Fu Rong as well.

    Her granddaughter was really too capable ah~! She was truly happy and yet worried for her at the same time.

    All in all, Yao Ling was a busy woman. She needed to manage her time well, especially because she needed to take care of her father and help her to search for Su Wan --- her real birth mother. And also, learning more about her newfound power. So many things to do with so little time each day.

    Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t a person that could stay idle anyway so she didn¡¯t feel too stressed out by it. Besides, Fu Rong had been fine when she was gone because of Wang Luo Hai¡¯s management and the system that she had created back then had been working nicely, so she just needed to check them out once in a while.

    After seeing how excited everyone to prepare the best for the bet, Madam Wang became so annoyed! However, she had no choice but have to agree with the mistreatment!

    "Spread the news as soon as possible!" Madam Wang said arrogantly towards Yao Ling. "I want her to save me in the shortest possible time as well."

    Yao Ling shook her head because she really didn¡¯t know where her confidence actually came from. It seemed like she really loved her younger sister or just purely blind. "I will," Yao Ling promised her. If she wanted to die earlier, then she would dly grant her wish.

    Madam Wang didn¡¯t fully believe in Yao Ling so she let one of her trusted maidservants to follow Yao Ling around when she handled the preparation of their bet to see whether she cheated or not from behind her back. Once the maidservant knew that Yao Ling really kept her promise, she reported everything to Madam Wang.

    "Hmph! It seems like she still has a little conscience..." Madam Wang harrumphed.

    In the end, the only thing that she could do was waiting for her younger sister. She had no way to contact her family because she was being monitored all the time. The only thing that she could do was to bet everything on her sister¡¯s body.

    Everyone asked whether Yao Ling was sure that she could win this bet and thetter smiled mysteriously. "I will... Don¡¯t worry! I have done my job..." She answered. They believed in her but they asked because they just wanted to make sure that everything was really alright. After listening to her assurance, they sighed in relief.

    Even if she lost, they wouldn¡¯t really mind it. Because the condition of the bet when they lost wasn¡¯t that bad. They had just to put up with the woman¡¯s presence inside their household.

    The news had been spread widely how Madam Wang had fallen from grace inside the household and Wang Luo Hai managed his people really well because no one dared to talk about it outside of their household. However, the servants in the household didn¡¯t dare to mistreat Madam Wang badly.

    They didn¡¯t know what happened but what if she raised to power once again? They would really get a bad ending if that really happened! It could be said Wang Fu¡¯s servants and maidservants were pretty clever.

    Liu Li directly went to Madam Wang¡¯s family and told them about the change of power inside Wang Fu. She acted really well by acting that she was scared because her backer was gone. Yes, they knew that Liu Li was one of Madam Wang¡¯s people, but they didn¡¯t know that she had been abandoned.

    To Madam Wang, the existence of her pawns wasn¡¯t really that important anyway. They really belittled the lives of their subordinates.

    "What?!" They asked in surprise. "What is actually happened at Wang Fu?!"

    There was no indication beforehand and yet, something this big happened out of nowhere!

 Chapter 434 Madam Wangs Family

    Liu Li merely told them about how she wanted to kill Yao Ying and Yao Ling but her n had failed and everyone had found out that it was all Madam Wang¡¯s n. Yao Ling had told her not to tell anything else --- especially about Wang Luo Hai¡¯s infertility.

    She didn¡¯t know whether Madam Wang¡¯s younger sister knew about it or not... Yao Ling was afraid that if this matter was known to her, the younger sister would back off. She was just doing prevention.

    There were only three people who were there when Liu Li told them the story --- Madam Wang¡¯s father, legal mother which was also Madam Wang¡¯s birth mother, and the younger sister.

    Madam Wang¡¯s father looked at Liu Li suspiciously, "Then, howe you are able to send the news here?" His suspicion was justified because he knew that no one outside of Wang Fu had known about this matter. The man was still arrogant enough to think that it was all because Wang Luo Hai was feeling afraid of his influence so his son-inw tried to cover up this matter so that he was oblivious about it.

    Liu Li sighed. "Madam Wang trusted this servant with this job because she has been monitored all the time. There is no chance for her to go out and this servant is not serving by her side at this moment --- my current master is Concubine Wan... Thus, this servant is allowed to go out." Liu Li knew that these three also knew where she worked at.

    "However... this servant couldn¡¯t stay too long here or people would find it suspicious," Liu Li added. She pretended to be in a hurry so that those three would believe in her.

    When Madam Wang¡¯s father nodded his head in understanding, she sighed in relief inwardly.

    Madam Wang¡¯s father furrowed his eyebrows and angrily smacked the table beside him. "What? Such a big thing happened only because my daughter was harming those two outsiders?! How could Wang Luo Hai abandon my daughter for those two¡¯s sake?! They have been husband and wife for so long!" He was really angered to death!

    In his eyes, adopted children were nothing! Inwardly, he thought about how he had such a stupid daughter... How could she let them find out that it was her doing ah~?! Such an easy matter and yet, she failed to do it perfectly!

    Madam Wang¡¯s influence was always so big inside her maternal family¡¯s household. After all, she was the one who managed Wang Luo Hai¡¯s ount book and the man was very wealthy... Because of it, he was very generous and had never checked the ounts himself --- he fully trusted Madam Wang. He already warned her beforehand though... as long as she didn¡¯t go overboard, she could handle it however she wanted.

    This was also the way he appreciated Madam Wang, feeling sorry that he couldn¡¯t love her back. Because of that, it was easy for Madam Wang to fake a few parts of the ount books so she could support her own family. However, it also made Madam Wang and her family greedier. The easier they got money, thezier they would be. It described Madam Wang¡¯s family really well.

    If she had fallen from grace, where would they get the money to support theirvish life ah~?! Yes, he didn¡¯t really care about her wellbeing, he just felt worried about his own life! Madam Wang already knew his selfish side, thus, she was afraid of being abandoned if she didn¡¯t bring any benefits for her family...

    The younger sister stayed silent the whole time when Liu Li reported everything and thetter deliberately paid attention to her expression. The woman looked so worried but a sly woman like Liu Li was able to see through her facade --- after all, they were both the same type of people --- selfish to the bone.

    There was a hint of a smile inside the younger sister¡¯s eyes, showing that she didn¡¯t really feel sad for her older sister¡¯s behalf. There was a smug look on her expression which was gone in a sh, it seemed like she had been waiting for this moment since a long time ago. However, she cleverly put on a sad face whenever her father and legal mother were looking at her direction.

    The woman was really good at it ah~! No wonder Madam Wang had been duped by her for so long. Liu Li couldn¡¯t help butment inside her heart. It would be exciting to see what the younger sister would do next. Liu Li thought to herself and she would certainly share this founding with Yao Ling. It seemed like Madam Wang would be finished this time!

    Only Madam Wang¡¯s birth mother, the one who showed real concern for her daughter. She was the only one who asked, "How is An-er¡¯s condition?" There was a hint of sadness and worried inside her eyes. She looked really anxious but it didn¡¯t evoke any pity from Liu Li because thetter knew how selfish Madam Wang¡¯s maternal family was.

    Liu Li sighed. "Mistress is not being mistreated there but still... she has lost her power and being banished to a secluded courtyard. The servants and maidservants don¡¯t dare to treat her badly because this servant spreads the news that there might be a chance for Mistress to raise on power once again. However, it won¡¯t be too easy to visit her at this time --- they have already refused several visitors on Madam Wang¡¯s behalf by saying that thetter has been sick so she couldn¡¯t meet them."

    She didn¡¯t forget to gain an advantage to herself by iming that she was loyal to Madam Wang so that they would trust her more. Liu Li didn¡¯t forget to exaggerate Madam Wang¡¯s condition as well.

    Madam Wang¡¯s mother nodded her head and said, "It¡¯s good then... It¡¯s good... At least, she¡¯s healthy..." If her daughter was really sick, she would be worried to death.

    She turned her gaze to her husband and asked, "What should we do next?" The only one who could help her daughter was him --- her husband.

    Madam Wang¡¯s father looked a bit grim. He gave a signal to everyone including Madam Wang¡¯s younger sister to go out first because he needed to discuss this matter seriously. They needed Madam Wang to stay in power so that she could continue to fund their family.

    "Father, do you want me to go outside as well?" The younger sister asked in a soft and pitiful voice.

    "Yes! Go out with them!" He ordered sternly.

    "But... I¡¯m worried about big sister..." She asked in a low voice.

    "We will tell you more about itter. Go! Liu Li can¡¯t stay here for too long!" The man didn¡¯t bother to care about the younger sister¡¯s feelings! He was displeased that she continued to disobey him.

    Even though the younger sister looked a bit unwilling, she didn¡¯t dare to contradict her father at all after looking at his angry face. There was a hint of hatred in her eyes that was gone in a sh --- yes, she hated her father so much! He gave Madam Wang such a good marriage and yet, what about her? He only saw her as a pawn so that he could get the benefits from her marriage.

    She gave a signal to her people, trying to send one person to eavesdrop their talk --- she needed to know everything so that she could n ahead of time.

 Chapter 435 Not An Easy Person To Fool

    Only the three of them were left inside the room --- Madam Wang¡¯s parents and Liu Li. The atmosphere turned even more serious than before. Madam Wang¡¯s father squinted his eyes at Liu Li, somehow, he didn¡¯t really believe in her exnation. He was a sly official, otherwise, how could he stay in the post for this long?

    He asked in a low voice, "Why are you still loyal to Madam Wang? Once she doesn¡¯t have her title, you won¡¯t get that many benefits from her..." Liu Li wasn¡¯t a maidservant that served her from young so she didn¡¯t have any bond with Madam Wang, so why did she do everything for Madam Wang¡¯s sake...? It didn¡¯t really make sense in his eyes.

    Madam Wang¡¯s father wasn¡¯t an easy person to fool.

    Liu Li sighed and looked at the man in confusion. "Didn¡¯t Madam Wang tell you about this servant? This servant had failed to do an errand from Madam Wang which concerning the new young mistress and this servant is not in a good position myself... The young mistress doesn¡¯t like this servant... If she is the one who raises in power, this servant will certainly be in a deep problem... Thus, that¡¯s the reason why this servant wants to help Madam Wang... No... No... not want to... but have to! We are on the same boat ah~!"

    Madam Wang¡¯s father squinted his eyes, trying to see whether this woman was telling the truth or not. However, he was keen to believe in this reasoning. She helped Madam Wang because it gave her more benefits. He saw a lot of this type of greedy servants so he wasn¡¯t feeling that surprised anymore.

    He didn¡¯t stop there and chose to grind Liu Li over and over again about this matter, trying to find a loophole and see whether Liu Li was telling him the truth or not. Fortunately, Liu Li was an experienced person or else she would already have a breakdown by now.

    "I already know. You can go back to Wang Fu and tell Ruo An that I will deal with this matter... Tell her not to worry about it," Madam Wang¡¯s father said, dismissing Liu Li with a wave of his hand. "I will make a n to force Wang Luo Hai to let her go as soon as possible and restate her to her previous position. I won¡¯t let her suffer a grievance."

    Although he was greedy, he also knew how to hide his real thoughts. He looked like a caring father, however, even his wife knew him better. She was really worried about her daughter! She needed to convince her husband to fight for her daughter.

    "Yes, Master..." Liu Li quickly went out of their house hastily, deliberately pretended that she was in a hurry to go back to Wang Fu.

    After going out of the mansion, Liu Li sighed in relief when she turned around the corner and went out of sight. She shook her head and couldn¡¯t help but pity Madam Wang a little bit. She was preparing to go back to Wang Fu through a small alley so that no one would see hering out from the mansion.

    She thought that she had finished her job when someone was blocking her way all of a sudden. Liu Li jumped up in surprise and yelled, "Who are you?" It was a maidservant who looked a bit younger than her and she had never seen her beforehand.

    "Jie Jie... Don¡¯t be afraid! I¡¯m here on the behalf of my miss," the maidservant said with a sweet smile. She knew that Liu Li was scared, thus, she tried to calm her down before continuing with the thing that she wanted to talk about.

    "Who is your miss? What do you want to do?" Liu Li asked in annoyance and distrust.

    The other party didn¡¯t even look offended, instead, she pulled out a bag of money from her sleeve and gave it to Liu Li. Liu Li was quite surprised by her sudden move and she could see that this maidservant¡¯s miss was quite generous for giving her this much money after she felt that the bag was quite heavy...

    "What do you mean by this?" Liu Li asked in surprise and pretended to reject the bag of money. She tried to give it back to the young maidservant but thetter rejected her gesture.

    "Jie Jie... don¡¯t be too hasty ah~! We don¡¯t n to make it difficult for you... In fact, our young miss is only worried about her big sister... She wants to know what really happened to Madam Wang..." The maidservant finally revealed her intention. Her young miss had ordered someone to eavesdrop their conversation but failed to do so. Thus, they could only ask Liu Li about it.

    Of course, Liu Li knew the identity of her miss ah~! She even predicted that this would certainly happen when their father kicked her out of the room so that he could talk to Liu Li in private. It seemed like her guess was correct. The woman must have been really curious ah~! Oh well... who would reject her generosity?

    She certainly wouldn¡¯t ah~!

    Liu Li grinned at the other maidservant and her expression turned warmer when she heard that they only wanted to acquire information from her. It wasn¡¯t anything difficult to her, besides, the other party was the person that her master had doted on --- this was a fact that everyone had known.

    The younger sister¡¯s maidservant sneered inwardly when she saw Liu Li¡¯s greedy expression and it made the former let down her guard. ¡¯It seems like it will be easy to buy this person,¡¯ she thought to herself smugly. However, she still showed a gentle expression on her face.

    "What do you want to know? I will tell you everything that I know," Liu Li said with a gentle smile on her face.

    The young maidservant sighed while looking worried. "It¡¯s nothing serious. My young miss always has a good rtionship with your madam. She¡¯s curious about what you were talking about with the master... Maybe she could help your madam with something..." She trailed off at thest part, giving a little hint to Liu Li that this was for the benefits of Madam Wang.

    Liu Li sneered inwardly. What a fake reason! However, she put on a smile and looked touched by what the young maidservant had just said. "I will tell my madam on your miss¡¯ behalf... Thank you very much! It will be good if your young miss coulde andfort my madam... She is really sad at the moment... and her position is quite..." Liu Li said with a grim smile, trying to hint something to the young maidservant.

    After that, she told everything to the young maidservant everything that Yao Ling had told her to divulge to the younger sister. Yes, this went ording to Yao Ling¡¯s n. Liu Li started to feel that her current master was very smart. Following her would be good for her future as well. She felt lucky that she was useful for Yao Ling, otherwise... she wouldn¡¯t know how she would end up.

    "Who holds the power at Wang Fu now?" The young maidservant asked curiously.

 Chapter 436 Restless

    Liu Li shook her head inwardly. Did they think she couldn¡¯t see through their greediness? They didn¡¯t even have any rtionship with Wang Fu and they had already asked about the power struggle in there. She could see how they wanted to join in with the fun and fight.

    Somehow, they felt that the younger sister was really funny. Yao Ling merely spread the news about her soon-to-be husband so that it could reach the younger sister¡¯s ears just to add some spices. It seemed like the younger sister was really restless ah~! It didn¡¯t take long for her to strike and search for more information about Wang Fu.

    Liu Li pretended to tilt her head to the side. "Power? Overall or what?" Liu Li pretended to be oblivious.

    The young maidservant was annoyed by Liu Li¡¯s stupidity. Did she really need to ask? She didn¡¯t think that Liu Li didn¡¯t really understand what she meant because she had asked her the obvious. However, what Liu Li said piqued her interest. Were there a few people in charge of a household? Wouldn¡¯t it be so weird and there would be more power struggle inside the household?

    "Tell me everything!" The younger maidservant ordered in a soft voice so it didn¡¯t make her look too excited to know about it.

    "Hmm... If you say the overall power, it will be the old madam who has revoked every power that Madam Wang had. If it¡¯s about the ount book, it should be the young mistress who is in charge... and of course, it¡¯s under the old madam¡¯s order. In a way, everything depends on those two persons..." Liu Li answered carefully.

    "Why don¡¯t the old madam take charge of the ount book as well? Isn¡¯t the young mistress a bit too young to control everything? Besides... isn¡¯t she adopted? She¡¯s an outsider ah~!" The young maidservant was quite surprised. She didn¡¯t understand what Wang Fu people thought to make such a decision...

    Liu Li was helpless. "You also know the reason why they are being adopted, right? They are very clever and have a way to earn money which bring more wealth to Wang Fu... They have the abilities! Otherwise, why do you think our master thinks highly of them? Of course, the young mistress will handle it all. If I¡¯m not offending her, I will be having a good day following ah~! Too bad, I stand on the opposite side of the young mistress from the very beginning. So, Madam Wang is my only way out."

    Liu Li told the young maidservant that she had no choice but to continue supporting Madam Wang. However, she was also in a desperate situation.

    The young maidservant asked curiously. "Is Wang Fu really that wealthy?" She wanted to know their exact wealth... Her miss wanted to calcte everything and see whether Wang Fu was really worth it or not... If her miss could rise, wouldn¡¯t she have a good life in the future as well? Of course, she had to think of herself as well.

    Liu Li really wanted tough ah~!

    She quickly said, "Yes ah~! Very! Don¡¯t you already find out from thevish decoration at Wang Fu? It¡¯s only a small part of their wealth... There are a lot of treasures and money to be counted every day... They are also quite generous with the servants..."

    The young maidservant¡¯s heart moved when she heard that. She had to push her young miss to make a move at this time so that they could have a better future. No one would mock her young miss anymore due to her low status as the daughter of a concubine ah~! She pretended to sigh, "It¡¯s too bad that you have offended the young mistress for Madam Wang¡¯s sake..."

    Liu Li forced a smile. "She¡¯s my master ah~! I have no choice but do her biddings..."

    The young maidservant nodded her head in sympathy. "I understand how you feel..." She paused for a little while before asking, "Do you think that Madam Wang could raise in power once again?" The young maidservant investigated everything because if Madam Wang raised in power once again, her young miss wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything. It was better to be safe than sorryter.

    Liu Li frowned. "I think it¡¯s a bit hard. Why do you think I need to ask for help from Madam Wang¡¯s maiden family ah~?! They are the only chance that I think about..."

    "Really?" The young maidservant asked in excitement.

    Liu Li nodded her head. "Really! That¡¯s why your miss should help Madam Wang as well."

    The young maidservant almost forgot herself for a moment. "Oh... Oh... yes, yes... Of course! Of course, my young miss will help Madam Wang..." She answered with a stutter. She gave another bag of money to Liu Li and said, "If my young miss needs your help in the future, please help us!" She said with a smile.

    Liu Li pretended to be taken aback and asked, "What... What kind of help?"

    "Of course, just like now, it won¡¯t be too difficult for you... You will know more in the future..." The young maidservant said in a mysterious way.

    "But..."

    "Jie Jie... just take this as an introductory gift from my young miss... If you have any information about Wang Fu, please let us know as well... My young miss would certainly treat you well..." The young maidservant said in a persuasive way.

    "This..." Liu Li still looked a bit ufortable before she hardened herself and finally said, "Then, help me thank your young miss... I will!"

    The young maidservant nodded her head in happiness and decided to go back once she achieved her goals. She would tell everything that she had sessfully inquired to her young miss. After all, they had gotten a few pieces of good news ah~!

    Liu Li went back to Wang Fu and reported everything that had happened to Yao Ling in excitement. Yao Ling paid attention to her story carefully.

    Once Yao Ling had gotten ahold of the ount, she found many loopholes and once she tracked everything, she could see that Madam Wang gave a hefty sum of money whenever she had gotten the chance to her maiden home. It wasn¡¯t a small amount ah~! She reported everything to Wang Luo Hai and thetter exined everything to her so she could only pretend that she had seen nothing.

    Liu Li showed her the bag of money that she had received and said, "This servant really doesn¡¯t know that the daughter of a concubine could be this wealthy..."

    "Hmph!" Yao Ling snorted. "This is all our Wang Fu¡¯s money... after all, she got it from Madam Wang. No wonder she keeps behaving nicely in front of Madam Wang, she could have avish life ah~!"

    Liu Li said, "Then, this servant will give the money back to young mistress..." She felt ufortable to take the money without Yao Ling¡¯s permission.

    "No need... You are the one who received it, so you should just keep it..." Yao Ling generously said.

    Liu Li smiled happily. "Thank you, young mistress! Do young mistress still need this servant for anything else?"

    Yao Ling shook her head. "No... you can take a rest. If I need you with something, I will call you."

    Liu Li curtsied and went out of the room.

    "What do you think of it?" Yao Ling asked Yao Ying who stayed silent beside her all the time.

 Chapter 437 The Truth Behind The Infertile Drug 1

    "It seems like the younger sister will make a move soon..." Yao Ying said after listening to Liu Li¡¯s story. He shook his head because he started to realize that women could be so scary ah~! some of them even dared to bite the people that helped them.

    Yao Ling shook her head.

    "Hmm... that¡¯s not necessarily true... She won¡¯t make a move with such a little information if we don¡¯t give her a little push... After all, judging from how she cleverly gathered up information first, she isn¡¯t a rash person. She must have always been cautious when doing things... I bet that she woulde here to find information and ask to meet Madam Wang... If she couldn¡¯t meet her and see how bad Madam Wang¡¯s situation is, maybe... at this time, she would make a move..." Yao Ling said with a smile.

    Yao Ying rolled his eyes when she saw how she was confident with her own guess. Then why did she still bother to ask for his opinion ah~?! He wasn¡¯t really good at reading women¡¯s minds and could only shake his head helplessly.

    Yao Ling knew that she had to n everything slowly and let the younger sister fall to her trap. She stood up and said to Yao Ying, "I need to meet with Father Luo Hai..." To distinguish between the fathers --- Wang Luo Hai and Rong Qiu, she decided to add their names after Father so that it would make it easier for Yao Ying to understand which person she had referred to.

    "Let me apany you!" Yao Ying said while preparing himself to go out of the room.

    "No need... No need! I will tell you everythingter. Why don¡¯t you go to Father Rong Qiu¡¯s house and apany him once in a while? I don¡¯t have the time to go to him so please help me send my regards there and tell him that I¡¯m busy with Wang Fu¡¯s matter..." Yao Ling gave a suggestion because she was feeling guilty for not being able to continue visiting him.

    That was the reason why she wanted Yao Ying to go on her behalf. Besides, as a married daughter, it wouldn¡¯t be wise if she kept going back home to her maiden family.

    "Why do you need to do everything by yourself ah~?! You can let other people help you..." Yao Ying said helplessly. Was it really that necessary?! It was just a matter of time before Madam Wang fell out of grace... She should have just kept her health in check for the baby¡¯s sake ah~!

    Yao Ling shook her head stubbornly. "If she didn¡¯t push me or try to hurt me yesterday, I wouldn¡¯t be this cruel! I will be the one who makes her suffer!" Yao Ling said in anger --- after all, there was a baby inside her. If she really fell down and had a miscarry, she would certainly be regretted it to death!

    She wouldn¡¯t make it easy for Madam Wang!

    Yao Ying sighed, knowing that Yao Ling was on her stubborn mode. He could only give up persuading her but he would oversee everything so that she wouldn¡¯t hurt herself. Otherwise, he would me himself if something really happened to Yao Ling and the baby.

    He let her do as she pleased.

    Yao Ling went to Wang Luo Hai¡¯s study room, on the other hand, Yao Ying went to visit Rong Qiu. They went to their separate ways.

    "Father..." Yao Ling greeted Wang Luo Hai politely from outside of her study after Wang Luo Hai¡¯s personal servant had announced her presence.

    "Come in..." Wang Luo Hai said. "Why are you here?" He asked once Yao Ling stood in front of him. He looked at her curiously.

    "I have a few matters to discuss with you," Yao Ling said with a smile.

    "Sure... Just say it..." Wang Luo Hai ordered in a soft voice.

    She retold everything that Liu Li had told them and Wang Luo Hai nodded his head. "Good!" He didn¡¯t show any objection to Yao Ling¡¯s n and somehow, it didn¡¯t make Yao Ling feel at ease ah~!

    "Father... are you sure that it will be fine if we do this...?" Yao Ling asked, feeling unsure. It was better if she could hear his agreement in person because she didn¡¯t want to hurt Wang Luo Hai.

    Wang Luo Hai knew what she meant --- after all, he even didn¡¯t chase her away after knowing that she made him infertile and she had known that there was aplicated reason behind his decision. Even though people thought that he was being stupid, he could only swallow his own grievance.

    Even his mother was angry at him and didn¡¯t talk to him since yesterday... because she thought that Wang Luo Hai was protecting Madam Wang. However, he didn¡¯t know how to exin it to his mother... Once his mother knew that he had no intention to tell her anything, she chased him away from her courtyard which made Wang Luo Hai feel helpless. Thus, they were on a stalemate at this moment.

    "I¡¯m sure," Wang Luo Hai answered. "After the thing with infertile medicine, I have been investigated everything... so I already make preparation as well. Just do what you want to do! No need to care about me... I can¡¯t stand that bitch anymore anyway!" Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t filter his words because he was really angry at Madam Wang.

    "How is the result of your investigation? Can... you tell me?" Yao Ling asked hesitantly in a low voice. She was really curious because this matter seemed to involve the Mi Hui... She wondered why did everything soplicated ah~?!

    Honestly, the poison that was used to make Wang Luo Hai infertile was simr to the poison that was used at every member of Mi Hui when they became Mi Hui¡¯s members. Thus, Wang Luo Hai must have not done something to Madam Wang back then because it would attract people¡¯s attention.

    Not only that but something must have been going on inside Mi Hui... But why was it so important to make Wang Luo Hai infertile? It seemed a bit weird to her...

    Wang Luo Hai was also Mi Hui¡¯s loyal follower... then, why did they do that?! Didn¡¯t they betray their own loyal followers? This matter was a bit fishy, however, the proof was there ah~!

    Wang Luo Hai sighed. "I will only tell you and Yao Ying about it... Call him over! I don¡¯t want to repeat the words once again... And one other thing, don¡¯t tell your grandmother about this, okay?"

    Yao Ling looked a bit awkward. "Sorry, Father! He went out to my maiden home..." Yao Ling exined. Wang Luo Hai had known about Rong Qiu from their letters so he didn¡¯t feel that surprised. He nodded his head a few times in understanding.

    "Then, you can tell him about itter..."

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "I will... but Father... why don¡¯t you tell grandmother? I know that you¡¯ve always discussed things with her, but why do this now...?"

    Wang Luo Hai answered, "I don¡¯t want her to feel guilty..."

    Huh? Guilty? Yao Ling thought in confusion. Did this matter have something to do with the matriarch as well?!

 Chapter 438 The Matriarchs Pas

    "Guilty for what?" Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but ask. "Why is grandmother feeling guilty? She¡¯s not the one who did this to you!" She didn¡¯t really understand what Wang Luo Hai meant.

    Wang Luo Hai felt that he really needed to exin everything because once the matriarch and he was dead --- the ones who would hold Wang Fu¡¯s power were Yao Ying and Yao Ling so it would be better if they had a precaution beforehand. Knowing about their past wasn¡¯t a bad thing because he believed that these two people could be trusted.

    They would keep this as a secret. Yes, that was how much he trusted both of them. He knew that Jiu Lan was a great mother and her daughter must have been a good person. He also believed in her eyes when choosing a son-inw. He knew that the condition back at that time was urgent, however... if Yao Ying wasn¡¯t a good person, she wouldn¡¯t ask him to marry Yao Ling --- just to ensure thetter¡¯s life and safety.

    The matriarch and the twin princes¡¯ mother were actually real blood sisters --- they vowed to be loyal to each other and help each other when the other person faced any difficulties. Thus, the twin princes¡¯ mother --- introduced the matriarch to her world and her backer that would help her fight for the throne after she got married and became the Emperor¡¯s woman.

    It happened when they were young and the matriarch hadn¡¯t gotten married yet at that time --- she was a lovely maiden at her prime. Who knew that the backer would actually fall in love with the matriarch at first sight?

    "Then, what did grandaunt do when she knew that?" Yao Ling asked. She more or less knew the characteristic of the nobles. Most of them were very selfish to the core and dared to sacrifice everything to reach their goals --- especially those who wanted to have the greatest power. The royal family could kill each other for the throne and she didn¡¯t believe that the sister was an exception.

    However, she just hoped that she was wrong this time.

    Wnag Luo Haiughed when he saw Yao Ling¡¯s doubtful expression. "You seem to have guessed something..."

    Yao Ling merely shrugged her shoulder off --- it was just a gut feeling ah~! She didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. "Not really..." She answered helplessly, not wanting to tell him her real thought even though it was pretty obvious.

    Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t push her because he knew that it was not good for her toment on the elders¡¯ matter --- it would make her seem to be an unfilial youngster. "Just like how you must have been guessing... your grandaunt wanted to solidify the rtionship between them and let your grandmother be his main wife. The man wasn¡¯t actually that bad, he was young and handsome. Not only that but he also got the power... Many women liked him and wanted to be his women..."

    Yao Ling asked him, "But... Grandmother didn¡¯t love him, right?"

    Wang Luo Hai nodded his head --- the love between his father and mother was a popr story so he knew that Yao Ling would be able to guess it easily.

    "Did grandaunt force her to get married to him despite knowing that grandmother didn¡¯t like that man?" Yao Ling asked.

    Wang Luo Hai nodded his head. He exined how their rtionship turned for the worst at that time because of this matter. They fought every time the grandaunt was talking about the matter of the wedding or engagement. The man asked the grandaunt to bring the matter up just to see whether the matriarch was willing to get married to him or not...

    "Your grandmother found out by ident that the man was quite cruel and petty --- honestly, she was feeling scared of him... However, your grandmother had never told me what kind of nasty thing that she had seen about that man, so I don¡¯t really know for sure about it as well," Wang Luo Hai exined.

    "And then?" Yao Ling asked with intense curiosity.

    "Your grandmother ran away from home out of fear and anger. At this time, she met your deceased grandfather by coincidence. He was a mere merchant but he was kind and handsome as well. He helped your grandmother several times and it made them be friends. From ordinary friends, they became best friends and in the end, they turned into lovers..." Wang Luo Hai said with a smile. He always knew that his mother was a romantic and fortunately, she identally met the right guy.

    "Did grandaunt finally find her?"

    Wang Luo Hai nodded his head. She was angry at the matriarch and didn¡¯t hesitate to p her when she finally found her. However, it wasn¡¯t because she was angry that the matriarch had run away from the marriage that she had told her about, instead, it was because of her worry!

    The matriarch felt so guilty that she cried and finally, decided to open up to her sister about the reason why she refused the marriage. The feelings between both sisters were real so the sister was quite understanding of the matriarch¡¯s situation when she heard everything. The Empress knew that the matriarch wouldn¡¯t lie to her about something like that, thus, she trusted her words.

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell me beforehand?" The sister looked at the matriarch with ming eyes.

    The matriarch guiltily looked at her sister. "Because... I know that the man is your important backer. I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t dare to offend him and will let me marry him no matter what..."

    Her sister flicked the matriarch¡¯s forehead, "I¡¯m not that narrowminded. If you just tell me the truth, I will certainly not let you marry such a crazy man... Haish~! Sometimes, looks can be deceiving ah~! I also want you to be happy."

    The matriarch nodded her head in agreement. "And also..."

    "What?" The sister raised one of her eyebrows and asked, "Do you still have another thing to tell me?"

    "Yes," the matriarch looked at her shyly.

    "Then, tell me..." The sister looked at her seriously.

    "I... I like someone..." The matriarch admitted while slightly blushing.

    "What?!" The sister asked in surprise. "Tell me everything!" She was afraid that someone would take advantage of her sister.

    The matriarch told her everything. Contrary to her expectation, the sister was quite supportive of her, thinking that a wealthy merchant wasn¡¯t a bad choice. The sister also had her won calction --- after all, she was smart, to begin with.

    As long as the matriarch stayed loyal to her, no matter what kind of husband that she would have, she would certainly help her and the sister felt that she wouldn¡¯t lose out anything by maintaining a good rtionship with the matriarch.

    The sister checked the man¡¯s background and when she found out that he was indeed a good man, she approved the matriarch¡¯s decision. Besides, she could see that the man¡¯s family had a strong background and the man had the abilities to make himself prosperous...

    The sister helped the matriarch deal with everything --- from their parents¡¯ blessing to the marriage itself. Everything went smoothly at that time.

 Chapter 439 The Truth Behind The Infertile Drug Inciden

    Even though the man was a merchant, no one dared to look down at them. Their backer was the empress --- the matriarch¡¯s sister. Not only that but they had also gotten certain titles from the Emperor which made them quite noble as well. That was the reason why it was easier for them to make money and enjoy the best treatment from other people. It was all thanks to his aunt ah~!

    In a way, it was a quite good ending for his mother. Too bad though... that man was angry at the rejection. After all, his mother rejected him for someone who was far inferior to him and it was like an insult to him. The man didn¡¯t seem to know the concept of love and he only thought of his mother as a possession --- Wang Luo Hai was sure of that.

    "What about the man, Father? You haven¡¯t told me anything about it..." Yao Ling asked curiously. She had a bold guess about this infertile drug. Was this man the mastermind behind it all?! She was a hundred percent sure of it!

    "The man is petty and cruel, to begin with. However, he is a patient person when he has a grudge... That is the most dangerous thing. He attacked when people had rxed their vignce --- including your grandmother and me..." Wang Luo Hai trailed off while shaking his head in despair. It was a matter of the past but who knew... the man was quite vicious in handling things. However, there was nothing that they could do.

    Not only that but the man was too powerful for them to retaliate back and that was the reason why he didn¡¯t want to tell the matriarch. The guilty feeling would really kill her ah~!

    "Don¡¯t tell me... he¡¯s the one who did it?!" Yao Ling gasped in surprise despite already guessing it. After all, she was doubtful that a person would be able to hold a grudge for that long. It was simply a baffling thing!

    Wang Luo Hai nodded his head. "Yes..." He sighed in sadness.

    Then, Yao Ling realized something. "Then... he must be a part of Mi Hui --- after all, he was the twin princes¡¯ backer, right? And also the poison inside Madam Wang¡¯s body... it¡¯s simr to Mi Hui¡¯s poison... It seems like they were made by the same person..." She asked to know whether her deduction was correct or not.

    Wang Luo Hai looked at her with aplicated expression. "So, you noticed it as well?" Wang Luo Hai was quite amazed by her skills. After all, it took a long time for his private doctor to find out about that matter, but Yao Ling was able to feel it with just a touch. It seemed like he really couldn¡¯t underestimate Yao Ling.

    He should have known ah~! Jiu Lan was quite good at medicine so Yao Ling must have inherited most of her medical skills.

    "So... does he have something to do with Mi Hui?" Yao Ling pushed for an answer.

    "In a way... yes..." Wang Luo Hai answered.

    "Hmm... what do you mean?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. In a way? Didn¡¯t it mean the answer was between yes or no?!

    "He used to be a member of Mi Hui, however, he had changed side for quite some time..." Wang Luo Hai answered.

    "Was he a core member?"

    "Yes... He was actually one of the founders because he was the Empress¡¯ first backer..." Wang Luo Hai exined.

    "Then... what about Mi Hui¡¯s secret?! Didn¡¯t it mean that he could tell his newrades everything about Mi Hui?" Yao Ling gasped in surprise. She didn¡¯t think that the consequences of not choosing that man were actually so serious! He was really too petty ah~!

    "Well... That was the darkest time for Mi Hui and almost ruined the whole organization. His betrayal was quite sudden so a lot of people that were on our side had been killed cruelly by his people because our people couldn¡¯t take any precaution and defenseless. We were all taken by surprise. How could we know that a core member would betray them without batting eyshes?

    At that time, we lost a lot of people which made the Empress quite angry! Fortunately, the Empress had paid attention to his movement ever since your grandmother told her the truth about the man¡¯s crazy tendency, however, that man was really too sly. He made such a big move but it was toote for us to realize it!" Wang Luo Hai couldn¡¯t help but admire that man in this matter.

    That man was a good ally but the worst enemy that they could have. He supported another prince ever since then, and honestly, it was quite hard to deal with him --- especially because that man knew everything about Mi Hui. Fortunately, they were able to survive because Mi Hui also had smart people ah~!

    "Who was he working with?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Hmm... Another prince..." Wang Luo Hai answered. "Why?"

    "Somehow, I felt that he had another backer..." Yao Ling pondered over this matter. If he didn¡¯t have a hidden card, he wouldn¡¯t make such a big move and it seemed like he didn¡¯t afraid of anything. Why was he so sure that he would win?!

    "Good guess!" Wang Luo Hai said. "It seems like, he was working with someone from another kingdom! The conspiracy was pretty big..." He admitted.

    "Have you found out about that person¡¯s identity?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Not yet... It seems like his backer is also quite powerful. He erased his track perfectly!" Wang Luo Hai answered. Even Mi Hui¡¯s information and spywork couldn¡¯t find out about that man!

    Yao Ling could only hold back her curiosity... Maybe ¡¯A Thousand Words¡¯ would be able to find out about it. However, as long as she didn¡¯t need it urgently, she didn¡¯t want to use the favor from Hei Yue. She decided to change the conversation¡¯s direction by asking, "Did grandaunt me grandmother for her loss?"

    "Fortunately, no... your grandmother didn¡¯t even know about that matter. I mean, she didn¡¯t know that there was a connection between that man¡¯s betrayal and her --- otherwise, she would certainly me herself. Besides, the Empress was the one who let your grandmother get married to your deceased grandfather so she had a part in this matter. How could she me your grandmother? Until this moment, we are still trying to protect your grandmother from this..." Wang Luo Hai sighed.

    "Did the betrayal happen around the time Madam Wang gave you the infertile drugs?" Yao Ling asked curiously. If yes, that would make sense. She felt that type of crazy man could do anything to satisfy his unfulfilled desire.

    "No, at that time, I was still too young ah~! I hadn¡¯t even got married yet!" Wang Luo Hai exined. "Even your grandfather was still around..." That happened a long time ago...

    "Huh? After all that and yet, he didn¡¯t feel satisfied with the revenge?! He had killed a lot of people ah~!" Yao Ling was baffled by the man¡¯s craziness.

    "That seemed to be weird, but it was really the truth!" Wang Luo Hai said in hatred.

    "Is that man crazy?!" Yao Ling gasped loudly.

 Chapter 440 Whats His Name?

    Wang Luo Hai shrugged his shoulder off. "How could I know the way his mind works ah~?! The man is very weird, to begin with. It seems like it wasn¡¯t enough for him to vent his anger that one time. He even wanted to cut off my offsprings out of the blue... The same thing happened once more --- we couldn¡¯t fathom his mind and underestimate him... In the end, he could even use Madam Wang and we fell into his trap..." Wang Luo Hai said in regret.

    If only he was more vignce.

    In a way, he felt that he had lost to that man over and over again... However, he actually trusted Madam Wang before that matter happened and started to have better feelings for the woman. Who knew that it was actually her who betrayed him? Thus, he lost all of his good feelings towards her in a heartbeat. In the end, Madam Wang ruined their marriage because of her stupidity.

    "Does that man have a connection with Madam Wang¡¯s maiden family?" Yao Ling asked. After all, this matter seemed to be rted to the younger sister --- she was the one who made Madam Wang keep thinking about Jiu Lan out of the blue.

    Wang Luo Hai sighed. "I believe so... to be exact, it seems to be the younger sister who keeps in touch with that man... There is no trace that there is a connection between my father inw with the man no matter how hard I try. Besides, he needs us more than we need him --- he needs our money to maintain his job..." Wang Luo Hai exined his findings.

    The man didn¡¯t really have the talent to be an official even though he was clever at scheming, thus, he could only rely on bribing people here and there! Thus, he didn¡¯t believe that the man that kept targeting them was able to put his father inw in his eyes.

    Yao Ling tilted her head to the side. "That younger sister seems to be a fishy and tricky person... How could she be connected to everything bad that happened to our manor?!" The infertility drug and the fact that she wanted to take her big sister¡¯s ce here.

    Wang Luo Hai nodded. "It is rted to her concubine mother, actually. Despite being treated nicely, she keeps wanting to be the legal daughter for a good marriage and it¡¯s all thanks to her concubine mother. She keeps whispering things to the younger sister ever since she was a little girl... No wonder her mind bes twisted and bing the legal daughter bes her wish..."

    "But... how could she know that man?!" Yao Ling asked in confusion. Judging from what she had heard, the man must have had a high position in the court.

    "The world is actually quite small... that man also has a rtionship with the concubine mother. I don¡¯t know what kind of rtionship exactly because the man is able to cover up his track just like usual..." Wang Luo Hai gritted his teeth in hatred. "However, the connection is still there..."

    Yao Ling sighed and decided to ask the important question. "Father... what is that man¡¯s identity? I¡¯m very curious to know. Besides, I will raise my defense whenever I see that man. If he knows that I¡¯m pregnant, I¡¯m pretty sure that he will try to do something to me and my baby... I believe that he doesn¡¯t want grandmother to be happy... he wants to show her that she has chosen the wrong guy back then."

    Wang Luo Hai was taken aback because he hadn¡¯t thought that far. After he had a second thought, what Yao Ling said was possible... That man was really obsessed with their family...

    "Do you think he¡¯s also the one who wanted to kill my baby before this?" Yao Ling asked, feeling that it seemed to be possible as well. Until this moment, they hadn¡¯t gotten an idea about the mastermind¡¯s identity. Maybe... this man asked for another kingdom¡¯s people to do the deed so that no one would suspect him

    It was a bit too farfetched, but who knew ah~!

    Wang Luo Hai shook his head. "I don¡¯t think so... I always watch his movement and he doesn¡¯t pay attention to you and Yao Ying at that time... However, if Madam Wang is kicked out from our Wang Fu, I¡¯m sure that both of you could be the next targets because he would think that you are ruining his good pawn."

    "Then, you should really tell me his identity so I can have a preparation..." Yao Ling tried to gauge more information about this seemingly dangerous man from Wang Luo Hai.

    Wang Luo Hai answered, "That man is the current Emperor¡¯s younger brother..."

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. "Then, why does he want to support a certain prince? What kind of benefits that he would get?" Usually, an ambitious man would certainly choose to be the monarch himself --- why should he go through the hassle for other people ah~?! She didn¡¯t seem to believe in his motives.

    "He wants to be the regent and have a power that is equal to the Emperor once their n bes a sess!" Wang Luo Hai said with a frown. "The man doesn¡¯t really want to do the hard work as an Emperor but he wants the power of regent so he could love the rest of his life leisurely. In the end, for him, the power is still in his hand but he doesn¡¯t need to work and face those ministers every day."

    Yao Ling looked up in surprise with that man¡¯s selfishness. "And... the Empress agrees with him? Howe?! There¡¯s no benefit for letting such a greedy man hold such great power!"

    Wang Luo Hai said, "Your grandaunt also knows that fact ah~! She is also unwilling but she has already had a preparation beforehand. Once we are sessful, the first thing we do will be eradicating him... It¡¯s a gamble --- a big one... However, we needed his power and had no choice but to work together with him back then."

    "Why? Is he that powerful?" Yao Ling asked in surprise. She hadn¡¯t learned more about the Shu Kingdom¡¯s political struggle, after all, she would never think that a merchant would actually be a part of the fight to the throne... It seemed like she really had a lot to learn ah~!

    "He¡¯s the Emperor¡¯s most beloved brother and in a way, sometimes the Emperor trusts him a bit too much!" Wang Luo Hai exined.

    "Even more than the Empress?!" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    "Yes..."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t need to hear more and started to understand what Wang Luo Hai had implied. Even though the man was dangerous, they still needed him to put on good words about the twin princes to the Emperor¡¯s ears.

    "How about now? Does the Emperor still trust him that much?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Not really... we created several events that made the Emperor start to doubt him... Fortunately, it worked... However, it only lessened his power a little bit. He has a lot of supporters and that¡¯s the reason why his position is unshakeable until now..." Wang Luo Hai said.

    "What¡¯s his name?" Yao Ling asked.

 Chapter 441 Marquis of Tang --- Tang Shu Yu

    "His name is Tang Shu Yu but his title is Marquis of Tang," Wang Luo Hai answered.

    ¡¯Marquis of Tang, huh?¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. She would need to check on this man slowly --- it was important to know their enemy better so that she could take a precaution. She was afraid that the baby would be the next target.

    She felt lucky that she had pretended that she had lost the baby after the first anonymous attack... Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have prepared because she didn¡¯t know this Tang Shu Yu person.

    After Yao Ling finally knew everything, they ended their talk and Yao Ling told everything to Yao Ying. Thetter understood the danger and decided to pay more attention to this matter. He sighed because of the continuous affair that he should handle.

    It seemed like what he only needed to do in this life was to find out about his past and Yao Ling¡¯s mother, but there was always somethinging up from time to time in between. Oh well... this was what life was all about ah~!

    Life had never been so simple from the beginning to the end...

    "How is my father?" Yao Ling asked after they finished talking about the Marquis of Tang.

    "He¡¯s fine and also continuously searching for your mother slowly --- maybe just like Mother Jiu Lan, she came to this kingdom by ident... He¡¯s just trying his luck. He told me to let you feel at ease and finish dealing with the matter in this manor. After that, you can find him and Xiao Fang there... He won¡¯t go anywhere so you don¡¯t need to worry about anything," Yao Ying said with a smile.

    They were lucky that Rong Qiu was such an understanding person. Xiao Fang was too busy ying around and enjoying the different cultures between their kingdoms so she also didn¡¯t mind. She nodded her head when she heard about Yao Ling¡¯s matter with Madam Wang. She said, "If Yao Ling needs any help, she can just find me! I will help her teach that woman a lesson!"

    Xiao Fang and Rong Qiu were angry after knowing Yao Ling was being pushed that day by that crazy legal mother. However, they backed off after knowing that Yao Ling wanted to deal with the woman by herself. They were disappointed but they respected their decisions.

    Yao Ling sighed in relief. "It¡¯s good then..." She didn¡¯t need to worry about them anymore.

    When Yao Ying was back from the outside, it was alreadyte at night so they chatted inside their own room. Yao Ling wasying downzily on her bed and she looked quite seductive in Yao Ying¡¯s eyes. He groaned inwardly in distress.

    Yao Ying seemed to want to say something but kept swallowing his words in the end. It attracted Yao Ling¡¯s attention and she paid more attention to his expression. He looked so funny ah~! However, she didn¡¯t understand what made him confused like this!

    "What are you doing? Do you want to say something to me?" Yao Ling asked softly.

    "Nothing..." Yao Ying refused to say a thing. "It¡¯s not that important..." His mouth said all that but his expression said the opposite things.

    "What ah~? You make me feel so curious... If you want to say something, just tell me. Why are you being so hesitant ah~?!" Yao Ling whined coquettishly. She looked at him with her enchanting watery eyes.

    "It¡¯s really nothing... It¡¯s just that you look more beautiful after you are pregnant..." Yao Ying, who rarely sweet-talked, praised Yao Ling out of the blue and the man looked a bit shy after saying all that. He didn¡¯t lie ah~! He felt that something was a bit different from her look --- her skin became more glowing and tender. He really wanted to touch her but feel afraid that he couldn¡¯t hold himself back and in the end, he would be the one who needed to take the damned cold shower.

    Damn! A happy pregnancy was really hard for the husband ah~! He could only look but couldn¡¯t touch! This was in torture... Did every husband have the same thought and feelings as him? Were they feeling the crazy torture as well?!

    In his case, Yao Ling had told him a dozen times that they shouldn¡¯t make love until her pregnancy was more than three months. And after that? She still needed to see whether her womb was strong enough to handle his pumping or not --- otherwise, it would lead to a miscarriage.

    Yao Ying was really frustrated... After all, he was being cockblocked.

    However, he was a first-time father and when he heard about the miscarriage part, he was feeling afraid as well. He didn¡¯t want anything to happen to the baby, besides, he knew that Yao Ling must already do a research about it. Thus, he didn¡¯t feel suspicious about her words.

    Yao Ying could only stare at the woman dumbfoundedly when she told him all that in a stern and serious voice. It meant that there would be no negotiation for this case... There was no sex for the next three months...

    The more beautiful his wife was, the more he felt regretful about his current condition... Damn! He really wanted to touch and make love to the woman. However, he loved her even more so he would respect her decision.

    Yao Ling was quite surprised by his sudden sweet words. She looked at him like he was a weird creature... after all, those words were the words that she had never thought that she would ever hear from him!

    This was really the first time he ever said that! It made her feel ttered and her heart beat faster than usual... The atmosphere inside turned ambiguous and Yao Ling suddenly felt hot all over her body... Honestly, the fact they couldn¡¯t make love was torture towards Yao Ling as well, it was just she was better at covering up her emotions.

    After the pregnancy, she felt her body be more sensitive to touch than usual. She also just realized it for the past few days, she had the tendency to moan when she touched Yao Ying. Fortunately, this happened only towards Yao Ying. If this happened whenever she identally touched another man, she would certainly go crazy ah~!

    It was a weird quirk... but it really happened to her!

    Because of this, she even searched for this condition inside some of her medical books. Too bad, she couldn¡¯t find out anything about this... Thus, she could only ept her fate. She didn¡¯t dare to tell Yao Ying because she knew that the man would certainly tease her as payback for her refusal to have an intercourse...

    Yao Ling shuddered at the thought of being left hanging when she was feeling aroused...

    Yao Ling blushed prettily and asked, "What are you talking about? I¡¯m just the same as usual...." Really, she didn¡¯t change any of her skincare routines. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she didn¡¯t see any difference in herself.

    She started to feel suspicious of his intention. Did this man want something from her so he deliberately tried to tter her?!

 Chapter 442 Their Private Time

    Yao Yingughed. "Why do you look so shy...? I¡¯m just telling you the truth!" After that, he kissed her cheek softly... He had to feel satisfied with that. He didn¡¯t realize what he had just done... made Yao Ling¡¯s body slightly trembled in pleasure. The woman was sighing in pleasure inwardly.

    Yao Ling really wanted to curse because of the predicament that she felt. Was this how Yao Ying feel when he was being cockblocked by her? So painful and ufortable... This was in torture to her ah~! Even though she didn¡¯t have that ¡¯hard thingy¡¯ down there, her sweet mouth down there was slightly tingling --- begging to be touched so she could satisfy herself... The sensation made her whole body be even more sensitive.

    The hardest part? She couldn¡¯t even make a moaning sound because it could attract the man¡¯s attention. ¡¯Damn!¡¯ For the first time ever, Yao Ling was cursing inwardly.

    Yao Ling¡¯s heart weakened when she heard his sudden romantic gesture. She pinched his waist softly while whining, "Nonsense!" She buried herself into his chest while snuggling happily. The woman started to be naughty and wanted to tease the man so that he would feel as tortured as her. She didn¡¯t know that he had been tortured by her even though Yao Ling didn¡¯t do anything or try to seduce him.

    Yao Ling kissed Yao Ying¡¯s chest which was slightly revealed because he was wearing a loose robe that was specially designed for him to sleep morefortable. The sight of his hard and firm chest made her drool in desire. She started to think that there was something wrong with her brain for thinking about the lecherous things all the time.

    She was afraid that she would continue to be a pervert all through her pregnancy! It would be embarrassing to death ah~!

    Yao Ying shuddered when he felt the warm lips on his chest. He asked her with intrigued expression while swallowing his saliva, "What are you doing?" His voice turned hoarser because of the arousal that had been ignited by the naughty woman.

    ¡¯This minx!¡¯ He thought to himself in annoyance.

    "Just missing you..." The woman didn¡¯t forget to let out sweet words as well. He wasn¡¯t the only one who could do it ah~! The funny thing was... she didn¡¯t lie about this matter because her pregnancy had a weird quirk. She couldn¡¯t stop herself from thinking about Yao Ying and kept wanting to paste herself to him all the time. Whenever he wasn¡¯t by her side, she was being attacked by the feeling of longing.

    Weird... but this was the truth... This only happened for the past few days.

    This could only be med on the child inside her womb. Why did the quirk that she got seemed to keep changing all the time ah~?! Before this, she was a bit sensitive to Yao Ying¡¯s smell... and now this... She decided to shake the thought away.

    Yao Ling looked up and kissed his lips softly before hugging him once again, snuggling like a little cat. Yao Ying was feeling helpless. However, he couldn¡¯t deny that he felt happy... Yao Ling wasn¡¯t really an affectionate person and this change was like a breath of fresh air to him. He enjoyed their closeness.

    But... But... what about his hardened member? He looked helplessly between Yao Ling and his little Yao Ying. If she continued doing this, she really needed to help him appease his little Yao Ying ah~!

    "Er... Ling -er..." He wanted to beg her to use her hands on him but decided to coax the woman first. As long as she was happy, she would be willing to help him, right?

    Yao Ling really wanted tough when she heard his spoiled tone. She seemed to know what he wanted because she could feel that little Yao Ying was begging to be touched by her... It kept poking her stomach a little and somehow, she found it really funny.

    She deliberately lowered her voice a bit so it would sound a bit more seductive, "Yes, dear? Why do you call me?"

    Her voice tickled Yao Ying¡¯s ears and it made him feel even more aroused --- especiallybined with the fact that the woman¡¯s hand just brushed over his little Yao Ying... It was only a subtle movement, however, he was at a sensitive state so he could feel it clearly ah~! He didn¡¯t know whether she was deliberately doing this or not.

    Yao Ling almost couldn¡¯t hold back herughter when she felt Yao Ying¡¯s body stiffened to the point of almost bing a statue! Yes, she deliberately did it... Because of this, she could satisfy her need to get closer to him and by teasing him, she was able to stop feeling her own arousal --- Instead, she felt that this was so fun ah~!

    At least, this could release the stress that had been building up inside her. Madam Wang¡¯s matter and the fact that people were targetting her and the baby made her couldn¡¯t sleep at ease each night. She tried so hard not to let Yao Ying see her negative state so she had hidden it inside her heart --- she didn¡¯t want him to feel worried about her, after all, he also had a lot of things to handle already.

    "You... Can you help me with something?" Yao Ying asked softly. He needed to trap her to say yes first, otherwise, his n wouldn¡¯t work.

    Yao Ling knew him like the back of her hands ah~! Of course, she was able to see through his little trick. Thus, she pretended to quickly yawn with slightly teary eyes.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Dear... I suddenly feel so sleepy out of nowhere. What do you need help with? Can it wait until tomorrow? The baby seems to want to sleep... he or she makes me feel so sleepy..." Yao Ling quickly said. "Is it more important than the baby¡¯s need?" She asked while looking at Yao Ying with an innocent expression.

    Yao Ying, "..."

    How could he answer that ah~?! Should he choose his little baby or little Yao Ying...?! Both of them were important to him!! But of course, even a dumb person knew that he cared about his baby even more! The pitiful Yao Ying could only gaze helplessly at Yao Ling.

    "Not... not really... Of course, the baby is the most important thing ah~! If you are really sleepy, just sleep... Go... Go... sleep peacefully... Take a good rest, okay? We can talk about this once you already have a good rest. It won¡¯t be toote by then..." Yao Ying said that with a light tone, however, he was the only one who knew that he was actually crying in despair inwardly.

    "Good!" Yao Ling nodded her head happily, feeling smug.

    Because of her happy mood, she fell asleep in no time while leaving behind a dumbfounded husband with his painfully hard little thing... Yao Ying could only shake his head and sadly looked down.

    ¡¯It¡¯s only you and me again little man...¡¯

    He sighed in sadness.

    And oh... he forgot one thing... a cold shower.

    Him, his little Yao Ying, and a cold showerte at night...

 Chapter 443 - Ru Hua Came

    Yao Ling¡¯s prediction was true. Her n to tempt the younger sister had just begun, and yet, the younger sister really took the bait in such a short time. She came to their manor under the pretense of looking for her big sister. She was currently talking to the guard, asking for permission to visit her big sister.

    At the same time, Yao Ling was going out to the front door. She nned to go out and visit Fu Rong, doing some checking there. It was quite lucky for the younger sister to meet her by ident, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t be able to go in. Yao Ling was happy though because she could be there to witness everything.

    Because of that, Yao Ling needed to postpone her work. She didn¡¯t regret it though because the Fu Rong matter wasn¡¯t that urgent, actually. In her opinion, it would be more fun to see what would happen next ah~! She didn¡¯t want to miss the good show. How to get a good show? Of course, she had to let the younger sister in ah~!

    The guards greeted Yao Ling politely, "Young Mistress..."

    "What happened?" Yao Ling asked them softly and the way the guards called Yao Ling made the younger sister knew that this was the legendary adopted daughter.

    "Yao Ling Gu Niang..." The younger sister called her name softly while paying attention to what Yao Ling wore. Her clothing was even better than her and her jewelry was much more expensive than her --- honestly, she envied her. How could she live better than her?

    "You are...?" Yao Ling pretended that she didn¡¯t know who the other party was. Besides, she really didn¡¯t know her name and kept calling this woman as the younger sister before this. However, her people already showed her the painting of this woman so she knew who she was in a nce.

    "This one is Ru Hua... Madam Wang¡¯s younger sister..." She said shyly. Ru Hua was the same age as Yao Ling, however, she didn¡¯t have the elegance that Yao Ling had. But still... the woman was still charming in her own way.

    ¡¯Hmm... She¡¯s actually quite pretty up close... even better than the picture that she had seen before...¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. Her face was prettier than Madam Wang quite a lot and there was a hint of seductiveness in each of her movements which would be able to entrance men --- any men. She was truly the daughter of a concubine --- her mother must have taught her everything that she knew so that her daughter would be able to attract men¡¯s attention.

    She had heard that the younger sister¡¯s birth mother was a courtesan. Even though she didn¡¯t sell her body but she was still a master of seduction art. Otherwise, Madam Wang¡¯s father wouldn¡¯t have doted on her so much!

    Yao Ling nodded her head politely --- she was currently a legal daughter so her standing was higher than Ru Hua who was merely the daughter of a concubine. "En..." Yao Ling answered with a gentle but distant smile.

    "Jie Jie... nice to meet you..." Ru Hua said while blushing shyly. She didn¡¯t look nervous which made Yao Ling feel that this woman look a bit sly.

    Yao Ling sneered. The other party wanted to be intimate with her because Ru Hua must have known that Yao Ling was holding the power at Wang Fu as well. She might as well try to build a good rtionship with Yao Ling ah~!

    Yao Ling really wanted to roll her eyes. She wasn¡¯t a man ah~! Why did she blush and act shy just like that? She wondered for who this woman put on such a show to see. Yao Ling said in a low voice but loud enough for everyone to hear, "I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m not really familiar with you... I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good for you to call me Jie Jie at this time... Maybe if we have a chance to get closer in the future... But really, nice to meet you too..."

    Her rejection was clear even though she was talking politely. If they had a chance? Yao Ling didn¡¯t even give her a face at this moment ah~! She believed that she wouldn¡¯t give her a chance in the future as well.

    Ru Hua blushed in shame and bit her lower lip, looking like she was being wronged. To the outsider, it would look like that Yao Ling had bullied her. If this happened outside of the manor, it would take effect because outsiders wouldn¡¯t know Yao Ling¡¯s real personality.

    But Yao Ling had let here inside the manor and they were talking inside of the manor --- not far from the front gate. Outsiders couldn¡¯t see a thing... Fortunately, the people in Wang Fu already knew Yao Ling¡¯s personality. She was always kind and polite even to the servants of the manor.

    If they thought about it, what Yao Ling said really made sense ah~! How could a concubine¡¯s daughter want to be intimate the first time she met with Yao Ling? Their statuses were quite different ah~! A stupid person also knew that Ru Hua must be wanting something from Yao Ling. They looked at Ru Hua in disdain.

    Even though she was feeling embarrassed to death, she knew that she had to persist. She wouldn¡¯t admit defeat easily because she really needed to meet with her sister, thus, she continued to smile tenderly even though she gritted her teeth in anger inwardly. If she became a madam at Wang Fu one day, she would crush Yao Ling under her feet!

    If Yao Ling wasn¡¯t lucky to be adopted and given such a high status by Wang Luo Hai, how could she stand in front of her so proudly like this? Her position should have been worse than her! After all, it wasn¡¯t a secret that Yao Ling used to be amoner!

    ¡¯Damn this woman!¡¯ Ru Hua cursed her inwardly. She wouldn¡¯t forget about the embarrassment that she felt at the moment.

    "Yao Ling Gu Niang..." She changed the way she called Yao Ling back to the polite one.

    "Hmmm?" Yao Ling asked while tilting her head to the side and feeling generous enough not to make a fuss anymore about how she should call her.

    "Can... Can this one meet Madam Wang?" Ru Hua asked timidly once again.

    Yao Ling was pretending to be taken aback. "I¡¯m sorry... Madam Wang isn¡¯t in good health so she needs to recuperate. Both of them knew what ¡¯recuperate¡¯ actually meant.

    "I... I heard that something happened to her..." Ru Hua asked cautiously.

    "She¡¯s fine..." Yao Ling answered evasively. People could guess that she was lying through her teeth...

    "Gu Niang, please... I miss her..." Ru Hua kept pushing her...

    "I... I can¡¯t decide this matter, after all, I¡¯m not the one who grounded her..." Yao Ling said helplessly.

    "Grounded?" Ru Hua pretended to be surprised. "I thought that it¡¯s a baseless rumor, so... it¡¯s true?" She pretended to be sad on the behalf of her big sister¡¯s.

    "Ooops!" Yao Ling covered her mouth, looking like she was identally leaking a secret.

 Chapter 444 - Can You Help Me?

    "Don¡¯t tell anyone about it! It¡¯s supposed to be a secret..." Yao Ling said in a low voice while looking around carefully.

    Ru Hua also knew about this point because there was no rumor about this matter on the outside --- they only knew about this from Liu Li --- otherwise, they would still think that everything was actually fine.

    "I won¡¯t tell anyone!" Ru Hua quickly promised Yao Ling. She saw that Yao Ling might have started to open up and tried to seize the chance. "But... Can you help me, Yao Ling Gu Niang? You are Madam Wang¡¯s daughter, right? I¡¯m sure you will want to help her and do all your best about it, right?" Ru Hua asked softly.

    Yao Ling sneered inwardly, knowing that Ru Hua was forcing her toply with her seemingly harmless words. This woman was really eloquent with her words ah~! If she didn¡¯t help Ru Hua or Madam Wang, it meant that she didn¡¯t treat Madam Wang like her real mother --- it was against filial piety.

    Yao Ling sighed, "I¡¯m also in a hard position ah~! Father even didn¡¯t let me call her mother, so..." She trailed off at thest part sadly. The meaning was clear... it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to help her but she was under her father¡¯s order.

    Ru Hua was surprised because she didn¡¯t think that Madam Wang¡¯s position was already that bad! She was even doubtful that she could help Madam Wang if that was really the real case. She knew that Madam Wang was being grounded but she didn¡¯t know that the matter was this serious. She didn¡¯t know whether she should be happy or not with the current progress.

    If Wang Luo Hai thought she was the same as her big sister, it would be hard for her to step into Wang Fu. She gritted her teeth inwardly, her big sister was so stupid for getting into this predicament!! Merely killing two vigers and yet, Madam Wang had failed miserably!

    However, this was a good chance for her to shine. If she could beat Madam Wang, she would feel even happier. She always felt that the kindness that Madam Wang gave her was actually fake. She only pitied her and it made her feel ufortable which finally, turned into hatred. What her mother concubine had told her over and over again must have been true!

    "Wha... What do you mean, Yao Ling Gu Niang? Why couldn¡¯t you call her mother...? Is my sister really okay? Please... please... let me meet her... I¡¯m so worried about her..." Ru Hua begged her with her doe eyes and tears started to flow down from her eyes. She didn¡¯t even dare to mention the word ¡¯divorce¡¯! After all, it would be too embarrassing for her family and in the end, it would also affect her own marriage ah~!

    ¡¯What a drama queen!¡¯ Yao Ling rolled her eyes in annoyance. ¡¯Does she really need to act seductive all the time?!¡¯ Honestly, it disgusted Yao Ling who had known her real face!

    "Wait a minute!" Yao Ling told Ru Hua to stay on the spot for a little while. They were currently still at the front garden and there was a little pavilion. Yao Ling led them to that spot and left Ru Hua there. "Can you wait here? I will arrange some matters first --- maybe I could help you a little bit..."

    "Really?" Ru Hua asked in surprise.

    Yao Ling nodded her head while giving out her gentle smile. "Of course, I actually want to help Mother but I didn¡¯t know how... With your presence, maybe it would be easier."

    Ru Hua wanted to ask a question but Yao Ling already turned around so she could only swallow her words back.

    Yao Ling went out of the pavilion and whispered a few things to Xiao Yu who stood there. She wanted thetter to prepare everything just like how she had arranged beforehand. Xiao Yu quickly went away in a rush, knowing what her young mistress really wanted.

    "Gu... Gu Niang?" Ru Hua asked in confusion. She didn¡¯t know what kind of instruction that Yao Ling had given to Xiao Yu. Somehow, she got a bad feeling about it because she knew that Yao Ling wasn¡¯t a simple person... If she didn¡¯t think of doing anything bad, why was there a need to whisper? There was no one else but her and her maid here...

    Ru Hua started to be a bit doubtful.

    Was she really trying to help her? Ru Hua didn¡¯t know whether she should trust Yao Ling or not. Too bad, she had no other choice. The first step that she needed to do was to meet her big sister because she wanted to know what happened inside Wang Fu clearly. If she could, she wanted to meet her brother-inw...

    Maybe... Maybe... something would happen... She thought to herself shyly.

    Ru Hua was a lot smarter than Madam Wang --- Yao Ling could see it clearly after Ru Hua threw a suspicious gaze at her. Well... wouldn¡¯t it be too easy if she fell into her trap right away, right?

    Once Yao Ling came back, Ru Hua quickly asked, "How do you n to help me --- I mean, us?" She almost forgot that Yao Ling did this because of her rtionship with her big sister. She needed to thread her words carefully --- just to avoid any misunderstanding.

    Yao Ling looked at her helplessly. "The only thing that I could do is to let you meet with my father... I failed to persuade him, but maybe... you could..."

    Ru Hua was taken aback. Persuading him? How? She had no power whatsoever so what could she do to convince him?

    She had been here several times and had never met the legendary brother-inw because he was too busy working all the time and at that time, she didn¡¯t think too much about him. If it wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t like the condition of her groom-to-be, she wouldn¡¯t do this ah~! Her concubine mother always came up with a good n for her and the n to seduce her brother-inw sounded so reasonable. It would help her out of her predicament.

    Her heart was beating faster. Once her sister was out of favor, she suddenly was able to meet him. Somehow, it made her feel nervous.

    "Will... Will this really be okay?" Ru Hua asked shyly. "I don¡¯t think it will be good for a maiden like me to meet him privately..." She tried to look as innocent as possible.

    Yao Ling almostughed out loud when she saw her bashful face, however, she was able to maintain her calm face on the surface. "Of course, it will be okay... Besides, you won¡¯t meet with him privately. I won¡¯t do anything that would harm your reputation. Don¡¯t worry about that! I told my people to bring him here, but of course, he doesn¡¯t know that you are here... But... you have to help me with one thing as well..."

    Ru Hua narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Help you...? What kind of help?" She knew that this thing was too good to be true. Was she falling into Yao Ling¡¯s trap?

 Chapter 445 - Ru Huas Excitement

    Yao Lingughed. "You don¡¯t need to feel so nervous. Why do you look like you are actually afraid of me?" She asked innocently.

    "No... No... Of course not!" Ru Hua quickly denied it. "I¡¯m really thankful for your help ah~! I¡¯m sure my big sister would think the same way."

    Yao Ling thought inwardly, ¡¯Oh... I really doubt that! I don¡¯t think she would thank me...¡¯ Sheughed inside her mind.

    "I¡¯m just asking for a simple request," Yao Ling said with a gentle smile. Because she didn¡¯t want Ru Hua to feel suspicious, she started to warm up and let her talk more intimately with her. The better she felt their rtionship was, Ru Hua would start to loosen her vignce.

    "Just, please... Don¡¯t tell my father that I¡¯m the one who helps you to set an idental meeting him, alright? He already gave an order that he doesn¡¯t want to meet anyone from Madam Wang¡¯s family..." Yao Ling said helplessly. "Not only that but he also doesn¡¯t allow me to do something to help Madam Wang. If he knew, he would scold me ah~!"

    "As simple as that?!" Ru Hua was somehow in disbelief and blurted out her real thoughts identally. Usually, people would always demand something from her whenever they gave her a few benefits. It was no wonder that she felt surprised.

    Yao Ling tilted her head to the side and asked her back, "Yes... Why do you look so surprised?" She pretended to look at her in confusion. In a way, she really pitied the younger sister. She became like this because she must have been under other people¡¯s coercion.

    "Nothing... You are just the kindest person I¡¯ve ever met..." Ru Hua gently smiled, showing her gratefulness to Yao Ling. She didn¡¯t know whether Yao Ling had another purpose or not but she didn¡¯t really care --- as long as it would give her benefits.

    She had been thinking hard about how to meet Wang Luo Hai --- she even wanted to choose Fu Rong. Today, she came here purely because of her big sister ah~! Who knew that luck hade to her way early?

    "When will hee?" Ru Hua asked nervously. "Do you think he will help me and give our family a face?" Ru Hua started to worry, thinking whether she was too hasty or not.

    Yao Ling sighed. "Honestly, I don¡¯t know... I wish you luck because this is the only thing that I can do to help you... About when he wille, we need to wait for my maidservant toe back. I have no idea where my father is at the moment, but one thing for sure, he¡¯s still in the manor because I have just met him."

    Ru Hua nodded her head while wringing her handkerchief out of anxiety. She followed Yao Ling who was leading her to sit down at the nearby pavilion. Yao Ling offered her some refreshments and Ru Hua epted it gratefully. Her eyes kept darting around in excitement, waiting for Wang Luo Hai¡¯s arrival.

    "Let us wait here!" Yao Ling said calmly while ordering her people to serve snacks and tea for them to enjoy while waiting.

    Ru Hua actually wanted to take a look at herself whether she looked beautiful or not, but she couldn¡¯t. Yao Ling was looking at her like a hawk while sipping the tea calmly, somehow, it made her feel ufortable. She had a feeling that Yao Ling could see through her if she talked too much ah~!

    That was the reason why Ru Hua chose to keep her silence and maintain her elegance appearance. Fortunately, not too long after that, Xiao Yu came to the pavilion in a rush and whispered a few things to Yao Ling¡¯s ears. Yao Ling nodded her head after listening to her report and in the end, she looked apologetically at Ru Hua.

    "Ru Hua Gu Niang, my father ising this way and he will arrive in no time. I have to go now... Everything will depend on yourself after this, okay?" Yao Ling said urgently. She looked apologetic but didn¡¯t hesitate to go --- it was merely a lip service from Yao Ling anyway.

    "What...? But..." Ru Hua wanted to stop Yao Ling because suddenly, she didn¡¯t feel so sure anymore. She knew that she had to act perfectly because Wang Luo Hai couldn¡¯t be categorized as those stupid males that were easily manipted by her... The man was sly and clever at reading people¡¯s expressions--- her sister had told her all about Wang Luo Hai so she understood what kind of person he was clearly.

    Ru Hua more or less knew what she was getting herself into and had a necessary preparation for a few days, but still... she was merely a young girl --- of course, she would feel nervous.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t wait for her to say anything else and directly left Ru Hua all alone with only her maidservant at her side hurriedly. Ru Hua was speechless, but at least, she could tidy up her appearance with no one around. Somehow, her heart was beating faster in excitement.

    Yao Ling pretended to get out of there but once she was out of sight, she changed her direction stealthily. There was a ce where she could hide near the pavilion and Ru Hua wouldn¡¯t find out about her presence at all. She hid behind a rockery which surrounded by thick bushes and trees.

    Yao Ling could see everything that happened inside the pavilion clearly but not the other way around. She asked Xiao Yu in a low excited voice, "Have you told father everything?"

    "Yes, Young Mistress. He already knows what to do and he told me to tell you not to worry about this matter too much. Just remember to take care of yourself and the baby..." Xiao Yu exined.

    Yao Ling nodded her head in understanding. She understood the point but she still wanted to watch the excitement nheless.

    "What about Madam Wang?" Yao Ling asked once again. Even if Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t tell her to, she would keep vignce around Madam Wang. The woman had tried to hurt her more than once. so she already had resistance towards her.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Young Mistress. She¡¯s already on the way here as well but Master has arranged another ce for her to see the good show... It¡¯s not too far from here but at least, we are not in the same ce as her..."

    "Why? This is a good ce..." Yao Ling asked in confusion because she wanted to keep an eye at Madam Wang.

    "Master is feeling worried about you, Young Mistress... Just in case she goes crazy after knowing the truth... Who knows what she should do if she¡¯s being cornered?" Xiao Yu said while looked at her stomach pointedly. No one knew about her young mistress¡¯ pregnancy matter so Xiao Yu didn¡¯t dare to say it out loud. However, Yao Ling naturally understood her meaning perfectly clear.

    Yao Ling sighed and nodded her head. "I understand... But, who will keep an eye on Madam Wang?" Yao Ling asked. She was afraid that she would suddenly go out and ruin the n...

 Chapter 446 - Please...

    "Master¡¯s people are there and also, Old Madam¡¯s a few strong Mo Mos are dispatched as well. They will be the ones who hold onto the madam if she wants to do something weird. It seems like they are really trying to get rid of the madam as soon as possible..." Xiao Yu exined. Even a blind person could see this fact clearly.

    "I know..." Yao Ling answered with a sigh. Who wouldn¡¯t hate such a stupid and selfish woman? Not only that, but she was too narrow-minded to think about the big picture.

    "Master said it¡¯s better if you are not being involved directly... so there would be no hard feelings between you and Madam Wang. If something really happened, it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you..." Xiao Yu ryed Wang Luo Hai¡¯s words clearly.

    Lately, Madam Wang had lost her soul and be a bit deranged... This was the main reason why Wang Luo Hai was afraid that Yao Ling would be attacked, especially because Madam Wang seemed to hate her a bit too much.

    Yao Ling understood his concern and she was quite grateful. She realized that her identity as Jiu Lan¡¯s daughter really made a big difference for Wang Luo Hai. He treated her more genuinely than before... She didn¡¯t know that she could be this lucky because everything went into ce for hertely. Hopefully that it would always stay like this forever.

    Yao Ling could only helplessly ept Wang Luo Hai¡¯s arrangement. "Well... as long as Madam Wang could see everything with her own eyes, it should be fine..." She finally said.

    "Yes, Young Mistress," Xiao Yu answered with a smile.

    The only thing that they could do was to wait for the male lead to arrive. Ahem ~ Wang Luo Hai was the male lead for theplicated love story at this moment. Yao Ling quite admired him --- after all, he was pretty old but women still threw themselves at him once in a while. Indeed, his wealth was quite tempting and his look was also not bad --- so maybe that was the reason why he was quite popr in the market.

    Xiao Yu said all of a sudden, "Wait a minute, Young Mistress! This servant needs to get something for a little while."

    Yao Ling nodded her head and said, "Just do your thing..."

    Once Xiao Yu came back, she brought a stool with her. "Young Mistress, it might take a bit long. Just sit down first... or else, you will get tired,"

    Yao Ling stunned but then, she smiled in happiness. Xiao Yu was indeed the most considerate and loyal of her maidservants. She didn¡¯t feel shy and quickly sat down while saying thank you to Xiao Yu. Indeed, it was morefortable for her to sit. Sometimes, if she stood up too long, her stomach would churn and once in a while, there was an urge to vomit. Xiao Yu understood this point and that was the reason why she prepared a stool for Yao Ling in the first ce.

    It didn¡¯t take long for Wang Luo Hai to arrive and he looked confident and calm, not looking like a person who had nned all of this in the first ce. His eyes slightly fleeted to another rockery on the opposite side of Yao Ling and thetter knew that Madam Wang must have been staying there to see the excitement.

    She sighed, feeling bad that she couldn¡¯t see Madam Wang¡¯s expression.

    Wang Luo Hai pretended to pass by the pavilion and asked his personal servant, "Is it here? Why don¡¯t I see Yao Ling¡¯s shadow at all?"

    The servant answered helplessly, "Master, I have no idea. Xiao Yu indeed said that the young mistress is waiting for you here because of an important matter..." He looked around and couldn¡¯t find anyone around --- he didn¡¯t think that Xiao Yu would lie about this kind of matter. Seeing his master didn¡¯t look unhappy, the clever servant knew that there was something he didn¡¯t know about.

    His master was patient but not if he was being abandoned like this...

    Their sights were obstructed by a small rockery so they couldn¡¯t see Ru Hua who waited for them excitedly inside the pavilion. Yao Ling gave a signal to Xiao Yu and thetter whispered to her, "This servant already made an arrangement about this beforehand. Don¡¯t worry Young Mistress!" Yao Ling nodded her head in satisfaction when she heard that.

    A maidservant appeared and reported to Wang Luo Hai, "Master, there¡¯s an urgent matter at Fu Rong so the young mistress has gone there to take a look in a hurry. She forgot to send a message to Master so she asked this servant to tell Master about it."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded his head. "I understand... It¡¯s fine... You can go now!"

    The maidservant curtsied and quickly went back to her ce because her job was done. Xiao Yu said that it was an important matter so she didn¡¯t dare to ck off.

    Wang Luo Hai sighed and decided to go back --- he deliberately didn¡¯t let his eyes wander and pretended that he didn¡¯t know that someone had been waiting for him at the pavilion. He had no interaction with her whatsoever before so it shouldn¡¯t be him the one who initiated the conversation.

    Ru Hua had been waiting for him to acknowledge her, however, he didn¡¯t see her and she almost jumped from her seat in anxiety. How could she let this rare chance go easily? Ru Hua needed to attract her attention, thus, she slowly stood up and called Wang Luo Hai gently, "Brother-inw..."

    Wang Luo Hai was surprised by the gentle voice that came out of nowhere. He turned around and saw Ru Hua standing there while looking at him with her watery eyes. He had to admit that the woman was quite attractive, too bad, his heart had been taken in this life. Otherwise, any other man would have been tempted by such a beauty.

    "Who are you?" Wang Luo Hai asked while furrowing his eyebrows.

    Ru Hua didn¡¯t hear any displeasure tone from his voice, thus, she said, "This one is Madam Wang¡¯s younger sister... Ru Hua..."

    Wang Luo Hai nodded hid head. "Oh... You are Ru Hua. I heard your sister mentioned you a few times. What are you doing here? Your sister is sick at the moment, so she doesn¡¯t receive any guest," Wang Luo Hai bluntly said.

    Ru Hua blushed because she didn¡¯t think Wang Luo Hai would say it bluntly like that. "I... I..." Her eyes started to get teary, feeling ashamed. "I¡¯m sorry... I didn¡¯t mean to... I¡¯m just worried about my sister..." She looked pitifully at Wang Luo Hai with her enchanting and seductive gaze.

    Wang Luo Hai sighed. "I¡¯m sorry... I was a bit too harsh just now... Did I scare you?" He asked in a softer voice.

    Ru Hua¡¯s face reddened and she shook her head. "No..."

    "Why don¡¯t you go back for another day?" Wang Luo Hai asked.

    Ru Hua bit her lower lips. "Brother-inw, what kind of sickness that my sister has? Can... Can it be cured? I was surprised when I heard that she is suddenly sick out of the blue... My heart won¡¯t be at ease if I don¡¯t meet her personally..."

    She added while fluttering her eyshes at him, "Please..."

 Chapter 447 - A Fragrant Sachet

    Wang Luo Hai looked a bit hesitant. He was feeling disgusted inwardly with Ru Hua¡¯s behavior --- she was still at such a young age, and yet, she was really clever at seducing people but he had to continue doing this so that he could get a peaceful divorce.

    He really couldn¡¯t stand Madam Wang and her family anymore.

    Madam Wang could see and hear everything clearly from where she was standing. She looked clearly how seductive her younger sister was and she gritted her teeth in anger. However, when she heard that it was because of her, her mind changed once again. Her younger sister was actually behaving like that for her behalf. Madam Wang sighed in relief and continued looking at the show.

    If Yao Ling knew Madam Wang¡¯s thought, she would really want to open her brain and see what the heck inside of it. How could she be that blind?! It was obvious that the two of them were flirting ah~!

    "Why do you want to meet her?" Wang Luo Hai asked.

    "I... I want to help her if I could... Maybe just talk to her so that she won¡¯t feel lonely..." She said with a smile which made her look so kind and amiable, covering up the sinister n inside her mind.

    Wang Luo Hai looked like he was feeling touched by Ru Hua¡¯s gesture and looked at thetter with a face full of appreciation. When Ru Hua felt his intense gaze at her, she became shy all of a sudden. It seemed like it was time for her to use the move that her concubine mother had taught her.

    She walked slowly and nned to stop in front of Wang Luo Hai, but before that, she pretended to twist her ankle and stumble to the front. She hoped that he would catch her so that he could take responsibility for her. It was more like he had to because they already had skin to skin contact.

    Ru Hua was pretty sure that she would be able to seed because of the help from the smell of her fragrant sachet. This was a special sachet that her concubine mother made by herself and it worked wonderfully. It was also the thing that she used to capture her father back when her concubine mother was only a lowly courtesan so they were a hundred percent sure of the effect.

    It wouldn¡¯t make a man fall in love right away because it was pretty impossible in the first ce. They just wanted the men to remember their soft enchanting scent slowly and in the end, the men would be want to keep finding them and smelling the scent all the time.

    Yes, it could make people addicted. However, her mother had already taught her how to control this scent so it wouldn¡¯t affect both her and her target in the long run. In such a ce, it was easy to find a fragrant sachet which would be added a thing or two to make a man be intoxicated.

    Wang Luo Hai already felt that there was a weird smelling from Ru Hua --- yes, it was sweet and pleasant to his nose but there was something unknown that he couldn¡¯t understand. However, because of the act, no matter what he had to let the woman fall onto him.

    "A~" Ru Hua yelled charmingly while pretending to fall beautifully. She had practiced this move a dozen times to different men and she had be a master of it. People wouldn¡¯t any w from her moves but too bad, she was dealing with the wrong people this time.

    They had seen through her tricks a long time ago. Even vigers in Yao Ling¡¯s vige back then had used the same trick as her, however, they were far more unpolished than her trick --- but in the end, it was still the same trick. What more Wang Luo Hai? A lot of women had done the same trick to him over and over again to gain his favor.

    He even felt bored with it...

    Wang Luo Hai wondered whether he should catch her or not. His hands already shot up, trying to help the falling beauty.

    If Madam Wang was in front of Ru Hua, she would have thought that she had really stumbled identally because of how wless her move was.

    However, she was in a position where she could see everything clearly. There was nothing there so what kind of thing would make her stumble? Ru Hua used to do it more wlessly by making her stumble upon her own feet, however, she was in a hurry at the moment. Besides, she didn¡¯t think anyone was enjoying the show secretly and find out her small trick.

    The matriarch had especially told one of the experienced Mo Mos to let them open this stupid woman¡¯s eyes. After everything that had happened, the matriarch felt that she was blind for thinking such a woman as clever and amiable --- even forced her son to marry her so that he could forget about Jiu Lan. She had thought that Madam Wang¡¯s love for Wang Luo Hao was pure and real...

    Lu Mo Mo said, "Mistress, do you see it clearly? That¡¯s how your beloved younger sister behaves. She knows how to seduce people at such a young age. She also understands your position at this time... What does she actually want to do? Helping you by bing the master¡¯s wife as well? What kind of benefits that she would get by doing this?"

    Lu Mo Mo openly mocked Madam Wang because she knew that the master had abandoned this woman and nned to divorce her. Thus, she would be no one in this manor soon. This, she didn¡¯t bother to be polite to her.

    Madam Wang¡¯s turned pale when she heard this.

    "Maybe because she really wants to help me! If she¡¯s here, she could help me to kick away Yao Ying and Yao Ling..." She was too agitated and blurted her thought identally.

    Lu Mo Mo sighed. She was already at the edge of a cliff and yet, she didn¡¯t repent and med everything on the young master and young mistress. No wonder everyone was feeling that she was beyond hopeless.

    She shook her head --- it seemed like it would be hard to wake Madam Wang up from her dream. What kind of medicine that Ru Hua gave her ah~?!

    Lu Mo Mo actually didn¡¯t guess it wrong... Ru Hua used the fragrant sachet to subdue Madam Wang and made thetter dote on her --- it would also make her trust Ru Hua blindly just like now. This sachet had the same type of poison with the thing that Mi Hui used...

    If Yao Ling smelt it, she would naturally understand everything. If this was the truth, then Tang Shu Yu¡¯s revenge had been nned for a long time --- even before Wang Luo Hai got married to Madam Wang... That man was really too scary ah~!

    Madam Wang continued to look at the lovey-dovey couple and somehow, she started to get angry. The more she looked at them, the more there was something stifling inside her heart.

 Chapter 448 - Madam Wangs Revelation

    The way they were smiling at each other really irked her! Madam Wang frowned --- it seemed like they were enjoying themselves a little too much, in her opinion. She started to get suspicious. If it really for her, why didn¡¯t her younger sister mention her once again?

    In the end, Wang Luo Hai caught her. He thought that there was no one around him --- only his trusted people and Madam Wang. No one would want him to marry this woman so he should be fine doing this.

    Ru Hua fell into his embrace softly.

    "Are you okay?" Wang Luo Hai asked in concern.

    "I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine..." She said while her face was slightly reddened. She took a peek from under her eyshes and when Wang Luo Hai looked at her, she pretended to look away. However, her movement was quite obvious so the man would know that she was actually interested. It was just that she was gauging his reaction.

    Wang Luo Hai smiled. "If you are okay, then it¡¯s good." He patted her hand softly and let her go, pretending that nothing had happened. Because of this, Ru Hua started to be anxious. Didn¡¯t he give her a positive response? Why didn¡¯t he say anything about taking responsibilities even though he had touched her?

    Obviously, she shouldn¡¯t be the one who reminded Wang Luo Hai. She gave a signal to her personal maid and thetter understood what she meant.

    "Ma... Master... you... you just touched my young miss... shouldn¡¯t you take responsibility?" She asked in a soft voice, seemingly afraid to talk to Wang Luo Hai but determined to get justice for her young miss.

    Ru Hua quickly scolded her, "Ah Qiu! What are you talking about? It was just an ident, besides, Master is my brother-inw..."

    "But, Miss... people would talk badly if they know what has just happened ah~!" The young maidservant almost cried when she said that.

    Wang Luo Hai and Yao Ling were quite amazed by their performance --- even the maidservant was really good at it. They echoed each other in perfect harmony.

    "I... I can¡¯t do that..." Wang Luo Hai admitted. "No matter what, you are still my sister-inw. It won¡¯t be too good if your sister knows..." He pretended to be in a hard position.

    Madam Wang was satisfied with Wang Luo Hai¡¯s answer --- he respected her at the very least. However, it showed more how bitchy her younger sister was. The man already said no but she still tried to seduce him. It seemed like everyone didn¡¯t lie to her. It was just she was too stupid to see the truth back then.

    However, there was no medicine for regret --- everything was toote! She even lost the bet and knew that she would get a divorce soon. Her younger sister had ruined her life! It was really disappointing and hateful at the same time!

    She had doted on a white-eyed wolf!

    Madam Wang wanted toe out and throttle the shameless younger sister but the strong Mo Mos was holding her back.

    "Why are you in a hurry?" Lu Mo Mo asked. "Don¡¯t you want to prove how innocent your younger sister was?"

    Madam Wang red at Lu Mo Mo in hatred. She used to be respectful towards her but now? She even dared to mock her over and over again! However, she was hopeless as well. The more she listened to their conversation, the more she lost all her strength.

    "Brother-inw, why don¡¯t you visit our house from time to time?" Ru Hua asked bashfully. She tried to invite him so that she could seduce him slowly and make him more familiar with the smell of her fragrant sachet.

    "What kind of reason that you want me to use?" Wang Luo Hai asked with a smile while continued looking at her with an amorous gaze. He wanted to know what her answer would be.

    Yao Ling rolled her eyes at their interaction --- it was so cheesy and honestly, she shuddered when she looked at both of them ah~! She skipped most of their conversation because her poor ears couldn¡¯t take it anymore. It was weird to see your own father flirting with a woman as young as her. Oh my!

    However, she needed to see all this because she wanted to look at Madam Wang¡¯s reaction when she knew the ugly truth.

    Ru Hua wanted to answer that he shoulde to her house and the reason was to meet her, but she decided against it because it wasn¡¯t the right time yet. "What do you mean, brother inw? Of course, youe to visit my father and mother... Maybe my sister is missing them... It has been a long time since thest time youe too..." She said shyly.

    Wang Luo Hai scoffed. "If she misses them, she can just go home by herself," he said with displeasure. He didn¡¯t bother to hide his hatred at Madam Wang which made thetter flinch.

    "What happened between you and my sister?" Ru Hua asked softly.

    "There¡¯s no need for you to know," Wang Luo Hai said sternly,

    Ru Hua jumped up in surprise, pretending to be scared. "O... Okay..."

    Wang Luo Hai sighed. "No need to be afraid... I won¡¯t go there for your sister¡¯s sake and that¡¯s it..." Wang Luo Hai gave the final say.

    Ru Hua saw his reaction and knew that there seemed to be no chance for them to reconcile. It seemed like what her father had predicted came true. Did he get a piece of information from an inside or just a mere guess? Ru Hua started to be curious.

    She was sorry to her big sister but she needed to get her own happiness and besides, she had a backer so she didn¡¯t need to be afraid of anything.

    "Then... Then... What about me?" Ru Hua decided to ask the bold question.

    "What do you mean?" Wang Luo Hai furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

    "Why don¡¯t youe to our manor... for me...?" She asked shyly.

    This sentence really triggered Madam Wang and she almost wanted to kill the bitch herself. She was indeed targeting her husband! Why did she follow her advice regarding infertile drugs matter?! Madam Wang really wanted to beat herself for being stupid. She tried to hold herself back because she didn¡¯t want to lose her dignity.

    Until the end, she heard what Ru Hua said, "My father has sent me here..."

    This totally made Madam Wang broken down. What did she mean by their father sending her here?! Madam Wang wasn¡¯t that stupid, how could she not know what did it mean?! Her father was behind this as well...

    "For what?" Wang Luo Hai asked in confusion.

    "If... If you are willing... I... I can..." Ru Hua stuttered but she didn¡¯t know how to continue. She didn¡¯t dare to say it because it would make her lose all her dignity as well --- after all, Wang Luo Hai hadn¡¯t been totally subdued by her. It would be better to make Wang Luo Hao feel curious!

    However, before Ru Hua could finish her words. Madam Wang came out of her hiding ce! Lu Mo Mo knew that it was already enough so she didn¡¯t hold onto Madam Wang anymore and just let her be.

 Chapter 449 - Madam Wang Found Out The Truth

    "What did you say?" Madam Wang asked in a cold voice. "Tell me each word once again! I want to listen to it more clearly..."

    She took a step to the front and her momentum made Ru Hua feel surprised by her ferocity. Thetter took a step back and almost stumble upon something and this time, it was for real. Ru Hua didn¡¯t dare to act rashly at this point --- she found that something was wrong with her.

    "Sis... Sister... What are you doing here?!" Ru Hua asked in surprise. Didn¡¯t Madam Wang under confinement? Then, how could she go out and make a fuss here? She looked at Wang Luo Hai doubtfully, thinking that she might have been set up by Wang Fu people.

    However, thetter seemed to be surprised as well and look at Madam Wang in confusion! Ru Hua shook the thought away. No! How could they know that she wanted to target her brother-inw? She didn¡¯t think that her big sister was clever enough to guess the truth. Besides, she had no close rtionship with the Wang Fu people.

    A crazy thought fleeted inside her mind but she shook that thought away. Maybe... it was Yao Ling¡¯s doing? Somehow, she doubted it, after all, she didn¡¯t even know her in the first ce and they had never interacted with each other before.

    Was this really a coincidence?! Ru Hua¡¯s mind was in a mess because she didn¡¯t know how to answer Madam Wang --- she had said everything clearly just now. Her big sister seemed to have listened to everything...

    "Repeat what you have just said to me now!" Madam Wang ordered her in a voice full of hatred. There was a hint of killing intent in her movement. A cornered person would behave like a beast and that was exactly how Madam Wang was at this moment...

    Honestly, Ru Hua had never seen Madam Wang behaving this way. She had always been so gentle and yet, she looked at her in hatred at this moment. For the first time, she felt afraid of Madam Wang. Thetter seemed so cold and there was a hint of craziness in her eyes!

    Was this really her kind older sister that was easily used and manipted by her?

    Ru Hua didn¡¯t know that the past few days had enough to make Madam Wang turn crazy because of the treatment that she had gotten --- even the concubines dared toe and mock her gleefully without any restraint. No one had dared to disrespect her in this manor before!

    Everything had changed in the blink of an eye.

    She had almost lost everything and had bet everything on Ru Hua. Thus, when she knew that Ru Hua hade, she was beyond happy because her savior hade... But in the end, what she had gotten was actually a betrayal. This was even more painful than being betrayed by Wang Luo Hai.

    No, thetter had never betrayed her because he had told her clearly about everything. She had never lied to her!

    Not only from her sister but also from her father that she had supported all this time! Once she was in trouble, he abandoned her in no time. Her legal mother must have not known anything about this, otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t let Ru Huae.

    ¡¯This fucking bitch!¡¯ Madam Wang cursed the woman in front of her inwardly.

    "Sis... Sister... you are scaring me..." Ru Hua said pitifully. She wanted to act as a white lotus so that Wang Luo Hai would pity her and in the end, choose to protect her. However, she really didn¡¯t need to act this time --- she was really in fear.

    "I told you to repeat what you have just said! What do you want to do? Be my husband¡¯s woman?! Under whose permission?!" Madam Wang asked directly without beating around the bush. She wanted to deal with the matter as soon as possible.

    She had nothing to lose anyway. Even if she was being divorced, her father wouldn¡¯t receive her back because of the embarrassment. He wanted to abandon her and let Ru Hua take her ce so he wouldn¡¯t have to lose everything! It seemed like she worthed nothing in her father¡¯s eyes. If it was like that, then why didn¡¯t they go to hell together?

    "Sister... you must have heard it wrongly... Ie here to help you... that¡¯s what father wants me to do... Really!" Ru Hua said and pretending to look like she was being honest.

    "It¡¯s already at this point and you still dare to lie! Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?!" Madam Wang asked.

    They didn¡¯t know that Yao Ling had given a few things to detoxify Madam Wang so that she could think a bit clearer when she was being confined. It might look like they had given her a worse food but it was actually because of the medicinal ingredients inside the food.

    Otherwise, how could she see Ru Hua¡¯s pretense in such a short time?

    "Bitch!"

    *Pa*

    Madam Wang pped her right cheek and it made Ru Hua fall down in a thud. Her whole face was swelling right away because Madam Wang didn¡¯t hold back her strength at all. Ru Hua covered up her cheek in embarrassment and tears started to flow down from her eyes. Even though there weren¡¯t many people there, she still felt really humiliated. What if one of them spread the news out there? It was already enough to ruin her reputation... Seducing and being found out by her sister!

    Ru Hua felt at a loss as well.

    "A~!" She yelled while falling down. "Brother-inw, what is wrong with my big sister? Please help me! She... she looks abnormal. Please don¡¯t hate her! Something must have provoked her!"

    Yao Ling and Wang Luo Hai were thinking the same thing at the same time, ¡¯It¡¯s not something --- but someone. To be precise, it¡¯s all because of you! And yet, you still have the gut to ask?!¡¯

    Ru Hua looked at Wang Luo Hai, asking for help. She expected that Wang Luo Hai would help her, but instead, he only stood there while looking at her mockingly. Ru Hua was surprised at what she had seen. Right at this moment, she seemed to know what happened. It made her feel so angry because she really fell into their trap!

    "You... You... You... All of you are ying me!" She said loudly. Ru Hua didn¡¯t pretend to be a weak little girl anymore. She pointed at Wang Luo Hai and Madam Wang in anger.

    "ying you?! Do you think we are that idle?!" Madam Wang asked in annoyance. "I thought you reallye to save me, but instead, you be the death of me!" She was beyond angry when she didn¡¯t see any remorse from her sister¡¯s expression.

    Wang Luo Hai nced at Madam Wang and asked, "Do you see it clearly now? You have been under her spell all this time!"

    Madam Wang nodded, feeling ashamed and she didn¡¯t have the gut to ask Wang Luo Hai to think twice and ept her once again. She had done the unforgivable because of her sister!

 Chapter 450 - The Divorce

    "Prepare yourself for that matter!" Wang Luo Hai said before he turned his back, deciding to leave the sisters all alone. After this, he had no connection with both of them so he didn¡¯t want to listen to their conversation anymore.

    It was just a mere fight between siblings anyway.

    Madam Wang understood what he meant and weakly nodded --- it must be about the divorce. "I know... I will..." She answered, feeling tired to fight again.

    Before Wang Luo Hai left, Madam Wang decided to ask a question that she had been feeling curious about all her life, "Have you... Have you ever loved me when we were together? Or at least, felt something for me?" She looked pitiful, standing there with a broken expression.

    However, Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t even give her a nce. She couldn¡¯t do any trick to make him pity her and Madam Wang could only look at him sadly.

    Wang Luo Hai stopped walking. He sighed and decided to answer her, but he didn¡¯t turn his body around --- just letting his back face her. "Yes, I have..." Wang Luo Hai answered truthfully. "Maybe it hadn¡¯te to the state of being in love, but it¡¯s something that almost changed to love in a few moments... After all, you were really good to me and I could see how wholeheartedly in love you were with me... I thought that I could really love you back but..." He didn¡¯t continue on but she knew what he meant.

    Madam Wang was surprised because she had thought that he would answer her with a ¡¯no¡¯ --- at least, she would have no regret that way. No matter what she did, he wouldn¡¯t change his mind. However, he said yes!

    "When?" She asked in a soft voice.

    Wang Luo Hai answered, "Right before you gave me the infertile medicine. I was going to tell you about it when the report came that you are the one who did all that to me, in the end, all those good feelings vanished along with that matter..."

    "Wh --- What?!" Madam Wang asked in surprise.

    Her wrong move changed everything and it made her lose the happiness that she had been waiting for so long... she almost grasped it and she ruined it herself! The taste of regret was really bitter ah~! However, there was no medicine for regret...

    There was no chance for them to reconcile --- after all, she started to realize that what she had done was really horrendous.

    She wanted to ask more but Wang Luo Hai had had enough of her, so she didn¡¯t get a chance to talk because he left right away without looking back. Her soul seemed to be gone right after he left. It was painful, so painful that she bit her lower lip hard so that she would stop crying. However, the sobbing sound behind her woke her up.

    Ru Hua cried, looking pitifully on the ground. She actually didn¡¯t know why things were going wrong when she almost tasted her fruit of sess!

    She had decided to fight Madam Wang head-on because she had failed to seduce Wang Luo Hai so it was better if it looked like she was being bullied by Madam Wang. At least, everyone who came toote to see the show would still pity her. However, she made a miscalction because Madam Wang apparently didn¡¯t need her reputation anymore. After all, she had lost everything ah~!

    She came to Ru Hua and without beating around the bush, she pulled thetter¡¯s hair until Ru Hua yelled loudly because of the pain. Ru Hua didn¡¯t think that Madam Wang would go this far ah~! At least, she thought that Madam Wang would want to save her own face.

    Ru Hua wasn¡¯t a patient person, to begin with. Thus, she decided to fight back with all her strength. Whatever Madam Wang did to her, she also did the same thing to Madam Wang.

    What Madam Wang did had started the fight between them which became a sight to behold to see for the servants and maidservants there. The two women made a loudmotion which attracted them, thus, many people started to gather around them and they were surprised that the elegant Madam was able to fight like this.

    Both of them didn¡¯t look like an official¡¯s daughter, but instead, they looked like a shrew. They ignored the murmur that was surrounding them and focused on their own fight.

    Xiao Yu was taken aback and asked, "Young Mistress, shouldn¡¯t we stop them?" After all, it could affect her young mistress¡¯ reputation as well.

    However, Yao Ling didn¡¯t seem to be as worried as her. From the way Yao Ling had seen it, Madam Wang was still winning. "Just let Madam Wang vent her anger for a little while, because everything that she has... has been ruined by Ru Hua..." In a way, she felt pity for Madam Wang. If she wasn¡¯t being used, maybe they would be able to have a good mother-daughter rtionship.

    When Wang Luo Hai knew about the fight, he could only shake his head. He told the matriarch¡¯s strong Mo Mos to separate them. Ru Hua was sent home in her messy appearance, making her be theughing stock of the people who had seen her.

    ¡¯It serves her right!¡¯ Yao Ling thought to herself. That woman looked weak but she dared to work together with Tang Shu Yu.

    Madam Wang got better treatment. Her maidservants helped her to tidy up herself before she was given the letter of divorce. Without reading any of the terms or making it difficult, she signed it... Actually, Wang Luo Hai was still being generous to her because he gave her a house and a hefty sum of money that couldst her a lifetime as long as she knew how to manage it.

    Just like that, Madam Wang had gone from Wang Fu. The concubines thought that one of them would be elevated and became the main wife, but after waiting for quite some time, nothing happened. Wang Luo Hai let the title vacant because he was too tired to entangle with women anymore --- he let the matriarch continue handling everything until Yao Ling was good enough to do it by herself.

    Yao Ling heard that Madam Wang was fighting with her father. When her legal birth mother knew what her husband had nned to do by sending Ru Hua there, she was beyond angry. She divorced her husband as well and left him. She chose to stay with her only daughter and spend their lives together.

    This matter made a quite big scandal and the fiancee that had been angry because he was almost being cuckolded by Ru Hua, decided to break with her and cancel the marriage. Everything turned into a mess in one day.

    If they thought it carefully, only Madam Wang and her mother got the better result --- it was all due to Wang Luo Hai¡¯sst bit of kindness to them.

    Oh well... at least, Wang Fu had been sessfully being cleaned up by them and everything became so peaceful. The concubines didn¡¯t dare to offend Yao Ying and Yao Ling after they had seen what happened to Madam Wang.

    Thetter had a strong background and she had been defeated thoroughly. What more the lowly concubines ah~?!

 Chapter 451 - The Connection Between The Two

    Madam Wang¡¯s father wanted to apologize to Wang Luo Hai for a few times but thetter didn¡¯t even want to meet him, thus, Wang Luo Hai didn¡¯t give him any chance to do so. He already fed up by their whole family.

    He dared to sold out his own daughter and offer another daughter freely for his own benefits so that kind of man couldn¡¯t be trusted. Besides, Madam Wang also cut out the rtionship between him and her after knowing what he had done. Madam Wang¡¯s father¡¯s reputation was ruined because of that and no one dared to marry Ru Hua because thetter had dared to seduce her own brother-inw shamelessly.

    Once everything had calmed down and Madam Wang¡¯s father had given up the thought to reconcile with Wang Luo Hai, Wang Fu became peaceful once again. Yao Ying and Yao Ling had better treatment from others because they knew that they couldn¡¯t underestimate the pair¡¯s position in the manor.

    Their day became more peaceful...

    There was still no news about Su Wan so Rong Qiu stayed in the capital calmly, but he didn¡¯t stop searching for any news about her. However, there seemed to be no trace of her in the Shu Kingdom which made everyone feel baffled. Where did she actually vanish to?

    Rong Qiu was very sure that she wasn¡¯t in the Han Kingdom as well. His son¡¯s people there had given him the result of their investigation and after she ran away back then, there was no trace of her in the Han Kingdom.

    She had left the Han Kingdom and nevere back.

    There was only one ce left that was hard for him to trace --- the Qin Kingdom. Yao Ying had already promised him that he would ask for A Thousand Words¡¯ help and it made his anxious self be calmer because he knew how influential they were. They still had two more free favors, besides, if they didn¡¯t have any favor left, they would still try to exchange other things for their help.

    It was an important matter to search for Yao Ling¡¯s mother.

    Su Wan¡¯s matter hadn¡¯t had any conclusion yet, but at least, their people had sent them words about the esteemed guest¡¯s identity which made Yao Ying feel surprised by his importance. After Yao Ying had received the news, they decided to hold a meeting at Rong Qiu¡¯s ce about it. They didn¡¯t want to involve Wang Luo Hai and General Lin in this matter because this involved Yao Ying¡¯s secret power.

    Rong Qiu asked curiously, "Have you finally found out about that esteemed guest¡¯s identity?"

    Yao Ying nodded his head seriously. He was in a bad mood when he knew the truth about the other party! The man actually had a lot of aliases but one identity had stood out more than all of the others, making him feel a bit agitated because he was a very powerful and cruel person.

    Looking at his serious expression, everyone in the room knew that this person seemed to be an important figure in his kingdom.

    Yao Ying answered, "His name is Bai Bing Wen..."

    Rong Qiu was the only one in the room who had heard Bai Bing Wen¡¯s name. After all, he used to be an official so that name was familiar to him. He was stunned... Bai Bing Wen?!

    "What kind of status he has in the Qin Kingdom?" Yao Ling asked while furrowing her eyebrows.

    "He¡¯s a prince regent in the Qin Kingdom and quite influential. However, he has a weird personality and quite temperamental --- even the Qin Emperor is feeling wary of him. However, he doesn¡¯t have enough power to fight the man so he could only endure in silence..." Yao Ying answered them with aplicated expression pasted on his face. The man was too dangerous!

    "Why is he in the Han Kingdom then?" Yao Ling asked in surprise. "Is it that easy to leave his post?!" With the Qin Emperor watching each of his moves, how could he move around so easily like that? She had heard that the esteemed guest had been living at Crescent Lake for quite some time. What kind of excuse that he would make to the Qin Emperor?

    Rong Qiu sighed. "To have such an enemy is quite dangerous. Fortunately, we don¡¯t have any interaction with him after the Han Kingdom¡¯s fiasco... Someone who can leave his post easily must have been so powerful or... he has a body double..."

    In Rong Qiu¡¯s mind, there was also a probability that the esteemed guest probably also had permission from the Qin Emperor to go to the Han Kingdom, after all, this was for the benefits of their kingdom. However, he didn¡¯t think that it was an important thing to be investigated because there was no possibility that they would be entangled with each other anymore.

    Yao Ling nodded her head, feeling that Rong Qiu¡¯s words were quite reasonable. As long as she avoided that man, it should be fine. Not many people knew that she had gotten the secret power anyway.

    "Why should we investigate that man anyway?" Xiao Fang asked in confusion. She didn¡¯t think that the man would do something to them whatsoever... Wasn¡¯t it a useless move?

    Lin Jian sighed because he knew that Xiao Fang could be slow sometimes. "Of course, it¡¯s because he¡¯s targeting Aunt Yue and there¡¯s a chance that he would hunt Yao Ling as well! I¡¯m pretty sure that he wants Yao Ling¡¯s power to himself..."

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t see how Lin Jian sigh --- seemingly a bit tired to exin things to her, otherwise, she would certainly get angry at him for doing that. Even though Lin Jian liked her, it didn¡¯t mean he was blind to her weakness. Yes, he had received her weakness but there was a time when he felt annoyed as well --- just a tiny little bit of annoyance, that was all!

    The others knew that Xiao Fang wasn¡¯t really good at scheming or thinking about things like this so they didn¡¯t mind her questions once in a while, but they understood Lin Jian¡¯s feelings though.

    They still didn¡¯t know about the fact that their life had been entangled with the esteemed guest from the very beginning and he was the one behind the abortion drugs that almost made Yao Ling lose her baby. Hei Yue hadn¡¯t given them any news about that man, after all, Bai Bing Wen¡¯s people had erased their track perfectly well.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling would never guess the connection between the two because Bai Bing Wen had given her a ¡¯Wu¡¯ token so they had thought that ¡¯the Bai Bing Wen who was entrance by Yao Ling¡¯s beauty¡¯ was someone with a surname Wu.

    If they knew that they had been identally being misled by the clues that they had, they would certainly feel frustrated. After all, because of that, they couldn¡¯t find out the connection between the two. Otherwise, they would be able to defend themselves earlier.

    Fortunately, Yao Ying was a jealous man so he also told people to check on the ¡¯Wu¡¯ token, otherwise, they would find out about it a bit toote

 Chapter 452 - About The Bet Again

    After everything had gone back to a more peaceful time, Wang Luo Hai took them to Lin Fu to meet with General Lin. Wang Luo Hai seemed a bit tense so they thought that they must have an important matter to talk about. However, they were curious to know what was this all about.

    "Father, why do you bring us here?" Yao Ling asked curiously. His grim face made them feel even more curious.

    "Hmph! Of course, there¡¯s an important thing to discuss with that old man! Otherwise, I will be toozy to visit him...!" The old man stubbornly said while frowning.

    Yao Ling, "..."

    ¡¯You are an old man too...¡¯ She thought to herself. Yao Ling looked at Yao Ying in confusion --- what kind of important things that would need both of them to attend to as well! Somehow, she felt like that Wang Luo Hai was being childish. Knowing that thetter already felt displeased, Yao Ling decided to shut her mouth and see what really happened by herself --- not bothering to ask any question anymore.

    They were received by the guards. Even though they had no appointment beforehand, the guards knew that Wang Luo Hai was General Lin¡¯s best friend so they didn¡¯t dare to obstruct their way.

    "What are you doing here?" Lin Zheng asked Wang Luo Hai with a frown. "You didn¡¯t make an appointment beforehand!"

    Wang Luo Hai rolled his eyes. "Please stop pretending that you are so busy! I already checked whether you are at home or not beforehand. See? Don¡¯t you stand in front of me?"

    Lin Zheng sighed, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t win when Wang Luo Hai started to be unreasonable. "So what?! What do you want to talk about?" He asked.

    "It¡¯s about the bet!" Wang Luo Hai said with a smug look pasted on his face.

    "Which bet?" Lin Zheng asked. They had too many bets to count ah~! How could he know which one the old fool wanted to talk about?

    "The pregnancy thing!"

    "What?! We have already determined that I win, so why do you still want to talk about that matter?"

    "It¡¯s the wrong result! I should be the winner!" Wang Luo Hai said in excitement.

    "Howe?!" Lin Zheng asked in displeasure. This man really couldn¡¯t take a loss, somehow forgetting that they were both the same type of people.

    "My daughter-inw is pregnant now... Right, Yao Ling?" Wang Luo Hai asked the question to Yao Ling while grinning.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. Really? This bet was like a long time ago already... Wang Luo Hai was still petty enough to bring it up and feel indignant about it.

    "I¡¯m pregnant, indeed..." Yao Ling admitted. However, didn¡¯t they already determine the result a long time ago?!

    Lin Zheng also knew the fact that Yao Ling was pregnant. "The baby is produced after three months so I¡¯m the winner! How could you make a fuss about that matter again? Is it because you don¡¯t want to part with the expensive vase?"

    Wang Luo Hai pointed at him in annoyance. "It¡¯s not only expensive, but also rare!" He dared to use it as a bet because he was pretty sure that he would win ah~!

    "Why are you so petty? A lose is a lose ah~!" Lin Zheng said smugly while mocking him.

    "Let¡¯s call over a physician! He would be able to determine the date of the baby was being conceived," Wang Luo Hai made a suggestion.

    Yao Ying could only shake his head. "Father... the pregnancy is a secret ah~!" How could they risk the baby over the little bet?

    Wang Luo Hai frowned in annoyance. "Whose side are you?"

    Yao Ying, "..."

    He could say nothing to that and decided to just stay quiet at the side. Wang Luo Hai was satisfied with Yao Ying¡¯s behavior.

    "Come on!" Wang Luo Hai looked at Lin Zheng smugly. "Are you afraid to know the truth?"

    Lin Zheng mocked him, "You are just trying to make trouble out of nothing... Hmph!"

    After that, they were fighting like little kids.

    Yao Ling sighed. "I have a suggestion..."

    "What?!" Both of them looked at her and asked at the same time.

    "I can actually tell you when it¡¯s being conceived..." Yao Ling said hesitantly.

    "How?!" Wang Luo Hai and Lin Zheng asked at the same time.

    Yao Ling looked helplessly at them and turned to Yao Ying while whispering a few things into his ears. Yao Ying was speechless by Yao Ling¡¯s suggestion because it was too embarrassing to do ah~! She didn¡¯t want to say it and yet, she told him to do it. After that, she went out of the room after curtsying without waiting for the two elders to say yes.

    The woman practically ran away...

    "Where is she going?!" Lin Zheng asked in surprise.

    "She was feeling embarrassed..." Yao Ying answered.

    "Huh? Why?" Wang Luo Hai asked in confusion.

    "Of course, because she has to answer a personal question because of both of you..." Yao Ying looked at them with ming eyes.

    "What is the answer?" They didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to Yao Ying¡¯s expression. Once they knew that Yao Ying knew the answer, they decided to push an answer for him. Yao Ying asked for a paper and a brush to write something. The two old men looked at him curiously and when Yao Ying had given them the paper, they read it together. It seemed like he gave them several dates...

    "Why do you give us those dates?" Both of the old men looked at each other in confusion.

    "Those are the dates when we were making love..." Yao Ying exined. "You can determine it yourself which date is the right one..." Yao Ying answered with augh, knowing that it was pretty impossible to determine the real date.

    Both of the old men looked at the list in surprise... Indeed, it was embarrassing for a woman to talk about this matter.

    Wang Luo Hai asked, "Why are there only a few? You are newlyweds and know that I have this kind of bet... Why didn¡¯t you do it more?!" The old man really had the gut to me them!

    Lu Yi Feng, "..."

    He could only lie... "I¡¯m not going to list everything to you ah~! These are the date in which it was the most fitting days when the baby was conceived..." His face was slightly reddened when he talked about all this, feeling embarrassed about the topic that they were talking about.

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t really tell him about the private agreement between him and General Lin, right?

    "Oh..." Wang Luo Hai nodded in understanding.

    They looked at the dates and some of them before the three months and some of them were after those periods. They were quite helpless ah~! How the heck they choose one date from there?

    "How about this..." Yao Ying wanted to give them a suggestion.

    "What?" Both old men asked at the same time --- they were both tired of their own bicker ah~!

    "Why don¡¯t both of you think of this as a tie? After all, we can¡¯t really determine the right date... It won¡¯t be fair to both of you anyway..." He tried to say it softly to convince the stubborn elders.

    "But... he had already said that he had lost and even had given me the prize as well!" Lin Zheng answered with a sneer. Then, he looked at Wang Luo Hai, "Are you shameless enough to take it back?"

    It started a round of bicker once again. No one wanted to lose. In the end, Yao Ying knew that he wasn¡¯t really needed in the first ce. Probably, Wang Luo Hai was just missing their fun interactions. Yao Ying decided to go out stealthily and run away from there!

    Just let the old man enjoy himself!

    Yao Ling sent him a message that she would go back first due to the embarrassment and let Yao Ying find Lin Jian to have fun. In the end, Yao Ying found Lin Jian and dragged the man away to have a round of drinking.

    About the old men? It took them a long time to finally reach an agreement by themselves...

    In the end, they decided that it was better to think of it as a tie... Wang Luo Hai gave the vase as a present, not because he had lost the bet.

    When Yao Ling knew the result, she could only shake her head. What was the difference anyway? In the end, Wang Luo Hai was still the losing one...

    Seeing the old man felt satisfied, it was better if she said nothing...

 Chapter 453 - Another Trouble

    Yao Ying had finally gotten a result from the investigation of that ¡¯Wu¡¯ token... The symbol was owned by a powerful family from the Qin Kingdom, however, they were quite mysterious existence even in the Qin Kingdom so it was hard to find any information about them which made them feel even more curious about that family.

    Why were they being so mysterious? Was that man someone from the ¡¯Wu¡¯ family? If he was from the ¡¯Wu¡¯ family, his background must have been very powerful as well.

    The funny thing was they were able to find out that this ¡¯Wu¡¯ family was actually a powerful backer of a person whose name was Bai Bing Wen. Who else would that be? This connection seemed to be too coincidence ah~! All of them seemed to be connected in a certain weird way.

    Yao Ying sighed, wondering why they kept getting entangled with people from the Qin Kingdom after the matter from the Han Kingdom had finished. It seemed like they were being forced to have an adventure around the world which would be fun if it was for holiday, but too bad, they had those important matters to attend to.

    It was just like in the Han Kingdom... They were wasting so many times just to take care of Xiao Fang and Yao Ling¡¯s matter and in the end, they only had several days of sightseeing opportunity. Oh well... at least, it was better than nothing.

    He felt a certain familiarity between him and those people from the Qin Kingdom, but not only that, the person who was targeting Yao Ling was also from that kingdom. He felt curious about the reason behind the familiarity that he felt --- was he actually a Qin people or what?

    Yao Ying sighed when he thought all of that, not to mention, thinking too hard gave him a real headache. It seemed like his past was a bit tricky...

    The truth started toe out slowly. He had never been afraid to find out about his past before, however, once it was getting closer to the truth, he became hesitant and... afraid as well. Was it really worth it to remember about his past? There was a certain resistant in his heart but his curiosity got the better of him.

    He had to know... for the sake of a peaceful life with his family.

    Somehow, he knew that sooner orter, they would need to go to the Qin Kingdom to check things out and find out the truth once for all. However, he was concerned about Yao Ling¡¯s pregnancy --- it wasn¡¯t suitable for her to make a long journey so they couldn¡¯t go even though he had wanted to do it as soon as possible. In the end, he could only postpone everything. It wouldn¡¯t be toote if they went there right after the baby was born.

    At the very least, everything would have already been really stable in their life. They were still wary of the person that was targeting Yao Ling¡¯s baby at this moment. Even though he knew that they had sessfully misled them, but well... anything could happen. It was better to be safe than sorryter.

    Yao Ling thought of the same thing as him --- she would go with him right after the baby was born. Regarding the baby, she would make the necessary arrangement when the time came. After all, some of the ns that they had nned so far needed to be changed over and over again due to unforeseen circumstances.

    It was better for them to just go with the flow and think about a suitable n at that moment.

    Yao Ling had to pretend that she wasn¡¯t pregnant and fortunately, her stomach wasn¡¯t that big even when she was already in the fourth month of the pregnancy so no one noticed the difference in her body. No vomiting or weird habit as well... Thus, she looked pretty normal from other people¡¯s views.

    Bai Bing Wen¡¯s people were told to check on her whether the baby was really gone or not. Just to do a double-check, just in case the couple was lucky or clever enough to cover up everything. Yao Ling was safe from those people because of her small tummy and also, the fact that they covered it up really well.

    They were fortunate that Yao Ling had good medical skill so they didn¡¯t need to call a doctor to check on her condition and the baby inside her womb every once in a while. Whatever medicine that they wanted to buy, they bought it secretly. Thus, they could cheat Bai Bing Wen¡¯s people this way.

    Bai Bing Wen¡¯s people quickly left after thinking that the baby was really gone so she got a peaceful journey throughout the rest of the pregnancy.

    However... there was a problem when the pregnancy had reached five-month-old. This matter didn¡¯t include that Bai Bing Wen, fortunately... However, it was still a major problem to the married couple¡¯s rtionship.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling had an agreement beforehand that they would have a date once in a while so they could deepen their rtionship and relieve themselves from the stress of their works. Wang Luo Hai understood their intention and didn¡¯t oppose it. He was happy when they were in a good rtionship as well.

    That day, they were having a casual datete at night. They went to a crowded market and there was an annual celebration being held there. It was the same celebration that was held when the first time they came to An Yang City and met Wang Luo Hai.

    It was already one year and they could enjoy the amorous atmosphere better than back then. After all, they weren¡¯t as homeless and poor as before. They didn¡¯t need to be in a hurry to find an inn to stay. Somehow, it felt like it had happened a long time ago.

    Yao Ying asked her softly, "Where do you want to go? Remember that you shouldn¡¯t tire yourself! Don¡¯t forget about ¡¯it¡¯!" He gave her a hint about what he actually wanted to say.

    Both of them knew what Yao Ying was talking about. Yao Ling nodded her head and answered, "I know... I know... I won¡¯t tire myself... Let me take a look around first!"

    After that, she found something that caught her eyes. Yao Ling grinned while pointing at a certain direction and said, "I see a street performance there... Why don¡¯t we go and take a look at that?"

    Yao Ying saw that there was a crowd there and frowned. "It¡¯s so crowded. What if something happens?" He asked worriedly.

    It was rare for Yao Ling to see such a street performance, thus, she insisted to go there. "It should be fine ah~! You are here so you can protect me from harm, right?" She fawned at him with a wicked smile which melted Yao Ying¡¯s defense. The woman really knew how to handle him ah~!

    Yao Ying looked at the woman who had already clever enough to use her charm helplessly.

    "Fine..." Yao Ying finally agreed. However, he let a few of their shadow guards to protect Yao Ling secretly --- just in case they were identally being separated.

 Chapter 454 - Who Made Me Pregnant In The First Place?!

    Yao Ying shook his head whenever he thought about the past few months¡¯ suffering...

    This pregnancy was a torture to him because the woman kept teasing him every day with her moves. Somehow, he found out that the woman was a bit... hornier than before her pregnancy? She kept getting closer to him and yearning for body contact which was a torment to him. By having a body contact, Yao Ling had already felt satisfied but it was different for Yao Ying ah~!

    It made him aroused to the point of no return!

    How many times he had to take a cold shower before sleeping during that time? Fortunately, he knew how to control his inner qi to make his body temperature stable while he was feeling cold, or else, he would have been falling sick a long time ago. This was the first time he knew that his martial art skills had another use other than to fight and protect himself and his beloved ones.

    It was really a pain in the arse ah~!

    However, he could do nothing about his urge. He could look at Yao Ling while drooling but couldn¡¯t touch her... Damn! He didn¡¯t know how many times he had cursed inwardly because of this matter! He just wanted to get past the pregnancy as soon as possible so he could jump onto his wife like a big bad wolf.

    Please... Please... Daughter or son... just came out obediently, okay?

    If heined about this matter to Yao Ling, thetter would merely give him a pointed look and asked in a righteous voice, "Who made me pregnant in the first ce, huh?! If you want to me someone, you should me yourself and your little Yao Ying down there ah~!" The woman didn¡¯t forget to point at his little Yao Ying with her finger as well --- it seemed like she was alreadyfortable to talk about s*x more openly with him.

    He didn¡¯t know whether he liked her change or not. Both of her different sides were pretty attractive... Her bashful side made him want to tease her even more while her wild side made him want to jump onto her right away.

    Yao Ying, "..."

    He really didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry ah~!

    How could he refute that statement? If he knew that it would be so painful for him when Yao Ling was pregnant, he would postpone it for a few months at least... However, it was toote to do that...

    Their honeymoon moment had been stopped for a little while. That wasn¡¯t the only worst part...

    Because the matriarch had been waiting for a grandchild for so long, she became fussier and decided to take care of Yao Ling carefully at this time because she didn¡¯t want anymore mishap to happen. She was very strict and it made Yao Ying feel speechless --- after all, she treated like he was a big bad wolf who was in heat!

    If she could, maybe she would make them sleep separately.

    The funny thing was the old woman was preventing them from making love --- even though the pregnancy had passed three-month-old which supposed to be safe already. It was really baffling to Yao Ying ah~! He had asked Wang Luo Hai for help with his eyes when the matriarch gave him that order in front of him as well, but Wang Luo Hai only shrugged his shoulder helplessly.

    How could he refute his mother? Not only that it was unfilial, but he wasn¡¯t thatfortable to talk about this matter...

    Yao Ying frowned. He was a man so he should be able to understand his feeling but he was betrayed by Wang Luo Hai as well!

    Yao Ling who looked at Yao Ying¡¯s expression giggled softly which irked him even more ah~! It seemed like the woman really liked to mock him when he was in such a predicament. He even told Yao Ying to ept his fate while patting his back... which made Yao Ying give up his fight. He couldn¡¯t win from them anyway...

    "Come on!" Yao Ying heard Yao Ling called him and it brought him out of the trance. He shook the thought away and decided to enjoy the moment, after all, it was only nine months and he didn¡¯t have to be so bitter all the time.

    Yao Ying smiled dotingly at her and answered, "Sure... Sure... We can take a brief look. If it¡¯s too dangerous, I want us to quickly go to another ce, okay?"

    Yao Ling murmured her agreement because she knew that Yao Ying was right.

    Yao Ling was petite and because of that, she couldn¡¯t see the performance if they were standing at the back. Yao Ying protected her while trying to find a way so that they could go to the front. With Yao Ying¡¯s martial art skills, it wasn¡¯t that hard to do that --- of course, he wouldn¡¯t use his brute strength to push people around randomly.

    Once they sessfully got the front, Yao Ling happily enjoyed the performance while grinning. Such a happy Yao Ling was very beautiful in Lu Yi Feng¡¯s eyes and he would do anything to let her continue to smile like that. He sighed blissfully and held Yao Ling¡¯s hand tightly.

    There was a pretty woman who was doing acrobatic moves in the middle and it made the onlookers gasp in surprise because of her bravery to do crazy moves and poses. They cheered her up once she made a difficult one.

    The pretty woman was slowly doing a chair bncing act. The woman was piling up a few chairs slowly and before her friend helped her to add the chair, she kept doing crazy bncing pose which was very hard to do. It didn¡¯t even make sense to see the way she bent her body --- it was like she didn¡¯t have any bones ah~! Once in a while, other small objects were added in between the chairs to create a more surprising effect because they were stacked at an unstable angle.

    If she didn¡¯t want to fall miserably, she needed to maintain her stability all the time. Once the stack of chairs was getting higher, Yao Ling started to be anxious for the woman --- she even had cold sweat all over her body. Her heart was beating faster but she still enjoyed the performance nheless.

    The woman¡¯s current height could even reach the second floor of a nearby building and judging from the look of it, she didn¡¯t seem to n to stop anytime soon because her sidekick kept preparing chairs for her.

    Once she lost her concentration, there was a possibility that she would be dead once she fell down. Yao Ling wondered what kinds of crazy practices that this woman had done to be able to reach this level ah~! It was really a difficult thing to do.

    "Will she be okay?" Yao Ling asked Yao Ying, feeling worried. "It¡¯s so dangerous ah~!"

    Yao Ying saw that the woman had pretty high martial art skills so she must have known what she was doing. It was actually easy for her to bnce herself, however, because she wanted to add the suspense, she pretended that she was going to fall down several times.

 Chapter 455 - Investigating The Woman

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to ruin the trope¡¯s way of getting money and Yao Ling¡¯s excitement to watch the show, so he didn¡¯t say anything about it. He just wanted her to enjoy the show and merely consoled her by saying, "She will be fine... Isn¡¯t this her way of earning money? I¡¯m sure that they already have the necessary precaution... Besides, that woman must have been doing a lot of practices beforehand."

    However, Yao Ying didn¡¯t really have the interest to look at the woman again --- after all, he could probably do the same thing as her with his skill and that was the reason why he didn¡¯t pay close attention to the woman.

    Yao Ling nodded her head even though she was feeling unconvinced. However, what Yao Ying said certainly made sense ah~! Because of that, her heart turned calmer.

    "Don¡¯t be too agitated! Should we take a look at another street performance? This woman isn¡¯t the only one who could perform good things..." Yao Ying appeased softly. He was worried that her agitated state would affect the baby and it was better if they got out of here as soon as possible.

    Yao Ling sighed. "Let me take a look for a little while before moving to another performance," she answered. Yao Ying could only wait patiently for Yao Ling to feel satisfied.

    She heard from the surrounding people that this trope came from another kingdom and quite popr there --- it was rare to see their appearance in a small city like An Yang and that made her feel really curious. They didn¡¯t specifically say which kingdom and Yao Ling didn¡¯t care about it. She was just feeling interested in their performance.

    If she knew what would happen next, she would certainly choose not to watch this performance even if someone forced her with a knife on her throat.

    Yao Ling paid close attention to the woman¡¯s moves so everything fell into her eyes once there was something different from her movement or expression --- and something really happened because the woman¡¯s expression changed. All of a sudden there was a surprise and longing look on the woman¡¯s face and because of that, her movement started to falter and almost lose her bnce. The woman wobbled for a little while before she was finally able to stabilize herself.

    However, she couldn¡¯t keep her expression stoic and Yao Ling could see her longing clearly. The distance between them was quite far but still close enough for Yao Ling to see everything clearly.

    People were gasping in surprise and thought that it was a part of the performance, however, Yao Ling knew better. She squinted her eyes and saw that the woman¡¯s gazended on a certain direction before she lost herposure just now.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know why the woman attracted her so much... but for once, she felt lucky that she found the abnormality as soon as possible. Because she actually looked at Yao Ying... with that intense gaze.

    Did she know him somewhere from before?

    Yao Ling looked at the indifferent Yao Ying --- she didn¡¯t know whether it was because he didn¡¯t recognize the woman or because the man didn¡¯t really take a good look at the woman. Somehow, her protective side started toe out because an rm bell was ringing inside her mind.

    She shouldn¡¯t let them meet with each other!

    Thus, Yao Ling quickly said, "Ying, we should go take a look at another ce. Just like what you have said before, there is nothing interesting here..."

    Yao Ying was quite surprised by her sudden change of mind but he felt satisfied because he didn¡¯t like this crowded ce anyway. Yao Ling held Yao Ying¡¯s arm affectionately unlike her usual bashful self and said, "Come on!"

    "Sure!" Yao Ying looked at her dotingly.

    Yao Ling wanted to make sure whether the woman¡¯s reaction came from looking at Yao Ying or not. She squinted her eyes in an unobvious way and indeed, the woman¡¯s face turned paler when she looked at how intimate Yao Ying and Yao Ling were.

    Once they turned around, they heard a woman yelling, "Stop! Don¡¯t go, Ge Ge!"

    Yao Ying paused for a little while when he heard that voice --- somehow, it seemed so familiar to him. However, Yao Ying merely thought that it was just a fluke and his mind was too preupied with worry for Yao Ying and their child¡¯s wellbeing so he didn¡¯t think that the woman was actually calling him.

    But... Yao Ling knew.

    Her body stiffened and she became so nervous. She didn¡¯t realize that her grip had tightened due to fear.

    Yao Ying felt the abnormality and asked, "Are you okay?" He furrowed his eyebrows in worry.

    Yao Ling forced a smile and said, "I¡¯m okay..."

    "Are you sure...?" Yao Ying still felt unconvinced, after all, Yao Ling looked a bit paler than usual.

    "I¡¯m sure..."

    "Why don¡¯t we go home so you can take a rest?" Yao Ying suggested. He knew that Yao Ling had been looking forward to this day so he needed to ask her opinion first --- he didn¡¯t want her to feel disappointed.

    "Sure..." Yao Ling just wanted to get out of here as soon as possible so that woman couldn¡¯t find out anything about them. She needed to make a preparation first --- she needed to find out that woman¡¯s identity.

    Just like that, Yao Ying and Yao Ling were gone from the woman¡¯s view. The woman had be anxious but judging from the stern look of her boss, she couldn¡¯t do anything and should just continue her performance until the end. She gritted her teeth in determination... she needed to find out the man just now.

    That man looked like someone familiar to her and he had been missing for a long time, so she needed to make sure whether she had finally found him or not.

    Once Yao Ying and Yao Ling arrived home, Yao Ling quickly called over Xiao Yu and told her to go to Ning Jie personally. Xiao Yu was there with her so she understood who Yao Ling wanted to check on, however, she was feeling baffled why her young mistress put so much thought on that woman. She was just a street performer anyway...

    Yao Ling asked for Ning Jie¡¯s help to take a look into this woman¡¯s background. The kids under her had been working on several ces in An Yang City and were quite good at gathering information --- of course, it wouldn¡¯t be as good as Mi Hui¡¯s people or Xiu who had been trained to do this and had more experiences.

    But at least, she had her own people which she could order for her own personal matter --- just in case, something like this had urred.

    She didn¡¯t dare to use Xiu and Feng because she didn¡¯t want to attract Yao Ying¡¯s attention. After all, Yao Ling didn¡¯t want him to notice that woman!

    She was feeling fortunate that she had nned ahead beforehand and had her own people. Even though all of them were still newbies, at least, they were loyal to him --- even more than their loyalty to Yao Ying.

    Thus, she felt that everything should be fine.

 Chapter 456 - But...

    Yao Ying actually knew that something didn¡¯t sit well with Yao Ling and thetter even searched for Ning Jie in a hurry because she needed thetter¡¯s help as soon as possible. It wasn¡¯t like Yao Ling¡¯s usual self because she seemed to be in a panic and her calm bearing was gone.

    What made her be so agitated ah~?!

    He actually wanted to investigate this matter as well but he changed his mind at thest minute. After all, he respected her. Even though he didn¡¯t like that there was a secret between them, he knew that he had to give her some space. Despite his curiosity, he held himself back really well. Sooner orter, she would certainly tell him about it. He trusted her that much and hoped that she could fo the same as well.

    However, the thing that concerned him the most was Yao Ling¡¯s behaviorstely. She couldn¡¯t seem to concentrate and she kept staring nkly at nothing --- seemingly thinking about something important. Whenever he asked the reason, she would just force a smile and pretend that she was fine.

    "Are you really okay? Why don¡¯t you tell me if you have something in your mind?" Yao Ying asked Yao Ling who kept dazing inside their room with a sigh. How could she say that it was nothing when she behaved like this?

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know that her mind kept thinking the worse. Who was that woman? What was her rtionship with Yao Ying before this? Was Yao Ying really the person that she was looking for? What if he remembered her? What if he left her because of that woman?

    So many thoughts had been swirling inside her mind over and over again and none of them was a good one...

    Yao Ling jumped up in surprise when she heard Yao Ying¡¯s voice behind her. She clutched her chest because of the surprise andughed awkwardly. "I¡¯m really okay..." She answered with a more genuine smile but her heart was still fluctuating.

    Yao Ying sighed, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t get the answer tonight. "Then, let¡¯s go to sleep..." He suggested with a gentle smile.

    Yao Ling nodded her head andid beside him while Yao Ying was hugging her from behind. However, both of them still had a restless night. They decided not to talk about this matter but the woman would appear soon in their life and make a fluctuation in their peaceful life.

    It took one day for Ning Jie to find information about that woman and her trope. They came from the Qin Kingdom which made Yao Ling furrow her eyebrows --- she didn¡¯t feel surprised about that because she had guessed that Yao Ying must have a certain connection with the Qin Kingdom.

    Ning Jie could only find a little about the woman --- after all, she had always following this trope ever since a little girl. She tried to see whether Yao Ying was a part of the trope or not and they couldn¡¯t find a person that fitted Yao Ying¡¯s description.

    Yao Ying wasn¡¯t a part of the trope so they couldn¡¯t find out the connection between him and this woman. After all, the woman had never stayed in one ce due to her trope¡¯s schedule. The woman¡¯s name was Ying Ying --- she was actually a nobody in the Qin Kingdom.

    However, judging from Yao Ying¡¯s aura and behavior, he didn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary person. Then, who was he actually?!

    At first, Ning Jie didn¡¯t understand why Yao Ling was so concerned about this Ying Ying person because she didn¡¯t seem to have any connection with them whatsoever. But... who knew that something like that would ur? Ning Jie wanted to say something but she was a bit hesitant.

    "And...?" Yao Ling asked Ning Jie who sat in front of her while drinking tea.

    "The woman is asking around about your husband..." Ning Jie said in a low voice.

    Yao Ling started to be nervous when she heard this. It seemed like she didn¡¯t guess it wrongly. "How can you be so sure that it¡¯s my husband?" Yao Ling asked in hesitation. She didn¡¯t specify tell him that the woman really knew Yao Ying before...

    "She¡¯s asking around while holding the drawing of your husband¡¯s face..." Ning Jie exined while pulling out something from her sleeve. She gave Yao Ling a piece of dirty scroll. Yao Ling opened it with a trembling hand and indeed, it was Yao Ying¡¯s drawing. Fortunately, the painting only looked five to six points to Yao Ying --- maybe because she didn¡¯t have the money to hire a better painter.

    "Do many people know about this matter?" Yao Ling asked worriedly.

    "The woman has made such a big move. How could people not know about it? I¡¯m pretty sure that people would soon realize that it¡¯s your husband. You should take care of this matter before it¡¯s getting bigger and turning into a mess," Ning Jie said.

    Yao Ling¡¯s body was trembling in fear. "And then...? Has she found out anything about Yao Ying?" Yao Ling asked worriedly.

    Ning Jie patted her hand. "Don¡¯t worry! For the time being, I¡¯m able to suppress this matter. Fortunately, the first person that she has asked was our people. We make a promise that we would tell her once we get more information about the man in the painting."

    The woman believed their people because the former had no other choice. Not only that, but she couldn¡¯t get out of the trope¡¯s tent for a long time.

    Yao Ling nodded her head and said her thanks to Ning Jie. "What a coincidence!" Yao Ling sighed in relief. At least, she could deal with the matter before it blew up. She felt really dizzy and started to massage her own forehead to calm herself down.

    Ning Jie looked at her weirdly, feeling that Yao Ling was a bit funny.

    "What?" Yao Ling asked while holding her face. "Is there something on my face?"

    "Why do you look so worried?" Ning Jie asked her out of curiosity.

    Yao Ling bit her lower lip and finally, decided to tell Ning Jie everything. If she kept bottling up her feelings inside her mind, she would be crazy in no time. She had no confidence in herself --- it might be because of her pregnancy, she became more sensitive than usual.

    Ning Jie flicked Yao Ling¡¯s forehead softly. Even though she was working for Yao Ling, thetter treated her like a dear sister so she did the same as well. Thus, she wasn¡¯t hesitant to say the next sentence.

    "Why are you being so stupid?!" Ning Jie chided her.

    Yao Ling held her forehead and pouted childishly. "How could that be? I¡¯m not stupid!"

    Ning Jie rolled her eyes. "You made a stupid decision this one time... and you don¡¯t even realize it yourself..."

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

    "Shouldn¡¯t you trust your husband a bit more?" Ning Jie asked while raising one of his eyebrows.

    Yao Ling couldn¡¯t answer Ning Jie because she knew by keeping this as a secret, it meant that she was doubting Yao Ying¡¯s feelings and personalities. "But..." Yao Ling didn¡¯t know how to refute Ning Jie¡¯s words.

 Chapter 457 - An Enlightment

    "Silly you! The woman might have seemed to deem Yao Ying as an important person to her but maybe, it¡¯s not the same with Yao Ying. Why do you have to think of the negative thing first ah~? At least, you should tell Yao Ying about this matter so that he would be more vignt and judge this matter with a calm mind because he would have a good preparation before meeting that woman..." Ning Jie gave her a piece of sound advice.

    "Besides, I can¡¯t find any concrete evidence regarding the connection between her and Yao Ying... Maybe, you just worry about this matter a bit too much..." Ning Jie said in a low voice. She didn¡¯t know why but she felt that everything was a bit fishy. However, her heart went to Yao Ling and felt worried about thetter.

    Yao Ling listened to Ning Jie¡¯s advice and sighed, feeling that it made sense. "I¡¯m still feeling afraid though..." She wondered why troubles seemed always to find her out of nowhere.

    Ning Jie shook her head. "You are not supposed to feel afraid because of this one woman. After all, what if another person from his past continues to appear in front of both of you? Would you feel afraid every time it happens and be as paranoid as this? It would affect your rtionship with Yao Ying... You have to keep yourself calm and prepare for the worst beforehand so you can face those people bravely."

    "The worst? What do you mean?" Yao Ling looked at her suspiciously.

    "Prepare to leave him if he dares to do something that would hurt you and your baby..." Ning Jie said in a serious tone. In her mind, a woman shouldn¡¯t be too weak --- just like her mother. She had seen it herself how miserable her mother was due to that. She was being crushed by her father and stepmother.

    Yao Ling gaped at Ning Jie. "But... I don¡¯t have a n to leave him!" Yao Ling pouted. At least, not at this time. She had promised herself that she would let him go if he already had a woman in the past --- but after their closenesstely, she started to be greedy and didn¡¯t want to leave him.

    Ning Jie sighed. "You have the wrong way of thinking. If you continue to be afraid, you would be on the losing side ah~! The woman could manipte your feelings. If you are strong and not afraid of being alone, Yao Ying would be the one who would be afraid of losing you..."

    It was sad but it was the truth. Her bitchy stepmother was clever at this kind of thing and it made her father dote on her even more, feeling afraid to lose her even though he had already so many concubines. She had seen this kind of thing in real life so she dared to talk like this.

    Yao Ling stared nkly at Ning Jie, trying to digest everything.

    "Don¡¯t you think I will look arrogant in front of Yao Ying if I threaten him to leave if he has anything to do with that woman?" Yao Ling asked. She didn¡¯t want to look like a jealous wife --- even though she was really jealous inwardly.

    Ning Jie rolled her eyes. "You have always been so smart, but when it has something to do with Yao Ying, you be a bit muddleheaded..." She chided softly. It was true that women were always thinking using her emotions which made their judgment became cloudier.

    "Of course, you are not supposed to say it out loud! You show it with your behavior..." Ning Jie said helplessly. "I can¡¯t teach you how to do it because each person has a different way to approach this thing. It will be better if you think more about it ande up with something yourself."

    Yao Ling nodded her head helplessly.

    "Do you understand what I mean, right? You have to know when you need to be strong and when you need to appear weak so that you could gain his sympathy... Being weak all the time isn¡¯t a good solution..." Ning Jie continued talking. She hoped that Yao Ling understood what she meant because it was hard for her to exin it --- after all, it was a bit hard to put it into words.

    "I understand..." What Ning Jie said finally opened her cloudy mind even though she still needed to think of a strategy to make it happen. At least, she didn¡¯t feel lost anymore...

    "Let me remind you though! Being too strong isn¡¯t a good solution too --- you need to know when to push and when to pull him..." Ning Jie said with augh. After teaching so many kids, she started to be better at reading and handling people --- it turned into a benefit for her.

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "Please help me keep an eye on her! I will settle the matter with Yao Ying first..."

    "Of course," Ning Jie answered with a smile. "You need to do it as soon as possible though. I can¡¯t deceive the woman forever. If she asks another person, it will be easy for her to get an answer. After all, both of you are quite a legend in this city..." She tried to joke around to lighten the mood.

    Ning Jie knew that Yao Ling needed to take her mind off this matter for a little while so she would have a better mood.

    When Yao Ling heard that, she didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. However, that was the truth. Their luck for being adopted by Wang Luo Hai had be a legend... Most of them were envying their good luck but they didn¡¯t understand... Without their skills and hardworking personalities, there would be no way Wang Luo Hai would pay attention to them.

    This wasn¡¯t purely by luck ah~!

    Fortunately, it was only their names that people kept talking about. The woman must have not known Yao Ying¡¯s current name, otherwise, it would be easy for her to find him. Yao Ling knew that she should act faster than that woman.

    "Then, I will go back first..." Yao Ling wanted to go home and quickly deal with this matter. She looked apologetically at Ning Jie for being in a hurry --- they actually still had a lot to talk about regarding the kids. Due to her pregnancy, Ning Jie had to continue dealing with them all alone because Yao Ying didn¡¯t want her to be too tired.

    Ning Jie stood up and nodded her head. "Good... you should go. And... you know what to do, right?"

    "Yes, I know..." Yao Lingughed, after that, she hugged Ning Jie happily and bade her goodbye.

    Her steps turned lighter and Xiao Yu who followed her finally could sigh in relief. Her young mistress¡¯ depressed state made her feel worried but it seemed like she had a solution for her problems.

    Once they arrived at the main street, Xiao Yu asked, "Young Mistress, where do you want to go?"

    "Do you remember where young master said that he would go today?" Yao Ling was in a daze so she didn¡¯t fully listen to Yao Ying¡¯s words. She hoped that Xiao Yu remembered.

 Chapter 458 - She?

    "Young Mistress, I think Young Master is going to Fu Rong around this time. Do you want to go there directly?" Xiao Yu asked softly. She had heard the young master¡¯s schedule from Xiu. Yao Ling knew that they were getting closer so she just needed to inquire about this type of thing from Xiao Yu. It would save her some efforts.

    Yao Ling pondered over it a little while before nodding her head in agreement. "Let¡¯s go there!" She didn¡¯t n to tell Yao Ying right at this moment about that woman¡¯s appearance, but she was just missing him somehow. Looking at his face would be able to make her feel calmer...

    His presence meant a lot to her so that she could ovee her fear and made sure that he was still there for her... She needed to keep up her fighting spirit!

    It seemed like luck was on her side because she had chosen to go to Fu Rong and visit Yao Ying. Otherwise, there was a chance that a bad thing would happen sooner than she had expected. She walked happily to Fu Rong and nned to buy something from a restaurant that was quite near to Fu Rong and very popr. She wanted to bring some food for her lunch with Yao Ying.

    When she had arrived at the street where Fu Rong was, she directly went to the restaurant and purchased the foods with a lighter heart. Once she went out of the restaurant, her previous smile was gone and became grim.

    "What¡¯s wrong, Young Mistress?" Xiao Yu asked in confusion.

    Yao Ling gave a pointed look at a certain direction and sighed in annoyance. She had just sorted her mind and yet, the ¡¯ghost¡¯ had appeared in front of her. Xiao Yu looked in that direction and knew why her young mistress was feeling irked. She saw Ying Ying walking and asking around here and there. It didn¡¯t seem like she was going out for a shopping spree there...

    They knew what she was doing... she was definitely searching for Yao Ying.

    Yao Ling squinted her eyes and she saw another scroll that was simr to the previous scroll that Ning Jie had shown her. It must be Yao Ying¡¯s picture in there. Her heart was beating faster, but luckily, people who she had questioned were shaking their heads --- not knowing who the man in the picture was.

    Yao Ling frowned and gave an order to Xiao Yu, "Prevent her from finding out about young master¡¯s identity --- lead her away from here... at least for now..." Once she had told Yao Ying, they could deal with this matter together.

    She massaged her forehead because of the headache that she felt. No matter where she went, she wasn¡¯t able to avoid this woman! An Yang City was really small ah~! Shouldn¡¯t she work as a performer around this time? Why did she have the time to search for Yao Ying?

    Even though Ning Jie said that she would prevent her from finding out the truth, Yao Ling would be more assured if Xiao Yu also dealt with this woman.

    Yao Ling added another work to Xiao Yu, "Check why she doesn¡¯t work at this moment!"

    "Yes, Young Mistress..." Xiao Yu quickly agreed.

    Xiao Yu knew that Yao Ling had found Ying Ying as an eyesore. From her talk with Ning Jie, Xiao Yu started to get the gist of it and she also didn¡¯t want her young mistress to lose her happiness due to an unknown woman. Thus, she took this job seriously.

    She turned to Xiao Er who followed them along and said, "You should take care of young mistress when I¡¯m not around!" As Yao Ling¡¯s closest personal maid, Xiao Yu had the highest rank so she was allowed to give order to the others and Yao Ling knew that she was the most loyal to her.

    "Yu Jie, you don¡¯t have to worry about it with me around!" Xiao Er answered with a smile. "I will do it!"

    Xiao Yu nodded in satisfaction. After that, she quickly left because she already knew what to do and Yao Ling didn¡¯t need to worry about Ying Ying anymore for now. She went to Fu Rong and found Yao Ying was busy on the second floor just like usual.

    "What are you doing here?" Yao Ying asked in surprise. "Didn¡¯t I tell you to rest at home?" He always acted like a mother hen around the pregnant Yao Ling and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from pampering her.

    Yao Ying quickly pulled out a chair for her and let her sit there. Yao Ling felt warmth because of her kind gesture. "I just want to apany you here... besides, I also want to have lunch together with you..." She said bashfully.

    When she looked at his oblivious face, she felt like she had be the evil wife for preventing Ying Ying to meet him. She sighed inwardly, knowing that she had to act as a bad guy for a little while because of this. Yes, she was selfish. She didn¡¯t care to be pointed as a jealous wife because she wanted to protect her own happiness. Just a bit longer... After she had enough courage, she would tell him about it and be more honest about this matter.

    Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t reject such a good offer. "Sure..." He answered with a cheerfulugh.

    "Xiao Er, prepare the food..." Yao Ling ordered whilezing around.

    Yao Ying raised one of his eyebrows and asked, "Where is Xiao Yu?"

    He felt that it was a bit weird because Xiao Yu had never left Yao Ling¡¯s side --- unless there was an important matter had brewed up and Yao Ling could only rely on Xiao Yu to do the job.

    Yao Ling sighed, knowing that Yao Ying had found out that something was amiss. She didn¡¯t realize that he had known about it from the very beginning. It was just that he didn¡¯t want to talk about it first.

    "Can we enjoy this peaceful moment first?" Yao Ling asked with a gentle smile. "I will tell you about it tonight..."

    Yao Ying frowned. Peaceful moment? Did it mean that what Yao Ling worried about could turn their world upside-down?! Yao Ying felt even more curious after knowing this! "Sure..." He finally answered hesitantly.

    They enjoyed their lunch and chatted joyfully. Yao Ying felt satisfied when he saw that Yao Ling¡¯s real smile hade back. It was more beautiful than her fake or forced smile --- it seemed like Ning Jie had put some senses into her.

    Not too long after that, Xiao Yu came back. In front of Yao Ying, Yao Ling asked, "Have you finished dealing with it?"

    Xiao Yu took a peek at Yao Ying, feeling ufortable. However, her young mistress seemed to stop treating this matter as a secret so she answered right away, "Yes, Young Mistress. She won¡¯t be able to find out about anything today."

    ¡¯She?¡¯ Yao Ying thought to himself. It seemed like this matter had something to do with a certain woman what he didn¡¯t know about. Who could make Yao Ling be so rattled like this?!

 Chapter 459 - Actions Spoke Louder Than Words

    When it was finally night time and time to end the hectic day, Yao Ying asked Yao Ling about the things that had bothered her for so long while they were alreadyying down on their bed. "Will you tell me about it now?" Yao Ying asked in a low voice. He couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity anymore.

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "I will..." She was in a better mood when talking because of Ning Jie so the atmosphere was still quite nice even though she was going to talk about a heavy topic.

    "I¡¯m curious about something..." Yao Ling started the conversation and she looked at Yao Ying intensely, wondering how to ask the difficult question. Well... asking wasn¡¯t that difficult, but the answer was the thing that made her feel nervous the most.

    "About what?" Yao Ying asked curiously while looking at his wife from the side --- he could feel Yao Ling¡¯s piercing gaze. He felt ufortable ah~!

    "Ying... if... if there¡¯s a woman from your past whoes searching for you, what will you do about her?" She asked curiously while biting her lower lips. She appeared calmed from the outside, but in truth, she was very nervous! She had been wanting to listen to his answer for ages.

    "Why are you asking this out of the blue?" Yao Ying was taken aback and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Did someone try to make a dent in their rtionship and tell some bad things to Yao Ling? Was she worried about this matter for the past few days?!

    He had never thought about this possibility before because he didn¡¯t think that there would be such a coincidence in such a big world. Would it be that easy to meet a person from his past by chance? He didn¡¯t know that this possibility hade true... and his wife already found such a person.

    "Just answer me..." Yao Ling pouted. "I¡¯m just curious... Come on!" Yao Ling urged him.

    Her expression made Yao Yingugh out loud and he pinched her cheek. He really didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. Why did she look like she was being abandoned ah~?!

    Yao Ling pped his hand away and said in exasperation, "Stop pinching me!"

    Yao Ying grinned and finally answered her question, "I have already promised to have you only as my woman, right? What if a woman from my past appears out of nowhere? I don¡¯t even remember her and don¡¯t n to be entangled with my past..." Yao Ying admitted. Even if he remembered something and had a deep feeling to a certain woman, he would respect his promise and love for Yao Ling.

    He chose his current happiness over his own past. When something like that really happened, he would be the one who cleaned up his own mess. He didn¡¯t think it would be good to let Yao Ling handle such a matter. After all, he was the source of all the trouble.

    The reason why he wanted to know about his past was that he wanted to know who he was and his root, the reason for his lost memories --- judging from how Yao Ling found him, it seemed like there were people who tried to kill him. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to remember any woman from his past --- after all, there was no trace of longing in his mind and heart.

    There was never a thought for him to rekindle with his past. He was just afraid that his past enemies could easily kill him and his family if he didn¡¯t know who they were.

    Yao Ling sighed, knowing that it was useless to talk about this right now. After all, there was a chance that Yao Ying had a different thought once he was facing the woman and his past. It was easy to talk but it was hard to prove it.

    Actions spoke louder than words.

    This woman seemed toe at the right time --- she could serve as a test for Yao Ying. If he couldn¡¯t handle this one matter, how could she expect he would handle his whole past? She didn¡¯t want to be tortured by his indecisiveness.

    "Why are you sighing?" Yao Ying asked in displeasure, feeling that Yao Ling was belittling his feelings towards her. No matter how good his temper was, he didn¡¯t like to be doubted by her --- after all, he had his own pride as a man.

    "Nothing... I¡¯m just thinking about the trouble that we will face soon..." Yao Ling massaged her forehead while saying that.

    "Huh? What are you talking about?" Yao Ying asked in surprise. They were living peacefully and as long as she hadn¡¯t given birth, they could do nothing even though they already had a few clues about his past ah~! So, where did the troublee from?

    Weren¡¯t they fine until now?

    "Someone seemed to have recognized you and she is searching for you for the past few days..." Yao Ling dropped the bomb just like that.

    "Me?" Yao Ying pointed at himself. "How?" He still couldn¡¯t believe it. Someone had recognized him?!

    "Do you remember the woman that performed chairs bncing act back then?" Yao Ling asked while trying to see his reaction.

    Yao Ying blinked innocently at her and answered, "I don¡¯t think so... Why?"

    Honestly, Yao Ying didn¡¯t really pay attention back then so he didn¡¯t remember that woman¡¯s face and he admitted it to Yao Ling. Somehow, Yao Ling felt happy when she heard that --- at least, he wasn¡¯t interested in that woman¡¯s appearance and the woman didn¡¯t ignite his memories at all.

    However, Yao Ling¡¯s questions made him able to connect on the dots. No wonder she had dazed around so much after she watched that performance. It seemed like she had worried herself to death because of that woman...

    Silly Yao Ling!

    She could just go to him and ask about it so that everything would be clear. Why did she torture herself ah~?! He didn¡¯t even remember that woman!

    "How do you know that she recognized me back then?" Yao Ying asked in shock. If he remembered correctly, they were quite far from the woman --- how could she see that woman¡¯s expression clearly? Or... was he actually that oblivious?!

    After all, his eyes always followed Yao Ling¡¯s smile and movement at that time, so where could he get a chance to admire or be intrigued by another woman? That was simply too ridiculous!

    "Of course, it¡¯s because of my woman¡¯s intuition... Mine is always sharp from the beginning, don¡¯t you remember?" Yao Ling red at him in annoyance. It looked like he still didn¡¯t believe in her ah~!

    If she said that she could see it, then she could see it!

    Didn¡¯t the woman really search for Yao Ying after that?! It proved that she was right...

    Yao Ying could only helplessly nod his head. He was just asking ah~! Why did she look like she was being offended?

    "I remember... I remember..." Yao Ying tried to appease her so that Yao Ling woulde down. After that, he continued to ask, "Does she really search for me? How?"

 Chapter 460 - Calculate You?

    Yao Ling told him everything that she had known --- including Ning Jie¡¯s investigation result so far. Yao Ying gaped in surprise because he didn¡¯t expect this kind of result at all! He didn¡¯t even think that this had something to do with his own past... There was even a painting of him!

    "My painting? Really?" Yao Ying asked. "Do you have it on you? How do you know?" He was feeling curious about the painting and bombarded Yao Ling with questions.

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "Ning Jie gave moe one. Wait for me here! I will bring it out to you."

    She walked slowly to her personal drawer, pull out a scroll from there, and gave it to Yao Ying. "Here you go..." She wanted to know his reaction.

    Yao Ying opened the scroll in excitement and when he saw the painting, he was beyond speechless. He wasn¡¯t that good in art but he also knew that there was something wrong with this painting.

    How the heck the person inside the scroll looked like him ah~?! Honestly, even though he wasn¡¯t a conceited person, he felt that the painting was really ugly! The nose was a bit too wide, the eyes were a bit too squinted --- making him look like a sly fox in the picture, and so many ws that he couldn¡¯t bear to talk... all in all, the painting was simply too hideous.

    "Are you sure that this is me?" Yao Ying was still feeling bewildered. He put the painting beside his face, trying to let Yao Ling judge.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry ah~! She thought that he would be concerned about the woman and ask more things about that Ying Ying. Who knew that he cared more about his own painting ah~?!

    "I¡¯m sure..." Yao Ling said.

    "Look again! The painting is too ugly to be me!" Yao Ying said in annoyance. "I don¡¯t think that she could find me by relying on this painting. I even feel amazed that you know that the woman¡¯s target is me!"

    Yao Ling really wanted tough out loud. She didn¡¯t know whether Yao Ying was trying to cheer her up or he really believed in what he said.

    "We are sure because the description matches you... besides, I see the look on her eyes when she looked at you back then... I won¡¯t make a mistake about this matter..." Yao Ling said helplessly. She wasn¡¯t that stupid to make such an important mistake.

    "If her description of me is so clear, why couldn¡¯t she find me? An Yang City isn¡¯t that big ah~!" Yao Ying asked out of curiosity. "Do you have a hand on it?"

    Yao Ling¡¯s heart beat a bit faster because she was afraid that Yao Ying would me her because she was meddling in this matter. "So... do you me me for it? Or will you think badly of me?" She didn¡¯t n to deny his words and admit her doing honestly.

    If Yao Ying really med her, she would certainly kick him out of the room and let him sleep in the study room. After all, she was also doing this for both of them. She was afraid that this woman would try to take advantage of Yao Ying¡¯s memory loss and fabricate some stories about it in return.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "Not really... I¡¯m thinking that you have made the right decision. This way, we will have more preparation to deal with her." He didn¡¯t lie just to appease Yao Ling... He didn¡¯t know what this woman wanted. Why did she search for him restlessly like this?

    Yao Ling was quite for a little while before asking, "How do you want to deal with her?" She wanted to know a little bit about his n.

    Yao Ying sighed and patted her back before finally hugging her. He tried tofort her and said softly, "Don¡¯t worry... nothing would happen between me and her. However, I still need to face my past and it means... I have to meet her face to face..." Yao Ying couldn¡¯t do anything about it --- he had to meet that woman and it was better if he said it clearly to Yao Ling so that they could avoid having a misunderstanding.

    Yao Ling sighed and buried her face into his chest, feeling defeated because she understood that what he said was true. They needed to investigate the woman but because they couldn¡¯t find anything useful from their own investigation, they needed to know everything from the woman.

    There was no other choice.

    "I know," she answered sadly in a slightly hoarse voice. There was a hint of cry in her words and Yao Ying could onlyfort her by hugging her tighter. He felt a pain in his chest because he made Yao Ling sad... and he could do nothing about it.

    "Nothing will happen..." He tried to reassure her over and over again. "It won¡¯t be easy for a woman to calcte me..."

    "Calcte you?" Yao Ling looked up at him in surprise. She was wondering why did he say the word calcte?

    "Yes, calcte me..."

    "Why do you say so?" Yao Ling tilted her head to the side in confusion.

    "One thing for sure, I don¡¯t think my rtionship with her was deep enough..."

    "Why?" Yao Ling asked in surprise. Did he remember something? Otherwise, how could he make such a deduction?

    "Looking at her didn¡¯t trigger anything..." Yao Ying hesitantly said. He believed in his own words and his own judgment.

    "So?"

    "In my past, I must have known a lot of people and close to some... However, it doesn¡¯t mean that other people won¡¯t recognize me just because they aren¡¯t close to me... What if that woman is thetter? The type of people that aren¡¯t close to me and want to take advantage of me?" Yao Ying exined.

    "What do you mean? Why do you talk in aplicated way ah~?! Just tell me in a simpler way..." Yao Ling whined. She got a headache when she listened to Yao Ying¡¯s exnation.

    Yao Yingughed. Fine... Fine... I will give you an example so it would make it easier for you to understand."

    "Okay..."

    "Hmm... For example, you are close to Xiao Fang and if you lose your memory, the one who could trigger your memory must be Xiao Fang, right? Because you have a deep rtionship with her?" Yao Ying gave her a simple example.

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "Yes... and then?"

    "Hmm... Then, because you are close to Xiao Fang back at the Han Kingdom, several people take note of your identity back then and they know you... but you don¡¯t know them..." Yao Ying tried to see whether Yao Ling understood his words or not...

    "Ah... so you mean, Ying Ying might have belonged to that kind of people? The one who knows you and your identity, but in actuality, you don¡¯t know her in the first ce?" Yao Ling started to understand what he meant.

    "Yes! You finally understand!" Yao Ying nodded his head, teasing Yao Ling which made thetter pout.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. "If that¡¯s really true, you should be careful!"

    "I know..." Yao Ying answered.

 Chapter 461 - You... You...!

    "It¡¯s lucky that we have already cleaned up Wang Fu... otherwise, Madam Wang will take this chance to do something to us..." Yao Ling sighed. They dealt with Madam Wang as soon as possible was also due to Yao Ling¡¯s pregnancy.

    "Yes... but we still need to be careful. Who knows whether we actually have a hidden enemy or not in this household, right?" Yao Ying said. Everything seemed fine at the moment, but who knew? Maybe there were some restless people inside. It would be better if they kept this matter to themselves until everything had been dealt with.

    "True ah~! The better our identity is, the more problems that we will face..." Yao Ying said helplessly. They had higher degrees of responsibilities.

    "You haven¡¯t told me yet... what is your n?" Yao Ling almost forgot about this matter. "Do you need my help with something?" Yao Ling asked. She didn¡¯t want to personally deal with that woman and show her vicious side --- it was better if she asked Yao Ying beforehand whether he wanted to involve her or not.

    this matter didn¡¯t directly involve her anyway.

    Yao Ying shrugged his shoulder off. "I still have no n ah~! I don¡¯t even have any basic information about that woman and her personality, so I couldn¡¯t decide anything at this moment..." It should be better if he knew the enemy better --- yes, in his mind, that woman was being categorized as an enemy.

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "I already told you everything that I have known... Ning Jie could only find that much about the woman so you should investigate her on your own once again..."

    Yao Ying nodded his head as well. "I know... I will ask Xiu to check on her background once again --- maybe he could find something that Ning Jie couldn¡¯t find out. After all, Xiu has more experiences in this matter, he would know what to do."

    "Sure..." Yao Ling answered, not feeling offended because Yao Ying was merely saying the truth. Xiu used to be under Wang Luo Hai¡¯s guidance and Wang Luo Hai indeed had many resources under his hands. On the other hand, Ning Jie had just started to learn to be a spy.

    "Just sleep for now..." Yao Ying said. "Don¡¯t worry! I will tell you once I reach a decision. I won¡¯t try to meet her unless I already have a preparation," Yao Ying made a promise.

    Yao Ling felt assured by his promise and soon fell asleep. this was the first time she could sleep soundly after meeting that woman.

    Unknowingly to her, Yao Ying was the one who couldn¡¯t fall asleep in turn. His mind was full of that woman --- no, he wasn¡¯t yearning about that woman or thinking about rekindling any rtionship with her whatsoever even if they had a rtionship before --- which he had felt doubtful ever since the beginning.

    Yao Ying just wanted to know... how did that woman know him? He wondered what kind of things that he could get out of this woman¡¯s mouth about his past. Was it a good... or a bad thing?

    Losing memories was really a hassle ah~!

    He kissed Yao Ling¡¯s forehead and tried to ease her furrowing eyebrows with a heavy heart. It seemed like she was really worried about this matter and even brought it to her dream. He was feeling worried about her and knew that he should settle this matter as soon as possible.

    While Yao Ling was still sleeping, he slowly went out of the room and called Xiu over. He told him to check on this woman and see whether there was anything weird about her.

    Xiu asked in confusion, "Now?"

    It was already midnight ah~! He really didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. However, it made her realize that this matter seemed to be really important to his young master.

    "Yes, now!" Yao Ying said decisively. "Sorry for making you work overtime..."

    "Don¡¯t worry, Young Master! It¡¯s fine... I will quickly investigate this matter clearly, Young master..." Xiu quickly bade his goodbye and did his job as soon as possible.

    His young master didn¡¯t say much but he knew that this must have something to do with Young Mistress, thus, he needed to ask Xiao Yu about it --- maybe she knew something. He went to thetter¡¯s chamber and called her out with their secret code. Yes, sometimes, they were meeting at night and their code was the sound of a certain bird that Xiu made as a sign that he was there... They had never done anything improper though... They were just purely dating in between their busy schedule.

    As servants, it was rare for them to have time for themselves because they were too busy tending to their masters --- it wasn¡¯t that their masters were mistreating them, that was just the way it was and they weren¡¯tining about it. They served them wholeheartedly, besides, their masters treated them really well.

    So even if their rtionship was pure, they only had night time to spend time with each other.

    Xiao Yu quickly went out excitedly while wearing her outer robe in a hurry --- she was quite surprised when she heard his calling. "This isn¡¯t our usual meeting time... Why are you here?" Even though she was confused, she was excited to spend time with him.

    Xiuughed. "I have something to ask you about..."

    "Hmmm? What is it?" Xiao Yu asked him back curiously.

    Xiu exined about the task from their young master and asked about the woman from Xiao Yu --- maybe she had a few pieces of information about that woman so it would be easier for him to start the investigation. Xiao Yu sighed, knowing that her young mistress must have already told the young master about the woman.

    Other than that reason, why would their young master decide to investigate that woman?

    Yes, she was in a rtionship with Xiu but she had never betrayed Yao Ling¡¯s trust. Unless her young mistress had brought everything out in the open, she wouldn¡¯t even tell Xiu a word about it. However, it seemed like she could tell Xiu about it now.

    There was no reason for her to cover it up because she also didn¡¯t want this woman to mess with their masters¡¯ rtionship. If she could, she really wanted to make that woman go far away --- but she knew, they needed to find out about their young master¡¯s background.

    Xiao Yu exined everything and Xiu was quite surprised by this woman¡¯s identity. He was feeling a bit doubtful. If the other party was a noblewoman or someone with a simr background, he wouldn¡¯t feel that something was wrong. After all, from Yao Ying¡¯s bearing, Xiu was sure that he wasn¡¯t a coarse person --- so his background shouldn¡¯t be as low as a street performer.

    But... how did this woman know about his young master? He was really curious as well.

    After knowing a few things about that woman, Xiu quickly gave Xiao Yu a surprise kiss on her cheek while being shy. "Thank you," he said in a low voice.

    "You... You...!" Xiao Yu looked at him in surprise!

    £¬

 Chapter 462 - The Investigation (1)

    Xiu had nned to propose to Xiao Yu in a few months so he didn¡¯t bother to cover up their rtionship anymore. He had been wanting to kiss her cute face for a long time! And finally, he could make his ne true. He felt beyond happy ah~!

    Xiu only needed to gain their masters¡¯ permission left before he would propose and judging from his masters¡¯ kindness, he didn¡¯t seem to need worrying about it. They would say yes for sure. Even though they had their parents¡¯ permission, permission from their masters was more important.

    If they said no, there would be no chance for them to get married. Fortunately, they were blessed with kind masters. Their young mistress even cared for Bao Bao¡¯s marriage... which was only a horse... Maybe Young Mistress was a bit too... kind?

    Xiao Yu stomped her feet in shyness and quickly covered up her cheek that had just been kissed, "You... You... Rouge!" She didn¡¯t know what to say because she was feeling too embarrassed.

    After saying that, she quickly ran back into her room with a pounding heart. She didn¡¯t think that Xiu would be that brazen --- even though she didn¡¯t dislike it... But... But still... they hadn¡¯t got married yet, how could he behave like a rogue?

    Even though her mind was in chaos due to the sudden kiss, Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t hold back her smile as well.

    Xiu grinned widely when he saw Xiao Yu¡¯s bashful reaction and quickly turned around once Xiao Yu had vanished from his sight. He decided to investigate the woman as soon as possible. His young master already said that he wanted a fast result. Besides, from Xiao Yu¡¯s words, he found that this matter was indeed really important.

    Xiu found a lot of things in one day and couldn¡¯t wait to report everything to Yao Ying and Yao Ling...

    He went to report his findings to Yao Ying and Yao Ling. Both of them were stillzing around inside their room when Xiu came. Yao Ling was quite surprised by his efficiency but it made her appreciate Xiu even more.

    Yao Ying quickly told him toe in and asked, "Have you finally found anything?" He looked at Xiu curiously when he saw that Xiu was in a good mood, despite his bloodshot eyes. He hadn¡¯t gotten the chance to sleep so he felt really tired.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t appear in front of Xiu because her appearance was still unkempt, however, she was listening from behind the screen seriously. How could she miss their discussion about that woman? She was grateful that Yao Ying didn¡¯t try to cover up anything, otherwise, her mind would be in disarray for guessing about it because she would keep thinking of the worst.

    "Yes, Young Master..."

    "Tell me! Quick!" Yao Ying impatiently said. He wanted to know whether there was really a connection between him and that woman in the past. If yes, what kind of rtionship was that?! He even thought that he might be a performer as well back then.

    "Last night, I went to the ce where the troupe was staying. I actually wanted to rummage through her things --- to see whether she has something important on her or not... After all, Ning Jie¡¯s investigation result is quite good enough, so I tried to see from another angle..." Xiu said in a low voice.

    "Then, what happened?" Yao Ying asked, nodding his head in agreement. Judging from Xiu¡¯s words, it seemed like he failed to rummage through her things but he was still able to find something out.

    "More interesting happened, Young Master. The woman hasn¡¯t fallen asleep when I got there so I could only wait for her on the roof, hoping that she would sleep as soon as possible..." Xiu exined. When it got to this part, he felt really annoyed. It was alreadyte at night and the woman was still sober.

    It was really cold at night especially because Xiu was wearing a thin cloth and yet, the woman didn¡¯t seem to have any n to sleep. At first, Xiu didn¡¯t find anything wrong because the woman kept looking at Yao Ying¡¯s painting, so he thought maybe she missed him or something like that. For a second, he even felt that this woman must have had a serious feeling towards his young master, even though he felt that the woman¡¯s gaze was a bit creepy.

    Xiu also thought that there was a possibility that things would end up badly if his young master really had a past with this woman. How would the young mistress react ah~?! This woman didn¡¯t seem to be an easy person to handle.

    When he paid close attention to the woman¡¯s face, he didn¡¯t find the woman beautiful --- instead, he felt that she was really cunning. Her face was average but she had a certain charming bearing that could attract men, but mostly thosemoners. The nobles had nevercked beauties and they would certainly not pay attention to this woman.

    Even him...

    He thought the same as those nobles... he still felt that there was no outstanding point from this woman --- except her ability to twist her body crazily when she was performing. Maybe some twisted men liked her weird abilities... but he was sure that his young master wasn¡¯t included.

    All in all, he still felt that his young mistress was far better and couldn¡¯t bepared to this lowly woman --- she was prettier, kinder, and more charming as well. This made him even sure that his young master wouldn¡¯t be that blind and chose this weird woman.

    Xiu almost fell asleep when he found a quite loud movement from inside of the woman¡¯s room. It woke him up, feeling that something interesting would happen soon. There was a soft sound of knocking on the door --- it wasn¡¯t too loud but to Xiu¡¯s sensitive ears, it was loud enough for him to be alert.

    The woman stood up and asked hesitantly, "Who is it?" However, she didn¡¯t look too worried so she must have been waiting for this man toe.

    "It¡¯s me..." A man was answering from outside of the door. "Ah Fu..."

    The woman seemed to recognize the man and opened the door for him without any hesitancy. Ying Ying quickly ushered him toe in. "Quick! Quick! Come inside! Do you find out anything about him?" She asked anxiously.

    Before closing the door, she looked around to see whether someone saw them or not. When there was no one around, she sighed in relief. Xiu furrowed his eyebrows when he saw all this --- it seemed like this woman wasn¡¯t really pure as well...

    The man didn¡¯t seem to be a stranger to Ying Ying¡¯s room because he quickly sat down on her bed without feeling ashamed. Xiu looked at both of them in disgust! Without being told, he knew what kind of rtionship that the couple had and he almost vomited when he thought how this type of woman wanted to im to have a rtionship with his young master.

    He continued to look at the scene that was happening under him quietly. Even if he loathed them, he still needed to listen to their conversation.

 Chapter 463 - The Investigation (2)

    Xiu squinted his eyes when he was looking at their interaction, wondering what kind of rtionship they had. Although he knew that they were definitely in that intimate type of rtionship, he wanted to know how to define their rtionship.

    If this man was important to the woman, he could pry open his mouth in a lot of ways --- maybe he could find out what the purpose of this woman. Why did she keep trying to find his young master?

    Ying Ying looked at the man with a smile even though she wanted to kick him out of her bed. If she didn¡¯t need his help, she wouldn¡¯t even let this mane into her room and even sit on her bed! She could only grit her teeth in annoyance silently.

    "How is it?" Ying Ying asked once again. "Do you find out where he lives?!" She was feeling impatient when she found that he had no n to tell her right away. Did he try to stall or did he actually want something from her?

    She understood what kind of thing such a man would want. The man wasn¡¯t ugly per se and his body was quite muscr, showing that he had good stamina inside and outside of the bed. However, there was a burning scar on half of his face which made him look a bit scary and that scar? It actually made her feel disgusted! However, she still needed to pretend that it made him look manly...

    The man shook his head. "No, it seems like someone is covering up his trail... I can¡¯t find out about him. Who is this man anyway? Why are anxiously trying to search for him?!" He looked at Ying Ying suspiciously.

    Judging why it was hard for him to find any information about it, this man must have been someone important and had a strong background. The woman in front of him was merely a lowly street performer and if he knew the reason why she was looking for him, he could use that information and take advantage of it so he would get a good benefit.

    "I have been searching for this man for a long time..." The woman said hesitantly, not knowing whether it was a good idea to tell this man or not. However, her gut feelings said that this man was up to no good.

    Thus, she stopped her words right there.

    "I already helped you so shouldn¡¯t you give me an exnation?" The man asked while squinting his eyes in annoyance. "Who is he to you anyway?"

    "A... A nobody to me..." Ying Ying said slowly.

    The man was feeling sure that Ying Ying must have been lying to him. He started to feel dissatisfied. Did this woman think that she could easily use him? Then, she had chosen the wrong person.

    Xiu who was looking at them started to be happy when he saw that the rtionship between the two people started to crack. It would be easier for him to gather information, however, he felt that the man was useless because he didn¡¯t know a thing about this matter.

    "Why? Is he your previous lover, huh?" The man started to be flirty and Ying Ying started to sweat because she understood what would happen next. The man was too vigorous and the way he made love was quite vicious because her body would turn ck and blue the next day and she would feel sore all over her body.

    The man stood up and walked towards Ying Ying with a lecherous smile on his face. He started to touch Ying Ying at several inappropriate ces, trying to ignite the me so that Ying Ying would serve him. In his mind, this woman was a good bitch anyway.

    He pinched her bottom and started to kiss Ying Ying on the lips. After that, his hands started to roam all over her body which earned a lusty moan from the woman. The man smirked to himself, knowing that he could find out everything soon.

    He was quite confident with his performance in the bed and this woman had been conquered by him several times, thus... he knew her weakness really well. Whenever she almost had an orgasm, she would lose her mind and at that time, he could gain information as much as he wanted.

    This man was a local thug and his position was quite high due to his sly mind. How could a woman like Ying Ying bepared to him?! He was totally confident that he could use this woman.

    Xiu almost vomited when he saw the scene under him. It seemed like he didn¡¯t guess wrongly... both of them were using their bodies to use each other. He could see a hint of slyness in the man¡¯s eyes.

    Should he continue waiting there?

    If he left, he probably would miss important pieces of information. Thus, despite his disgust, he continued to stay up there. He merely listened to their voice though and he didn¡¯t n to see the XXX scene.

    It seemed like he made the right choice for doing that.

    Yao Ying heard his story and said, "Could you just skip the disgusting part?" He didn¡¯t want to hear those two having s*x or something like that. After listening to that part, Yao Ying knew that he certainly didn¡¯t have a direct rtionship with this disgusting woman!

    He just wanted to hear the result and not only that, he didn¡¯t want Yao Ling¡¯s ears to be contaminated by the disgusting story.

    Xiu, "..."

    Why couldn¡¯t he share his agony? He wanted his master to see how much sacrifice that he had madest night for the sake of those important pieces of information ah~! After being told like that by Yao Ying, he could only skip the juicy and disgusting part.

    "The man found a way to make Ying Ying talk..." Xiu said in a low voice. "With... with ¡¯that¡¯..." He stuttered in thest part, not knowing how to say it with a polite word.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling understood what kind of method that man had used.

    "I understand," Yao Ying said, trying to save Xiu from the embarrassment.

    Xiu sighed in relief because he didn¡¯t need to say it out loud. Before Xiu could say anything else, Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but ask, "You didn¡¯t make up an imaginary man, right?"

    Xiu knew that Yao Ling was behind the screen so he wasn¡¯t surprised by her sudden question. However, he didn¡¯t understand what she meant. "What? What imaginary man, Young Mistress?" He was taken aback by the weird question.

    He was always honest to them ah~! Why should he lie to them about this kind of matter?

    "Of course, about the man who had done all that with Ying Ying... It wasn¡¯t you, right?" Yao Ling asked once again.

    Xiu could only gape at her question. What did young mistress think he was?! He was still a virgin until this moment ah~! He had also nned to give his first time to Xiao Yu ah~!

    "Young Mistress! Of course, it wasn¡¯t me ah~!"

    Xiu really didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry!

 Chapter 464 - The Investigation (3)

    Yao Ling sighed in relief when she heard Xiu¡¯s answer. That was the answer that she wanted to hear.

    "If that¡¯s the truth, then all is good..." Yao Ling said while nodding her head in satisfaction. She heard Xiu¡¯s reaction clearly and knew that the man wasn¡¯t lying. Judging from the way he was talking about Ying Ying, he was feeling disgusted with that woman and Yao Ling also felt the same as Xiu.

    That woman seemed to sell her body to achieve her goal and what made her different from a prostitute? Such a woman... she wouldn¡¯t let her people to be contaminated!

    Somehow, she sighed in relief because it meant this woman must have been trying to take advantage of Yao Ying. Unless... the past Yao Ying was actually a bastard who worked together as a pair with that woman in that kind of scheme... However, Yao Ling would never believe that Yao Ying was such a man!

    Even if someone had forgotten about his or her past, she believed that that person wouldn¡¯t lose his or her basic personality! Yao Ying was a righteous person so he must have disdained the way that woman did things.

    Yao Ying was also feeling bewildered by Yao Ling¡¯s sudden question. "Why did you ask such a weird question?" He asked Yao Ling through the other side of the screen so he couldn¡¯t see her expression clearly --- which made him couldn¡¯t guess the reason as well. Was she joking... or not?

    Xiu was nodding his head inwardly, wanting to know what was inside the young mistress¡¯ mind ah~! He was wondering whether she was doubting him or not... If yes, why? He didn¡¯t think that he had done something that made them doubt him because he was always loyal ah~!

    However, it was inappropriate for him to raise the question so it was fortunate that young master had asked in his behalf.

    "I just don¡¯t want Xiu to do something that would make Xiao Yu sad..." Yao Ling said in a low voice. She didn¡¯t feel guilty for asking the question because it had something to do with Xiao Yu¡¯s future. She was her most trusted maidservant so of course, Yao Ling would take care of Xiao Yu¡¯s happiness as well.

    If Xiu wasn¡¯t a loyal man, she wouldn¡¯t let Xiao Yu get married to him even if Xiao Yu still insisted.

    Xiu started to understand why Yao Ling did that and it made him feel happy --- after all, it meant that their young mistress really cared about Xiao Yu. It also meant that she didn¡¯t distrust him! He smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Young Mistress. But this servant will swear to God that it wasn¡¯t me... If this servant lies, this servant is willing to be killed by thunder..."

    He wanted to prove his innocence by swearing.

    "Hush!" Yao Ling quickly yelled, trying to put a stop to his sentence. "Stop it! I believe in you. As long as you don¡¯t betray Xiao Yu and always make her happy... it¡¯s good enough for me... Just prove it to me with how you treat her in the future..." Yao Ling said in a low voice.

    Xiu answered wholeheartedly, "Of course, Young Mistress. I promise... I will treat her well..."

    He really wanted to ask for their permission for his marriage but he knew that this wasn¡¯t the right time yet. Their masters were still having a problem with that low woman and after this matter had finished, it wouldn¡¯t be toote to talk about their marriage.

    "Back to the topic..." Yao Ying tried to steer the conversation back to the important things. "What did you find out about that womanst night?" He asked curiously.

    Xiu told them everything slowly. "Well... but the story will be a bit vulgar..." Xiu exined hesitantly before he started to tell the story. He gave a pointed look towards the young mistress¡¯ direction... He wanted to ask Yao Ying whether it was okay to let young mistress listen to everything or not.

    Yao Ying nodded his head because he knew that Yao Ling was stubborn so she must have wanted to listen to everything clearly with her own ears. After having Yao Ying¡¯s concent, Xiu quickly told them everything.

    -----------

    The atmosphere inside the room turned ambiguous especially because there were moaning sounds there. The rapid breaths of both the man and the woman were mingling together which made Xiu shudder even more up there. Not because he was excited, but because he wanted everything to be finished as soon as possible!

    Once Ying Ying was in the brink of orgasm, the man asked Ying Ying once again, "Who is that man? What do you n to do to him?" He continued thrusting while asking the question without losing any breath --- it seemed like the man used to do this as a way to find a piece of information.

    "No... Nothing..." Ying Ying was quite persistent and it was hard to pry open her mouth. Despite the pleasure, her brain was still quite clear.

    The man frowned because he didn¡¯t think that the woman was quite resolute in not telling him anything, however, it made him feel even more determined to know. He quickly stopped his thrusting movement and asked, "Are you really not going to tell me?"

    He looked at the woman underneath him with a mocking smile and didn¡¯t n to move anytime soon. Ying Ying was surprised because of his sly move!

    "It¡¯s really nothing!" Ying Ying gritted her teeth in anger because he suddenly stopped moving and the pleasure that she had just started to feel... was gone. She was supposed to have an orgasm by now but this man dared to stop! Her mind had been clouded by pleasure.

    "Quick! Put it in again! Give me a good f*ck...!" Ying Ying who had started to lose her mind didn¡¯t feel ashamed at all for saying such lewd words. In her mind, she just needed to get her release as soon as possible!

    The man smirked, knowing that Ying Ying had fallen under his s*x trap. "I will put it back inside you once you tell me everything. Easy, right?" The man was good at holding himself back even though he really wanted to m his thing inside her core. He was also in the peak of his own pleasure ah~!

    "Come on!" The man urged him to say it as soon as possible. He started to move and thrust into her slowly, but once he felt that her core¡¯s wall tightened, he stopped. He wasn¡¯t going to give her a release until she told him everything!

    "That... That man seems toe from the Qin Kingdom but I¡¯m not too sure whether he¡¯s the man that I¡¯m looking for..." Ying Ying said. "Really... there¡¯s nothing to tell..."

    ¡¯Qin Kingdom?¡¯ The man thought to himself. Wasn¡¯t it the kingdom where this bitch came from?

    The man still didn¡¯t feel satisfied and continued to hold himself back even though his whole body was sweating badly. He even felt surer that the man¡¯s identity wasn¡¯t that simple, otherwise, why did this woman so bend on finding him?!

 Chapter 465 - The Investigation (4)

    "Can you just skip the disgusting part, Xiu?" Yao Ying started to realize that Xiu¡¯s exnation was a bit too vivid ah~! It could contaminate their ears!

    "But..." Xiu hesitated.

    "Just tell us the content of their conversation... We get it that they talked while they were doing ¡¯that thing¡¯, okay?" Yao Ying felt ufortable letting Yao Ling hear such a crazy detail. He didn¡¯t want this Ying Ying to corrupt his wife¡¯s mind.

    Xiu sighed. In actuality, he just wanted to vent to someone else because the scene that he saw really left a scar to him. Even though he had seen a lot of cruel things when investigating things, this was the first time he saw how people used s*x trap in real life ah~! He didn¡¯t know how people could do something so sacral that should be done between two loving people just for the sake of benefits!

    Well... maybe he would just search for Fengter and told the story to him once more --- so other people would fell how he feltst night. Yes, he was a bit childish... It was fortunate that he had a patient young master, if it was Wang Luo Hai, he would already scold Xiu for exining the useless thing as well!

    But that wasn¡¯t the only reason, Xiu was sure that his masters would soon find out why he should talk about it in great detail.

    Xiu finally got to the point and said it in one breath, "Ying Ying said that young master might be the one that her sister has loved with all her heart because young master¡¯s appearance was simr to that man, however, all of a sudden young master was gone back then and it left her sister feeling broken-hearted... and she is actually searching for her sister¡¯s behalf even though they aren¡¯t sure whether they could find young master or not. She isn¡¯t sure that young master is that person or not though... that¡¯s why she¡¯s searching for young master restlessly."

    "Her sister?" Yao Ying felt unsure. Even though it was that woman¡¯s sister, he believed that her status must have been the same as Ying Ying. What the heck was actually going on here?!

    "Have you found out her sister¡¯s identity too? Is she a performer as well?" Yao Ling asked, feeling that something didn¡¯t add up at this point because she still believed that Yao Ying was not a simplemoner in the Qin Kingdom.

    "No, Young Mistress..." Xiu said helplessly. This was why he wanted to tell the scene in detail because his masters would be able to get the story more clearly. At that time, the man didn¡¯t ask this question and that was the reason he didn¡¯t know the sister¡¯s identity --- it wasn¡¯t because he was ipetent in doing his job...

    How could he force an answer in the middle of those two¡¯s lovemaking time? They could only concentrate on their arousal ah~!

    "Do you think that the woman is lying to that man?" Yao Ying asked in a low voice --- maybe the woman was sessfully holding back her real aim. He had seen so many cunning people and maybe, Ying Ying was one of those people.

    Besides, even if that woman was feeling heartbroken, it didn¡¯t mean that they were in a rtionship. Who knew that Ying Ying¡¯s sister only harbored a one-sided love? Yao Ying and Yao Ling tried to appease themselves with the same thought.

    Xiu was feeling helpless once again. How could he exin the thing that made him feel sure or unsure about this matter without telling them about the gory part ah~?! After all, he could see it from their movements and expressions --- honestly, those two were like fighting for domination when they ¡¯did¡¯ that.

    "This servant..." Xiu stopped right there. He really didn¡¯t know how to continue.

    Yao Ying seemed to understand his struggle. "We trust in your judgment when you saw all that... so just tell us whatever you are thinking about honestly..." Yao Ying didn¡¯t n to listen to their lovemaking matter anymore, besides, he knew that Xiu was loyal to him.

    Xiu sighed in relief. If his masters trusted him this much --- it would make it easier for him and their trust made him feel appreciated as well. "I think she¡¯s telling the truth... but not all of it..."

    "What do you mean?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "The woman is very cunning, I could see that. Her words... we could only trust half of it... This servant is not even sure which one is true and which one is wrong," Xiu admitted.

    Yao Ying pondered over this matter and reached the same conclusion with his decision before --- he needed to meet this woman face to face. He also couldn¡¯t let that woman see through him. If she knew that he had lost his memories, she would certainly use it as an opportunity to fabricate some bad stories.

    "So, does shee for revenge or something like that?" Yao Ling asked while furrowing her eyebrows. She sighed in relief, knowing that the woman was only nning some scenes and not having any rtionship with Yao Ying.

    If it was like that, it would be easier for them to handle that woman. She believed that even Yao Ying would be able to handle the matter well.

    "This... This servant is not really sure..." Xiu helplessly said, then he asked, "What should we do next?" Xiu needed to know their next n.

    Yao Ying could see Xiu¡¯s panda eyes were getting worse, so he said, "You can rest first. I will talk about this matter with the young mistress. Once we have reached a decision, we will tell you."

    Xiu felt grateful that he was able to rest for a little while, "Thank you, Young Master."

    Once Xiu had gone away, Yao Ying walked behind the screen and asked Yao Ling, "What do you think?"

    They talked about their own guesses and thoughts, wondering whether they were thinking of the same thing or not. They reallyplimented each other because their thoughts were mostly the same. In the end, theyughed at each other. The atmosphere of the room became less tense because they had finally known a little bit of the truth.

    Yao Ling asked softly, "When do you n to meet her?" She looked at Yao Ying while tilting her head to the side seriously.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief because he knew that Yao Ling didn¡¯t stop him from meeting Ying Ying --- he was lucky to have such an understanding wife. "As soon as possible... After we cook up a n, we should handle that woman..." He answered without any hesitation.

    Yao Ling nodded her head in agreement and said, "At least, we can control the damage. If you wait for too long, she could use the time that she has to find out your identity and make amotion --- especially with your current identity as Wang Luo Hai¡¯s son. By then, everything would already be toote..."

    "I know..." Yao Ying answered.

    "What about that man?" Yao Ling asked about the man that made love with Ying Ying...

 Chapter 466 - An Urgent Matter

    Yao Yingughed sinisterly. "It will be better to kill him so he wouldn¡¯t make additional trouble for us... That man is a liability... I guess even if he has found out something about me before they made lovest night, I bet he wouldn¡¯t tell that woman right away, judging from how sly that man is."

    "True... he wanted to know what kind of benefits that he could get before telling Ying Ying about the result of his foundings, right?" Yao Ling asked, trying to let Yao Ying know her doubt about that man.

    They more or less could guess that man¡¯s personality from Xiu¡¯s story.

    "I guess so... It¡¯s better to eradicate him before he starts to talk about this matter to another person..."

    Yao Ling nodded her head in agreement. "Will you handle him personally or let other people do the job?" Yao Ling asked curiously. Yao Ying generally loved to do everything by himself.

    Yao Ying scrunched his nose in disgust because he felt that this man was too disgusting, thus, he didn¡¯t even want to see him. Because he knew that he would want to kill him right away, so what was the point ofing out personally for that man? Might as well let the others take care of him.

    "I will let Feng handle him right away..." After saying that, Yao Ying quickly called Feng. If he let him free one more day, the bigger the chance that the man would be in cahoot with Ying Ying.

    Feng came in a short time. Before he let Feng deal with the job, Yao Ying wanted him to know the big picture by telling him the previous night¡¯s matter. Feng said that Xiu had already told him in great detail --- it was good though, Yao Ying didn¡¯t have to exin anything and Feng already knew what he needed to do.

    It saved him some time.

    Yao Ling gave him an extra order, "Once you find him, find out every information that the man has! I want to know everything that he knows in great detail --- no matter what kind of method that you use! Who knows? Maybe he was able to find out everything after those two had finished making love!"

    "Yes, Young Mistress!" Feng answered politely before he finally departed.

    They sat down in silence after Feng left --- each of them was deep in thought.

    "Have you finally cooked up a n yet?" Yao Ling asked softly after a few moments of silence. Yao Ying only stared ahead nkly while touching his chin, that was his quirk whenever he was thinking of a new n. Yao Ling asked the question after he stopped doing that and looked at her with a gentle smile.

    "I actually have one..." Yao Ying finally said after he stayed quiet for a few moments. "Why don¡¯t you listen to it and see whether it¡¯s feasible?"

    "Sure thing. What is your n?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    The way Yao Ying always sought Yao Ling¡¯s advice was also the thing that made their rtionship stronger.

    Yao Ying whispered a few things to Yao Ling which made thetter furrowed her eyebrows. Yao Ying sighed, knowing that Yao Ling didn¡¯t seem to like his n but it was a must-to-do thing ah~!

    "Do you want me to try thinking of another n?" He finally asked because he didn¡¯t want Yao Ling to be sad.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "No, I¡¯m just worried about you..."

    Yao Ying was taken aback because he thought that she was merely jealous. In the end, his wife would always be the best because she always thought of his wellbeing first! Yao Ying said hesitantly, "Actually, I want you toe along with me so if something goes wrong, you can help me!"

    Yao Ling¡¯s eyes lit up because that was the thing that she wanted to hear. She didn¡¯t dare to offer her help just in case he thought that she didn¡¯t trust him. "Really?" She asked with sparkling eyes which made Yao Ying grinned back at him.

    "Really!" Yao Ying answered.

    They finally reached an agreement.

    -----------

    Yao Ling decided to rest after a tiring morning, however, before she could fall into a deep sleep... Xiao Yu came in and told her that Xiao Fang hade over. Thetter said that there was an important thing that she needed to share.

    Yao Ling was wondering what kind of things that would make Xiao Fang this agitated.

    It wouldn¡¯t be good to refuse her because she was afraid that it was really an urgent matter so she had to meet her. If Yao Ying didn¡¯t go to Fu Rong, the former would certainly reject Xiao Fang¡¯s visit but the man had just headed out.

    They didn¡¯t feel afraid that Yao Ying would meet Ying Ying because they had taken the nessary precaution beforehand --- they always kept an eye at that woman.

    When she saw Xiao Fang, the woman looked a bit excited and impatient. When she saw Yao Ling, her eyes lit up. "Yao Ling," she quickly called her name, a bit loud.

    "What happened?" Yao Ling asked while furrowing her eyebrows. She knew that she wouldn¡¯t search her out of the blue if nothing came up.

    "I have a piece of important news for you!"

    "What kind of news?" Yao Ling asked in wonder. She even thought for a second that Xiao Fang must have known about Ying Ying¡¯s matter.

    "Uncle Rong Qiu is the one who sent me here! He has something to talk about with you... he thinks that it won¡¯t be polite if hees here himself --- after all, he hasn¡¯t officially met with your father-inw!" Xiao Fang exined.

    Yao Ling gasped in surprise. Because they had so many matters to attend to, she forgot about this matter. She pped her own forehead and said guiltily, "Thank you for reminding me!"

    Xiao Fang grinned. "It¡¯s not a big deal because they had identally met each other on the street and ended up having a drink together a few days ago... They seem to hit it off..."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t know about this but at least, they were getting along well. She really needed to talk to Yao Ying about this matter too. She could make it happen in a few days...

    "So... what do you want to talk about?" Yao Ling steered Xiao Fang back to the real topic. It was no use to talk about the parents¡¯ meeting with Xiao Fang anyway.

    "Ah! I almost forget about it!" Xiao Fang pped both of her hands with augh. "It¡¯s kind of happy news even though we aren¡¯t sure about the credibility yet... At least, there¡¯s hope!"

    When Yao Ling heard this, she knew that Xiao Fang must have been talking about another thing --- not about that Ying Ying. She sighed in relief because she wanted to deal with this matter quietly before she told the others.

    "Come on! Quickly tell me! You make me feel really curious ah~?!" Yao Ling pushed Xiao Fang for an answer.

    "There¡¯s a clue about your mother¡¯s whereabouts! Auntie Su Wan!" Xiao Fang said excitedly.

    "My... My mother?" Yao Ling asked in surprise.

 Chapter 467 - Gu Niang!

    Yao Ling thought that it would take a bit longer for them to find out about her mother, after all, it had been such a long time so it would be hard to trace her whereabouts. After all, they had no clue whatsoever where to start and didn¡¯t know who hunted her back then.

    If they could find her trail easily like this, it would really be a miracle! But... where did they get such a piece of news? Was it really reliable? Yao Ling¡¯s heart was beating faster, feeling full of hope --- maybe luck was on their side.

    "Tell me! Where is she?! Is the news from a reliable source?" Yao Ling asked. "Who found her? What¡¯s going on?!" She couldn¡¯t stop asking the questions --- she really needed an answer right now! She had wanted to meet her birth mother for so long and besides, she didn¡¯t want to see her father live in yearning forever.

    Xiao Fang looked at her, feeling helpless. "This... I don¡¯t know..." She grinned at her and waved both of her hands in defeat.

    Yao Ling was dumbfounded. "What do you mean you don¡¯t know?" She really wanted to smack Xiao Fang¡¯s head. Why did she make a fuss when she knew nothing about it? It even made her feel curious and couldn¡¯t sit still.

    In this case, she needed to find out the truth herself.

    "I heard a little bit of it and just felt too excited, so I told Uncle Rong Qiu that I will tell you about it first before listening to the rest of the news with you..." Xiao Fang said childishly while grinning. She didn¡¯t feel guilty for making Yao Ling feel even more curious about it.

    Besides, Xiao Fang also had her own consideration... She wanted Yao Ling to be the first one who heard the news from Uncle Rong Qiu, after all, this matter was their family private matter. If Yao Ling wanted to let her know as well, she would be feeling grateful. If she wasn¡¯t, Xiao Fang would ept her decision as well... Maybe she would feel a little disappointed, but that was all.

    Yao Ling really didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. Xiao Fang was really mischievous ah~! However, she could see the concern underneath Xiao Fang¡¯s joking words and Yao Ling was grateful for that.

    "Sure, we go there right away! Let me tidy up myself first..." Yao Ling said with a smile.

    Because of the excitement, she forgot about her tiredness. It was lucky for her that her womb was quite strong because it made her able to face the turbulence in her life easier. She told Xiao Er to send someone out and let Yao Ying know where she was going so that Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t be worried if he couldn¡¯t find her when he went back hometer.

    She didn¡¯t n to tell him herself, just in case he prevented her from going out... He wouldn¡¯t stop her from searching for her mother but he would postpone her visit and go with her the next day. However, she couldn¡¯t hold herself back ah~!

    If she didn¡¯t get the detail, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep too! Yao Ling wanted to go to her father¡¯s residence as soon as possible and find out everything.

    Yao Ling went out while wearing her veil so that no one would be able to see her face clearly. She thought that her trip would go smoothly but her thoughts turned into disarray. There was a saying that the more you didn¡¯t want to see a person, the more you would meet that person. This saying applied to Yao Ling at this moment.

    On the halfway of their trip, she met Ying Ying once again. She furrowed her eyebrows in displeasure when she saw how delicate and pitiful Ying Ying looked like at this time. If she didn¡¯t know about her night adventure with that man, she would certainly be deceived as well.

    Yao Ling was apassionate person so, in ordinary times, she would pity and try to help Ying Ying. That was what some people did... She could see that most of them were men who felt attracted to Ying Ying --- she saw some of her people there. No wonder it was hard for Ying Ying to gather information, Ning Jie had really done a good job in helping Yao Ling.

    In her hand, there was a new scroll and she knew that it must be Yao Ying¡¯s painting once again. This woman really didn¡¯t know how to give up. Yao Ling felt irked when she knew that someone was admiring her husband secretly. No matter what, she would destroy each of the scrolls that Ying Ying had.

    Seeing Yao Ling stopped walking out of the blue, Xiao Fang asked, "Yao Ling, what¡¯s wrong?" She looked around and saw where Yao Ling¡¯s gazended. She saw a woman in coarse clothing which showed some people a scroll --- the painting of a man. The woman had a worried look on her face but had a gentle smile on her face. To Xiao Fang, she was just an ordinary woman that didn¡¯t really attract her attention.

    Why would Yao Ling feel interested in such a woman? She furrowed her eyebrows in contemtion.

    "Do you know that woman?" Xiao Fang asked curiously.

    Yao Ling¡¯s mouth slightly twitched. Knew that woman? She wished that she had never known her in the first ce, however, she didn¡¯t tell her thought to Xiao Fang --- that woman wasn¡¯t really worth it. If Yao Ying didn¡¯t have any n, she would certainly deal with her herself right away.

    If Yao Ling didn¡¯t wear any veil, Xiao Fang wouldn¡¯t miss the hatred in Yao Ling¡¯s expression.

    "No, I don¡¯t. Let¡¯s go!" Yao Ling turned her gaze away and decided to leave that ce right away.

    "Sure..." Xiao Fang turned around but her gaze fleeted to that woman once again. Her eyes narrowed for a second before she finally followed Yao Ling.

    They were going to continue their journey when someone stopped them through her yell, "Gu Niang!"

    Xiao Fang turned around and saw it was themoner that had caught Yao Ling¡¯s attention who called them impolitely without any manners. She gave a signal to her maidservant and thetter was the one who answered thatmoner, "Are you calling our Gu Niangs?"

    "Ye... Yes..." Ying Ying stuttered.

    "Why...?" The maidservant asked.

    "I... I need their help..." Ying Ying hesitantly said.

    The maidservant furrowed her eyebrows because this woman didn¡¯t call herself with ¡¯this one¡¯ in front of her masters. "Who are you? Why do you need our help?"

    Ying Ying quickly bowed politely. She seemed to feel that both women in front of her had extraordinary bearings so it would be better to gamble and ask for their bits of help--- rather than asking for that man¡¯s help anymore. She didn¡¯t want to let him enjoy her body once more! Even though she wasn¡¯t a saint, she had hated the man because thetter could control her.

    The faster she could get rid of him, the better!

    She really didn¡¯t know what she had gotten herself into this time...

 Chapter 468 - Yao Ling VS Ying Ying (1)

    Yao Ling turned around and looked at Ying Ying with a sneer, feeling the irony. Did she just say that she needed her help? What a funny kind of fate! She felt grateful that she wore a veil today, otherwise, she couldn¡¯t mask her disgust from her expression.

    Xiao Fang furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance. Asking for their help? They didn¡¯t even know her... Why should they help her? They didn¡¯t even know whether this woman¡¯s story was true or not... What did this woman actually want to do? She took a nce at Yao Ling but she couldn¡¯t really see her expression and she didn¡¯t dare to make a decision.

    Xiao Fang had a gut feeling that Yao Ling didn¡¯t like this woman...

    The people who were surrounding the woman also looked at the twodies who were wearing veils --- so they didn¡¯t know which Gu Niangs they were. It seemed like there would be an interesting scene for them to see so they continued to stay there and see what would happen next. After all, they were feeling baffled by this woman¡¯s bravery.

    Some of them thought that this young woman was rude for doing that out of the blue -- she didn¡¯t even politely call the Gu Niangs so why would they help her? They understood the hierarchy so they looked at Ying Ying in disdain.

    Some of them were feeling sympathetic to Ying Ying, thinking that maybe she was in desperate need of help to search for that man so she forgot about her manner for a second. The two Gu Niangs should be able to forgive the pitiful woman, right?

    Their opinions were varied.

    Yao Ling wasn¡¯t fooled by her performance because this woman just wanted to gain sympathy from everyone... Did she try to use public opinion to force her to help her? Yao Ling sneered at Ying Ying --- the more she met this woman, the more disgusted she was. Why did she think her performance was so amazing back then?

    Of course, Yao Ling was entitled to get angry.

    Was Ying Ying really joking? She wanted to use Yao Ling to search for Yao Ling¡¯s husband, huh? Yao Ling even wondered whether Ying Ying had found out something about her and Yao Ying or... this was all just a coincidence?

    Yao Ling squinted her eyes. She wanted to y, huh? Then, she would apany her to y!

    Ying Ying answered Xiao Fang¡¯s maidservant in a low voice, "This onees here from another kingdom... This... This one... wants to look for the man in this scroll..." She finally remembered to call herself with ¡¯this one¡¯. Ying Ying wanted to smack her forehead for forgetting such an important rule.

    She hesitantly took out the scroll, wanting to show it to the two Gu Niangs. Ying Ying didn¡¯t dare to look sorrowful when she pulled out the scroll.

    "Is he your father? That¡¯s why you are willing to go so far away here...?" Yao Ling asked in a low sweet voice. Her voice was fresh and alluring which made the people around her feel entranced. Yao Ling just injected a little bit of her power so she could get the public opinion on her side.

    There was a murmur in the crowd that saying how kind this gentle Gu Niang for answering the rude woman. They were wondering whether it was really the woman¡¯s father --- if yes, this woman must have been very filial.

    Ying Ying¡¯s face was slightly paler when she heard Yao Ling¡¯s question. She nned to say that the man in the picture was her sister¡¯s missing lover to attract people¡¯s attention but because Yao Ling mentioned the word ¡¯father¡¯, the impact of her sorrowful love story would be gone. After all, filial piety was far more important here.

    She looked at the woman in the veil with a slight hatred, why didn¡¯t she give her a way out? Why didn¡¯t she help her?! Was it because she was just a lowlymoner? Ying Ying thought to herself in annoyance.

    How could Yao Ling miss such a tant hatred? However, she didn¡¯t care. Yao Ling wanted to embarrass her and she gave a slight signal to Xiao Yu. She had followed her young mistress long enough to understand each of her signals. Xiao Yu slightly nodded, telling her young mistress that she knew what to do.

    "No... No... It¡¯s not... my father..." Ying Ying said weakly. The painting was obviously a young man¡¯s painting so she knew that she couldn¡¯t lie. They could only open the scroll to find out the truth and she wouldn¡¯t get the help that she desired from those Gu Niangs.

    Xiao Yu quickly said, "Ah... We thought you have the same story as our Gu Niang..." She looked pitifully at Ying Ying with a sigh. "If it¡¯s for searching your father... my young mistress would certainly help you..."

    "What... What do you mean?" Ying Ying asked in a low voice.

    Themoners felt more interested when they knew they were going to hear a noblewoman¡¯s life story --- this kind of thing was so rare ah~! They perked up their ears to hear the story.

    "Our young mistress thought that she was an orphan before she was being adopted until she found a clue about her past. In the end, she also went to another kingdom to find her father. Fortunately, our young mistress is very strong and patient, she finally found her father!" Xiao Yu exined and exaggerated the story a bit. They didn¡¯t need to tell the whole truth or tell any details with so many onlookers.

    Xiao Fang furrowed her eyebrows because judging from the way Xiao Yu talked, she seemed didn¡¯t like this Ying Ying as well. Did they know her from somewhere? She nned to ask Yao Ling about the detailster. She nned to just stay quiet at this moment and see what would happen next.

    The onlookers felt surprised that the nobledy didn¡¯t feel ashamed to open her secret in front of so many people but they admired her even more --- because she actually had nned to help the pitifulmoner if she was searching for her father.

    Thedy didn¡¯t make the wrong choice... The onlookers who thought that as a powerful nobledy, she should help the weak and pitiful woman, started to change their minds. It would be shameless to ask such a noble one to search a young man which they believed had a love story with this woman.

    They looked at Ying Ying in a different light!

    "Who is this person then?" Yao Ling asked with a hint of curiosity, then she added in an elegant voice, "Maybe... it¡¯s one of your elders...? If yes, I will be willing to help..."

    One of the onlookers who had seen the painting quickly said in disgust, "Gu Niang, it¡¯s just the painting of a young man. No need to bother with such a thing..."

    They started to think that it was shameless for Ying Ying to search for a man like this --- she had asked around about a man and didn¡¯t have a care about her own reputation. Not only that but she also made it difficult for such a kind and lovely nobledy.

 Chapter 469 - Yao Ling VS Ying Ying (2)

    Yao Ling asked the woman once again to get the real answer from her, "Is it really true, little girl?"

    Xiao Yu really wanted tough when Yao Ling called Ying Ying as a little girl --- she really wanted to show her dominance in a subtle way ah~! Sometimes, her young mistress was really ck-bellied.

    Ying Ying gritted her teeth in annoyance because she knew that the woman in front of might be younger or even the same age as her --- judging from her voice --- but she seemed to be mocking her. That veiled woman was indirectly belittling her in front of so many people but there was nothing she could do at this point because she was the one who needed their help.

    Ying Ying quickly answered, "Ye... Yes... But, there¡¯s also a story behind it!"

    "A love story?" Yao Ling asked softly.

    "Ye... Yes... I... I¡¯m doing this for my sister..." Ying Ying started her exnation and tried to look as sad as possible. She wanted to tell everything right away so the woman would pity her --- after all, no woman would be able to refuse a romantic love story, right?

    Most noblewomen were like that... They loved hearing juicy gossips and because their marriage was usually being arranged by their parents, they loved to listen to love stories from a performance trope and be touched by them --- she knew it better than anyone else.

    Yao Ling merelyughed coldly inwardly. Her pitiful look wouldn¡¯t affect her whatsoever, besides, her marriage was quite happy so she didn¡¯t really feel interested in others¡¯ love stories! Ying Ying had really chosen the wrong target this time. Out of all noblewomen that passed by, she chose her.

    She didn¡¯t n to deal with her but she was the one who came to deliver herself out of the blue. This way, Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t be able to me her, right?

    "What happened to your sister?" Yao Ling asked curiously. With so many people around, would she dare to lie?

    "She fell in love with a man but the man had gone missing..." Ying Ying said weakly while wiping her teary eyes.

    "Where is your sister now? Why are you the one who is here and not her?" Yao Ling asked --- this was the thing that she was feeling curious about.

    Ying Ying looked around in embarrassment and said, "There... there are too many people here and the story is quite personal." She wanted them to talk in private so that she could convince them better.

    "Why? Is there something that you need to cover up? With so many people here, they could help my young mistress judge whether she should help you or not, right?" Xiao Yu was the one who said this. Even though she wore a gentle smile on her face, her words were quite vicious.

    Ying Ying looked at the arrogant maidservant and really wanted to p her!

    The surrounding people murmured their agreement --- maybe this woman was trying to cover up something. Otherwise, why would she want to keep it under wraps?

    "Just say it already!"

    "We want to hear it too!"

    "The maidservant Jie Jie said is correct! We will be the judge!"

    "True ah~!"

    "You have been standing here pitifully all morning so people already know about your problem. Just let everyone hear everything!" A woman said loudly. She was feeling irked by Ying Ying because her husband kept peeking at thetter due to her charm. It made her feel jealous and hate Ying Ying! If she wanted to gain pity, she should just gain it from someone else! Why did she need to seduce her husband as well?!

    Ying Ying¡¯s face turned paler when she heard people¡¯s words. It seemed like she chose the wrong noblewomen. If she had just waited for a few moments, there was another noblewoman that passed by --- that woman looked pitifully at her and it would be easy to manipte that woman.

    However, it was already toote for her to do anything else. She could only move forward.

    She quickly tried to kneel down and kowtowed to Yao Ling --- she wanted to bang her head to the floor so she was able to envoke the sympathy of others once again. She knew that people merely wanted a drama...

    Too bad, Xiao Fang¡¯s maidservant was faster than her. The maidservant that Xiao Fang had brought at the moment was proficient in martial arts and with a single nce from Xiao Fang, she already knew what to do. Thus, she quickly took hold of Ying Ying¡¯s hand and prevented her from kneeling down.

    Xiao Fang might be innocent in most things but she knew the inner backyard fight --- especially after spending a lot of time in the pce. How could she not see Ying Ying¡¯s trick?

    Xiao Fang¡¯s maidservant said, "Please... we are just talking casually... why should you kneel down in front of our masters?"

    She didn¡¯t imply anything but the surrounding people weren¡¯t that stupid --- even the noblewoman that passed by and saw themotion with interest, sneered at Ying Ying. She felt grateful that this woman didn¡¯t choose her as a target...

    Ying Ying felt helpless for the first time --- no matter what she did, they knew how to counterattack her before she was sessful. In the end, she was the one who was fully embarrassed.

    "Come... tell me..." Yao Ling said with a gentle voice.

    "My... my sister has been imprisoned..." Ying Ying said weakly. If powerful people tried to search for her background, sooner orter, they would know. In the end, she decided to mix the half-truth with a half-lie.

    "Hmm... Why?" Yao Ling felt interested because she finally found something more useful.

    "Is it because of that man? That¡¯s why you are searching for him...?" Xiao Fang impatiently asked. Why didn¡¯t she just tell the story in one go? Did she want to collect more onlookers? Didn¡¯t this woman feel that it was already embarrassing enough?!

    "No... but this man might be able to help her... He has the power to do so... He has gone missing all of a sudden and we don¡¯t know why..." Ying Ying said weakly.

    "Why is she imprisoned?" One of the onlookers asked. Being imprisoned meant that she wasn¡¯t a good person. Why did she make a fuss for such a woman?

    Ying Ying red at the person who asked in hatred. "She¡¯s being framed! I know that she¡¯s not like that!"

    "What kind of crime that she has been charged with?"

    "It¡¯s not her fault, actually. But..." Ying Ying looked a bit hesitant. This matter was quite a headache for her because she didn¡¯t want her status to be known here. She looked at Yao Ling with clear eyes, "Can you protect me if you know the truth?"

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows, knowing that thing wasn¡¯t as simple as she thought it to be.

    Xiao Fang quickly said to Yao Ling, "You can¡¯t promise something without knowing everything first!" She was feeling worried that Yao Ling would be used by this woman. If she made a promise in front of so many people, she wouldn¡¯t be able to retract the words back and people would me Yao Ling if something went wrong!

 Chapter 470 - Yao Ling VS Ying Ying (3)

    Yao Ling wasn¡¯t stupid so she naturally understood what Xiao Fang meant. She also didn¡¯t want to be entangled with this woman but she didn¡¯t have a choice. However, she was still feeling thankful for Xiao Fang¡¯s care.

    "Is she your real sister?" Yao Ling asked, trying to ask about the sister¡¯s identity. This was a better method than interrogating this woman with force --- saving her from the messy trouble.

    "Yes, she¡¯s my real sister..." Ying Ying said in a low voice --- she told them the truth so far. If she wanted them to help, they needed to know her sister¡¯s condition first. If it wasn¡¯t because of this man¡¯s sudden disappearance, they wouldn¡¯t be in this predicament --- in a way, she wanted to get revenge as well!

    "Tell me her crime first and I will think about whether I could help you or not..." Yao Ling said. "I don¡¯t know you and your background so it¡¯s justified for me to be a bit more careful, right?"

    "This..." Ying Ying became slightly hesitant. Her words were reasonable and Ying Ying couldn¡¯t refute that.

    The noblewoman that came after Yao Ling talked at this moment, "If your sister is being wronged, why are you so afraid to tell us loud and clear the reason why? Or... the crime is quite heavy, to begin with?" She didn¡¯t like her fellow noblewoman being pushed around like this by thatmoner despite feeling lucky that she wasn¡¯t the one who was being hounded by thismoner.

    What did this lowly woman take them for? People who were easily being fooled?! She didn¡¯t realize that she felt like this due to Yao Ling¡¯s cleverness --- if it was her, she would have been duped from the beginning.

    Ying Ying bit her lower lip and nodded her head. "But... she was being framed! I swear!" She couldn¡¯t do something drastic by kowtowing so she could only lower her help in sadness, however, if she told them the crime right away, they wouldn¡¯t help her for sure.

    The onlookers started to explode with murmur once again because they could more or less guess what kind of crime it was.

    "So, it¡¯s really a heavy crime!"

    "Maybe this girl is not a good woman as well!"

    "She tried to make thedy protect her even though she knows that she would bring trouble to thedy... It shows how selfish she was!"

    "Why should people help her out of nowhere? They are strangers ah~!"

    "Yes ah~! This woman is really cunning..."

    The woman who was jealous just now said to her husband, "See?! If you bring her home and try to help her, we will be in big trouble!" The man could only stay quiet on the side, feeling lucky that he didn¡¯t try to help her just now.

    Humans were selfish just like that --- they only thought for their best interests.

    Ying Ying knew her image had been ruined at this moment --- at least, she wasn¡¯t actually a person of this kingdom so the woman didn¡¯t really feel ashamed. Once she left this ce, she wouldn¡¯t meet these people anymore... Her goal was only to find that man and bring him home!

    "I¡¯m not... I¡¯m really not..." Ying Ying shook her head weakly and cried softly. "I¡¯m forced to do this as well... Please believe me... I¡¯m really cornered... Please... Help me..."

    Yao Ling pretended to be kind and asked, "Then, tell me... What kind of crime that your sister have been charged with? Everything depends on that matter."

    "Tre... Treason..." Ying Ying said in a low voice in between her sobs --- only a few people closest to her were able to hear her words.

    Even though only a few people heard, the news spread like a wildfire. The onlookers talked to each other in surprise. They had the same thoughts... Why did this woman want to involve unrted people to that crime? Even though they were from another kingdom, they knew how severe that crime was.

    Treason?! Even Yao Ling was taken aback because she didn¡¯t expect the news would be like this. Did it mean Yao Ying had something to do with it? Was it because of that he was being hunted and ended up in their vige back then? She started to get really worried!

    Who the heck Yao Ying was?!

    This was a piece of dangerous news to them. It seemed like Yao Ling needed to keep this thing under wraps because if someone got a hint that the person inside the picture was Yao Ying, it would bring them a lot of troubles.

    Xiao Fang heard that her face changed --- she couldn¡¯t let Yao Ling to be involved in this matter. Thus, without waiting for Yao Ling¡¯s answer, she quickly pulled Yao Ling away. "No need to help her! It¡¯s too dangerous!" She said loudly.

    The onlookers agreed with Xiao Fang¡¯s words --- who would want to involve themselves with a treason case? Even though she was from another kingdom, the Qin emperor could ask for the Shu Emperor to punish them or take them away with the same guilty charge for helping this woman.

    Ying Ying bit her lower lip in a grievance. ¡¯Damn! She has chosen the wrong target. If this fails, she can¡¯t use the same trick once again!¡¯ She cursed inwardly. She could only let the two noblewomen go, on the other hand, people started to disperse one by one because they didn¡¯t want to be involved.

    She was being left alone in the middle of the street... Her back looked so lonely but people didn¡¯t feel anything when they looked at the woman --- they treated her like a jinx after what they had heard.

    However, before she could get angry and vent her failure in private, she identally saw Yao Ling¡¯s hand gesture. It seemed like... she wanted her to wait...? Her mind started to be filled with hope! Maybe that noblewoman wanted to help her?!

    Was it her imagination...? However, she was still feeling hopeful ah~!

    But how?

    How would she contact her? Ying Ying really felt at a loss. Her mind started to wander... Why did the woman want to help her all of a sudden? She started to suspect her kindness but she had no other choice. It was hard to find a person without a connection in another kingdom.

    Thest time she met that man, it was only by ident ah~!

    Not too long after that, a woman came to her --- it was actually Ning Jie who had been informed by Xiao Yu about what happened and what Yao Ling wanted her to do.

    "Are you Ying Ying?" Ning Jie asked softly.

    Ying Ying nodded her head. "Yes... Who are you?"

    "Do you remember the noblewoman just now?"

    "Yes!" Ying Ying¡¯s eyes started to lit up. It seemed like, she didn¡¯t see the wrong signal. She had really sent someone for her!

    "Come with me!" Ning Jie said with a smile.

    "Where?" Ying Ying asked doubtfully.

    "Don¡¯t you need help? If yes, you need to meet our master again... You need to tell everything honestly because once we find a lie, we won¡¯t help you!" Ning Jie said sternly. She needed to show their stance, otherwise, this woman would certainly take advantage of them!

 Chapter 471 - Nice or Stupid?!

    Ying Ying agreed and they quickly went to a big teahouse where Yao Ling had been waiting for them. She had chosen a private room so that no one would be able to see their meeting here and they could talk more freely this way. Ning Jie had specifically changed Ying Ying¡¯s clothes before they came here so no one would recognize her.

    She didn¡¯t want Yao Ling¡¯s reputation to be ruined just because they thought she was helping Ying Ying for real! Ning Jie also sent a person to notify Yao Ying what had happened on the street just now. The person that she sent was the one who had gotten the job to spy on Ying Ying so he would tell everything clearly to Yao Ying.

    Ning Jie wanted to let him know that he might be a traitor or something like that in his past life! He needed to prepare himself --- of course, they didn¡¯t know whether that im was really true or not. However, it was the only clue that they had for now. They needed to treat it seriously.

    Ning Jie felt a bit dissatisfied with Yao Ying¡¯s past if that was really true, but she could see how loving the couple was and there was no indication that Yao Ying was such a bad man. Thus, she could only decide that she would support Yao Ling with whatever choice that she would make in the future.

    On the contrary to Ning Jie¡¯s thought, Yao Ling didn¡¯t really believe in this woman...

    Yao Ling felt something not adding up, after all, they met an important person back at the Crescent Lake --- that Bai Bing Wen. She believed that he must have known her presence and Yao Ying as well even though they had never met each other there... If Yao Ying was really a traitor or maybe an important figure in that big matter, Bai Bing Wen should have recognized him back then, right?

    There was no reason for him to let them be...

    Everything wasn¡¯t certain for now --- that was the reason why she needed more details from Ying Ying. However, she knew that the sly woman wouldn¡¯t easily spill out everything, there must be some lies hidden within her words which made her need to be cautious as well.

    She wondered whether she should use her power or not. She had a better grasp on her own power now, however, she was afraid that someone would notice it. In the end, it would bring danger to her and her baby. She had been angry and be impulsive just now, so she had used a bit of her power in the middle of the crowd. Fortunately, nothing seemed to be amiss.

    Oh well... She would just go with the flow then...

    Once she saw Ying Ying in better clothes, Yao Ling was quite surprised. Her temperament looked far more different than before. Of course, she didn¡¯t change prettier just because of it, but there was an elegance that themoner shouldn¡¯t have in her movement.

    Who was she? Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows in displease. She didn¡¯t believe that this woman¡¯s motive was as simple as bringing Yao Ying back to the Qin Kingdom. Yao Ling was certain that she wasn¡¯t an ordinary woman --- maybe a low-rank official¡¯s daughter because her movement wasn¡¯t as graceful as Xiao Fang who had been receiving a Mo Mo¡¯s teaching from a young age.

    Yao Ling asked her in concern, "Are you okay? Just now, I can¡¯t openly help you... Your sister¡¯s crime is too heavy and it could affect my family as well... However, I still need to hear the story before deciding whether I should help you or not."

    Ying Ying curtsied gracefully. "I know, Gu Niang... Thank you for giving me a chance by letting me meet you once again..."

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t open her veil so Ying Ying still couldn¡¯t see her face. She just waved her hand, telling her not to mention it. The former asked, "So... can you tell me the whole story in detail now?"

    Ying Ying slightly hesitated, thinking whether she should tell her the truth or half of it. However, Yao Ling¡¯s next words changed her mind. "One lie and I will drop this. There¡¯s no use to help a liar..." She said leisurely while leaning back to her chair in one swift movement, slightly threatening her.

    Yao Ling wanted to show her superiority --- without her, Ying Ying was nothing...

    Ying Ying gritted her teeth, knowing that she couldn¡¯t y Yao Ling --- thetter seemed to be able to see through her mind! This young woman wasn¡¯t an easy person to control!

    She finally began to tell her story slowly. Right at this time, Yao Ling heard a small movement from behind her --- the mannded without making any sound behind the wooden screen on the corner of the room with his qing gong. His move was subtle but Yao Ling had always been sensitive to his movement and smell ever since they had gotten married.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to make his presence known and stayed behind the screen quietly. When he heard Yao Ling¡¯s person¡¯s report, he was surprised and in disbelief! A traitor? That was a bad news for him! Thus, he wanted to know everything in detail as well so he quickly used his qing gong and came here sneakily.

    Yao Ling sighed in relief when Yao Ying didn¡¯t do anything impulsive --- it would be better if she was the one who handled this matter.

    Ying Ying started her story in a low voice, "My sister¡¯s family was quite powerful back then in our Kingdom --- a second grade official in the Qin Kingdom and soon, they should be able to be a part of the first rank official soon..."

    Yao Ling asked, "So, she isn¡¯t your real sister?"

    Ying Ying shook her head. "No... I¡¯m just an adopted daughter from the second branch. When they were being caught, our father told me that the second branch had cut off their rtionship with them so I could go away and wouldn¡¯t be implicated in this matter." Once she had said this, Ying Ying couldn¡¯t help but cry softly.

    Her adopted father might have made it sound so beautiful but she knew that the second branch was just selfish --- they could easily sway by the wind and when they knew the first branch in big trouble, they washed their hands as soon as possible by separating with the first branch as soon as they heard the news. To her, they were so disgusting!

    She knew them best because they were her real father and mother --- her sister was the one who saved her when the former saw she was being bullied by the second branch because she was only the daughter of a street dancer. Thus, she felt that she was actually unrted to those selfish people.

    Yao Ling could understand a bit of what happened from her expression, it seemed like this woman wasn¡¯t as bad as how she thought her to be. She was so selfless that she wanted to help her adopted family despite selling her own body. Should she call her nice... or stupid?!

 Chapter 472 - I Will Try To Help You

    "Then, why didn¡¯t you go back to the second branch? Why did you choose to be a street performer?" Yao Ling asked out of curiosity. No matter how she looked at it, this was a bad choice.

    At least, it would be better than her current situation... wandering all around the world with a performer trope while selling her body just like that. No matter what, she was still the daughter of an official and she had a choice to get herself out of the treason crime.

    She could just start a new life and live a simple life as amoner. Why was she so hard on herself?!

    "I... I heard from my adopted father¡¯s personal servant that they could be saved if I could find the man in the painting..." She said softly while her gaze was wandering away, seemingly remembered something from the past. That servant¡¯s words...

    She didn¡¯t doubt it because he was the one that her adopted father had really trusted.

    Ying Ying continued, "I want to repay their kindness and thus, find a way to go out of the kingdom by myself. The man had been missing in the border between Qin and Shu Kingdom, so I just tried my luck --- maybe that man is here... Who knows that my guess is actually true? However, I¡¯m not sure whether I have found the right man or not... After all, I have never met the man before but I saw his painting once."

    She only had a glimpse of Yao Ying and their distance was quite far. If she concentrated enough, she might be able to see him clearly --- however, she was performing at that time and needed to keep her bnce all the time. If she lost concentration, there was a chance that she would fall to her death.

    Ying Ying started to open up bit by bit to Yao Ling... She felt that she had nothing to lose at the moment because she felt that the woman in front of her was herst hope. Besides, she feltfortable around Yao Ling without even knowing why.

    "Did you see the painting because of that servant once again?" Yao Ling asked.

    Ying Ying nodded.

    Yao Ling tilted her head to the side, "Have you ever doubted that servant¡¯s words?"

    Ying Ying¡¯s face started to change and asked, "What do you mean, Young Miss?"

    Yao Ling sneered inwardly because after listening to Ying Ying¡¯s story, she didn¡¯t think that her adopted father was that kind, to begin with. How could such a piece of news reach her ears if there was no conspiracy behind it? By ident or the servant¡¯s loyalty? She doubted it. Maybe this woman was their only hope so they set them free... so they used her. However, this was only one of the possibilities.

    How could a woman know exactly where to find Yao Ying if no one had guided her? There was no such coincidence in this world. Yao Ying felt a headache when she thought this way, after all, she would certainly change her mind and pity this woman.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t answer Ying Ying¡¯s question, but her words made Ying Ying falter because she never doubted that man for once.

    "Then, why do you think that this man can save your sister?" Yao Ling asked in confusion. "I don¡¯t think it¡¯s easy to scratch off such a heavy crime, right? How much time left that you have?" A traitor¡¯s punishment could only be one --- death. The Emperor rarely gave a chance for them to live or maybe... exile them.

    Such a short time... how could a little woman be able to find a man in such a big world?

    True enough, Ying Ying answered, "Less than one month... The investigation is still ongoing... However, there¡¯s a chance that it could be faster than that..."

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows when she heard that the investigation was still going on.

    Ying Ying sighed because she knew that this was a difficult task to do because of the limited time that she had. She also didn¡¯t really understand what her father¡¯s personal servant truly meant. He talked everything in a vague and roundabout way at that time... However, Ying Ying was too anxious to think clearly.

    "Honestly, about that man¡¯s involvement... I¡¯m not even sure myself... After all, I heard everything only from that servant... and they were only bits and pieces. But he had said that this man was the vital point of everything..." Ying Ying said hesitantly.

    Yao Ling frowned. "Just tell me everything that you know!" Shemanded, giving her a slight push with her power.

    When Yao Ying felt the fluctuating air, he knew that Yao Ling had used her power once again. He wanted to scold her but needed to hold himself back. Didn¡¯t she know how dangerous it was?! Have she ever thought what if Ying Ying was one of those people who wanted her for themselves?! She was too reckless!

    Ying Ying furrowed her eyebrows when she felt that she wanted to vomit the truth. "Can I ask you one question first?" She asked hesitantly while trying to hold back the urge to talk.

    "Sure," Yao Ling answered with a sigh. This woman¡¯s mind was quite strong... because she could resist her slight push.

    "Why are you so curious about this matter?" Ying Ying asked.

    Yao Ling was taken aback, forgetting that she was too hasty just now. She needed to make up a reason as soon as possible.

    "At first, I¡¯m not really interested in you. However, I seemed to feel that this matter won¡¯t be that simple. It shouldn¡¯t involve your sister only... Treason usually is a man¡¯s doing --- how could your sister be the only one who did it? You said that you are looking for her lover, so the only man who could do the treason must be your father and maybe... thetter was in cahoot with your sister¡¯s lover or so... It¡¯s just my guess though..." Yao Ling exined confidently, even though she only talked some nonsense reasons.

    "That¡¯s why I want to listen to your story --- because I¡¯m curious too..."

    This reason was more reasonable to Ying Ying¡¯s ears. The nobledy must have been too idle so she started to feel curious...

    Ying Ying gaped at Yao Ling¡¯s cleverness at guessing, then, she asked another question, "So... the story about you finding your father is actually true?!"

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "Yes... Why should I lie to you? I found him a few months ago... if you want to help your father too, I will certainly help you... After all, I have been through that as well..."

    Ying Ying felt everything was so surreal --- she was in disbelief at how lucky she was! She quickly kneeled down and kowtowed to Yao Ling. "Please help me, Young Miss! I will dedicate myself to you if you can find the man."

    Ying Ying knew that she shouldn¡¯t be greedy by asking the woman another favor --- for example, ask the woman for help to save her father. Finding the man was already a good bargain for Ying Ying.

    "I will try to help you!" Yao Ling said with a gentle smile. "However, I can¡¯t guarantee that it will be sessful..."

 Chapter 473 - The Flaw Of Her Story (1)

    Ying Ying nodded her head in agreement. As long as they had put a lot of effort to find the man, she didn¡¯t mind whether it would be sessful or not. At least, she had tried so she didn¡¯t betray her adopted family. Besides, she didn¡¯t have an easy life after leaving them.

    It was also quite fortunate that she met the performance trope in which her mother used to perform with --- so she could easily be a part of them after they knew that she was in trouble. Otherwise, no one would dare to smuggle her out of their kingdom even though she had severed ties with the first branch.

    "Where do we start with this matter?" Ying Ying asked helplessly because she didn¡¯t know how Yao Ling wanted to arrange this matter. She just hoped she wouldn¡¯t change her mindter and abandon her.

    "Why don¡¯t we start from the beginning?" Yao Ling gave a suggestion with a serious frown on her face.

    Ying Ying nodded her head in agreement. "Sure..." She answered doubtfully. "How?"

    "Just try to remember! What did your father¡¯s personal servant say in detail? You have to convince the man that you are searching for to help you so you should have known what kind of things the man has that could set your family free... right?" Yao Ling tried to fish some more information from the woman --- maybe she had forgotten something.

    If she came to search the man without trying to find the truth first, then she was really a fool!

    Ying Ying tried to remember every little detail. Even if the servant¡¯s words were quite confusing and vague, Ying Ying was still able to get the gist of it.

    "The man seemed to have a rtionship with my sister, however, he has already been missing when I joined the family so I don¡¯t know what kind of rtionship they had as well. Only the servant said that they used to be lovers --- however, my sister has never told me that before..." Ying Ying exined.

    She was quite close to her sister and kept wondering why she had never mentioned this man before. Was it a taboo matter? Or something like that? She wondered why she had never thought this far before...?

    This was also the reason that she felt something was a bit fishy and confusing after Yao Ling told her about doubting the servant¡¯s purpose for telling her. In her mind, this man was the only thing that could give her hope to save them, so without a second thought, she searched for the man by herself --- even to the point of selling her own body.

    Then Ying Ying suddenly remembered something and told Yao Ling about it, "However, something was a bit weird from the servant¡¯s words. I shouldn¡¯t tell the man anything about my father if I found him... Just tell him toe over directly, otherwise, the man would run away..."

    When Yao Ling heard the word ¡¯lovers¡¯, she almost went crazy! If she didn¡¯t hear thest part, she would certainly use all of her power to make the woman talk! Lovers?! She really wanted to see what kind of person this woman¡¯s sister was.

    Yao Ying who could feel her fluctuating emotions didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He knew that he was in deep trouble after this... He didn¡¯t know how to appease herter ah~! When he heard the word ¡¯lovers¡¯, he could only cringe in disgust. In his eyes, Yao Ling was the only one who worth his love.

    "Anything else about that man? Why does that servant think that he wouldn¡¯te to help? Judging from his words, it seems like they aren¡¯t that close... Are you sure that they were lovers?" Yao Ling asked in an aloof tone, showing how angry she was. However, she was still able to think clearly and not to let her anger get the best of her.

    Ying Ying didn¡¯t know her personality so she didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with her. She shook her head in defeat. "I don¡¯t understand too... he hinted everything in a subtle way. If I asked for more detail, he would say that he knew nothing more... I had no choice but to believe in him..."

    "That man seemed to be a powerful figure and my father is a part of his camp or something like that... That man has been branded as a traitor as well... However, the servant kept saying that they were being framed. If that man appeared, they could clean up their names! However, he only heard that bits and pieces from my adopted father, so... I¡¯m not really sure too." Ying Ying exined.

    Yao Ling squinted her eyes. "So, your father has never told you in person that you should save them, right? Everything that you had heard so far --- only from this servant, right?"

    Ying Ying nodded her head in confusion when she heard the faint mocking in Yao Ling¡¯s tone. Why did she have such a reaction ah~?!

    Yao Ling shook her head because this woman was as oblivious as Xiao Fang. The only difference was Xiao Fang still had the protection of her father so she didn¡¯t have to go through such a hard life like Ying Ying.

    "So... the key is in this man, right? However, you also don¡¯t know how he could prove that... Is that right?" That was the deduction that Yao Ling had gathered so far.

    Ying Ying nodded her head. "Yes..."

    "If your adopted father trusted you so much... Why didn¡¯t he tell you himself... about all of this matter?" Yao Ling asked.

    "Maybe... he doesn¡¯t want me to be incriminated as well..." Ying Ying said in a low voice.

    "One more thing, are you really sure that your adopted father and sister... love you?" Yao Ling asked.

    Ying Ying¡¯s face changed when she heard this. She started to get angry and asked in a loud voice, "What do you mean?! Of course! They really treated me kindly!"

    Yao Ling tilted her head to the side. "I¡¯m merely asking, why are you so agitated because of that one question? If they are good, then they are good. I just want to know the condition in your family before making any judgment. No need to get so defensive..."

    She continued in a low enchanting voice, "You didn¡¯t get good treatment from your real family, right? Once they helped you back then, you would feel grateful to them and use you because they knew that you would do anything for a little bit of love. Have you ever thought of that?"

    Ying Ying gritted her teeth. "I might be yearning for love but I¡¯m not stupid! They won¡¯t be able to use me easily if I have seen a w in their kindness to me!" She answered in hatred.

    Ying Ying didn¡¯t like how Yao Ling made her look like she was a fool and her description really humiliated her rtionship with her adopted family. How could she not fell angry?! She quickly stood up and said, "I bet you don¡¯t really want to help me! If that¡¯s the case, I will go right now!"

    She didn¡¯t need Yao Ling¡¯s help if she continued to humiliate her!

 Chapter 474 - The Flaw Of Her Story (2)

    "If that¡¯s how you think of me, just go then!" Yao Ling didn¡¯t try to stop her and it made Ying Ying¡¯s steps falter. She really didn¡¯t understand the woman in the veil¡¯s personality --- honestly, she was a bit weird.

    "There¡¯s no need to help an ungrateful person," Yao Ling added oil to the fire.

    Yao Ling knew if she wanted to spark Ying Ying¡¯s interest, she needed to be more arrogant than her. Otherwise, Ying Ying would only treat her as air and didn¡¯t believe in what she was going to say next.

    "I¡¯m not an ungrateful person! I want to leave because you have attacked my bottom line!" Ying Ying said angrily and pointed at Yao Ling in anger.

    Xiao Fang really wanted to give a lesson to Ying Ying because of her impolite behavior, however, Yao Ling held her back by tugging her sleeve. Even though she felt unreconciled, she could only stay quiet on the side.

    "So, what? You are so arrogant that you only hear what you want to hear and couldn¡¯t take any criticism. It seems like you still don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m trying to say, right?" Yao Ling was toozy to look at Ying Ying so she turned her gaze to the window while sighing. She felt that this Ying Ying was really stupid, maybe she should just let others handle this woman if she decided to step outside of this room.

    Yao Ling knew that she had started to be cruel by walking this path, but so what? She did everything so that she could protect her own family --- as long as she didn¡¯t hurt her beloved ones.

    Ying Ying brought her back to reality with her question, "What do you mean?" Ying Ying felt that Yao Ling wanted to say something but she didn¡¯t really understand.

    "Have you ever felt that there¡¯s a w in your story?" Yao Ling asked with a sneer. It wasn¡¯t even a small w... but a big one ah~!

    "w?" Ying Ying was taken aback. If she had lied to Yao Ling before, she would be sweating by now. However, she didn¡¯t lie to her! It aggravated her even more. If she didn¡¯t realize that Yao Ling was the only one who could help her now, she would alreadysh back at her.

    Yao Ling sighed. This woman seemed to have a temper when she was a young miss. Even though Yao Ling felt that this woman didn¡¯t seem so bad now, she didn¡¯t think she would be able to get along well with this woman.

    "Yes... w..."

    "What w?" Ying Ying asked in disbelief once again. She didn¡¯t think that she had done anything wrong and her expression turned fiercer.

    Yao Ying who didn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s face really wanted to throttle her at her stubbornness. How could Yao Ling stand her ah~?! Her tone wasn¡¯t like someone who begged for help!!

    "If you feel that your adopted family really loves you, don¡¯t you feel that the servant behaved a bit weird?" Yao Ling asked her back.

    "That¡¯s because he wanted me to save them!" Ying Ying said. "What¡¯s wrong with that?" The woman insisted without trying to process Yao Ling¡¯s words.

    Yao Ling felt like it was time to stop helping a woman who didn¡¯t want to open her eyes. However, before she could say that, Ning Jie stood up and went over to that woman. The thing that made Ning Jie angry was the fact that Ying Ying was looking down at Yao Ling through her expression even though she was the one who needed help and already in the bottom pit.

    If they didn¡¯t need to gain information from her, they didn¡¯t even want to talk to this kind of woman.

    Ying Ying could see the fierceness in Ning Jie¡¯s face and she took a step back due to fear. "What... What are you doing? What do you want to do?!" Ying Ying asked in surprise. When they came in just now, Ning Jie didn¡¯t hesitate to sit beside Yao Ling so she knew that she wasn¡¯t an ordinary woman as well.

    "Teaching you a lesson!" Ning Jie said fiercely and pretended not to see Ying Ying¡¯s fear. She already had enough of this woman. Yao Ling could take it but she couldn¡¯t!

    *Pa*

    Without a second thought, Ning Jie pped Ying Ying. She said loudly, "Would you calm down a little bit? We don¡¯t even know your family and there¡¯s no advantage for us if we badmouth them... We don¡¯t even know who they are! Our miss only wanted to inquire about your background out of her kindness and look at how you treat her! She didn¡¯t n to judge you but she wanted to tell you that there seemed to be something fishy with your story. If you don¡¯t n to wake up, you can just go now and never look for us again!"

    Her chest was puffing up and down due to the anger that she felt. Ying Ying felt stunned when she heard what Ning Jie had said. It was true! Even though she had be amoner, she had never felt that she was one. After all, if she was able to find the man and prove that her adopted father was innocent, she would be a young miss once again. That was the reason she had never lost her arrogance...

    It made the people in the performance trope didn¡¯t like her and could only find a thug to help her find a clue about the man... The p really woke her up before it was toote.

    "I... I¡¯m sorry..." Ying Ying stuttered.

    Ning Jie nodded in satisfaction when she saw Ying Ying¡¯s expression. Without saying anything else, she went back to Yao Ling¡¯s side and sat down. She pretended that she didn¡¯t see Xiao Fang and Yao Ling¡¯s astonished expression.

    Yao Ling had never seen her re up but it warmed her heart --- it seemed like she didn¡¯t choose the wrong person.

    Ying Ying knew that she was in the wrong and tried to amend the situation. "I¡¯m sorry... I won¡¯t repeat it again. I... I will tell you everything..." Ying Ying said while trying to tell them in detail about the events that led to their downfall.

    Her adopted father had told her before he was being taken away that she should go and live freely from now on. He seemed to have a preparation beforehand because he left her a bag that was full of gold and told her to run away and never look back. He had never told her anything about this man and never asked for help.

    He seemed to resign to his fate. It wasn¡¯t like he was feeling betrayed or something like that.

    While telling them the story, she started to realize her w.

    She quickly kowtowed to Yao Ling and said, "I¡¯m sorry for doubting you, Miss..."

    Yao Ling said in a low voice, "That servant seems not as loyal as he looked like. He must be telling you things under someone else¡¯s order because they knew that they could use your feelings... Their goal must be this man..."

 Chapter 475 - How... How Come?!

    "There¡¯s a possibility that your adopted father might want to protect this man..." Yao Ling said softly while her gazended at the screen where Yao Ying was. Somehow, that was the feeling that she had gotten so she felt that she should let Yao Ying know.

    Yao Ying knew that the words were being directed at him... and he really didn¡¯t know what to feel. Even if that man was trying to protect him, he didn¡¯t feel anything because he remembered nothing. Somehow, he felt a bit guilty if that was really the case. Didn¡¯t it make him an ungrateful person?

    Yao Ling knew that she should let this all out in the open so the matter wouldn¡¯t be tooplicated. Besides, she already had a bit confirmation on this matter.

    Ying Ying¡¯s face turned pale when she heard this. If that was really true, didn¡¯t she almost make a big mistake?! She even nned to use the thug to just abduct the man right away... Didn¡¯t it mean she had betrayed her own adopted family...? If that really happened, she would certainly kill herself in guilt!

    "How do you know?" Ying Ying asked in surprise with trembling lips. She didn¡¯t really want to believe in Yao Ling¡¯s words because it meant she admitted her stupidity.

    Yao Ling pped her hands and felt that she should tell a bit of the truth as well so that the woman would help them in the future --- because she knew that they would need her help when they were going to the Qin Kingdom.

    Feng came in when he heard the pping sound because it was his clue toe in. Yao Ying already gave Yao Ling a full reign to his people as well so when he saw Feng there, he was merely feeling curious. It seemed like he had sessfully found the man and he was interested to hear what they had found out.

    Feng came in with a cold face and threw a man into the room in disgust. The man could only groan in pain due to the heavy injury on his body. "Young Mistress..." He greeted Yao Ling politely.

    Yao Ling nodded her head in return.

    "Who is that?" Ying Ying asked in surprise. The man¡¯s condition was so bad and there was blood all over his body. She shuddered when she saw his condition because she knew that he had been tortured before this.

    "Look closely again! You know him..." Yao Ling said softly.

    When Ying Ying looked at the man carefully, she was surprised because it was the man who had been with herst night. It was hard to recognize his face because it was so swollen but she still remembered his clothes. They were still the same asst night.

    "How... Howe?!" She gasped in surprise.

    Ying Ying realized that something was wrong so she quickly turned her gaze back to Yao Ling, "Who are you, people?! How do you know everything?!" She started to be paranoid and suspicious of Yao Ling¡¯s intention.

    If she knew this much, it wasn¡¯t a coincidence anymore!

    "You should listen to his confession first before you point your hand at us... I do this because I want to protect someone dear to me too and I will tell you once you finish listening to his words first," Yao Ling exined briefly. Telling her that the man that she was looking for was her husband at the moment would only lead to a misunderstanding.

    Although she was feeling suspicious, Ying Ying had no other choice but to do that --- after all, she realized that her life was in their hand at the moment.

    Yao Ling gave a signal to Feng and thetter nodded his head. Feng took a cup of tea from the table and threw the content at the man to wake him up --- he didn¡¯t even care even though the tea was still slightly hot, sooner orter, this man would be dead anyway. Why should he bother to be good to him?

    The man hissed in pain when the hot tea touched his body, "Argh!" Even if he wanted to yell loudly, he couldn¡¯t anymore. His energy had been depleted due to the torture and he didn¡¯t dare to resist Feng anymore because the man was really a lunatic! He shuddered at the thought of what he had gone through the previous night and he didn¡¯t want to repeat the same thing ever again.

    It would be better if they killed him as soon as possible!

    "Tell her everything!" Feng told him in a low stern voice which made the man cringe in fear.

    "I... I will tell her... I will tell her!" The man quickly said while his whole body was trembling. When he met Feng¡¯s gaze, he could only look down to calm himself down so that he could start talking.

    Ying Ying wondered what kind of thing the man would tell him. She had just met this man at the Shu Kingdom so she didn¡¯t think that he knew everything about this matter. However, what he would sayter really surprised her and it made her realize how naive she was as a person.

    "Someone hired me to follow you to this kingdom and paid special attention to your movements. He wanted me to help you search for a man and if you are sessful, I have to kill you!" The man said while groaning in pain once in a while.

    Ying Ying stared at the man nkly before finally asking in a hoarse voice, "What?!"

    "You heard me... Everything has been nned beforehand... Your adopted family¡¯s demise... the servant¡¯s words... everything is for the sake of calling that man out..." The man said with a sneer, looking at the stupid woman with hatred. If it wasn¡¯t because of this woman, he wouldn¡¯t be in this predicament.

    "Why...? Why me?" She asked in surprise while pointing at herself in disbelief.

    Yao Ling answered her in a low voice, "I already sent someone to check on this matter too... You are actually not the adopted daughter of your father."

    "What do you mean? Of course, I¡¯m his adopted daughter!" Ying Ying eximed

    Yao Ling dropped the bomb. "You are his real daughter..."

    Ying Ying felt like her whole world was being turned upside down. The real daughter?! Her? How could that be?

    "Don¡¯t you know why you were being treated badly by the second branch when they are supposed to be your real parents?" Yao Ling asked a question that she had been asking herself all this time.

    Ying Ying could only shake her head numbly.

    "Have you ever heard that one of your adopted father¡¯s child was dead right after her birth?"

    Ying Ying really got a bad feeling about this. She quickly asked, "Don¡¯t tell me that they exchanged the babies?!" She also knew that the baby was born on the same day as her so this was the only possibility.

    Yao Ling merely nodded her head. "I asked the questions just now because I want to see whether you love your adopted father just like how he loves you or not..." She wanted to see whether this woman was a good woman or an ungrateful wench.

 Chapter 476 - The Truth

    Ying Ying felt at a loss at what to think when she heard all that...

    Her mind was swirling around due to Yao Ling¡¯s words... but once she thought back of her past, it made everything seemed reasonable. So many unexinable things that had happened became reasonable because of this reason. No wonder...

    She didn¡¯t even know what she should say at this point --- her mind turned nk.

    She was her adopted father¡¯s real daughter?! What kind of joke was this? She didn¡¯t know whether she should be sad or happy. She started to realize that Yao Ling really didn¡¯t lie to her... there was a bigger conspiracy behind her father¡¯s current predicament.

    Ying Ying looked at Yao Ling in determination. "Knowing my real identity makes me want to get revenge even more!" She said it loud and clear without any hesitation.

    Yao Ling understood her and merely waved her hand, "Just do what you want to do... If you want to get revenge, I can help you but you have to solve this matter first." She pointed at the man leisurely.

    "Thank you," Ying Ying said wholeheartedly. No matter what Yao Ling¡¯s purpose was, it didn¡¯t seem that she held any malicious intention towards her. Thus, she started to trust her a bit more. However, she still needed to listen to Yao Ling¡¯s side of the story to determine whether she would join her or not.

    No one would help her out of nowhere --- Yao Ling must have something that she wanted her to do as well.

    Ying Ying turned to look at the man and asked, "Who sent you here?! Is it the second branch?" She more or less could start to guess about it. Besides, the only one who could convince her father¡¯s private and used-to-be loyal servant to betray his real master would be them. After all, his daughter was the concubine of her brother from the second branch and it strengthened the rtionship between them and that servant.

    They must have been using that woman to persuade or forced that servant. Even if he was forced, she wouldn¡¯t forgive that servant as well!

    However, she had never thought of that because the rtionship between both of the branch was quite good on the surface despite their hatred towards her. She wondered how could someone betray their own family ah~?! This made her hate the second branch even more. She was sure that the second branch must have been nning this matter for a long time carefully --- otherwise, her adopted father wouldn¡¯t be easily duped by them.

    The man grinned at Ying Ying maliciously when he heard his question --- he was afraid of Feng but it didn¡¯t mean he was feeling afraid of this little woman. She had served him a few times and he could still remember her sweet taste so it made him feel that this woman was his. "Ha - Ha - Ha! Why should I tell you that?" He said mockingly at Ying Ying.

    Judging from the scene in front of him, he didn¡¯t think that Ying Ying knew these people so it should be fine if he taunted Ying Ying. At least, he could make her angry which made him remember their passionate time. The man¡¯s mind was rotten to the core.

    Feng felt like this man¡¯s brain had gone to the wrong side for being so smug under his watch. He pped the back of his head quite hard and said, "Do you still dare to y around? Tell this woman everything and answer each of her questions! Otherwise..." Feng gave him a pointed look at his member down there while making a shing gesture.

    The man¡¯s face changed when he followed his gaze --- did he want to castrate him? He shuddered when he saw the seriousness in Feng¡¯s face. Because of that, he quickly became obedient in a heart beat. He would do whatever Feng wanted him to do.

    "I will... I will..." He answered numbly once again. He turned her gaze to Ying Ying and admitted, "Yes... Yes... It¡¯s the second branch... Please... Please save me, Ying-Er! I will do anything for you if you can save from them!" He begged Ying Ying, knowing that the woman seemed to be quite important for these people at this moment.

    He was desperate to survive!

    The way he changed face so fast made Ying Ying wanted to vomit in disgust --- she wondered how could she do the deed with him ah~?! This man was beyond disgusting! However, everything had been toote and that was the path that she had chosen on her own so she could only bear with the consequences by herself.

    "Tell me what they wanted you to do in detail!" Ying Ying said sternly. She wanted to ask whether they wanted him to sully her body as well or not, however, she couldn¡¯t ask him openly in front of so many people --- not knowing that some of them had already known about her night adventure with the man.

    "They... they gave me money but they didn¡¯t tell me that many things. One of their servants hired me and said that I should follow you and make you believe in me so that you will ask me to help you find a man... If by chance... you really find the man, I¡¯m allowed to kill you and I will get double rewards from them. On the other hand, if you find nothing, I should lead you on and let me have a taste of your body as the first payment..." He admitted meekly --- he was just doing what his boss told him to do so he didn¡¯t feel that he had done anything wrong!

    Who knew that someone important would be interested in this woman ah~?!

    When Ying Ying heard his words, she felt like her body was being hit by thunder. Her body...? As a payment? No matter what... she had been living as their daughter for so long and yet, they had the heart to do this towards her.

    Yao Ling, Ning Jie, and Xiao Fang who heard such a crazy thing couldn¡¯t help but gasp in disbelief as well --- they could only look pitifully at Ying Ying, but of course, they didn¡¯t do it openly because it would make the woman feel ashamed even more. They could only sigh inwardly...

    "So... looking for the man is only a distraction?" She asked herself. Sheughed and cried in despair, then... what the heck was she doing all this time? She had thought that she had been helping her adopted family when the truth was... she was being yed by the second branch!

    The man nodded his head. "Yes... Only a distraction... I identally heard that the second branch really hated you because a shaman had told them that you were the one that killed their daughter... Your Ba-Zi [1] is too strong and it affected their daughter... Thus, she died because her Ba-Zi lost to you...¡¯

    Ying Ying could only look at the man in disbelief. Her life turned into a joke because of a random shaman?

    ----

    1. Ba-Zi: The Four Pirs of Destiny, as known as "Ba-Zi", which means "eight characters" or "eight words" in Chinese, is a Chinese astrological concept that a person¡¯s destiny or fate can be divined by the two sexagenary cycle characters assigned to their birth year, month, day, and hour.

 Chapter 477 - What Do You Plan To Do Next?

    A shaman?!

    How could Ying Ying feel reconciled when she knew that? Her fate was determined by a passer-by in a whim and they didn¡¯t know whether that shaman was a quack or not.

    She looked suspiciously at the man and asked, "How do you even know an event from that had happened long ago? I don¡¯t think that they would tell you something like that? Tell me! How do you find out about it?"

    This man was a bit older than her, so when the switching baby thing happened, he was only two or three years old at most. How could he know what happened in her family in detail? It seemed impossible.

    The man said, "I swear! I didn¡¯t lie to you... I identally listened to it when I followed the servant because I needed to determine whether he was really able to pay me or not..." No matter what he needed to know his employer¡¯s background. What if he had already done so much and met a fraud instead?!

    "Who did he talk to?" Ying Ying asked cautiously.

    The man shook his head. "I don¡¯t know who he was but the man was as old as the servant that hired me. But there is one distinguishing characteristic from him... there¡¯s a big birthmark on his face..."

    Ying Ying gritted her teeth. She knew that man... The second branch¡¯s head servant... It seemed like it was the small talk between him and her adopted father¡¯s personal servant. It was understandable if both of them knew about what happened back then... She started to feel dizzy with all of the information that she had gotten. It was really difficult toprehend in such a short time.

    Xiao Fang was feeling baffled as well --- why did it seem so easy for people to exchange babies inside an official¡¯s family? It was lucky for her that she got a better deal by being loved by her adopted father. On the other hand, Ying Ying...

    She could only sigh inwardly for the woman. Even if she didn¡¯t really like her, she still pitied the woman for her tough life.

    Ying Ying felt that things weren¡¯t as simple as that because her father used to be close with the second branch. Did the gap between them happen because of her? Or someone had nned it beforehand? Even if she was stupid, she still understood this point.

    "Then... do you know the identity of the man that they wanted me to look for?" Ying Ying asked hurriedly. If her adopted father wanted to protect the man, she needed to warn him beforehand.

    "No... I really don¡¯t know... I only know that he¡¯s someone important and I shouldn¡¯t deal with him when I find him. They need him for something that they didn¡¯t want to tell me about. However, they wanted me to let them know once I find him..." The man said hesitantly.

    It was understandable. He was just a thug and they wouldn¡¯t trust him with important pieces of news... If he said that he knew about the man, it would be fishier.

    Yao Ling opened her mouth when she heard this, "So... have you told them about the man in the painting?" She felt anxious because if that really happened, they really needed to get ready for it.

    The man shuddered and shook his head. "No... No... I haven¡¯t told them yet because I wanted to find out about that man¡¯s identity first. I thought that maybe I could ckmail them and get more money if I did that... Besides, I couldn¡¯t find that man¡¯s identity..."

    He was just a normal thug and not from around here, so it took some time for him to gather information. Fortunately, Ning Jie moved faster than him because Ying Ying made a pretty big fuss while searching.

    Yao Ling sighed in relief and felt fortunate that this man was greedy. If he was a loyal man, he would already send the message back to his employer when he found Yao Ying¡¯s whereabouts. She decided to stay quiet after asking, it would be better if she saw what Ying Ying would do next.

    Ying Ying should have realized that Yao Ling knew the man, judging from the concern in her tone. However, she wasn¡¯t in the condition to think clearly so she didn¡¯t find it suspicious for Yao Ling to ask such a question.

    Yao Ling saw the change in Ying Ying¡¯s expression and noticed that her mind had be clearer regarding her own situation. She more or less could guess that there was someone ying around behind this matter... She wondered what kind of position that Yao Ying used to have in the Qin Kingdom which made people continuously try to find him?

    Yao Ling was taken aback by what would happen next.

    Ying Ying looked at the man fiercely and without a second thought, she took a small knife from her sleeve and pointed at the man. "Tell me! Who is behind you? Who is behind them? I don¡¯t think you are only an ordinary thug, right?" She yelled whileing onto him and trying to stab him on the chest.

    The man dodged just in time so he wasn¡¯t hurt the slightest --- however, his whole body was trembling in fright. He didn¡¯t think that the sweet woman would be able to do this, it seemed like he had pushed her to a corner until the woman had be a lunatic.

    Ying Ying became muddleheaded and really wanted to kill the man, feeling that she had lost everything anyway. Yao Ling gave a signal to Feng, telling him to stop her from harming the man.

    When Feng stopped her and took the knife away from her, Ying Ying was still thrashing around in despair. The man looked scared when he saw Ying Ying tried to kill him for real and quickly hid in the corner. He was just a coward!

    "Stop it!" Feng said sternly at her with a piercing gaze. He held onto her so that she couldn¡¯t move. No matter how much she attacked or punched him, he didn¡¯t move a muscle at all.

    Ying Ying didn¡¯t care and it took a little while until she calmed down. When she already used up her energy, she finally gave up and cried. Everyone let her cry to ease her pain. Ying Ying hugged Feng who was the closest to her which made thetter stiffen. His brother had told him about this woman but he couldn¡¯t just push her away in this condition. In the end, he could only let her be while looking at Yao Ling helplessly.

    Yao Ling knew that Feng asked for her help which made her didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry... She pretended that she didn¡¯t see anything and would help Feng after Ying Ying could sort herself out.

    When she saw that it was already the right time, Yao Ling asked, "So... what do you n to do next?"

    Ying Ying kowtowed to Yao Ling and knew that she had nowhere to go. She could only bet her life on Yao Ling. Seeing that she put importance on this matter, she knew that their goals must have been in line with each other.

    "Gu Niang... Please... Let me follow you!" She begged wholeheartedly.

 Chapter 478 - Bigger Than She Thought

    Yao Ling waved her hand and gave a pointed look at Feng. Thetter knew what he should do next. He was going to bring the man out when Ying Ying stopped him by asking, "Where do you want to take him?"

    Yao Ling raised one of her eyebrows. "Why? Are you not willing? Do you want to save him?" She asked sarcastically while telling Feng to go on with a wave of her hand.

    Ying Ying shook her head. "No...! I... I just want to get my revenge myself..." She straightened her back and asked for Yao Ling¡¯s permission --- she looked really determined.

    "What do you want to do?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "Kill him!" Ying Ying said ruthlessly. That man had ruined her even though she knew that she was a willing party back then, however, she didn¡¯t like the fact that she had been used from the very beginning. She would pay those people back tenfolds.

    Yao Ling sighed. "You don¡¯t have to dirty your hands for the like of him..."

    Ying Ying shook her head. "No... I already chose the path of revenge... I need to harden myself and save my family," she said resolutely.

    Yao Ling sighed. "Once you kill people, there would be no point of return," she warned her thest time.

    Ying Ying kowtowed. "This servant knows. This servant hopes that this servant could follow you from now on. I will be loyal to you but please... help me to save my family..." She was really desperate.

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "You can handle himter. I will give it to you but now, we should talk about something else first before I agree with your request."

    "Why?" Ying Ying was taken aback.

    "We are in a public ce... do you want to be taken by authority?" Yao Ling shook her head when she saw how muddleheaded Ying Ying was.

    "Yes, Young Miss..." Ying Ying immediately obeyed when she realized how silly she was.

    Once Feng brought the man out, Yao Ling told Ying Ying to sit down in front of her. "Do you know why I¡¯m concerned about your matter?"

    Ying Ying shook her head. This was the thing that made her feel curious as well.

    "The man in the painting... He¡¯s my husband..." Yao Ling dropped the bomb straight away. She wanted Ying Ying to ept this idea as soon as possible. If she didn¡¯t agree with her, then she wouldn¡¯t help her. It was a simple as that.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t want anyone to question the status of the rtionship between Yao Ying and Yao Ling. They had be a legal couple after Wang Luo Hai submitted their data right after they became his children.

    "What?" Ying Ying gasped in surprise. "But... I thought that man... and my sister..." After saying that, she quickly shut her mouth, knowing that Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t appreciate what she would say next. "How... How could he be your husband?" She quickly changed her question.

    "No need to know about that, but one thing for sure, when they said that the man had a thing with your sister... it must be a piece of false news..." Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t tell her that Yao Ying had forgotten about his past or Ying Ying would make another spection. It would be better if she misled Ying Ying --- thetter didn¡¯t really know anything about it anyway.

    "I will help to save your family if it¡¯s in line with my goal. Your father seems to protect my husband so I take him and your family as our own people. However, if our guess is wrong, you should understand that I will eradicate everything that will harm my family..." Yao Ling said without pausing. She wanted Ying Ying to know that she saved her because they had the same goal, once they stood on the opposite side, Yao Ling wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill them.

    Ying Ying shuddered when she heard that, after all, she could see a hint of cruelty in Yao Ling¡¯s eyes. She quickly looked down and said, "Yes, Young Mistress..." She cleverly changed the way she addressed Yao Ling after she heard that Yao Ling was married.

    Yao Ling nodded in satisfaction and told Ying Ying to tell her everything about her family --- especially about the first branch. She knew nothing about the second branch because she was usually not allowed to go out of her courtyard and used to being mistreated there so she didn¡¯t dare to ask many questions. This was the thing that invoked the first branch¡¯s miss¡¯s pity --- who knew that they were actually real sisters.

    Ying Ying thought that maybe her real father had already known about it, thus, he gave her the way out, maybe feeling guilty? She didn¡¯t know... but at least, by doing this, it made her feel that her father had actually loved her...

    "Have you ever seen anything suspicious from the first branch? I mean, maybe they are searching for something or... maybe someone as well?" Ning Jie asked.

    Ying Ying tried to think hard about it and answered, "I¡¯m not really sure but I think they are indeed searching for someone. Each night there would be my father¡¯s several subordinates who woulde and go reporting something... It seemed like my father really put good importance to this matter..."

    Ying Ying started to regret why she didn¡¯t pay attention to her surroundings back then. However, one thing for sure and she also told Yao Ling about it... her sister wasn¡¯t like a broken-hearted person whose fiancee had been missing.

    However, it was just a mere guess...

    What kind of rtionship that Yao Ying had with her sister... Ying Ying didn¡¯t know for sure. Listening to her words, Yao Ling felt slightly relieved.

    "So... When will you save my family?" Ying Ying asked in a low voice.

    "Tell me more about their crime first in detail..." Yao Ling ordered Ying Ying softly. She already knew the bigger picture from the investigation result from her people --- it wasn¡¯t that hard, because the matter was quite popr in the Qin Kingdom.

    A famous official family had been seized and captured by the Emperor because of treason. However, such a heavy punishment... an adopted daughter ran away and there was no move from the Emperor¡¯s people to search for her. Yao Ling felt this matter was too fishy --- it made her slightly doubted Ying Ying¡¯s identity.

    When her people tried to find information about this adopted daughter, everything matched with Ying Ying so her identity had been proved that it was real. At first, she didn¡¯t understand why they let her go. Once she heard, the result of the investigation from Feng... she realized that they wanted Ying Ying to be a bait to find Yao Ying. It seemed like they found out that Yao Ying was alive --- otherwise, what was the point of doing this?

    Yao Ling really got a headache when she thought about it. This matter seemed to be bigger than what she thought it would be. It seemed like she needed to start investigating from their vige once again. She needed Yao Ying help in this...

 Chapter 479 - Could She Read Her Mind?

    Yao Ling felt slightly dizzy and her heart felt ufortable, it made her feel worried about the baby. She knew that it would harm the baby if she kept being stressed out like this, thus, she took a deep breath to calm herself down.

    Yao Ying heard the slight change in her breathing and wanted to go out of the screen and take a look at her condition. However, when his gazended at Yao Ling, thetter shook her head in a subtle way. He could only helplessly hide himself once again, after all, Yao Ling didn¡¯t want him to appear.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t want him to meet with Ying Ying yet, after all, she felt that thetter hadn¡¯t sorted out her mind yet. What if Ying Ying had another thought on Yao Ying? Not in a romantic way, but more about her sister --- if that happened, it would turn into another problem for her.

    "We probably can help your father but we can¡¯t erase his crime yet... There¡¯s not enough time for that..." Yao Ling said while massaging her forehead. She didn¡¯t think she had the energy to go to her maiden house after this even though she wanted to ask her father about her mother¡¯s news. There were so many things that she should n regarding this matter so she knew her father would understand.

    "Why?" Ying Ying asked anxiously. If she had the power, she would certainly drag Yao Ling as soon as possible to save her family.

    "You only have little time and besides my people still need several days of time to go there from here. What do you think we could do in such a short time? Besides, what if the Emperor has a change of mind and decides to punish them faster?" Yao Ling asked her back. It wasn¡¯t easy to find proofs in such a short time.

    They simply didn¡¯t have that much time left.

    Ying Ying couldn¡¯t refute that. It was basically impossible to do something without any preparation and it was already toote. She could only look down in disappointment and despair because she knew that her father always put his honor first. Of course, besides his family as well.

    Everyone in the room got a bad feeling when they heard Yao Ling promised her. Why did she be so impulsive all of a sudden?!

    Ning Jie looked at Yao Ling in surprise and asked, "What do you n for us to do? Are you really sure you want to help her? This isn¡¯t a small matter... Don¡¯t you want to discuss it with Yao Ying?"

    Ying Ying became anxious when she heard that Ning Jie rejected the idea of helping her. She didn¡¯t dare to say anything though because this could only be decided by Yao Ling --- judging from the way the others behaving, she knew that Yao Ling would be the one who had the final say. Thus, she put her hope on Yao Ling.

    Yao Ling stared at the screen for a little while and said, "I believe that he would agree with me, after all, this involves him as well..."

    Yao Ying couldn¡¯t refute that statement so he stayed quiet.

    Yao Ling sighed in relief inwardly and answered Ning Jie¡¯s question about the n, "We can save him... from his death, but just like I said... about erasing the crime... it¡¯s impossible for now..."

    Ning Jie and Xiao Fang gasped. "You mean..."

    Without being said, they already knew what she nned to do --- she wanted to break them out of the prison, but would it be that easy? The case was very big in the Qin Kingdom so the security must be very tight!

    "Are you crazy?!" Both of them yelled at the same time.

    "Like I said... it¡¯s still a n... We can talk about thister..." Yao Ling said in a low voice, however, she believed that they would agree with her in the end.

    When Ying Ying heard Yao Ling¡¯s words, she quickly talked first before the others could say anything else, "It¡¯s fine! Really, it¡¯s fine! Saving his life is my only priority..."

    Yao Ling sighed. "An official usually is a proud man, do you think he could live the rest of his life in peace while his name is being smeared like that? Have you ever thought of that possibility?"

    Ying Ying didn¡¯t know what to say because that was true. She pondered a little while before finally, her eyes lit up. "I¡¯m sure he¡¯s willing!" She said excitedly.

    "Oh, why?" Yao Ling started to be interested.

    "Doesn¡¯t he keep searching for someone important? If he knows that your husband is alive, maybe... he will change his mind..." She trailed off at thest part because she wasn¡¯t feeling sure about it as well. Maybe this person was more important than his honor?

    It was possible but the possibility was also low.

    "Then, we can try... Everything will depend on your father as well..." Before anyone could reject her idea, Yao Ling quickly made a decision. The others could only stay quiet on the side.

    Ying Ying nodded in understanding. "I... I have one more request... I don¡¯t know if you can fulfill it too or not..." Ying Ying said meekly. Even though she was feeling hesitant, she had no other choice.

    Yao Ling raised one of her eyebrows. "What?"

    "Can... Can you save... my sister too?" Ying Ying begged, not knowing whether Yao Ling would agree or not. At least, she could try to beg for her life too. After all, she had been a really good sister to her. How could she abandon her when she saw hope here...?

    "Do you know how much risk I take for saving one person?" Yao Ling asked in displeasure when she heard Ying Ying¡¯s request. If it was about another thing, it might be possible for her to fulfill it.

    That woman probably had a rtionship with Yao Ying in the past. If she was dead... Yao Ling shook her head inwardly, trying to stop her bad line of thoughts. She didn¡¯t want to be ¡¯that¡¯ cruel... She felt really frustrated at this time because her next decision could affect her life in the future --- making a very very big change.

    "I will consider it..." Yao Ling answered but she didn¡¯t make any promise.

    Ying Ying reckoned that this was the best thing that she could get so far. She could try to find a way when she was there...

    Yao Ling seemed to be able to perceive her thoughts. "You know... I will help you, but... in return, don¡¯t forget to be loyal to me!" Yao Ling said, then she added, "Even more than your own family... From now on... your life will be mine as well. How is that sound?"

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t give Ying Ying a way out.

    Ying Ying stunned when she heard this. This... How could that be? Didn¡¯t it mean... if Yao Ling said no, she couldn¡¯t save her sister at that time. She put a stop to Ying Ying¡¯s thoughts and it made Ying Ying feel a chill to the bone.

    Could she read her mind?

 Chapter 480 - A Trap For Him?

    Yao Ling talked once more, "If there¡¯s a time when you need to choose one day... you should choose your loyalty to me over your family. If you think that you can¡¯t do that, then the deal is off... I¡¯ll give you one day to think about that..."

    She didn¡¯t leave any negotiation room for Ying Ying. Thetter felt at a loss and could only nod her head numbly, knowing that Yao Ling would probably not saving her sister.

    Yao Ling turned to Ning Jie and said, "Can you bring her away and take care of her for now?"

    Ning Jie opened her mouth, wanting to say something but she finally decided against it. In the end, she could only nod her head in agreement. No matter what Yao Ling¡¯s decision was... she could only stand by her side.

    She quickly brought Ying Ying away... There was no resistance from thetter, after all, she didn¡¯t have anywhere to go and didn¡¯t n to go back to her mother¡¯s performance troupe.

    After the two had gone, Xiao Fang finally decided to ask Yao Ling softly, "Will you save the woman too?" By listening to their conversation, she had gotten the gist of everything. No matter what kind of rtionship Yao Ying and that woman had, the woman had a chance to ruin everything.

    "I don¡¯t know..." Yao Ling said helplessly. She honestly hadn¡¯t made a decision yet, maybe she should talk with Yao Ying and see it from his perspective. He had been there for her when she found out about her past and she should do the same for him.

    Xiao Fang didn¡¯t push for an answer. "I will go back and tell Uncle Rong Qiu that you couldn¡¯te today. You should have a rest, I¡¯m sure that he will understand..." She saw Yao Ling¡¯s pale face and couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this.

    Yao Ling nodded her head. "Okay..." She felt a bit guilty because she seemed to care more about her husband¡¯s matter than her mother, but she felt really tired at the moment. Her mood swing was pretty bad and that was the reason for her to be easily affected by everything that challenged her emotions.

    "Let me send you back home," Xiao Fang offered.

    Yao Ling forced a smile to her. "No need... I will be fine... I need to spend some time alone..."

    Xiao Fang sighed and nodded her head, giving her time to sort her thought by herself. She gave a pointed look at Xiao Yu, telling her to take care of Yao Ling carefully. Xiao Yu gave a brief nod to her which showed that she understood. Finally, Xiao Fang could only leave and feel that she needed to tell Uncle Rong Qiu everything --- maybe thetter could help her.

    Once Rong Qiu received the news, he was stunned. Such a matter happened? Why did they appear at the same time?! He meant about the clue of Yao Ying¡¯s past and his wife¡¯s whereabouts. He heard that his wife was also in the Qin Kingdom --- was this a coincidence or... not?

    At least, they could search for them together. Rong Qiu tried to see the positive side instead.

    "I will visit her tomorrow..." Rong Qiu said. Even though he was in a hurry, he knew that Yao Ling needed to rest for now. Before their meeting, he decided to investigate a few things first so their talk would go easier.

    On the other hand, Yao Ling was still inside the restaurant. She said, "Ying, you cane out now..."

    Yao Ying sat beside her and asked, "Are you okay?" He looked at her in concern.

    Yao Ling nodded her head while giving a signal to Xiao Yu to guard the door --- she needed to talk with her husband in private so there were only the two of them left in the room.

    "What do you think about my decision?" Yao Ling asked.

    "I agree with it... We need to save him because he is the only clue about my past that we have so far..." Yao Ying said resolutely.

    "Then, what about the woman?" Yao Ling squinted her eyes while asking the question.

    "You mean Ying Ying¡¯s sister?"

    "Yes?"

    "What about her?" Yao Ying knew what she meant but he just... didn¡¯t know how to answer her.

    "Do you want to save her?" Yao Ling asked his opinion.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. Was this question a trap for him? The re in her eyes betrayed her calmness and Yao Ying answered with a gentle smile, "It¡¯s all up to you. I don¡¯t even remember her anyway --- saving her or not wouldn¡¯t make much difference to our lives..."

    His words made her feel satisfied.

    "Are you sure you can trust that Ying Ying?" Yao Ying asked.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "Not really... we should also prepare a precaution to her just in case she does something that would make us in trouble..." Saving a prisoner was a great crime and once they were being captured, they would be interrogated and killed right away.

    "You are not allowed to go in your condition!" Yao Ying said sternly. "If you want to save them, just let our people do it..."

    Yao Ling helplessly nodded her head. "I know..."

    "What about you? Don¡¯t you want to personally oversee this matter?" Yao Ling asked curiously. This wasn¡¯t about her jealousy... she was seriously asking him about this. Wouldn¡¯t he feel worried that something would go awry there? If that happened, they would lose a chance to know about his past.

    Yao Ying shook his head. "No need... I don¡¯t know what kind of identity that I had there. Showing my face without knowing anything would lead me to great danger. It will be better if we wait here together."

    "What if the rescue mission fails?" Yao Ling hesitantly asked.

    "Then... it just doesn¡¯t mean to be... If I can¡¯t remember about my past, it¡¯s not a bad thing too anyway..." Yao Ying said.

    Yao Ling grinned widely at him and nodded her head. "About the woman... we can save her but you should never meet her!" Yao Ling demanded while making apromise. If they had a past together and in a good rtionship, she bet Yao Ying would feel guilty for not saving her if he remembered his past.

    It was better to be safe than sorryter.

    "Sure... I will not meet her..." Yao Ying made a promise and he didn¡¯t mind about it at all. He asked, "Won¡¯t you tell that woman about it?"

    "Who? Ying Ying? About what?"

    "The decision to save her sister..." Yao Ying answered.

    "No need... I want to test her loyalty for now," Yao Ling exined.

    Yao Ying merely nodded his head --- he didn¡¯t care about that woman so he didn¡¯t put it inside his mind.

    "Are you really not going to father¡¯s ce?" Yao Ying asked.

    "No, I will go there tomorrow..." She shook her head tiredly. "Let¡¯s go home... I need to get some sleep..."

    "Sure... It won¡¯t be toote to handle everything tomorrow. Let me do the preparation!" Yao Ying offered.

    "I will leave it to you..." Yao Ling said. She could only trust Yao Ying in this.

    She would just ask him what he had already done for the preparation tomorrow...

 Chapter 481 - Hope For The Best!

    The next day, Rong Qiu came to their house early in the morning and it took a long time for him to finally meet Yao Ling because he also needed to pay respect to the matriarch and talk to Wang Luo Hai as well. However, from this interaction, he knew for sure that they really treated Yao Ling kindly and just like one of their own --- it made him feel relieved and happy for his daughter.

    Yao Ling hadn¡¯t received any news about Ying Ying¡¯s choice but she also wasn¡¯t in a hurry. She knew that sooner orter she woulde to her. She believed that no one else would be willing to help Ying Ying.

    Yao Ling was feeling d that her father hade to visit her because she wanted to ask about her mother¡¯s news as well.

    She greeted Rong Qiu warmly when she came out to receive him, "Father..."

    "How are you?" He looked at her worriedly.

    "Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m fine..." Yao Ling assured him with a smile. When Rong Qiu saw that nothing seemed to be wrong with her, he could put down his worry.

    "How about my mother¡¯s news? What did you find out about her?" Yao Ling bombarded Rong Qiu with her questions.

    "That¡¯s what I want to talk to you about..." Rong Qiu said seriously.

    Yao Ling quickly asked her father to sit down while Xiao Yu served them tea and snacks.

    Rong Qiu exined about the news that he had gotten. The people that he had sent out had the drawing of a younger Su Wan and they saw a person who was simr to the painting, but older. However, she was gone in a sh so they couldn¡¯t determine where she had been living in the Qin Kingdom --- besides, she was being guarded by several people at that time and Rong Qiu¡¯s people couldn¡¯t get closer to them.

    It was almost the same with the description that Yao Ling had found in her mother¡¯s letter. It seemed like she had been captured by someone. They wondered what kind of life she had when she had been imprisoned for more than a decade.

    "Where did they see her?" Yao Ling asked curiously.

    "The Qin Kingdom..."

    "What?! The Qin Kingdom again? Why does everything seem to be rted to them?" Yao Ling couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Once or twice could be said as a coincidence but several times? She really didn¡¯t know what to think anymore.

    Rong Qiu nodded his head. "That¡¯s why I need to go there..." Rong Qiu hesitantly said.

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t want her father to leave but she knew that searching for her mother was actually his priority. How could she prevent him from going? She looked sadly at him and said, "Okay..."

    Rong Qiu sighed. "I¡¯m sorry for leaving so soon but I will certainlye back, hopefully, along with your mother..." He made a promise.

    Yao Ling nodded her head helplessly. Her father already made a decision and she could only support him.

    "One more thing though, I¡¯m going to the Qin Kingdom anyway. Why don¡¯t I help you to save the prisoners?" Rong Qiu asked.

    "But, Father! It¡¯s very dangerous..." Yao Ling quickly rejected his idea. Telling her subordinates to do that was one thing, but this was her own father and didn¡¯t want to risk it.

    Yao Ying who had been sitting beside Yao Ling all along said, "I think It¡¯s a good idea..."

    "But..."

    "Listen to me first!" Yao Ying cut her word off. "It¡¯s really not a bad idea. Father doesn¡¯t need to involve himself directly with them but he can help us to monitor the n and also be our ears to know what exactly happened there."

    "But..."

    If someone was able to connect the dots, they would be able to implicate her father too! The punishment would be a death sentence ah~!

    "Don¡¯t worry! They won¡¯t find out about me..." Rong Qiu said.

    "How can you be so sure?" Yao Ling asked.

    Rong Qiu said, "I know my own capabilities. If I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m able to do it, I won¡¯t offer myself to do the job..."

    After hesitating for a few moments, Yao Ling decided to relent. In the end, they were talking about the n. When her father asked, Yao Ling told him that she decided to save the woman. Rong Qiu felt that she was already big enough to make a decision and understand the consequences of her own decision.

    However, they would put her away in a safe ce first so she wouldn¡¯t be able to meet Yao Ying even if she wanted to. Once Yao Ling cleared up the matter between them in the past, it wasn¡¯t toote to make another decision by then.

    Yao Ying had no objection whatsoever and he had already told Yao Ling about the preparation on his end. It would take two more days to be done perfectly, fortunately, there was no news that the Qin Emperor would kill Ying Ying¡¯s family earlier than the designated time.

    They had enough time to do the preparation.

    When they were discussing the n, Ning Jie came with the news of Ying Ying¡¯s answer --- she agreed with her demand. If there was one day that she chose to betray Yao Ling, she was ready to be killed. Yao Ling naturally understood her meaning but she didn¡¯t tell her that she nned to save her sister.

    The next day, Rong Qiu departed to the Qin Kingdom along with Ying Ying --- thetter wore a disguise as a man and would be the one who guided Rong Qiu and their team. So far, there was nothing weird about her and hopefully, it would stay that way until the end.

    Yao Ling hoped that she would get a piece of good news in a few days.

    Although she was waiting in nervousness, her heart felt calmer because her father kept sending news to her, thus, she knew that he was fine. The preparation had been going well but there was still no news about her mother¡¯s whereabouts.

    She could only hope for the best!

    In a few days... if they sessfully saved those two, they woulde knocking on her door with Yao Ying¡¯s past...

 Chapter 482 - They Came

    "Have we received other news from my father?" Yao Ling asked worriedly while walking back and forth inside her room.

    "Not yet..." Xiao Yu shook her head helplessly. Her young mistress had been asking about this matter for more than ten times in a span of one shichen. She didn¡¯t know how to make her calm down and could only look worriedly at her.

    There was no newsing in for the past two days and it made Yao Ling feel worried even more ah~! Especially, because her father had never missed sending her news each day before. She was afraid that something went wrong there and she found out toote about it...

    After all, she could do nothing to help them because they were too far away. If she wanted to inquire about the matter, it would also take quite some time.

    Yao Ying said softly, "I¡¯m sure he will be fine!" He understood her worry but he also felt worried about the baby¡¯s wellbeing, especially because Yao Ling also lost some sleep ever since two days ago.

    "But, there¡¯s no news! How could you say that he¡¯s fine?!" Yao Ling said in a loud voice. After a little while, she felt guilty for raising her voice because she knew that Yao Ying was just trying to assure her that everything would be fine. "Sorry..." She meekly apologized to Yao Ying.

    "It¡¯s fine..." Yao Ying understood. "Come here..." Yao Ying waved his hand so that she woulde to him.

    Yao Ling came over to him slowly. Yao Ying pulled her down and let her sit in hisp which made Xiao Yu turned her head away while blushing. Her masters were always intimate so it didn¡¯t surprise her anymore but she still felt embarrassed to see their interaction.

    "What are you doing?" Yao Ling was also feeling shy, after all, they were doing this thing in the broad daylight. She pinched his waist so that he could let her go, but the man was too strong, so it was a useless struggle.

    "Come on! Rx your body! Remember the baby, okay?" He said gently while rocking her back and forth.

    Yao Ling nodded her head and took a deep breath --- sometimes, she forgot that she needed to think about the baby in her womb as well. She felt very selfish because people had reminded her over and over again, but... how could she remove the fear from her heart?

    When she started to feel better, Feng came in with a piece of important news. He seemed to be in a hurry so Xiu let him in right away after they got their boss¡¯s permission. "What happened?" Yao Ying asked in a serious manner.

    "Young Master, a few people came to us and you should see them as soon as possible..." Feng said hurriedly.

    Yao Ying raised one of his eyebrows calmly and asked, "Who are they? Have you checked their backgrounds yet?"

    Feng said, "It will be better if you don¡¯t bring them into Wang Fu. We should meet them in our secret ce..." He tried to give a hint that this matter was really serious. Feng didn¡¯t dare to say too much just in case someone heard their conversations because the couple decided not to tell Wang Luo Hai about this matter first --- until everything had been cleared.

    Yao Ying asked, "What do you mean?" After thinking, Yao Ying asked in a hurry while standing up, "Are they the people that came from the Qin Kingdom?!" He didn¡¯t forget to put Yao Ling down gently so that she wouldn¡¯t fall down due to his sudden movement.

    "Yes..." Feng answered while bobbing his head up and down.

    Yao Ling understood what they meant and she quickly asked Feng, "Are they... them?"

    "Yes, Young Mistress..." Feng answered once again.

    She sighed in relief, knowing that there was finally a piece of good news. Feng made the right decision... She couldn¡¯t involve Wang Fu in this matter because the consequences were very dangerous. Even though they had only be a part of this family for a little while, they cherished their rtionship.

    How could they repay their kindness by pulling them into a deep conspiracy?

    Without a second thought, they quickly went to their own ce. Yao Ying especially bought the ce so that he could manage this kind of secret matter separately from Wang Fu. Feng had ced those people in separate rooms and let the freshen up so that Yao Ying could meet them one by one.

    Somehow, Yao Ying felt nervous. He knew that the one who came was that man... Ying Ying¡¯s father. He had inquired about their conditions and everything that had happened at the Qin Kingdom so he already understood about the big picture.

    Feng had told them on the way that Rong Qiu was fine and he didn¡¯te back along with the party --- he decided to stay at the Qin Kingdom to search for Su Wan¡¯s whereabouts carefully. Rong Qiu knew that they could handle Yao Ying¡¯s past together so he decided not to meddle in into their problem.

    Rong Qiu didn¡¯t dare to send any news because the Qin Emperor had increased the security of their kingdom after he found out that the people in the prison had been switched. They hunted down the perpetrator and captured everyone that looked suspicious. Every means ofmunication had been searched carefully and it would be dangerous for Rong Qiu as well.

    He didn¡¯t want to take a risk.

    Fortunately, Ying Ying¡¯s father had been smuggled out sessfully at that time --- along with his two daughters. Once the security had been tightened, they had already passed the borders and it would be hard for the Qin Emperor to search for them. Even if the Qin Emperor wanted to find them in the Shu Kingdom, he could only do it secretly. After all, he didn¡¯t want to let the other kingdoms to know that he had lost important prisoners under his watch.

    It would be too embarrassing!

    Yao Ling sighed in relief when she found out about her father¡¯s condition.

    Yao Ying asked her, "Do you still want toe with me?" He was feeling worried... What if his past was really bad and it scared Yao Ling away?

    Suddenly, he was feeling nervous.

    "I¡¯m fine..." Yao Ling said with a smile. "I am not that weak."

    He had no choice but to bring her along with him.

    "What about Ying Ying?" Yao Ling asked Feng.

    "She¡¯s safe and sound..." Feng answered politely and Yao Ling nodded her head, feeling satisfied with his answer.

    Ying Ying was actually in a dilemma back then --- should she sacrifice her sister to gain Yao Ling¡¯s trust for a better future or should she betray Yao Ling? Fortunately, she had made the right decision and chosen to believe in Yao Ling.

    Ying Ying felt grateful that Yao Ling wasn¡¯t actually that cruel because she was still willing to save her sister, even though thetter¡¯s arrangement was a bit different. The three of them were confused but they didn¡¯t dare to say anything or ask any questions.

    They chose to believe in Ying Ying¡¯s new master once again.

 Chapter 483 - Li Guang

    Ying Ying knew that her father actually didn¡¯t want to go --- at first, he just wanted her to save her sister so that he could die in peace. However, once he heard about Ying Ying¡¯s adventure to search for the man, he looked up at her in surprise. Of course, Ying Ying didn¡¯t tell her about how she sold her body because it would only make her father feel disappointed but she didn¡¯t bother to cover up that she had given her loyalty to Yao Ling.

    Besides, in their current position, it would be hard to regain their previous glories and Ying Ying¡¯s father couldn¡¯t refute that. He could only sigh in sadness, knowing that this happened because of his loyalty to someone that maybe had been dead...

    However, he got a hint of hope when he heard Ying Ying¡¯s story about that man. Even though Ying Ying admitted that she had never directly met the man, hope was still hope --- it was better than nothing.

    "Tell me everything!" He demanded while his previous dead eyes became lively. Of course, Ying Ying couldn¡¯t be happier when she saw this. She felt lucky that she had met Yao Ling and thetter pped her with reality. If she followed the servant¡¯s words, she would really betray her father unknowingly.

    She told him everything about what her father¡¯s private maidservant had said to her and Ying Ying¡¯s father gritted his teeth in anger.

    Just like what Yao Ling had predicted, Ying Ying¡¯s father had never told her to search for this man. After that, they knew that Ying Ying¡¯s father¡¯s personal servant had betrayed them --- maybe even longer than they had imagined before. Ying Ying¡¯s father knew that this must be because of the second branch as well.

    It seemed like he was being lenient to them but one day, he would seek his vengeance for sure --- even if he was his own brother. They dared to ruin his family so why couldn¡¯t he do the same?!

    Before they left the Qin Kingdom, he had done his revenge by killing that specific servant¡¯s family --- even the one who had be a part of the second branch as a concubine. Once they heard the news that Ying Ying¡¯s father had been rescued, let them sweat in fear!

    They left like a loser but they also hoped they coulde back and repay their favor tenfolds.

    Once they arrived at the Shu Kingdom and reached Wang Fu, Ying Ying could feel how nervous her father was. After all, if he wasn¡¯t the man that he was looking for, he would lose all his hope for sure...

    ------------

    Yao Ying sat at the head seat in their secret ce¡¯s hall. He looked calm from the surface but Yao Ling was the only one who could see his slightly trembling hand under his sleeve, knowing that the man was feeling nervous. It was finally time for him to hear about his past --- if he was indeed the man that Ying Ying¡¯s father had been searching for all this time.

    Once they heard some heavy footsteps from the outside, Yao Ling quickly squeezed Yao Ying¡¯s hand a bit before letting go --- telling him that everything would be fine with a gentle whisper. Yao Ling hid behind the screen right before those people came in so that her presence wouldn¡¯t hinder their talk. She believed that the old man wouldn¡¯t dare to say everything under her watch.

    By the time Yao Ling had hidden her presence perfectly, the front door was slowly opened by Xiu and Yao Ying almost couldn¡¯t breathe out of nervousness. He bit his lower lip and tasted a little bit of blood before he could finally regain hisposure.

    "Young Master, the man is here..." Xiu said while bowing politely to Yao Ying.

    "Good! Let him in!" Yao Ying nodded his head while talking more confidently.

    Xiu quickly brought the man in and after the man went it, he quietly went out of the room under Yao Ying¡¯s order. Thetter needed people to keep a lookout at the front door just in case someone would barge in and find out about this meeting.

    An old man came in and he looked even older than Wang Luo Hai. Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether it was because of his imprisonment took a toll on him or something. There were a lot of wrinkles on his face --- especially his forehead. Because there was no time for him to shave, his face was full of white beards which made his look be even more unkempt --- he didn¡¯t look like an official at all in one nce.

    However, the way he walked showed his gracefulness and there was a certain aura that made people respect him. This was the reason people believed that he used to be a man in power.

    The man looked around vigntly before it finally ended at Yao Ying¡¯s face. He gasped in surprise and there were tears in both of his eyes. The man who previously looked strong because of his aura became weak in a heartbeat.

    The old man felt his knees be weak and fell down with a bang. He couldn¡¯t believe in his eyes and stuttered softly, "Re... Really? You... You are safe... You are safe..."

    Yao Ying frowned. He was going to say something when he was stopped by the old man¡¯sst word...

    "Ma... Master..." He said thest part full of longing because he never thought that he would find him again. Thest thing that he found from this man¡¯sst trace was blood and badly mangled body. He had never given up hope because he knew that his master was stronger than that...

    Even if it was just a pointless search, he didn¡¯t mind to do it.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know what to say... when he saw the devoted look on the old man¡¯s face. Master? He was his master? The more he thought about it, the more curious he was about his previous identity.

    Yao Ling gripped her own sleeves tighter when she heard that --- she knew that the higher Yao Ying¡¯s position before was, the bigger chance for him to leave her and get back to take his ce. She could only grieve silently because she didn¡¯t know what else to do.

    ¡¯Master, huh?¡¯ She thought to herself.

    The old man continued to talk, "This old man Li Guang has a chance to meet with Master once more and there will be no regret for me even if I am dead..."

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know how to respond. If he told him the truth that he lost his memories, he knew that the old man would feel disappointed. However, he couldn¡¯t fake his response. Besides, he needed to know his identity from this old man as well.

    "Master...?" Yao Ying unconsciously asked.

    Li Guang was taken aback because he could see that the man in front of him didn¡¯t seem to recognize him at all. What the hell was going on? He thought to himself.

    "Yes... Master... Don¡¯t you recognize this old man?" Li Guang asked carefully.

    Yao Ying shook his head sadly, admitting that he indeed didn¡¯t remember who this Li Guang was.

 Chapter 484 - What Did You Say?!

    Li Guang gaped at Yao Ying in surprise and couldn¡¯t help but ask while squinting his eyes. "Master! What happened to you?" He found that something was really wrong with his master but he didn¡¯t dare to overstep his boundaries as well.

    Yao Ying forced a smile. "Can you exin to me everything that you know about me?" Yao Ying knew that his statement was a good enough proof that he lost his memories, even though he didn¡¯t say it out loud. He didn¡¯t think it would be a wise move if he dropped that bomb right away, thus, he chose ater wording.

    Li Guang looked taken aback even more, then frowned. "May I ask for your permission to do something first?" Li Guang asked. This was a case that he didn¡¯t think of before. He wanted to ask why his master didn¡¯te back if he was alive at this time and let a lot of theirrades die... However, everything made sense now.

    He knew that his master wouldn¡¯t abandon them without any reason --- even though the fact was quite disappointing. He regretted why he couldn¡¯t find out his master¡¯s whereabouts sooner. In fact, they weren¡¯t that far from each other.

    "For what?" Yao Ying asked, feeling suspicious.

    Li Guang was feeling sad because he could see that there was no familiarity in his eyes when he saw Li Guang and also... he didn¡¯t seem to trust Li Guang¡¯s loyalty. It was understandable if he really lost his memories. There was a part of him that feeling suspicious whether the man in front of him was really his master or not.

    After all, there were a few people that looked simr in appearance --- what if their enemies used this chance to dupe him? Fortunately, he had a way to prove whether Yao Ying was his master or not.

    "Proving that you are indeed my master," Li Guang answered respectfully.

    Feng quickly came out from the back and stood protectively in front of Yao Ying. "Young Master..." Feng didn¡¯t really trust Li Guang so he looked worriedly at Yao Ying, waiting for his order whether he should Li Guang be or not. Xiu was the one who guarded the front door so he took his duty to protect their young master as an exchange.

    Yao Ying waved his hand, telling Feng to rx and stay behind him. He didn¡¯t think that Li Guang was up to no good. "Sure..." He answered while nodding his head slowly. Besides, he had no other choice in reality --- he needed to do this.

    Yao Ying thought that it might be better if he wasn¡¯t the person that they were looking for. He had a gut feeling that he would have a greater responsibility once he imed his old identity and suddenly, he felt really nervous. He looked helplessly at the ce where Yao Ling was and sighed softly, knowing that by doing this, he was also safeguarding Yao Ling as well.

    "Do what you need to do!" Yao Ying ordered in a low voice.

    Li Guang sighed in relief when he got Yao Ying¡¯s permission. An impostor would be afraid to be checked so he believed that the man in front of him was indeed his master --- but to be on the safer side, he decided to check on him anyway.

    "Can I take your pulse, Master?" Li Guang asked.

    "Go ahead!" Yao Ying gave him his hand curiously.

    Li Guang knew that his master had a special pulse and this was also the reason Yao Ling felt that something was wrong with his body --- however, she couldn¡¯t find out what it was. It was a subtle feeling so Yao Ling didn¡¯t really remember about it as well. Li Guang wasn¡¯t a master in the medical field but he knew how to read pulse, so it wasn¡¯t a big problem for him to check on Yao Ying¡¯s pulse.

    Besides, their people were deliberately taught about this --- just in case, someone sent another impostor of their master just like in the past.

    Li Guang could feel that special pulse and he looked at Yao Ying almost in tears. He found the right person! He was his master! Even though there was a slight difference in his pulse, he still noticed that the unique characteristic of his mater¡¯s pulse was still there.

    "Master!" Li Guang quickly kowtowed to Yao Ying. "It is indeed you..." He finally could admit that Yao Ying was the real deal.

    "Are you sure that you didn¡¯t make a mistake just now?" Yao Ying asked.

    "No... I didn¡¯t... You are indeed my master..." Li Guang answered resolutely.

    "How could you determine it?" Yao Ying needed to know the reason.

    "Master, you have been poisoned when you were still inside your mother¡¯s womb. Thus, you have a weird pulse that no one have ever heard before. Fortunately, your master found a type of martial art skill which could calm your poison down when you were nine and there has never been a day that you have a rpse," Li Guang exined.

    "My master?" Yao Ying asked.

    Li Guang nodded his head in excitement. "Yes..."

    "Who is he?" Yao Ying asked.

    "I will take you to meet him, Master... but not now... We need to have a preparation first," Li Guang said slowly and Yao Ying nodded his head in agreement --- he wasn¡¯t ready yet and needed time to think of everything.

    Then, he remembered something, "Master, do you remember about that martial arts movement?" Li Guang was in a panic because once his master didn¡¯t do the full set, there was a chance that the poison would start to be activated once again.

    "Have you ever had a rpse?" Li Guang bombarded Yao Ying with questions.

    Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows. A rpse? If that really happened and Yao Ying didn¡¯t tell her, he would certainly get angry at him. Her heart was beating faster out of nervousness.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. "I¡¯m not sure. There¡¯s a full set of martial arts movements that keep reying inside my mind and I keep doing that even when I lose memories. About the rpse..." The only thing that Yao Ying could think of was the time when his memories were going to be triggered and drinking the poison to enter Mi Hui. Other than that, there were only mild symptoms once in a while and he didn¡¯t really put his mind into it because it was only a small matter and didn¡¯t hinder him at all.

    Li Guang listened to Yao Ying¡¯s exnation carefully. "Because of the poison, you have a pretty good resistance towards most types of poisons. It¡¯s good if nothing happened. As long as it¡¯s not being triggered crazily, you can live longer..."

    Yao Ying looked up in surprise and asked in a loud voice, "What did you say?!"

    Yao Ling who heard those words became paler as well. Could live... longer? Didn¡¯t it mean that he had been predicted to have a short life? Yao Ling didn¡¯t find anything wrong with his body so how could the man say this ah~?! She almost fell down if Xiao Yu didn¡¯t hold her tightly.

 Chapter 485 - A Glimpse Of His Past (1)

    Li Guang was confused for a moment before answering, "Didn¡¯t you notice it yourself? Once in a while, you always threw up blood back then. Not only that but you also got tired easily, Master..."

    His master should have felt that his body was weak andck of qi, right? How could he not feel any of it once he lost his memories? Li Guang asked Yao Ying about it and thetter shook his head, telling him that he had never felt weak or something like that --- he felt that he was really fine. That was the reason why Yao Ying was feeling baffled by Li Guang¡¯s words.

    He didn¡¯t want to have a short life ah~! However, as long as he remembered, he only threw up blood once or twice after getting hurt --- it never happened out of the blue.

    Yao Ling sighed in relief when she knew that Yao Ying didn¡¯t lie to her. So, there shouldn¡¯t be any problem with his life... right? But she was feeling curious why Li Guang seemed to feel that Yao Ying¡¯s health was that bad. The man didn¡¯t seem to beughing.

    Even Li Guang was feeling confused about this matter. As far as he knew, his master always looked pale and the man in front of him had a healthy face. He didn¡¯t pay close attention before because he was too concerned whether Yao Ying was his real master or not.

    How could a person change so much in such a short time? Li Guang didn¡¯t understand too... Did someone actually cure his master? But... that was impossible! Even their best people admitted that it was hard to cure the poison because it was already mixed into his blood. He knew that they wouldn¡¯t lie about such an important matter.

    Li Guang suggested, "It will be better if our expert in this field to check on you, Master. Maybe there¡¯s a change in your body that we don¡¯t know about."

    Yao Ying asked, "You are in such a bad condition already and there is a possibility that they are too. I heard you are being framed, right? What about the others then?"

    Yao Ying¡¯s questions were reasonable. He was being dered as their master and the condition when he was found by Yao Ling back then was pretty bad. It meant that their party had been attacked by the enemies --- he wondered whether his subordinates were alright or not.

    Even though he didn¡¯t remember them, it didn¡¯t feel right to turn a blind eye over them.

    Li Guang stayed quiet when he heard Yao Ying¡¯s question, before finally answering, "We were hit pretty bad back then. Half of our people were gone and the others have been in hiding so far... However, they are fine and everyone is waiting for you toe back..."

    The atmosphere inside the room turned somber in a heartbeat.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t know how tofort Li Guang, but somehow, he felt a pang of sadness inside his heart. Yao Ying sighed and decided to break the silence by asking the question that he had wanted to ask the most, "You haven¡¯t told me yet... Who actually am I?!"

    Li Guang cringed when he heard that --- he almost forgot about it as well. "I will... I will tell you... Then, I will start from the beginning, okay?" He stuttered for a second. Li Guang felt a bit ufortable to tell the story in front of Feng and his gaze keptnded at thetter.

    Yao Ying nodded his head while closing his eyes --- he understood Li Guang¡¯s thoughts. "Go ahead! Don¡¯t worry! He¡¯s my people so you can trust him..." He ordered and Li Guang could only obey him.

    Yao Ying trying to imagine all the things that Li Guang would tell him. Would he remember any of it?

    "Honestly, Master... You have a noble identity but you have to hide as a peasant," Li Guang said in a low voice and there was a hint of unreconciled in his words.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t say anything because he knew that things weren¡¯t as simple as it looked like. It seemed like he was living as a peasant all along. However, his body was being poisoned. If he didn¡¯t have a backer, he believed that he wouldn¡¯t be able to live long enough to see the sunshine.

    Li Guang told everything from the beginning.

    Yao Ying was the son of a nobledy and the father was unknown, but because of the rtionship between the nobledy with the man, the nobledy¡¯s family was ughtered. However, until thest moment, the nobledy had never mentioned the name of that man --- even her parents were covering up the man¡¯s identity despite their daughter had been scorned by everyone.

    This made people be more curious about the man¡¯s identity, especially when the nobledy was so beautiful that she was famous as the number one beauty in the capital. Judging from what happened, the man¡¯s rank wasn¡¯t low and... might even be very high.

    "And then? Did I know who my parents are?" Yao Ying asked nervously. Just like what they had predicted beforehand, he had a noble background. Even though he wanted to deny it, he couldn¡¯t now. However, he couldn¡¯t recall a thing that Li Guang had told him about.

    Li Guang nodded his head. "The one who protects you all along is your father and I am one of his people as well..." Li Guang admitted. "Honestly, you didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with him... and you didn¡¯t want to call him Father..."

    Yao Ying furrowed his eyebrows and didn¡¯tment on it. So, he hated his own birth father, huh...

    "So, my motheres from the Qin Kingdom, right?" Yao Ying asked another question.

    "Yes..." Li Guang answered hesitantly.

    "What¡¯s her name?" Yao Ying asked curiously.

    "Qian Yu... Her father was a first-rank official and because he loved her daughter too much, he lost everything," Li Guang said softly. Yao Ying got a few hints from Li Guang¡¯s words --- her reputation must have been ruined because she was pregnant before she was married.

    Because of Li Guang¡¯s words, Yao Ying knew that his mother must have be a sinner in the Qin Kingdom. Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to hear bad things about his mother, but he had no choice to ask about it.

    Li Guang nodded, telling him that it was just like his guess --- but Li Guang didn¡¯t tell him in detail. It seemed like it was really that bad. Yao Ying saw that Li Guang was feeling ufortable to talk bad things about his mother, thus, he didn¡¯t try to push for an answer. Yao Ying decided to skip this matter.

    "So... Is my father from the Qin Kingdom as well?" Yao Ying tried to make a guess who that man was.

    "No..." Li Guang answered.

    "No?" Yao Ying was surprised by his words. "So... you are actually not a Qin citizen as well?!" Yao Ying asked in surprise

    "No, Master..." Li Guang answered.

    Yao Ying was baffled when he heard Li Guang¡¯s answer. Then, who the hell his father was?!

 Chapter 486 - A Glimpse Of His Past (2)

    "Is that why you are being branded as a traitor? You are not actually being framed, aren¡¯t you?" Yao Ying asked in surprise. After all, he indeed wasn¡¯t a Qin citizen and Yao Ying was wondering why Li Guang was staying in the Qin Kingdom.

    Was it just for Yao Ying¡¯s sake? He started to make a guess randomly. The more he asked, the more he was feeling confused about his own identity. Who the hell was he?! Was it worth it to protect him like this?

    Li Guang sighed. "Yes," Li Guang finally admitted. No one framed him because he was Yao Ying¡¯s person from the beginning and they weren¡¯t exactly working for the Qin Kingdom.

    "It seems like my brother is the one who leaked out the news," Li Guang admitted. He received his men¡¯s reports as well about it, so he didn¡¯t solely rely on Ying Ying¡¯s news. Everything had been caused by his greedy brother...

    He didn¡¯t know whether his brother was stupid or what --- by doing this, he might gain an advantage from those people in the beginning, but what about in the future? He wasn¡¯t Qin Kingdom¡¯s citizen, so would they trust him? He really wanted tough at his brother¡¯s foolishness but he didn¡¯t have any pity for him.

    People reaped what he sowed.

    He didn¡¯t think that he would do well in the future when he joined the Qin Kingdom¡¯s officialdom. Besides, he could betray his own brother, so his current employer wouldn¡¯t really believe him as well. He didn¡¯t even think that he even needed to get revenge personally to him before he was being devoured by the others.

    "So... where are you and my fathering from?!" Yao Ying asked, pulling Li Guang out from his deep thoughts about his disappointing brother.

    "We are actually from here... The Shu Kingdom..." Li Guang admitted in a low voice.

    Yao Ying was dumbfounded when he heard Li Guang¡¯s answer. He thought that he was probably from the Han Kingdom, after all, he was able to live safe and sound here so far... Was it because his father had protected him so far... or...? He really didn¡¯t know what to think anymore. His mind was overloaded with the recent news.

    "Here?" He asked in a hoarse voice, feeling that his headache started toe and haunt him --- it was like the time when his memories were being triggered. He quickly tried to calm his mind by pushing several acupuncture points slowly, a trick that Yao Ling had taught him so his headache wouldn¡¯t get any worse once it urred.

    It seemed like the things that he had involved in were very deep andplicated.

    No wonder that they protected the man¡¯s identity so well. It seemed like he was someone important in the Shu Kingdom. However, why did his grandfather let his mother do as she wanted? A noble family would always want to protect their image --- there were a lot of ways to cover the matter up, but that matter was able to blow up crazily at that time.

    Or was there someone working behind the scene to ruin his maternal family? There were a lot of possibilities that he could think of --- but he didn¡¯t know which one was the truth.

    "Who is he? Who is my father?" Yao Ying asked softly.

    Everything started from his father and Yao Ying also felt that thetter was the one who was responsible for all of this. Despite not knowing everything, he could feel there was an intense hatred in his heart towards his father. Because of this, Yao Ying was even more sure that the man that Li Guang talked about at this time was really the past him.

    "Er... Can we talk about his identityter? Why don¡¯t I tell you the rest of the story first?" Li Guang asked. He didn¡¯t think it would be wise to tell Yao Ying about his father first, after all, Li Guang could see a trace of hatred shed in Yao Ying¡¯s eyes. It seemed like he still med his father even though he didn¡¯t remember anything.

    Yao Ying was feeling doubtful about his father¡¯s identity but he knew that it would be better if he listened to the rest of the story first --- at least, he could be more objective this way. "Sure, go ahead..." He gave Li Guang his permission.

    Li Guang exined one by one, however, there were also a lot of things that he didn¡¯t know about and the answers were in Yao Ying¡¯s own memories.

    He didn¡¯t know the thing that happened before Yao Ying was five years old. After all, there was a period that Yao Ying had gone missing and he was hidden perfectly by his maternal family. The matter in Yao Ying¡¯s maternal family was quiteplicated as well and Li Guang couldn¡¯t really find out any information about them.

    Just like what Li Guang had previously said... he had be a peasant around that time, leading a simple life in a secluded vige with his fake parents which of course, little Yao Ying didn¡¯t know about. He thought that they were his real parents.

    Li Guang was the one who was being assigned to search for little Yao Ying at that time. He found Yao Ying when he was crying hungrily on the side of the street, begging. Once he looked for the reason why little Yao Ying was abandoned, he found out that the people who were in charge of taking care of him were dead due to the crazy famine at that time.

    He sighed when he knew that it seemed like Yao Ying¡¯s maternal family didn¡¯t calcte this thing would happen but how could he me them? No one could predict the future, however, his employer was beyond angry when he saw Yao Ying¡¯s bad condition at that time.

    Li Guang had done his own investigation about Yao Ying¡¯s maternal family. After all, he needed to understand what kind of trouble he was jumping into in the Qin Kingdom. He needed to make his cover perfect as well.

    Li Guang only heard a bit from the others that Yao Ying¡¯s mother was adamant in giving birth to him --- even though her body was weak, she didn¡¯t even care. She knew that she couldn¡¯t live long anyway. She already knew that she was being poisoned and the poison seemed to affect the baby as well. However, she wouldn¡¯t ept the idea of aborting the baby.

    She said that this was the result of her and Yao Ying¡¯s father¡¯s love, so she couldn¡¯t let them kill the baby. For a usually rational woman, her behavior really baffled so many people at that time.

    For what reason... no one was clear about it --- after all, they didn¡¯t believe in the ¡¯love¡¯ reason. Only Qian Yu and her father knew about the whole thing, but too bad, both had been dead for a long time.

    His mother died right before she gave birth to him, fortunately, it was almost time for Yao Ying to be born. So the physician did what Qian Yu had begged him to do, he let the babye out and see the world by slicing open Qian Yu¡¯s stomach. By the time, Yao Ying¡¯s maternal grandfather found out about it, it was already toote...

 Chapter 487 - A Glimpse Of His Past (3)

    Yao Ying¡¯s maternal grandfather wanted to kill the baby out of anger after Yao Ying was born --- he felt that Yao Ying was the source of trouble, however, Qian Yu¡¯s personal servant kowtowed and begged him to let the little young master be. After all, it took a lot of effort from Qian Yu to finally give birth to him.

    Shouldn¡¯t the master think about her young mistress¡¯s behalf?

    If there was no that personal maidservant, Yao Ying would already be dead at that moment because his maternal grandfather was very serious because all he needed to do was throwing the baby down to the ground and he had indeed almost done that. However, at that time little Yao Ying seemed to feel something and started crying, he didn¡¯t have the heart to do that. No matter what, he was his only grandson.

    He wasn¡¯t a cruel person, to begin with. It was just he was feeling frustrated by his own daughter¡¯s behavior which ruined their entire family. However, he was also one of the guilty party so he couldn¡¯t me everything solely on his daughter. The old man could only sigh in sadness while holding baby Yao Ying tighter to himself for a few moments.

    If he didn¡¯t ept that man... The old man sighed once again, knowing that everything had been toote. There was no medicine for regret... He should have checked his background beforehand! He had a lot of experiences in his life but still being duped by a youngster. It was disappointing but he had to admit that the man was very smart and he indeed loved his daughter wholeheartedly.

    What else could he do? He only had this one daughter as a family... If he didn¡¯t protect her, who would protect her? That man didn¡¯t even know that they were in this predicament and the old man was too proud to ask for his help. No matter what, they were enemies...

    The old man looked down at baby Yao Ying and kissed his cheek once --- for the first andst time. His heart was softened for a second before he hardened himself once again.

    The personal maidservant sighed in relief, thinking that the old man was able to ept the young master. However, her smile faltered when she heard his next word, "Go! Bring him away!"

    He was a very stubborn old man who would hold onto his own belief no matter what. He let the baby go with his daughter¡¯s maidservant along with a few guards. In the old man¡¯s mind, whether Yao Ying would live or not, he would leave it to the newborn¡¯s own fate --- it didn¡¯t have anything to do with him anymore. He gave enough money for that personal servant and let her take care of the baby. Besides, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to live long with the things that had been going on inside their mansion.

    In a way, his heart was softened at thest minute and wanted to save the baby. He was just worried that he would be killed along with him if the baby stayed in their family. It was better to let him go and maybe... he would be able to live freely out there. Despite his sadness, he knew that there was someone out there who would continue their family¡¯s flesh and blood.

    The old man also let them bring his personal physician to treat Yao Ying¡¯s poison. That physician indebted to the old man so he promised that he would take care of everything regarding Yao Ying¡¯s wellbeing. After that, the old man could sigh in relief.

    Despite his cold appearance, the maidservant knew that this was the master¡¯s way to show his love and she had no choice but to go away with the young master.

    The personal maidservant treated Yao Ying like her own son and brought him up herself --- along with those guards who guarded them silently. Too bad, they were dead because of the natural disaster. Fortunately, Li Guang found him just in time. Otherwise, Yao Ying would be dead as well.

    He saved little Yao Ying from being starved to death.

    Yao Ying bit his lower lip when he heard Li Guang¡¯s story... Thetter got some of the points from the letter that the maidservant had left --- the maidservant wanted Yao Ying to know his background and in actuality, no one was abandoning him. At that time, Yao Ying was still too young to understand everything so she had never told him about it and taken her role as a mother perfectly.

    Li Guang was different from her. He took Yao Ying under his wings and the order from Yao Ying¡¯s father was different from his maternal family. Li Guang needed to treat him harshly with training and lessons so that he could be a powerful person despite his weak body. It indeed made the delicate little boy be a strong man but it also created a gap between him and his so-called father.

    Yao Ying heard the truth and he med his father for everything --- especially because his father had never shown him any fatherly love. It made him be rebellious and it made Li Guang get a lot of headaches in return.

    Yao Ying listened to everything patiently, then he asked, "So, I used to live with you?"

    "Yes, Master," Li Guang answered.

    "What was my status there?" Yao Ying asked curiously. He knew very well that they couldn¡¯t tell other people that Yao Ying was his master, besides, he found him as an orphan.

    "This..." Li Guang felt a bit hesitant.

    Yao Ying looked at Li Guang intently and said, "Why are you being hesitant? Was it that bad? Was I a servant there?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t think that it was that bad to be a servant there.

    "No..." Li Guang answered. "I don¡¯t have the heart to treat you like that, no matter what, you are still my master. I told people that you are the son of my benefactor, so even if you are weak, people have to treat you with respect, Master."

    "Just that?" Yao Ying asked curiously. From Li Guang¡¯s darting eyes, it seemed like he didn¡¯t honestly tell him everything.

    "Er... It¡¯s just a random thing that I made up back then. I said that you are the fiancee of my elder daughter..." Li Guang admitted. He had no choice back then but still... it wasn¡¯t his ce to determine his master¡¯s marriage and he was still feeling guilty about it. Not only that, but he did that out of selfish reason as well.

    Yao Ying sighed in relief, so he didn¡¯t have any rtionship with Ying Ying¡¯s elder sister. He looked at the screen, hoping that Yao Ling was listening as well. He was the innocent party here and it was just Li Guang¡¯s lie, so everything should be fine, right?

    "Oh... It¡¯s good if it¡¯s only a fake engagement..." Yao Ying said in a low voice and there was a hint of happiness in his tone.

    Li Guang was surprised when he heard that --- he thought that the engagement was already a sealed deal!

 Chapter 488 - A Glimpse Of His Past (4)

    "Master... What do you mean by fake?!" Li Guang asked in surprise. Even though his master knew that it was Li Guang¡¯s doing back then, there was no objection for him. That was the reason why Li Guang thought that this was a sealed deal! Thus, he had never nned to marry her daughter to another man...

    But... his master¡¯s reaction had changed! What about his daughter then? What should he do about her marriage? It was already her time to get married and he didn¡¯t have anything to back her up at this moment to let her have a good marriage in the future. Even though he had lost his position but he still had his hidden statch so they should be able to live a good life... but, her marriage...

    He could only sigh in regret. There was a sudden determination from him... he needed to at least, fight...

    Yao Ying raised one of his eyebrows and asked, "Didn¡¯t you say that it was just a facade? Did I say something wrong? A facade is just a facade... You know it better than me what it means, right?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t think that he should give Li Guang a face because he could see the hidden intention from his determined gaze.

    He must have nned something to secure this marriage for his daughter. It was just a guess but Yao Ying felt that it was better to be safe than sorryter.

    Li Guang couldn¡¯t refute that, but he stubbornly said, "But... you had never objected to it before! So, I think that you agree with the arrangement." His voice started to weaken in thest part, not knowing what to say anymore.

    Besides, his master had never been closed to any woman because he was wary of his own status in the Qin Kingdom and... he would get married at some points, right? Not only that, but his daughter was famous for her beauty and gracefulness --- many men had proposed to her but Li Guang always rejected their proposal. He believed that there was no objection from his master because he was interested in his daughter as well.

    It had never urred in his mind that the master only thought that this was just a temporary arrangement! Li Guang was really shocked at this moment.

    Ying Ying hadn¡¯t told him that Yao Ying had gotten married, after all, she didn¡¯t think that it was an important thing. Her hatred was burning for the second branch and she missed the chance to tell her father and sister about it. They merely talked about the things that she had gone through and what happened inside the prison.

    If Li Guang had known beforehand, he could have used another cleverer approach while talking about this matter --- but it was already toote. The man was still oblivious until this moment.

    Yao Ying looked at Li Guang seriously and somehow emitted a scary aura which made Li Guang feel surprised. He asked, "Didn¡¯t you just say that I am your master? How could you make a decision on my behalf...? Have I ever said directly to you that I would marry your daughter back then?"

    Li Guang opened his mouth, wanting to say something about it. However, Yao Ying¡¯s next words made him close his mouth once again. The former said, "Tell me the truth and don¡¯t you dare to lie! Don¡¯t make me lose my trust to you just for this one small matter..."

    Li Guang knew that he couldn¡¯t lie, otherwise... if his master remembered everything, he would be the one who was in big trouble. He was a man and had to think of the big picture, this time, he really felt guilty about his daughter --- he knew that she had loved the master for so long. He felt angry that his master thought of this as a small matter, after all, he was his loyal subordinate.

    There was nothing that he could do though.

    He finally admitted, "No... Master had never said anything back then..." If he thought back, his master only nodded at him and agreed with his arrangement --- but that was when Yao Ying was still a little boy.

    "Good!" Yao Ying nodded his head in satisfaction. "Then... Is there a problem between the two of us regarding this matter?" Yao Ying didn¡¯t want any future trouble, thus, he wanted to clear up everything in the front.

    Li Guang quickly kneeled down and said, "No, Master. I will always stay loyal to you... whether my daughter will get married to you or not." He had already made an oath a long time ago, so he wouldn¡¯t back out on it.

    "One more thing... I also need to tell you about a thing that has changed on my part to..." Yao Ying said with a smile.

    Li Guang looked at him in confusion. "What is it, Master?"

    "There¡¯s a reason for me not to ept your daughter as my wife..."

    Li Guang looked at Yao Ying with interest. "Why?"

    "I already have a wife..." Yao Ying said loud and clear. "She should be treated as an equal with me... so she should be your young mistress as well..." Yao Ying knew that he was a bit too hasty in doing this, after all, he only heard about Li Guang¡¯s loyalty from thetter¡¯s own mouth --- he should have been more vignt.

    However, he didn¡¯t want to be bothered with the marriage thing again because it made Yao Ling keep feeling worried for nothing.

    Li Guang gasped. "Who?"

    "I will introduce her to you..." Yao Ying answered. "Dear... Pleasee out...!" He called Yao Ling, wanting her to meet Li Guang face to face so that thetter know that he wasn¡¯t lying.

    Li Guang was surprised that he couldn¡¯t feel Yao Ling¡¯s presence there --- was she there all along? Listening to... everything? His master used to have a very hard time to trust people... so how could she easily make him trust her?

    Could losing memories change people¡¯s personality easily like this?

    A woman came out from behind the screen. She didn¡¯t use any extraordinary clothing or expensive jewelries --- it could be said that her dressing was pretty simple and in, but it didn¡¯t diminish her beauty. He had to admit that she was far more beautiful than his daughter who had been popr for her beauty at the Qin Kingdom.

    "This is my wife... Yao Ling..." Yao Ying introduced them.

    Li Guang could only bow politely while cupping his hands, "Mistress..." He politely called her. Li Guang knew that he needed to get the bottom of this... Why didn¡¯t Ying Ying mention anything about this woman ah~?!

    "You are too polite, Li Guang Da Ren..." Yao Ling said with a smile. She felt happy because Yao Ying had the initiative to introduce the two of them and she knew that they had to treat Li Guang with respect. In a way, he was the one who had been taking care of Yao Ying all this time.

    Li Guang understood why his master was besotted by this woman. Not only beautiful but her manner and gracefulness were attractive as well. He wanted to second-guess his master¡¯s decision but he decided to just wait and see first. He needed to know this woman¡¯s background too!

    Li Guang and Yao Ling were assessing each other slowly. They seemed to be smiling but they were actually vignt towards each other.

 Chapter 489 - A Rare Gem

    "Ah... I am not a Da Ren anymore, you can just call me Li Guang," Li Guang said politely despite feeling wary of her. No matter what, she was currently the wife that his master had acknowledged.

    Yao Ling looked a bit hesitant and asked for Yao Ying¡¯s help --- they weren¡¯t that close ah~! How could she call him just by his name?

    Yao Ying nodded his head, encouraging her. "You are my wife and Li Guang has acknowledged your status as my wife as well..." Yao Ying felt that what he said had been cleared enough. In the end, Yao Ling really called him by his name and when she saw that there was no displeasure in Li Guang¡¯s face, she sighed in relief.

    At least, they could stay polite on the surface, even though they knew that they were wary of each other. Yao Ling wasn¡¯t stupid --- judging from Li Guang¡¯s expression, it seemed that his daughter harbored some feelings to Yao Ying.

    Even if there was a bit of displeasure in Li Guang¡¯s heart, he couldn¡¯t show it on his face. His master had said it clearly about her status, so there was no way that he could tantly ignore Yao Ling even if he wanted to.

    Yao Ying could also feel the slight tension between them but he pretended that he didn¡¯t see anything --- at least, for now. He still needed Li Guang to reveal everything to him. He decided to stop pursuing the marriage matter --- at least, he already let Li Guang know his stance.

    After Yao Ling sat down, Yao Ying looked intently at Li Guang once more. He was trying to think which question that he should ask first. There were so many questions in his head, however, he didn¡¯t feel as burdened as before because, in his mind, the woman matter had been settled.

    Yao Ying sighed and continued with his question, "I know I don¡¯t remember anything but I will still need your guidance. Tell me! What have we been doing the past few years?"

    Li Guang knew that there were would be a lot of things for them to talk about and his eyes darted at Yao Ling, feeling ufortable with her presence. "Can Mistress... er... this?" He stuttered while asking the question.

    He didn¡¯t need to finish his questions and the couple already understood his meaning. Yao Ling was gritting her teeth in annoyance but she would let Yao Ying handle his own man. It wasn¡¯t worth it to fight over this even though she felt offended.

    "Of course, she can! I trust her with my own life!" Yao Ying dered loudly. "You don¡¯t have to question her anymore... She¡¯s not a liability here! She is my wife!" Yao Ying emphasized thest part stubbornly.

    "Why?" Li Guang couldn¡¯t help but ask. He really wanted to be obedient but he didn¡¯t trust Yao Ling who appeared out of nowhere --- in his mind, he was concerned whether his master had been blinded by the woman or not.

    Yao Ying was annoyed by Li Guang¡¯s rude question but he knew that this matter had to be solved sooner orter. Otherwise, there would be no trust in their rtionship. He actually wanted to skip this part today but Li Guang just wouldn¡¯t let him be. He could only deal with this matter right away, probably it wasn¡¯t a bad thing too.

    He needed to let Li Guang give up his hope...

    "There are many reasons... and I will tell you about it one by one... Maybe you should listen to our story first so that you will get an understanding of the trust between me and my wife," Yao Ying said confidently.

    Yao Ying started to tell him the story that had happened right after he lost his memories. Only briefly though... and not only that, he also didn¡¯t tell Li Guang about Yao Ling¡¯s real identity. There was no trust yet between them --- what if Li Guang wanted to use this as an opportunity to raise his daughter¡¯s status and remove Yao Ling from her position?

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t want to risk it. Thinking about it already made his mind go crazy --- he wouldn¡¯t let anyone separate him from Yao Ling.

    Li Guang was surprised when he heard everything that his master had gone through. Yao Ying was almost dead back then and the one who saved him was Yao Ling. He was hopeful when he thought that his master must have done this out of duty... out of his gratefulness.

    However, he listened to the rest of the story and couldn¡¯t help but change his mind. He admitted that the woman wasn¡¯t only beautiful but also smart. Her mind wasn¡¯t glued to the inner courtyard matter but she was hardworking and could help Yao Ying deal with a lot of matter --- she was a rare woman to be found.

    A rare gem.

    On the other hand, his daughter had only been raised to think about managing the inner courtyard matter and four art skills. He understood that this woman was several times better than his own daughter. Li Guang could only sigh in regret and he needed to tell his daughter all about this and hope that she would forget the master.

    Li Guang couldn¡¯t say anything, thus, he nodded his head in silence. "I understand... But one more question, what about her identity? Didn¡¯t you say that Mistress had found her maternal family...? The real one... Will it sh with our interest?" Li Guang asked in a low voice.

    Yao Ying and Yao Ling could see that there was no hint of previous wariness from Li Guang¡¯s expression. It seemed like he had started to respect Yao Ling a little bit --- a small improvement but it was better than nothing.

    That was the only thing that Yao Ying hadn¡¯t told Li Guang about. "She¡¯s the daughter of an official from the Han Kingdom..." They had decided to use the identity of Uncle Qiu¡¯s daughter --- the real one and Yao Ling¡¯s newfound brother also took her as his own sister, so there shouldn¡¯t be any problem with it.

    "Han Kingdom..." Li Guang muttered to himself, not knowing what to think about this matter.

    Even Li Guang was speechless when he heard that. Wasn¡¯t their identity far tooplicated? It involved the three kingdoms, in a way. The past of these two peasants was far too different than their supposed-to-be simple life. There were so manyplicated matters that they needed to handle.

    Yao Ling said, "I won¡¯t let my identity hinder Yao Ying. Don¡¯t worry! No matter what, I will support him with all I have..."

    Yao Ying smiled softly and patted Yao Ling¡¯s hand when he heard that. "See? You can trust her... She won¡¯t do anything harmful to us..."

    Li Guang nodded his head and bowed politely, "Yes, Master."

    "So... Can you tell me now? Who wanted to kill me back then?" Yao Ying asked.

    He wasn¡¯t even a prince or something like that, so what kind of conspiracy that he was involved in?

    "Then, I will tell you the matter slowly, Master..." Li Guang answered.

    "Go on..." Yao Ying urged him to talk as soon as possible.

 Chapter 490 - A Bit Hard Life Wouldnt Kill Him

    <h4>Chapter 490 - A Bit Hard Life Wouldn''t Kill Him</h4>

    After Yao Ying had been taken in by him, Li Guang quickly did what Yao Ying¡¯s father had ordered him to do --- even though he was feeling pity towards the weak little boy. Yao Ying¡¯s father had told him before that that he was doing all of this for Yao Ying¡¯s own good, so there was no reason for Li Guang to object it. After all, he knew his master really well... He wouldn¡¯t do something useless or something that could hurt his own son.

    Not only that, but he could see the love from his master¡¯s wandering gaze towards Yao Ying --- even though he was pretty strict to thetter and masked his feelings really well.

    Li Guang made Yao Ying work even harder than other people because of the responsibilities that would be transferred to him in the future by his father. So even though Yao Ying¡¯s body was weak, he tried to find a way to push his abilities to the max, of course, without endangering Yao Ying¡¯s life the slightest bit --- besides, he had been protected by his maternal grandfather¡¯s personal physician ever since he was born so his body had turned slightly for the better and not as bad as before.

    A bit hard life wouldn¡¯t kill him.

    Just like how his master had predicted, Yao Ying could handle everything that Li Guang had thrown at him --- of course, Li Guang had calcted everything and talked to Yao Ying¡¯s physician first before giving him tasks. He wouldn¡¯t dare to y with his young master¡¯s life or he would lose his own life as well.

    Not only that but the thing that made everything a sess was the fact that Yao Ying wasn¡¯t a kid who would easily give up to his fate. Li Guang promised him a better life without telling him about his background at first, and honestly, that point triggered Yao Ying to be the best and conquer his own life. Although little Yao Ying felt a bit suspicious because the lessons that he had gotten were unlike those for an ordinary person, he didn¡¯t pursue it any further because he saw it as a chance to improve himself.

    Why should he reject a good chance just because he felt paranoid over such a thing? He had nothing to lose anyway, thus, he trained himself harder and removed those unnecessary thoughts.

    Seeing his stubbornness, Li Guang also didn¡¯t hold back when teaching things to Yao Ying --- in a way, he was also Yao Ying¡¯s mentor, teacher, and sometimes bing a father figure for him. Yao Ying used to respect him very much and that was the reason he felt surprised that Yao Ying had been fighting him vehemently over his new wife just now. Somehow, it made him feel afraid that he would lose his power and influence over Yao Ying as well.

    Once he had found his young master, Li Guang¡¯s mind started to work slyly. To overturn his current bad position, he needed his young master and considered whether he should do something to make his young master rely on him once again. If he treated Yao Ying right and thetter could be truly sessful in the future, Li Guang was sure that his future wouldn¡¯t be too bleak as well. He smiled inwardly but didn¡¯t let his thoughts leak out through his expressions.

    How could Li Guang me Yao Ying when thetter lost his memories just like that? It was hateful but there was nothing he could do. It seemed like the bond that they had diminished into nothing in current Yao Ying¡¯s eyes --- in a way, it would be hard to control Yao Ying to a certain extent.

    Li Guang was a stubborn old man and he felt a bit reconciled and renewed his determination to change Yao Ying into how he was once before. Until now, he was still underestimating the influence that Yao Ling had over Yao Ying --- he didn¡¯t know how deep in love the couple was.

    Li Guang finally told Yao Ying a few things so that he could gain Yao Ying¡¯s pity or affection for a little bit... well, for example, by telling him about how Yao Ying¡¯s father knew about his poison and was able to find the martial art skills set that could be useful for Yao Ying¡¯s condition --- it took a lot of effort on Yao Ying¡¯s father¡¯s part to find those things. He also told Yao Ying how stubborn Yao Ying¡¯s father was... because he didn¡¯t want Li Guang to let Yao Ying know that everything had actually been given by him.

    Li Guang had tried to convince Yao Ying¡¯s father to let Yao Ying know but he failed, so he could only shut his mouth and do his job. He shook his head at his stubborn master --- Yao Ying was his own son for God¡¯s sake and he was pretty sure that young master would be able to forgive his own birth father.

    Judging from the skeptical view that Yao Ying had about his father, it was better if he told him at the moment. At least, his mind wasn¡¯t really blinded by hatred like before --- maybe this memory loss wasn¡¯t fully a bad thing as well. Li Guang didn¡¯t want the rtionship between Yao Ying and his father got any worse --- after all, they would need each other in the end.

    When Li Guang told about his father¡¯s so-called kindness, Yao Ying felt hatred and headache feeling surging in. There was a nagging in the back of his mind which said that it was only his father¡¯s facade and told him not to believe in it, but he wondered where the hatred wasing from.

    He remembered nothing, for God¡¯s sake!!

    Yao Ling saw his pale face and quickly came over to him. She didn¡¯t hesitate to do a few quick moves with her silver needles to make him feel better. Li Guang was surprised when he saw everything because Yao Ling¡¯s moves were on point and fast --- it was even faster than the physician¡¯s that had handled Yao Ying¡¯s condition since birth!

    ¡¯Who is this woman exactly?!¡¯ Li Guang thought inwardly.

    "What did you do?" Li Guang asked in surprise but it was purely a surprise question --- without any bad intention. He didn¡¯t use her of anything, instead, he was feeling curious. Yao Ling just nced at him and decided not to answer him. What she did had already been obvious enough. Was he stupid or what? Yao Ling sneered inwardly.

    In a heartbeat, Yao Ying¡¯s headache hadpletely stopped. His mind became clearer and he made a decision, "No need to tell me about my father until I recover all my memories!" He didn¡¯t want to risk himself because he felt that there must be something that triggered such a reaction from him.

    He wanted to find it out by himself and Yao Ling couldn¡¯t agree more. After all, Yao Ying¡¯s reaction to those stories was far more severe than before! There must be something wrong with the father-son rtionship.

    Yao Ying thought inwardly that his father didn¡¯t want him so he also didn¡¯t think of him as his father. His maternal family perished because of him and yet, he didn¡¯t even show up or try to save them. How could he not hate him?

    That was the only conclusion that he could get from their conversation.

    Li Guang asked hesitantly, "Don¡¯t you want to know about your father¡¯s identity?"

 Chapter 491 - A Good Man

    <h4>Chapter 491 - A Good Man</h4>

    Yao Ying looked at Yao Ling and thetter sighed, knowing that Yao Ying was also in a predicament. He wanted to know everything but his condition wasn¡¯t good enough for him to handle the pressure. Thus, she slightly shook her head --- telling him that this wasn¡¯t the right time. The headache could endanger his life at this moment.

    Li Guang saw their interaction and couldn¡¯t help but feel even warier towards Yao Ling. The woman could affect Yao Ying¡¯s judgment to that extent.

    Yao Ling answered Li Guang on Yao Ying¡¯s behalf, not caring about what the old man¡¯s thoughts. If thetter thought of her as a hindrance, so be it... It meant that she needed to remove this man... and also, his daughter. However, the man was still useful to them because he knew Yao Ying¡¯s full background.

    "Da Ren, my husband isn¡¯t ready... Can we talk more on another day?" Yao Ling politely said with a hint of stubbornness on her tone.

    "But..." Li Guang wanted to refute, however, Yao Ying stopped him.

    "You should listen to her..." Yao Ying said in a firm tone. "You can retreat for now. Once I am ready, I will call you again." He didn¡¯t give room to argue and Li Guang could only grit his teeth while retreating.

    His unwillingness could be seen clearly by the couple and they kept that in mind.

    Yao Ling asked softly, "Do you believe in him?"

    No matter what, they saw a lot of holes from his stories... He looked sincere at the beginning but once he saw Yao Ling, they could feel Li Guang¡¯s change... Was it... because of his daughter? If he wasn¡¯t sincere or loyal, then why did he let himself fall into such big trouble back at the Qin Kingdom?

    Yao Ying sighed. "I can only believe in him at the moment because there is no reason for him to lie... But, my father... a Shu person? Who would that be?" He wondered while having a lost expression on his face. Although there was a certain hatred in his mind, he was still feeling curious to know his identity.

    "Do you want to ask for help from A Thousand Words? Maybe they could find out something about it? I know that it¡¯s a bit risky, but I¡¯m sure that we can trust Hei Yue and the others..." Yao Ling suggested softly. "At least, you can double-check whether Li Guang has told you the truth or not."

    Yao Ying pondered for a little while before nodding his head. "It seems to be a good idea. However, Li Guang¡¯s words were a bit vague. How could we find out anything about ¡¯him¡¯ easily?" Yao Ying¡¯s mood wasplicated so he didn¡¯t directly call that man as his father and his mind didn¡¯t work as sharp as usual because it rted to his own past. Whether he would recognize that man as a father or not... he would decide it in the future.

    Yao Lingughed. "Judging from his words, there are only a few possibilities of his identity so it will be easier to check," she said while holding his hand. She wanted him to calm down and clear his cloudy mind.

    "What?"

    Yao Ling could only shake her head inwardly. A person could be muddleheaded when they were thinking about the matter that was involving himself, luckily, she was here to think on his behalf as well.

    "Silly! If that man is able to protect you this well and his identity was being protected to that extent, his identity must be precious. I am certain that that man must be a part of the royal family... As for what his title is, we need to find out first because I¡¯m not sure about it as well --- besides, we have never try to know more about theplicated rtionship in the Shu Kingdom¡¯s royalty..." Yao Ling trailed off at thest part when she saw that Yao Ying¡¯s face was getting paler. It seemed like he rejected that idea subconsciously.

    She sighed because she understood her husband really well. They both yearned for a simple life but it seemed like their identities wouldn¡¯t let them ah~! In her heart, she also resisted the idea of having a rtionship with the royal family. After all, she had never heard anything good about them.

    They could kill each other even though they were brothers... Admitting their rtionship with them would certainly make them being pulled into the intrigue in the pce. Yao Ling didn¡¯t want their child to live in that kind of environment, however, they were also helpless in this matter.

    "Or... do you want to forget about your past? If you want to do that, we can just run away from here and leave somewhere else... start over a new life...?" Yao Ling tried to ease the tension by making a joke --- after all, they had reached this step and it was quite impossible to do that.

    How could they abandon Wang Fu which took them in? Li Guang had already met them and they knew that he wouldn¡¯t let them go easily. They knew that storm hade to their way and needed to have a preparation for that.

    Yao Ying¡¯s mouth slightly curled up when he imagined Yao Ling¡¯s words. "Impossible! However, it¡¯s a beautiful imagination..." He knew that she tried to cheer him up. He suddenly stood up despite his weak condition and pped his own face quite hard.

    Yao Ling jumped up in surprise and asked, "What are you doing?"

    Yao Ying grinned and answered, "Just trying to sober up! I need to be strong for the three of us..." His eyesnded on her belly. "To create a safe environment for our child, I need to clean up my past! I don¡¯t know what kind of responsibilities that Li Guang was talking about, but I have to face it sooner orter! I don¡¯t want people to chase us and kill us once more!"

    Yao Ling nodded in agreement. Somehow, his current expression made her feel deeply entranced even more. She sighed softly... thinking that Jiu Lan certainly chose a good man for her, even though they actually didn¡¯t have another choice back then.

    Yao Ying hugged Yao Ling and said, "Thank you for being here with me!"

    Yao Ling hugged him back even tighter. "We are husband and wife! Why did you thank me ah~?!" However, she could erase the smile on her lips. "I will handle A Hundred Words¡¯ matter... You can just focus on your health first..."

    Even though his life wasn¡¯t endangered just like what Li Guang said, he still needed to pay attention to his headache. Yao Ling needed to give him a constant treatment from now on, of course, with a bit of her power. However, she wouldn¡¯t tell Yao Ying about this because thetter would certainly refuse it. She needed to do it carefully so that Yao Ying wouldn¡¯t notice it --- thetter was sensitive to the fluctuation of her power.

    However, she didn¡¯t know that even though Yao Ying didn¡¯t notice what she had done due to his current state of mind... someone else noticed her power...

 Chapter 492 - Trigerred Her To Do Something More Extreme

    <h4>Chapter 492 - Trigerred Her To Do Something More Extreme</h4>

    When Li Guang went back to the ce that Yao Ying had prepared for his family, he quickly called Ying Ying over to have a serious talk. He wanted to know what exactly was going on with Yao Ling! He didn¡¯t hear his daughter mention this woman when they were on the way here. Ying Ying just mentioned that Yao Ling was her master but not once she told them that Yao Ling was actually Yao Ying¡¯s wife!

    At that time, he was too concerned with the fact that they had found Young Master, thus, he didn¡¯t really pay attention to those details. There were a lot of things to be handled after he calmed himself down and found that ¡¯that man¡¯ was indeed his real young master.

    Yao Ying was supposed to be her sister¡¯s fiancee and Ying Ying should have known that... right? It made him feel suspicious of Ying Ying¡¯s purpose. He deliberately didn¡¯t call for his eldest daughter, just to avoid talking about this matter first. He didn¡¯t want to make her sad, after all, she was his favorite daughter.

    There was nothing much that Ying Ying could tell about the couple¡¯s rtionship because she had just met them right before she saved Li Guang --- basically, she knew nothing about them. Besides, she didn¡¯t think that it was important at that time. Li Guang couldn¡¯t me her because Ying Ying said that he didn¡¯t know anything about her big sister¡¯s engagement with Yao Ying. If he recalled correctly, he really didn¡¯t talk much about that after he took Ying Ying away from the second branch.

    Ying Ying felt that her father was asking for too much at this moment.

    She thought inwardly that in their current condition, they weren¡¯t in a position to think about that fake engagement ah~! She more or less understood that ¡¯fake¡¯ point from the way her father talked. They had been saved from the brink of death, thus, they shouldn¡¯t be greedy and want more.

    "What should I tell your sister?" Li Guang asked with a sigh while massaging his temple.

    "Does big sister really like him?" Ying Ying asked curiously.

    "If she wasn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t be in this predicament ah~!" Li Guang answered while looking at Ying Ying like thetter was an idiot.

    Ying Ying seemed to be ustomed to being treated like that so she didn¡¯t feel offended with his father¡¯s behavior --- this was also the reason why she didn¡¯t really close to him. He was always biased to her elder sister but oh well... they didn¡¯t even know that they were blood-rted until recently. She was also confused about why he tried to save her instead of her sister.

    When she looked at Li Guang¡¯s current expression, something bad was fleeting inside her mind and it made her shudder. Was she... being calcted? However, she removed that thought away... Her father wouldn¡¯t do that.

    "Sooner orter, she will find out that Young Master has been married for quite some time... We should tell her the truth..." Ying Ying wanted to add --- just in case, she embarrassed herself. However, she held her tongue back. What else could they do?!

    The door to the room was suddenly being opened from the outside which made Li Guang and Ying Ying jumped up in surprise. They knew that they weren¡¯t being spied so they had rxed their vignce. They looked at the door together.

    "What are you talking about? Who...? Young Master? Married?" A woman¡¯s voice floated into the room and they could hear the distress in the woman¡¯s voice.

    "Lian Er..." Li Guang somehow felt guilty after calling her name --- he couldn¡¯t bear to see her heartbroken expression.

    Ying Ying sighed. Her big sister was quite protective of her back then, but she could see that everything seemed to be different when they were in deep trouble like this. Her sister was only strong and powerful in the backyard back then, but she was quite spoiled in other aspects. The truth was... she was just a weak and mncholic woman. She cried easily...

    Feng Lian cried and quickly asked them to tell her everything. She had loved young master for so long, how could she feel reconciled to let him go just like this? She wouldn¡¯t! Once she heard everything, she felt like her heart was being stabbed --- it was so painful that it was hard for her to breathe.

    "Have you seen the woman¡¯s face?" She looked at Ying Ying ferociously.

    Ying Ying was surprised by her sister¡¯s ugly expression and nodded carefully. In truth, her sister was a bit more beautiful than Yao Ling, however, after seeing Yao Ling¡¯s capabilities and gracefulness, she had to admit that her sister lost to Yao Ling. She wondered whether her sister was always like this or her mind was distorted because she was being imprisoned for a long time.

    "Lian er!"

    Li Guang was also surprised by Feng Lian¡¯s expression. He had never once seen her like this before!

    Feng Lian seemed to realize that both of them looked at them weirdly --- she quicklyposed her expression. "I am fine... I am sorry... I am just too surprised!" She said in a low voice while lowering her head and trying to calm herself down.

    Li Guang sighed. "It¡¯s fine! I¡¯m sorry the engagement has to end like this! If you want to me someone, you have to me it all to fate... It¡¯s already a miracle that Young Master is able to survive."

    Even if he wanted to make his daughter happy, he couldn¡¯t at the moment. He had no power and could feel that Yao Ying was feeling wary of him.

    "I..." Feng Lian was hesitant but there was a trace of ruthlessness in her eyes which was gone in a second. She nodded her head and continued talking, "I understand..."

    Li Guang and Ying Ying sighed in relief. It seemed like her feelings weren¡¯t as deep as that --- or maybe, she understood their current position. However, they didn¡¯t know that they made a big mistake by underestimating Feng Lian¡¯s feelings...

    They thought that no one paid attention to their movement, however, whatever happened in their house didn¡¯t escape from Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s eyes. Yao Ying sighed in relief when he thought that the woman wouldn¡¯t pose any trouble to him and Yao Ling.

    However, Yao Ling wasn¡¯t as optimistic as him. She was a woman and knew how much jealousy could make a woman turn into a lunatic. Their spy could only hear their conversation but he couldn¡¯t see their expressions, thus, she didn¡¯t fully trust his report. It was better to listen to her own instinct, as long as she was careful, it should be fine.

    ------

    While the couple was waiting for the news from A Thousand Words, they treated Li Guang¡¯s family hot and cold. Li Guang knew this but he was also helpless. The only thing that he really noticed was the way Yao Ying avoided Feng Lian like thetter was a gue. His hope was slightly diminished because of this.

    Even Li Guang had noticed this point, so how could Feng Lian not notice it? She had tried to find a lot of ways to appear in front of Yao Ying, but she had failed miserably. Yao Ling felt that Yao Ying was doing good for ignoring the woman, otherwise, she would kick him out of her bed just like before!

    However, this move triggered Feng Lian to do something more extreme.

 Chapter 493 - Partnership

    <h4>Chapter 493 - Partnership</h4>

    Feng Lian always paid attention to Yao Ling¡¯s every movement while she was trying to hook up with Yao Ying secretly. Too bad though... Because everyone didn¡¯t like Feng Lian¡¯s loving eyes to Yao Ying, the people around the couple became more vignt when they were around her. Feng Lian¡¯s intention was so obvious.

    Thus, she had no chance to do anything to Yao Ying.

    Ying Ying saw the determined look on her sister¡¯s face and advised her to stop doing it a few times because what Feng Lian did was hopeless. Thetter wasn¡¯t only ignoring her but didn¡¯t hesitate to p Ying Ying. Ying Ying touched her cheek in surprise while feeling hurt --- in the end, she just stopped caring altogether. She didn¡¯t prevent her or amodate Feng Lian anymore --- she would just focus on her work.

    It was Feng Lian¡¯s own choice... Ying Ying decided to be a bystander because she couldn¡¯t betray both of her new master and her family.

    Besides, Ying Ying clearly knew that everyone was feeling wary of her sister anyway. She had tried to warn her father but thetter turned a deaf ear to her words, thus, she felt helpless as well. Somehow, she felt that her family had changed so much that she felt that she didn¡¯t recognize them anymore. Sometimes, she asked herself whether saving them was the right choice or not...

    Once her thought went that way, she pped her own face softly and knew that she was being unfilial. This showed how her heart had changed after being with Yao Ling¡¯s team, she noticed that they were more sincere than her own family --- she could see their hypocrisy clearly when there was aparison.

    Feng Lian was still living in her dream --- for wanting to be Yao Ying¡¯s wife. She felt something fishy from the way those around Yao Ling behaved, after all, they were like overprotective mother hens. However, no matter how much she wanted to know a piece of information about Yao Ling, no one told her everything. Thus, she couldn¡¯t guess that Yao Ling was pregnant... After all, the woman looked so slim and in fact, Yao Ling was clever at choosing her clothing so that it could cover up her big stomach.

    When Feng Lian was desperate, someone was sending her a simple and weird message all of a sudden. She was thinking about her supposed-to-be fiancee inside her room when someone was throwing a knife and it pierced the wooden table. She jumped up in surprise while yelled, "Who?"

    No one was answering her and when she tried to search for that person in the direction where the knife wasing from, there was no trace of anything there. She looked at the knife in fear and saw that there was a small scroll of paper being tied to the knife. Feng Lian took it with hesitation, but in the end, she decided to read it.

    She had no servant girl by her side anymore due to her current status, so no one knew about this letter --- except for her.

    ¡¯Meet me at Xing Alley at Xu Shi[1] and I will give you what you want...¡¯

    She read the letter slowly... ¡¯What I want?¡¯ Feng Lian thought to herself. Did this person know about her obsession? Was this about Yao Ying? She wasn¡¯t sure but it gave her a bit of hope.

    Feng Lian gripped the note tightly, wondering whether she should trust the sender or not. She could feel that there was something fishy --- however, it couldn¡¯t make her forget about her unstoppable obsession towards Yao Ying. It was almost one month and yet, there was no progress on her part! She almost went crazy, feeling helpless.

    Her curiosity won and she walked out to meet that unknown person even though it waste at night. She believed in the note --- they needed each other so she didn¡¯t think that this person would harm her.

    Feng Lian decided not to tell anyone about it... not even her father and sister. After all, they would only be a hindrance and stop her from doing this. She sneered to herself and tried to adjust her state of mind --- she didn¡¯t want to look weak in front of that person.

    When she arrived at Xing Alley, she could feel her whole body start to sweat. She became nervous and had cold feet at thest minute, thinking that she had made a bad choice foring here all alone. She used to have her personal maidservants to do all the works before she was imprisoned and this was the first time she was doing shady things all by herself. This made her ufortable and her previous confidence diminished.

    No one was in the alley when she arrived. It was already night time --- dark and scary. She waited for an incense stick of time, but when she still saw no one, she felt like she was being duped! She grumbled to herself and decided to go back home.

    When she turned around, she jumped up in surprise because a man was standing there without making any sound. He was wearing a ck mask so she couldn¡¯t find out his identity.

    "You reallye..." The man said in a low voice.

    "Are... are you the one who sent me the message?" Feng Lian asked slowly, gulping in fear.

    "Yes..."

    "What do you want?" Feng Lian asked in a low voice. Her voice was slightly trembling but she pretended to be brave and ask, "Why me?"

    The manughed in a low voice. "My master wants something and it seems... our goal is the same as you..."

    "What goal?" Feng Lian pretended to be oblivious, however, there was a hint of excitement in her voice that couldn¡¯t be concealed by her.

    The man knew that this woman had taken the bait. Well... this stupid woman would certainly help him a lot. "You want the man and my master wants the woman... Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a good coincidence? It¡¯s a win-win situation for both of us."

    Feng Lian squinted her eyes. "Why should I trust you?"

    The manughed. "It¡¯s up to you. It¡¯s just an offer from me so that I could finish my task easier with your help. If you don¡¯t want to do it, it¡¯s fine for me anyway." After saying that, the man turned around.

    Feng Lian was dumbfounded. He was going to leave her just like that?! She thought that he needed her! She gritted her teeth and called out, "Wait!"

    The man paused for a little while before walking again.

    "I¡¯ll do it!" Feng Lian said. "What do you want me to do? I need to hear it first." She asked cautiously.

    "Sure!" The man answered.

    He talked for quite some time when Feng Lian¡¯s previous fear was gone. Her lips slightly curled up --- it seemed like she liked the n that she had just heard.

    The man asked, "What do you think?"

    Feng Lian answered without a second thought, "It¡¯s a deal!"

    That night, she went back home with a better mood. Ying Ying felt curious about it because this was the first time she saw her sister smile, however, thetter just red at her and said nothing. The former could only give up asking. In Feng Lian¡¯s mind, her family was a disappointment --- they didn¡¯t want to help her to get her wish.

    Thus, she would try to get it herself --- with that person¡¯s help.

    --------------

    [1] Xu Shi: Around 7-8 pm.

 Chapter 494 - Feng Lians Sudden Change

    <h4>Chapter 494 - Feng Lian''s Sudden Change</h4>

    Yao Ling¡¯s spy who had been ced at Feng Lian¡¯s side told her that Feng Lian went out sneakily at night, however, he was being distracted and couldn¡¯t follow her. Yao Ling furrowed her eyebrows when she heard this --- it meant that someone helped her and it must not be an ordinary person because he could make her people lose track of Feng Lian.

    She believed in her people¡¯s skills --- the man was personally selected by Xiu so she didn¡¯t think that there was a problem with her own people¡¯s skill. But who? Who dared to make a move at this time and help Feng Lian? She didn¡¯t think it was Wang Fu¡¯s people... No concubine had enough power to hire such a high-skilled person.

    "Can you find out more about this matter?" Yao Ling asked Xiu who was standing beside Yao Ying in a serious tone.

    Xiu shook his head. "No... We can¡¯t find any trace of where she was going... This servant is ashamed." He rarely failed and everyone knew what it meant --- the enemy was quite powerful. But still, Xiu felt embarrassed.

    "Don¡¯t go out around this time!" Yao Ying quickly gave Yao Ling a stern order. He was worried about the safety of Yao Ling and their child.

    "I know!" Yao Ling quickly agreed. She rarely went out anyway because she needed to cover up her pregnancy --- it was only three to four months left and she could only bear with the boredom ah~!

    Because of Feng Lian, they could only stay vignt --- well, even Yao Ying could feel that something was fishy so it was proof that there was indeed something wrong with her demeanor.

    -------

    The next few days after the secret meeting, Feng Lian was behaving a bit unusual. She didn¡¯t try to get close to Yao Ying and it seemed like she wanted people to see that she had already given up. Li Guang was happy, thinking that his daughter must have been woken up from the dream. He wanted her to be with Yao Ying too, but at least, he had to solidify his position first.

    He didn¡¯t know that his daughter had been doing something that he wouldn¡¯t approve of... if he knew, of course.

    The odd thing was --- it seemed like she changed her target this time. However, the target was quite weird as well. It wasn¡¯t that Yao Ling didn¡¯t think that the man had no charm... but... she felt that something was wrong with her choice.

    Yao Ling heard Xiao Yu¡¯s report and didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. The woman kept following Feng around at this moment --- at first, she followed Xiu around but thetter said that he already someone that he liked which embarrassed Feng Lian even more. However, the woman shamelessly changed her target without batting eyshes.

    Feng and Xiu were look-alikes and well... Feng Lian shamelessly said that she meant to chase Feng in the first ce, but she made a mistake and thought that Xiu was him.

    She said that she had made a mistake. "Oh... you are actually Xiu! I thought that you are Feng! Sorry, I can¡¯t differentiate both of you... yet..."

    Xiu who had been abandoned just like that, "..."

    ¡¯This woman is crazy!¡¯ He thought to himself with a sneer.

    Xiao Yu told Yao Ling angrily, "Young Mistress, can you believe that woman?! She must have nned something bad! How could a person change target this fast?! Does she think of it as a joke?!"

    "What kind of bad thing?" Yao Ling teased Xiao Yu. Somehow, she felt that this side of Xiao Yu was pretty cute. Was she actually feeling jealous?

    "Of course, it¡¯s bad! She seems to have another bad intention, but this maidservant doesn¡¯t know what she wants to do ah~! I even told Xiu and let him tell Feng to be careful around that woman!" Xiao Yu looked really frustrated so she missed her young mistress¡¯ smiling face. Otherwise, she would run away in embarrassment.

    "Ha-ha! You can see that point, so how could Feng not see it as well? He¡¯s not stupid!" Yao Ling tried tofort Xiao Yu with a few words. She didn¡¯t tell Xiao Yu that she had already warned Feng about this matter as well. She had a gut feeling that Feng Lian seemed to want to gain information so she chose one of their closest secret guards.

    But what kind of information? It wasn¡¯t like they were a real prominent family --- in her mind, they were just a merchant family... so there was nothing to hide. Well, except for her pregnancy. There was no news about Yao Ying¡¯s past that she had tried to inquire from A Thousand Words so she had no idea whether it was connected to this matter or not.

    Xiao Yu stomped her feet in anger and asked, "Young Mistress! Why don¡¯t you feel worried about it? What does Young Mistress think she wants to do?!"

    Yao Ling finallyughed and helplessly answered her, "How am I supposed to know? I am not the worm inside Feng Lian¡¯s stomach..."

    "Young Mistress!" Xiao Yu whined.

    "Okay! Okay!" Yao Ling finally decided to get serious. "I really have no idea what her n is but it must have something to do with her disappearance before. After all, her behavior changed right after that... The only thing that we could do is guard ourselves for now. Sooner orter, we could see what her purpose is."

    There was a hint of ruthlessness in Yao Ling¡¯s eyes. If she was still being restless, she just hoped that Feng Lian didn¡¯t me her for paying her back!

    "Should we really just let her be?" Xiao Yu started to get more worried.

    "En. Just let her be!" Yao Ling answered.

    ---------

    Feng was getting a headache --- a real one.

    He nced at Xiu and asked, "What should I do about this woman? She¡¯s like a stalker!"

    Xiuughed at his predicament and said, "You should have just said that you have someone that you like!"

    "I did!" Feng answered with a frown.

    "And then? It should have ended the matter, right? Unless... that woman is actually in the shameless category..."

    Feng sighed and answered, "Yes! She¡¯s in that category!"

    "What do you n to do?" Xiu asked curiously.

    "I will just go with the flow! I don¡¯t really want to have a rtionship with a woman at this point!" Feng answered resolutely.

    Xiu could only pat his shoulder. "Good luck!"

    Feng was annoyed so he just red at Xiu and left. When he was alone, Feng suddenly felt a chill. True enough... Feng Lian appeared in front of him. Feng wasn¡¯t stupid... Despite how loud she said that she liked him, he could see a hint of disdain in Feng Lian¡¯s eyes. He knew his position well... The woman was targetting his young master before, so how could she suddenly like him?

    He was skeptical with all of that and the young mistress¡¯ reminder kept repeating inside his mind. He should be careful.

    "Feng!" Feng Lian stopped him on his track.

    Feng sighed and looked at Feng Lian with slight disdain. "What? Can you stop following me around?"

 Chapter 495 - Being Calculated

    <h4>Chapter 495 - Being Calcted</h4>

    Feng Lian wasn¡¯t the daughter of an official anymore and the young master wasn¡¯t specifically telling them to give Li Guang a bit respect, thus, Feng just talked to Feng Lian normally --- like she was an ordinary person. Besides, this woman didn¡¯t really deserve his respect for the way she behaved!

    Feng Lian red at the man in front of him while gritting her teeth in anger. However, Feng Lian was able to maintain her calmness in the end. Would such a move escape Feng¡¯s eyes?

    No!

    He mocked this stupid woman inwardly. How could his young master see her when he already had an outstanding woman like his young mistress? Even a blind person would know how to choose!

    Feng Lian tried to soften her stance and asked in a seductive voice, "Feng... Why are you avoiding me? Do you hate me that much?"

    "Do you still need me to say it? Do you want me to embarrass you?" Feng didn¡¯t even try to give her a face.

    "I..."

    Feng Lian really wanted to throttle the man in front of her --- such a lowly servant and he dared to mock her! If it wasn¡¯t for the sake of the cooperation with that man, she wouldn¡¯t even put this Feng in her eyes!

    Feng didn¡¯t have the patience to deal with her. He was going to turn around and leave her all alone when Feng Lian suddenly hugged him from behind. Feng almost hit her but still remembered that she was Li Guang¡¯s daughter --- no matter what, he couldn¡¯t be too overboard. He tried to push her but she clutched her arms tighter.

    "What are you... do...ing?" Feng was going to throw her away when he smelt something sweet and enchanting. ¡¯Damn!¡¯ He cursed inwardly, but it was already toote!

    Feng fainted right after smelling the fragrance and Feng Lian quickly let him go, making him fall down in a thud. She quickly wiped her hands in disgust while kicking Feng¡¯s back in annoyance. She felt lucky that Feng had chosen to go to a quiet ce with no one around, it gave her a chance to do this move. She had been following him around just to grab this chance.

    However, knowing that their n had seeded easily, Feng Lian¡¯s mood changed in a heartbeat.

    Feng Lian smirked. It seemed that the medicine that the man had given her really worked! She already chose a ce where there was no one... She whistled in a low voice and a man suddenly came out in a sh.

    "Take him away!" Feng Lian ordered the man arrogantly with a sneer while kicking Feng¡¯s back once more.

    The man looked at Feng Lian in disdain. Why did she think of herself as his superior? If it wasn¡¯t because of his master¡¯s order, he wouldn¡¯t even listen to her. but he still nodded carefully. "Yes!" After answering her, the man took Feng away in a heartbeat.

    There was no trace of what happened just now --- Feng was gone.

    ----------

    Feng woke up in a daze --- he felt that his head was slightly dizzy and his whole body was ufortable. He tried to move but he could onlyy weakly on the bed. He was caught off guard and could only me himself. What the heck actually happened? Feng Lian seemed to calcte him and he fell into her trap. He med himself for his stupidity.

    "Are you already awake?"

    Feng tried to adjust his blurry sight and his gazended at the woman in front of him. His body was weak and he couldn¡¯t move at all.

    "Feng Lian? Why are you doing this?" He squinted his eyes in anger. "You and I don¡¯t have any entanglement or grudge!"

    "Hmm... I don¡¯t really have a grudge with you... But who told you to be one of my future husband¡¯s closest people? Someone needs information from you and I help him because he offers something good to me... That¡¯s all! I just want to ask you one thing before I give you to him..." Feng Lian answered in disdain. She believed that Feng wouldn¡¯t be able to run away or do anything after being captured, hence, she didn¡¯t bother to pretend anymore.

    Feng wasn¡¯t stupid --- the offer must have been about his young master. He already knew from the beginning that Feng Lian wouldn¡¯t give up easily.

    "Him... Who is he?" Feng wasn¡¯t interested in Feng Lian¡¯s n but he felt rmed with the person who helped Feng Lian. He needed to know his identity so once he had the chance to get out of here, he could give something to report to his young master.

    They had been trying to search for this person¡¯s trace but nothing could be found so far --- it meant that this man was quite powerful.

    "Tut... Tut... Tut... I won¡¯t answer that question because soon... you will know it yourself!" Feng Lian answered mockingly. In reality, it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to tell him. However, she also didn¡¯t know his identity as well. She was really blinded by the offer.

    Knowing that this woman was useless, Feng closed his eyes once again. He could do nothing so it would be better for him to save some energy to prepare himself for what would happen next.

    "Answer my question first!" Feng Lian felt irked when she saw his cold face.

    "Hmmm..." Feng only hummed while closing his eyes.

    Feng Lian really wanted to p him but held herself back. She decided to continue to ask the question that had been bugging her ming. "Tell me one thing! Is Yao Ling pregnant?" She asked in a low voice. Feng Lian had a hunch after identally seeing Yao Ling touch her stomach --- however, her expression was quite weird... It seemed like she wasn¡¯t that happy with it, thus, she wondered whether she had made a mistake or not.

    Feng¡¯s heart turned vignce when he heard this. Young Mistress¡¯s pregnancy had to be kept as a secret!

    "No... Why are you asking such a weird question?" Feng asked calmly.

    Feng Lian squinted her eyes. "Don¡¯t you dare to lie!" After that, she pulled out a knife and put it on Feng¡¯s neck. "If you lie, I will kill you!"

    "..."

    Feng wondered whether this woman had a brain or not. It seemed like she was only prominent in handling backyard... Did she think such a trick would work on men?

    Feng pretended to be scared... After all, he was a servant and no one really knew his double identity as a hidden guard. He covered up his martial arts skills pretty well. "I told you the truth! She had gotten a miscarriage! Of course, she¡¯s not pregnant!" He eximed.

    Listening to this, Feng Lian froze on the spot. It made sense... No wonder there was no joy in Yao Ling¡¯s face when she touched her own stomach --- so, that was the case. Feng Lian sighed inwardly.

    ¡¯Ah! It¡¯s a loss for me!¡¯ She thought.

    If she could make Yao Ling has a miscarriage... It would need some time for Yao Ling to recuperate and she could use this point to seduce Yao Ying. It seemed like she needed to make another n... She felt that she had asked enough, thus, she quickly went away --- not giving Feng a second nce.

    Once she was gone, the man took Feng away. Thetter knew that he was going to meet the mastermind behind all of this! There was a slight ripple in his heart --- he didn¡¯t know whether he would be able to live after this or not.

    ------

    On the other hand, Xiu realized that his brother had gone missing...

 Chapter 496 - Feng Lian Was Back

    <h4>Chapter 496 - Feng Lian Was Back</h4>

    Xiu quickly made a report to Yao Ying and Yao Ling about Feng¡¯s disappearance. He felt afraid that something bad would happen to his brother! He couldn¡¯t cover up his worry...

    "Howe?" Yao Ying asked in surprise. He didn¡¯t doubt Feng¡¯s skills and somehow, this thing made him feel uneasy. It meant that that person could touch him and Yao Ling at any moment if they could take Feng easily like this.

    However, there was one thing that they were feeling confused about. Why did they go for Feng? It didn¡¯t make any sense. On the surface, Feng was only an ordinary servant! Was it really nessary to kidnap him just like this? This matter seemed so weird!

    "When thest time did you see him?" Yao Ling asked calmly.

    Xiu told them about Feng Lian. They felt that this matter must have something to do with Feng Lian¡¯sst secret meeting. They were being calcted! They thought that she would target Yao Ling and didn¡¯t really think that they would actually target someone close to them.

    "It seems like Feng Lian this woman... couldn¡¯t be kept anymore!" Yao Ying said in anger.

    Yao Ling held him back. "Calm yourself down!"

    "Why?" Yao Ying looked at her in confusion.

    "No matter what! She¡¯s Li Guang¡¯s daughter. He has raised you and we still need a lot of information from him about your past despite our distrust of him at the moment. At the very least, we can¡¯t tear our faces with him yet," Yao Ling answered.

    "But..." Yao Ying knew that she was right but she was still hesitant.

    Yao Ling shook her head. "There¡¯s no but... We don¡¯t have any pieces of evidence and judging from the way Li Guang dotes on Feng Lian, he wouldn¡¯t believe you..." Besides, she already heard the report from Ying Ying.

    She was confused about why thetter told her everything, but it seemed like their rtionship wasn¡¯t strong enough, to begin with. When they helped Ying Ying to get away from the imprisonment... it was indeed apanied with a hidden purpose.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯t really know what to do, after all, this matter rted to women¡¯s fight as well. He couldn¡¯t just take Feng Lian away and torture her. Somehow, he felt helpless. He just wanted to remember everything to make everything easier ah~!

    When Yao Ling was going to say something, Xiu suddenly let out a small whimper and surprised everyone there. They knew how calm he was so it was weird if he disrupted their conversation without any reason.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" Xiao Yu looked at him worriedly. She could see how pale Xiu all of a sudden was and he didn¡¯t seem to be faking it.

    Xiu could feel that his whole body was in pain --- it was like his back was being whipped and above of all, it seemed the whip was coated with salt, making the pain feel even more unbearable. If it was his own experience, he might be able to endure it. However, he didn¡¯t have any preparation beforehand and was caught by surprise by the sudden immense pain.

    It seemed like Feng was the one who was being tortured at the moment. Both of them had a special connection as twins and this was one of them! Xiu exined to them while gritting his teeth in pain. The others were surprised but after knowing Yao Ling¡¯s power, they could ept Xiu¡¯s exnation in a heartbeat.

    He told his master about what happened and it made them feel worried even more.

    Yao Ling sighed. "I have a way for Feng Lian to talk but well... it might offend Li Guang..." She wanted everything to go slowly but Feng was being tortured, so how could she let him be? She thought that they needed Feng for something, but torturing him?

    Yao Ling didn¡¯t think that they were important enough to be targeted by those people.

    To Yao Ying, Feng and Xiu were obviously more important than Li Guang. He knew that he could be called unfilial for doing this, but he didn¡¯t care. Didn¡¯t he have a reason to do all of this? No past memories!

    Li Guang couldn¡¯t use this reasoning anyway. Forcing him to be filial to him? Yao Ying sneered inwardly... It wouldn¡¯t be that easy to confront him.

    "Just do it!" Yao Ying made a decision ruthlessly.

    They didn¡¯t care that it was alreadyte at night and all of them directly went to Li Guang¡¯s house. Such a big movement... how could it escape Wang Luo Hai¡¯s eyes? He knew about Feng¡¯s disappearance and felt angry in his heart as well. No matter what, Feng was nurtured under him and he had a soft spot for the twins.

    Wang Luo Hai was feeling satisfied with Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s current decision.

    They werepassionate to their underlings, showing that they indeed had good hearts and he didn¡¯t choose the wrong sessors.

    Li Guang was the one who felt surprised when they came to visit them thiste at night. At that time, there was only him inside the house. Ying Ying had been living in the maidservant¡¯s quarters in Wang Fu after her fight with Feng Lian.

    "Where is Feng Lian?" Yao Ying asked while looking around with a sharp gaze.

    Li Guang wondered why they suddenly searched for Feng Lian. His eyes lit up, thinking that maybe Yao Ying finally remembered something. "Why are you looking for her?" Li Guang asked, feeling hopeful. Maybe... he wanted to take Feng Lian as his woman as well?

    Yao Ling understood his expression and it irked her --- but they had a more important thing to do. Thus, she stayed quiet and let Yao Ying do all the talking.

    "I am searching for a person and she seems to know where he is," Yao Ying said calmly. His calmness didn¡¯t make Li Guang feel suspicious with his intention, he was just feeling surprised.

    "She went out for a little bit just now and should be arrived soon..."

    Li Guang hadn¡¯t finished talking, a woman¡¯s voice floated into the room, "Dad... I am back!"

    Feng Lian was back.

 Chapter 497 - Fell Down Heavily

    <h4>Chapter 497 - Fell Down Heavily</h4>

    Feng Lian was surprised by their presence in her house, thus, she stopped talking midway. She was contemting whether to tell her father about what she had done or not --- however, their presence made her change her mind though. Why were they here? Did they notice something wrong? After all, they had always evaded her before this. Her heart was beating faster --- a mixture of excitement and fear.

    However, she was able to calm herself down. They wouldn¡¯t be able to find out about Feng¡¯s disappearance this fast, not knowing that they had been keeping an eye on her every movement. Even if they weren¡¯t, they would notice his disappearance because of the twin¡¯s connection.

    "Where did you go?" Yao Ying asked softly.

    Feng Lian took this as his concern and she looked at Yao Ling untingly --- thetter really didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. ¡¯Girl! You misunderstand ah~!¡¯ She thought inwardly whileughing inside her head. Her husband was merely asking a question ah~!

    "I need to buy a few things..." Feng Lian lied confidently. So that her father wouldn¡¯t feel suspicious, she indeed bought one or two things just now. She calmly put it down on the table and no one could find any faults from her movement.

    "Thiste at night?" Yao Ling asked.

    Li Guang furrowed his eyebrows. He didn¡¯t like the way Yao Ling talked --- it seemed like she was mocking his daughter. He became impolite and asked, "What are you all doing here anyway?" He didn¡¯t disguise his annoyance anymore. If it was only Yao Ying, he would be really happy ah~!

    Yao Ying frowned. "I asked once again, where did you go?"

    Feng Lian¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Did they really notice something? Even Li Guang started to feel that something wasn¡¯t right. "Young Master, why are you keep asking about Feng Lian¡¯s whereabouts just now?"

    Yao Ying knew that they wouldn¡¯t get something out of her mouth and he didn¡¯t want to dy saving Feng. He gave a signal to Yao Ling, thetter knew that he wanted her to do what she should do to make Feng Lian open her mouth.

    Yao Ling walked slowly to Feng Lian and tilted her head to the side, "I¡¯m sorry!" Right after saying that, she fluttered her sleeves and Feng Lian was covered with small dust that couldn¡¯t be seen clearly by n.a.k.e.d eyes. To the others, she was merely fluttering her sleeve --- that was all!

    "What are you saying sorry for?" Feng Lian asked while frowning. However, she suddenly smelled something spicy even though it smelled quite good and unconsciously flinched. She sneezed loudly and what made her feel even more confused was the fact that she had the urge... to tell the truth to everyone!

    What was wrong with her?!

    Feng Lian¡¯s face changed. "What did you do to me?" She realized that Yao Ling must have been giving her something just now. But what?

    Yao Ling smirked. An ordinary person wouldn¡¯t know what this was. After all, the substances would vanish into nothing after covering the other party and no trace could be found easily. She was the one who made it, thus, she knew how potent this medicine was. Yao Ling had never forgotten to learn medicines and also, the scroll from her dear grandmother.

    Li Guang quickly looked at his daughter and asked as well, "What did you do to her?!" He wanted to say bitch at the end of the sentence but fortunately, he was able to hold himself back. Yao Ying was looking at him sharply and Li Guang could only swallow back the word. Since when Yao Ying had be this domineering ah~?!

    He was like a different man from before!

    Yao Ling smirked. "Just a little bit thing to make you be a bit more honest!"

    Li Guang¡¯s face changed and quickly stood in front of Feng Lian protectively. "Why should you do this?" He didn¡¯t understand what they wanted. If they didn¡¯t like them, just said it! Why should they go this far ah~?!

    "One of my subordinates is gone!" Yao Ying said in a low voice. What he had implied was more than obvious. Feng Lian had be paler, on the other hand, Li Guang looked at them in confusion and asked, "What does his disappearance have to do with Feng Lian?"

    There was a fleeting thought in Li Guang¡¯s mind, ¡¯Does someone want to frame his good daughter?¡¯ His eyesnded on Yao Ling --- thetter must have been jealous of her daughter!

    "Why don¡¯t we ask your daughter about it?" Yao Ling nced at Feng Lian with disdain. This woman was too restless! She didn¡¯t even bother to think twice before harming someone else for the sake of her own selfishness.

    Yao Ying quickly asked her, "What did you do just now? Do you know where Feng is?"

    Feng Lian wanted to say no... but somehow, her mouth didn¡¯t obediently follow her order. "I know where he is... I am taking him away..."

    Li Guang was dumbfounded. Did his innocent daughter really do something to Feng? But... But why?! He blurted out and asked, "Why?" However, when he heard his daughter¡¯s answerter, he felt like vomiting blood and wanted to p her for her own foolishness ah~!

    How could she be so muddleheaded?

    Feng Lian told everything from the beginning to the end without any qualm. While admitting everything, she could feel her whole body sweating heavily. No matter what, she also knew that she had made a big mistake but she couldn¡¯t let Yao Ying go from her heart. Thus, she could only fight like this!

    Yao Ying sneered when he heard everything. The most disgusting thing for him was the fact that the woman kept telling them over and over again how deeply in love she was with him. That wasn¡¯t the worst part! He could feel Yao Ling¡¯s chilling gazended on his body every now and then...

    It was so scary ah~!

    He was also helpless ah~!

    It was the other party who liked him like a lunatic!

    Yao Ling could see Yao Ying¡¯s fear and the former really didn¡¯t know whether she shouldugh or cry. The man was really thinking too much! Yes, she was feeling annoyed but oh well... Might as well let this thing be a lesson for him...

    He was too handsome for his own good...

    She didn¡¯t realize that she was the same as well... Her beauty was the thing that attracted Bai Bing Wen and brought a lot of troubles for the couple... However, it was a story for another time. They would soon meet with Bai Bing Wen again.

    Feng Lian looked at Yao Ling with hatred and pointed angrily, "It¡¯s all because of you! If you weren¡¯t here, the wife position should be mine! I have loved him ever since I was a little girl! You ruin everything for me!"

    Like a lunatic, Feng Lian jumped onto Yao Ling and the former was going to push Yao Ling down in hatred. There was a bit of side effect of this substance --- it could make the person be a bit stronger. Added with the hatred that had been corroding her mind, Feng Lian became even more powerful.

    She pushed Yao Ling hard and thetter fell down heavily on the floor!

 Chapter 498 - They Werent Worth It!

    <h4>Chapter 498 - They Weren''t Worth It!</h4>

    "Aaaah!" Yao Ling quickly protected her stomach in panic. Even though she had covered it up perfectly, once her stomach was slightly exposed and people paid attention to it, they would know that she was heavily pregnant. That was the case at the moment!

    Li Guang and Feng Lian¡¯s face changed when they saw her stomach. Feng Lian was trembling when she realized that she might have killed Yao Ying¡¯s child --- it was a mixture of fear, pride, and excitement. On the other hand, Li Guang knew that Feng Lian had ruined everything this time. If the baby was gone, he knew that Yao Ying would certainly reject them and it would be the end for him.

    Nothing was more important than their master¡¯s bloodline.

    Feng Lian gritted her teeth inwardly, knowing that Feng had lied to her. That bastard! She looked at Yao Ling¡¯s stomach and the way Yao Ying cared for her in jealousy. Why? Why could she have him under her palm? She didn¡¯t like it at all!

    If the baby was gone, it would be perfect! She could say that she didn¡¯t know that Yao Ling was pregnant anyway. It wasn¡¯t her fault! Yes...! It wasn¡¯t her fault!

    Yao Ying, Xiu, and Xiao Yu were surprised by the sudden event and quickly tried to help Yao Ling --- at least, preventing her from totally falling. However, it was already toote because everything happened too fast toprehend. She fell down quite heavily, but she was able to tilt her body at thest minute and protect her stomach with both of her hands. However, it definitely made both of her hands bruised!

    The impact was still pretty strong. Even with the way she protected her stomach, Yao Ling could feel a slight pain on her stomach... The baby! What about her baby?! Yao Ling¡¯s heart almost burst out in fear and she regretted that she had underestimated Feng Lian just now! What if she lost her baby because of a moment of carelessness?!

    "Are you okay?" Yao Ying asked while hovering over her in fear. Yao Ling¡¯s face was pale and he was afraid that she would bleed.

    "I¡¯m fine!" Yao Ling answered in a hoarse voice. Xiao Yu and Yao Ying quickly helped her up and found a stool for her to sit down.

    "Are you sure?" He asked once again. If something happened to Yao Ling or the baby, he would certainly kill Feng Lian.

    Yao Ling nodded her head and took out a pill from her sleeve. She quickly drank it even though her hands were still trembling. Xiao Yu quickly took a jug of water on the table, poured it on a ss, and gave it to her young mistress, not caring whether this was their house or not. She didn¡¯t think they should be polite with the people who had tried to harm her young mistress. They weren¡¯t worth it!

    When Yao Ying had made sure that Yao Ling was fine, he red at Feng Lian. If look could kill, she would already be dead for a thousand times!

    Feng Lian quickly tried to appease him, "It¡¯s an ident. I don¡¯t know that she¡¯s pregnant, so you can¡¯t me me!" The way she appeased people couldn¡¯t cover up her arrogance.

    Yao Ying really wanted to p her when he saw that she didn¡¯t repent at all, however, Li Guang moved faster than him.

    Li Guang who gaped at his daughter could only try to cover her mouth but toote. He had pampered his daughter too much so that she became this arrogant. It really gave him a headache ah~! However, he didn¡¯t remember that she was this brainless. If she seeded, he would turn a blind eye at what she had done. But this...

    *sigh*

    He could only sigh inwardly.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Young Master... It seems like her mind is in a bad state at this moment. I¡¯m sure that she doesn¡¯t mean it," Li Guang quickly said. He knew that it was an unreasonable reason but he didn¡¯t know what else to say!

    "Father! It¡¯s not true! Feng might be in a dire situation now, after all, the person who took him doesn¡¯t look like a good man! I drugged him ah~!" Feng Lianughed out loud like a lunatic while admitting everything.

    "You!" Li Guang speechlessly looked at his daughter. What the heck was going on? Did his good daughter really do all that?

    Yao Ying said, "It¡¯s useless to cover up her mouth... She will tell the truth about everything that we ask her... If you want, you can also ask about what she had done in the past..." Looking at her treacherous expression, they didn¡¯t think that Feng Lian was an innocent soul.

    "Someone must have framed her!" Li Guang insisted and his gazended on Yao Ling. She must have given something to make Feng Lian lie. The ability of Li Guang to turn ck into white was really good! He didn¡¯t want to admit that his daughter was actually a bad person thoroughly.

    Yao Ling was full of hatred because of Feng Lian¡¯s rashness, thus, she quickly asked when the substance was still at its best, "What bad things did you do when your father was still an official back then, huh?"

    Feng Lian sweated when she heard this. After all, she indeed had done a lot of bad things that her father didn¡¯t know about. Once she heard the question, she couldn¡¯t hold back the impulse to tell the truth. She admitted that she had helped her mother to kill a few of her father¡¯s concubine daughter and not only that, but she had heard that her mother was also the culprit who helped to exchange Ying Ying with the second branch¡¯s dead baby.

    Li Guang was dumbfounded when he had heard everything. Feng Lian was as gentle as her mother as long as he could remember --- in the end, he started to realize how vicious they were. He knew that Feng Lian must have really told the truth! Because all those things... really had happened back then --- nobody knew the details except their family.

    He looked older a few years and his face was pale... Was this really the daughter that he had loved all of this time?

    "How... How could you...?" Li Guang didn¡¯t know what else to say. At this point, he didn¡¯t have the heart to protect her anymore. After all, what she had done affected him as well --- he felt betrayed.

    "What do you think, Da Ren?" Yao Ling asked politely. Somehow, she felt pitiful for this old man as well. Even though he was greedy, he really loved Feng Lian.

    He waved his hand weakly. "You can do what you want to her... I won¡¯t hinder you anymore..." He became heartless just like that --- he seemed to give up on Feng Lian.

    "Father! You can¡¯t do that! You are the one who loves me the most!" Feng Lian cried while trying to ask for help. She couldn¡¯t hate Yao Ling more because she knew that this had something to do with thetter.

    Li Guang didn¡¯t pay attention to her and just told her coldly, "Just obediently tell everything about Feng!"

    Feng Lian had no choice but to tell everything --- the content of their agreement... and all...

 Chapter 499 - An Idiot

    <h4>Chapter 499 - An Idiot</h4>

    "I don¡¯t care about what kind of deal that you will get from him. I just want to know what the man wants to do and why did he decide to take Feng of all my people?" Yao Ying quickly asked, hoping to find an answer.

    He already knew what Feng Lian wanted --- the woman wanted to remove Yao Ling from his side and be the main wife. Just a woman¡¯s petty jealousy and he didn¡¯t want too dwell on that matter anymore... It wasn¡¯t important to him anyway.

    "This..." Feng Lian didn¡¯t know what to say. She only knew a bit about them and the main goal, thus, she didn¡¯t really know how to answer him. In truth, she didn¡¯t want to know because knowing too much would bring a danger to her. As long as her goal was aplished, did it even matter?

    Feng was only a servant and she didn¡¯t think that it was a big deal to sacrifice such a lowly person. She decided to tell the truth though, after all, she wasn¡¯t in the position to be arrogant at this moment.

    "Actually, it¡¯s quite random... It doesn¡¯t matter to them who are being taken away as a hostage. They just need someone from Wang Fu and by chance, I could find a way to subdue Feng with the substances that that man had given to me..." Feng Lian admitted guiltily. If Xiu didn¡¯t reject her, the victim might be Xiu and it made Xiao Yu hate Feng Lian even more.

    This woman was really shameless and annoying!

    So, they didn¡¯t specifically need Feng... Someone from Wang Fu? So, the target was Wang Fu? Everyone was pondering over this matter. Why moved his men first? If it was all about Wang Fu, they should have targetted Wang Luo Hai¡¯s men first ah~! No matter what he was still new in the family and honestly, didn¡¯t know much about the deep secret of Wang Fu.

    Would it be necessary to target him?

    "Why?" Yao Ying asked once again. He tried not to believe that this woman was stupid enough to jump into something that she didn¡¯t know about. Thus, he guessed that she must have known something.

    Feng Lian shook her head. "I don¡¯t know..." She bit her lower lip in distress.

    "..."

    Yao Ying and everyone else inside the room couldn¡¯t believe that this woman was actually ¡¯that¡¯ stupid!

    Li Guang saw the displeasure and hatred in Yao Ying and Yao Ling¡¯s eyes and quickly asked his daughter, "Just try to remember any details!" If Feng Lian couldn¡¯t provide an answer, he knew that they would end up in a bad state! No matter what he didn¡¯t want to have a bad rtionship with Yao Ying.

    Feng Lian was afaid when she saw her father¡¯s rare fierce look and tried to recall anything that she could remember. "Er... they only mentioned something about a fluctuative weird power... or something like that." Li Guang who heard that also didn¡¯t understand, what more a woman like Feng Lian? Only a few people knew about this matter. That was why Feng Lian didn¡¯t think that this matter was important to be remembered.

    Li Guang had never remembered that Yao Ying had a weird power that he should pay attention to before and quickly dismissed the possibility that Yao Ling might have one. Women were weak in his eyes...

    When Yao Ying and Yao Ling heard this, they looked at each other in dismay... knowing that someone had sensed Yao Ling¡¯s power. Otherwise, there was no other exnation. After all, her fluctuative power and inner qi were two different things.

    Yao Ling¡¯s face became paler --- she had been so recklesstely! She used her power a few times and also, she used it just now to protect her child... What... What if that person was here? Somehow, she felt really afraid to be noticed once again.

    They cleverly covered up their expression from the father-daughter pair though. After all, they would be stupid if they trusted them.

    "Power? Don¡¯t lie!" Yao Ying squinted his eyes in disbelief, making him look like he didn¡¯t understand what they were talking about. It was better to pretend to be stupid at this moment.

    "I am not!" Feng Lian quickly denied. She looked at her father for help but even thetter had a disbelief look etched on his face! She felt really wronged.

    "You are so stupid!" Yao Ying didn¡¯t bother to cover up his disdain which made Feng Lian flinch in embarrassment and she almost burst into tears. Yao Ying didn¡¯t give her a chance to talk and continued asking, "What else do you know? Where was thest time you saw Feng?"

    "This... This..."

    How could she let them know where Feng was?! She hadn¡¯t gotten her end of the deal. Until now, she was still thinking that she would be sessful --- either she was really blind or really an idiot.

    "Let them know!" Even Li Guang forced her to admit everything. He really wanted to p Feng Lian to make her sober. She would really be the death of him ah~!

    "O... Okay..." She obeyed weakly.

    Feng Lian could only bring them to the ce where she saw Fengst time. Yao Ling didn¡¯t follow them because she still felt that her stomach was ufortable. Yao Ying and Xiu were the only ones who came along --- oh, and also Li Guang.

    Every trace there had been erased, showing how careful that person was.

    Yao Ying red at Feng Lian and said, "If something happens to Feng, I will personally send you back to the Han Kingdom!" He would let her rotten inside the prison! His words made the father-daughter pair tremble in fear. They didn¡¯t want to go back to those times!

    Li Guang quickly asked for forgiveness but Yao Ying paid him no mind. "I already give you enough face! If she¡¯s not your daughter, I will already kill her!"

    Any words of persuasion that Li Guang wanted to say stuck in his mouth because he knew how angry Yao Ying was.

    "What should we do, Young Master?" Xiu asked in a low voice.

 Chapter 500 - Let Him Come In!

    <h4>Chapter 500 - Let Him Come In!</h4>

    Both of them could see a trace of blood there, so they knew that they treated Feng harshly after Feng Lian was gone --- of course, it was deducted merely from Feng Lian¡¯s story. It made them feel worried even more because they didn¡¯t know whether it was the truth or not.

    Yao Ying gritted his teeth in annoyance when he knew that it was hard to find Feng --- it had been more than one shichen, thus, he was afraid that most of the clues had been gone. However, he couldn¡¯t think negatively at this moment.

    After pondering for a little while, he whispered a few instructions for Xiu to search any signs of Feng that could be found --- with their connection, maybe they could find out something. At the very least, they knew that Feng was still alive at this moment. Xiu could still feel their normal connection even though it was quite faint.

    On the other hand, he quickly brought the father-daughter pair back from that ce and put them under surveince. It was better if they didn¡¯t know his n --- just in case, Feng Lian ruined it again. Not only that, but Yao Ying ruthlessly put Feng Lian under house arrest. Li Guang couldn¡¯t refute Yao Ying¡¯s arrangement, after all, it was better than to be sent back to the Han Kingdom. He had a gut feeling that Yao Ying felt a bit regret for saving them back then.

    It was indeed what Yao Ying had felt --- they brought him endless troubles which made him feel irked.

    Once he arranged everything, he left immediately. Knowing what Yao Ying had thought about them, Li Guang could only sigh helplessly. No matter how stupid she was, Feng Lian was his only daughter... What else could he do? In his mind, Ying Ying was just a piece of chess and didn¡¯t think of her as her true daughter --- after all, he didn¡¯t bring her up and the feelings between them weren¡¯t as deep as his feelings and Feng Lian¡¯s.

    Yes, he was being biased to that crazy point. In the end, he only scolded Feng Lian a bit before deciding to rest.

    Yao Ying had no time to care about them. If he knew, he would only shake his head in disappointment anyway. Li Guang really spoiled his daughter a little bit too much which made him feel that he shouldn¡¯t do that to his daughter in the future.

    Yao Ying didn¡¯te back to Wang Fu to be idle because he was actually worried about Yao Ling. He saw how pale she was just now --- right after knowing that someone was targeting her power. Besides, she must have been scared after being pushed down by that bitch, Feng Lian. Was there something wrong with the baby? Xiu understood his young master¡¯s mind so he didn¡¯t feel that Yao Ying was neglecting his brother. On the other hand, he agreed with Yao Ying¡¯s arrangement.

    In the end, Yao Ying only needed to wait for Xiu¡¯s report.

    Yao Ying¡¯s gut feeling was proven right when he went back home. It was quitete at night and the light inside their room were all lit up, making him walk even faster. Their room was pretty hectic at this moment.

    "What happened?" He quickly stopped Xiao Yu who just came out of the room while holding a basin of water. He was surprised when he saw that there was a trace of blood in it. His face became paler.

    Was she... okay?

    "Young Mistress is bleeding at the moment," Xiao Yu answered in a low voice. "Young Master, please wait outside... Young Mistress said that no one is allowed toe in..." After that, she whispered in a soft voice, "We aren¡¯t allowed to tell anyone else too... especially the matriach. Young Mistress doesn¡¯t want anyone to feel worried."

    Yao Ying sighed. It was already at this point and yet, she still cared about other people. This woman was so selfless that it made him want to dote on her even more. "No, I will go inside," Yao Ying insisted to go inside. At least, he should apany his wife when the situation was tough.

    "This..." Xiao Yu couldn¡¯t make a decision --- after all, Yao Ying was also her young master ah~! She looked at Yao Ying helplessly because she couldn¡¯t dismiss his words as well.

    "Let hime in!" Yao Ling¡¯s weak voice floated to them. In the end, Xiao Yu moved away and let Yao Ying in. It was better this way anyway. There were only a few people awake and she could do something else while Yao Ying was tending to her young mistress.

    Yao Ying quickly burst in and asked worriedly, "Are you okay?"

    What he saw surprised him... after all, he had never seen Yao Ling look so weak before --- it was like there was no trace of blood left on her face. Her white face turned a few shades paler, making him feel rmed.

    Yao Ling just smiled weakly at him. "I¡¯m fine..." She tried to reassure him, however, judging from his look... she had failed miserably.

    "What happened? Didn¡¯t you already use your power just now? Shouldn¡¯t you be fine?" Yao Ying asked cautiously because he didn¡¯t want to add pressure to Yao Ling but he couldn¡¯t hold himself back.

    Thetter sighed. "Indeed, I used my power but it was only halfway and hadn¡¯t fully healed me yet. I stopped it midway when I heard about Feng Lian¡¯s confession. I didn¡¯t want to risk being find out..." Yao Ling said weakly.

    "Can you use it now?" Yao Ying asked once again.

    Yao Ling shook her head sadly. "No, it¡¯s too risky. Not only because of the fact that those people pay big attention to our Wang Fu, but because I stopped midway, there was a slight bacsh from my power..."

    The power was great but it also had certain boundaries --- she couldn¡¯t stop all of a sudden and the result was pretty bad like this. Yao Ying had never known this part and Yao Ling also thought that it wasn¡¯t important. She had always used the power carefully and how could it fleet inside her mind that something like this would ur?

    However, it was toote to regret it now.

    "How is the baby?" Yao Ying asked while his heart was beating faster. After all, there was a lot of blood in that basin and the smell was quite strong...

    "The baby..." Yao Ling bit her lower lips while tears were pouring down slowly.

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